Jan 20, 2008 Jan 22, 2008 Monday January 21, 2008
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MacBook Air gets a quick little pre-unboxing in Japan
Filed under: Laptops Can't wait for that MacBook Air to arrive in two to three weeks? (Please let it be two.) Some folks over in Tokyo got a chance to unbox the thing from its official box, and slide it into a couple envelopes for dramatic effect. Looks like classic Apple packaging, and classic Apple hype. Two tastes that taste great together. [Via PMP Today] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Multi-touch on the MacBook Pro
A rumor surfaced on the internet this weekend hinting that the next revision of the MacBook Pro will have the same multi-touch abilities as the Air. That'd be logical, after all - the MacBook Pro's haven't been updated in a while, and that would be a nice feature, right? The only problem with that is that they've already got it. Doubt me? Check out the page on Apple's website discussing the various multi-touch gestures. (For everyone's convenience, I've copied that picture here.) There are ten gestures, outlined below. Scroll: This gesture is simple; place two fingers on the trackpad and slide them around. Easily done on the MBP. (It even does sideways and - in Leopard - diagonal scrolling, provided the appropriate checkbox is ticked in System Preferences > Keyboard and Mouse > Trackpad.) Swipe: This seems like scroll - two fingers and sliding. However, in the demo, it is used to slide quickly between images. This one, I cannot get my MBP to do; it will scroll happily to the right or left of the selected image, then stop. Pinch and Expand: The name is pretty explanatory - pinch to zoom out, and expand to zoom in - and the gestures look just like the iPhone! Sadly, also a no-go on the MBP. Rotate: Again, obvious. Screen Zoom: Hold the control key and slide two fingers forward and back on the trackpad. The MBP does this perfectly. Tap: I don't know why Apple even bothered listing this as a multi-touch gesture, but okay. Again, the MBP is more than capable of it. (It needs to be selected in System Preferences.) Click and drag / click, drag, and lock: Two gestures on the Apple demos, one on here, and again, the name is explanatory. The MBP can do both of these, provided the user has checked the appropriate boxes in the Trackpad preference pane. Secondary click A / secondary click B: As was discussed in another article's comment thread, all Intel laptops and certain PowerPC ones can support a right click by tapping on the trackpad with two fingers. There also seems to be a correlation between Leopard and this functionality; older iBooks running Leopard have this feature, while newer ones that are still using Tiger do not. (This also requires selecting non-default options from the Trackpad preference pane.) Now, according to my calculations, the MacBook Pro can do seven of these. Those seven are scroll, screen zoom, tap, click and drag, click, drag, and lock, secondary click A, and secondary click B. The other three gestures - swipe, pinch and expand, and rotate - do not. Seventy percent of a feature that it doesn't even supposedly have isn't bad in my book. However, none of the unsupported gestures require more than two fingers, which the MBP has already shown that it can handle. This, then, makes me assume that we will see the full palette of multi-touch gestures on the MBP - but not as a hardware update. That, in turn, is further supported by the appearance of some limited multi-touch abilities in older PowerPC machines running Leopard - perhaps Leopard even contains the frameworks for all of the above gestures, just waiting to be unlocked. There are also certain third-party utilities, of which SideTrack may be the most well known, that can add some of these functions. 10.5.2, anyone? (All of this research was performed on a 2.16Ghz MacBook Pro specimen, birthdate April 2006, running Leopard 10.5.1, with no third-party enhancements that would affect trackpad functionality. I attempted to duplicate the Apple demos as closely as I could. I opened a folder of pictures in Preview and tried the same finger motions. The presence or absence of gestures was secondarily tested on a 867Mhz iBook, also running Leopard 10.5.1, and also without enhancements.)
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Abbott, Apple, Bank of America, Luxottica, Sears, Time Warner
Stocks expected to move sharply in Tuesday’s trading include Abbott Labs, Apple, Bank of America, Luxottica, Philips, Sears and Time Warner. U.S. markets were closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
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Behold the 24th Anniversary Mac
Filed under: Hardware, Mods, Mac miniForget the TAM. I want this thing.David Clausen decided to celebrate the Mac's longevity by making something special. So, he gutted the case of a 512K Mac (the case is in great shape, by the way), then inserted the workings of a Mac mini and a grayscale monitor. Add to that a LS-120 floppy disk drive and a custom-built USB microcontroller (to use the original mouse and keyboard), and you've got one badass compact Mac. For more detail, check out the Flickr Set.All because he wanted to "...experiment with creating a custom USB device." That's one heck of a device. Hey Dave, if you decide to sell these, let me know.[Via Adam Tow]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Edward Tufte: Interface Design and the iPhone
Smart video presentation by design genius Edward Tufte, demonstrating the cleverness of the iPhone’s UI, with particular emphasis on the way it maximizes available screen space by eliminating pixel-wasting “computer administrative debris” (e.g. scroll bars). (Thanks to David Magda.) ★
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Japanese press unboxes the MacBook Air
Filed under: Macworld, Cult of Mac, MacBook AirWe all know what the MacBook Air looks like, but what we all want to know is: what the heck does the box look like? Thanks to a briefing that Apple had for the Japanese press we now know. Check out the whole Flickr set for some photos featuring all the products Apple announced last week. If you're just interested in checking out the MacBook Air box check out the following pictures: the box, opening it up, the first look at the accessories, and there it is.Thanks, Hazmat.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Keepin' it real fake, part CVII: Is it an iPhone, or a scale? You decide!
Filed under: Cellphones, Misc. Gadgets There's something kind of odd going on here that elevates this one beyond your garden variety KIRF, and into the hall of fame of ill-advised fakery. What we have here is a pocket-sized scale, with a cover that makes it look exactly like an iPhone -- until you look a bit closer and see that somebody did a rework of the interface in MS Paint. The mind boggles! The American Weigh CP3-500 is only $52 in case you're interested in exploring this mystery further, we're getting out while we're ahead. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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VoIP Over GSM on iPhone
I have been waiting for an application that allws one to make a call without using minutes. How? VoIP. Currently in testing, a promising new application could provide the best solution to making those calls. Dubbed
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New iPod game - Pole Position: Remix
Filed under: Gaming, iPod Family Pole Position: Remix was seen floating around the iTunes Store in a couple of banners last week after the Jobs keynote, but wasn't put up for download until today. This is a first for iPod games: it's a 3-D racing game. This looks like a really cool game that could keep you company on your morning/afternoon commute (please note: we do not endorse playing iPod racing games while driving). The game features un-lockable tracks, themes, and player cars. This game is available now on the iTunes Store for $4.99. This game is compatible with iPod nano (3rd generation), iPod Classic, and iPod with video (5th generation). Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Expo Notes: Intuit plans a rebuilt Quicken
When Quicken Financial Life debuts this fall, it will be a complete rewrite of the personal-finance app. Intuit previewed the next version of Quicken at last week's Expo.
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News: Namco Bandai releases Pole Position: Remix iPod Game
Adding to the iPod's library of games, Namco Bandai has released Pole Position: Remix ($5), an updated version of the classic forced 3-D perspective car racing game. As with the original, you need to complete one lap within a time limit to qualify to race in a multi-lap race, and attempt to steer, shift, and avoid both trackside obstacles and other race cars to continue driving. The company has added new selectable tracks such as Wonder, Misaki…
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First Looks: Namco Bandai Pole Position: Remix
Continuing its efforts to bring the 1980's back to the iPod, Namco Bandai has released Pole Position: Remix ($5), an updated version of the classic forced 3-D perspective car racing game. As with the original, you need to complete one lap within a time limit to qualify to race in a multi-lap race, and attempt to steer, shift, and avoid both trackside obstacles and other race cars to continue driving. Two levels of difficulty are in the game, as is…
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Meizu M8 hits the Chinese patent office, top of the irony meter
Filed under: Cellphonest Given the Meizu M8's not-so-faint resemblance to another semi-famous handheld, you'd think trying to get a patent on the design would be fairly fruitless -- but it looks like the company's giving it a shot anyway. This Chinese patent app was apparently filed last February, but China's patent office just published it on the 16th, so we're not even certain which bad render, doctored photo, or cardboard mockup of the M8 is referenced within. Still, Jack Wong had better get his lawyers in gear and get this patent on the books -- Apple might be slow in getting to China, but it's not going to be happy once it does. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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zAlternator opens up your Zune to WMP11, iTunes sync
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video A new hack and this zAlternator app from PityOnU over at ZuneBoards lets the Zune masquerade as a generic "Windows Portable Device" (gee, imagine that!) or even an iPod, openining the device to new horizons of user-friendly content management. WPD is the real win here, allowing you to use Windows Media Player, Winamp or whatever other popular app you prefer for managing your media. The iTunes features are a bit more untested, but theoretically should work. To get you Zune to cooperate, there's a simple unlock hack to perform, but after that it should be pretty smooth sailing -- let us know what it's like on the other side.[Thanks, Mike] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple may be crippling DTrace to protect its DRM
A Sun programmer has uncovered evidence that, although Apple has adopted Sun's DTrace tool, the company is also purposely breaking it for certain apps. Why is that? One suspected reason: DRM.Read More...
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Bento: Big On Ease, Style &Â Stretch
FileMaker’s new personal database, Bento is big on style and ease. Watch the tutorial movie and in less than five minutes you will be comfortable using Bento’s main features. Bento comes with a set of libraries (databases) that relate directly to OS X’s Address Book and iCal. Whatever changes you make in these Bento libraries — called, not surprisingly, Address Book, iCal Events and iCal Tasks — appear in OS X’s Address Book or iCal and vice versa. When you install Bento, it imports your Address Book and iCal data, recognizes what Address groups you’ve created and calls them Collections that have their own icon in the Source List. And by creating additional libraries of your own and using Bento’s relational fields, you can extend OS X’s functionality: the organizational world you create in Bento will interrelate with and stretch the features of Address Book, iCal, Numbers and Keynote. And you can view it all with one swift glance at the Source List (Bento’s left-hand panel). The price is easy too, $49 for a single-user license, $99 for a family license — five license keys for use on different computers in the same household. You can test it free for 30 days. (Note: Bento only works with Leopard.) (more…)
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Adam Lisagor’s Macworld Expo Coverage
Outstanding four-part Macworld wrap-up by Adam “Lonelysandwich” Lisagor. I’m linking to part one, regarding the MacBook Air, but don’t miss parts two (iPhone 1.1.3 update), three (iTunes movie rentals and Apple TV), and four (location-awareness in iPhone Maps), either. ★
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Google Warns Of Possible IMAP Issues With 1.1.3
Although 1.1.3 brings better support for IMAP in Gmail, Google is warning users that issues may arise after updating. The problem results from updates to Mail in 1.1.3 in which a POP Gmail account will be converted to IMAP.…
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Backstage: Wrapping Up the Expos: You Asked, My Thoughts
In a word, the last couple of weeks have been brutal—too much to see, do, and write about. I haven't had the opportunity to share most of my personal thoughts on what's taken place at CES or Macworld Expo, but wanted to do so, particularly because there have been requests from readers like you. So, here they are while I'm in-between other projects, in unfiltered and unedited form, in the general arrangement of the Apple keynote…
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Acoordance ARAID T2000
Homeowner's insurance for your data.
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Next MacBook Pro update rumored to include multi-touch
Rumors suggest that the MacBook Air's multi-touch trackpad may be coming to the MacBook Pro in the next update to the line.Read More...
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Expo Notes: Portable podcast studio
Belkin was showing off its two-channel Podcast Studio accessory, which records high-quality, stereo audio to recent iPod models.
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Show floor video: Gridiron Flow makes graphic workflows transparent
Filed under: Macworld, Software, Graphic DesignAmong the Macworld Best in Show winners was an application I hadn't heard of before: Flow, from Gridiron Software (makers of After Effects supercharger tool Nucleo Pro). Flow is still in pre-beta, but when it ships this summer it should make the lives of graphics and production professionals much easier by exposing the various components that go into complex documents; you'll be able to track down your source files, roll back to previous versions and perform "super collects" to grab all the files you need for final output in one package.We got a demo of Flow at Gridiron's Macworld booth; it looks very cool, and it will be exciting to see if it lives up to its promise when it's released. Video after the jump.Continue reading Show floor video: Gridiron Flow makes graphic workflows transparentRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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News: Makayama premieres VoiceDial for iPhone
Makayama has released VoiceDial, a new third-party iPhone application that lets users control their devices with their voice. The application, which requires a jailbroken iPhone, lets users dial contacts with their voice, and also supports voice-activated application and bookmark opening. The software uses a modern speech recognition algorithm that compares what the user says against voice samples that the user records and assigns to various contacts,…
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Mac Pros gain 64-bit Vista support in Boot Camp
If you're a Mac Pro user and want to maximize your use of Windows Vista, Boot Camp now lets you use it in 64-bit mode. Now, what about the rest of us?Read More...
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Researchers hope to charge up gadgetry with body heat
Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables We've heard of firms tinkering with the idea of converting excess heat directly to energy, and apparently, a team of scientists from the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California at Berkeley have done just that. Oddly enough, the researchers admit that they're still unclear on how their findings actually work, but they've nevertheless discovered how to increase the conversion efficiency of converting waste heat to energy "by a factor of 100." The authors of the report suggest that clothing constructed of material embedded with thermoelectric modules could one day "recharge mobile electronic devices off the heat of one's body," and while we're certainly stoked about the idea, we're already conjuring up awful images in our minds about what this garb will actually look like.[Via textually, image courtesy of FourEyesJokeShop] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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★ Why the Mac Doesn’t Seem Viable for For-Profit Malware
Taking a stab at answering my question from last week regarding why for-profit malware developers seemingly have zero interest in Mac OS X, Ian Betteridge makes the epidemiological argument — that malware spreads virally, and thus only thrives with majority platforms like Windows. I think that’s partly true, but doesn’t fully explain the discrepancy as to why the Mac suffers so much less malware than Windows — the Mac has around five percent market share but almost no malware whatsoever. To be clear, I don’t think there’s any single reason that explains it. I still believe a big part is tolerance on the part of users. Most new Windows machines come loaded from the factory with promotional software that most Mac users would consider adware. It’s a slippery slope to malware adware (as opposed to the non-malware adware that ships with these machines) from there. The simple truth is that Windows users are more accustomed to being annoyed by their machines. I also think there’s a technical aspect. Anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that Vista really is a lot more secure than XP and older versions of Windows. But here’s an interesting what-if scenario regarding the epidemiological argument: What if the desktop OS market share distribution were something like 40/40/20 (percent) for Windows/various Linux distros/Mac OS X? Would that sort of heterogeneous split keep malware from spreading even on Windows? Or, conversely, would numbers like that spread malware evenly across the board?
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MacBook Air Attack
The Macalope knows the MacBook Air isn't perfect, but the amount of silly punditry it's attracting is seriously out of control. First, did you know that the MacBook Air Lacks Features, Analysts Say (tip o' the antlers to the Rat Boy)? It's true! And, according to squirrels, it lacks delicious nuts! Well, pardon the Macalope for saying so, but dur-hey. He'd have to scroll through keynote again, but he's pretty sure that you don't need analysts to tell you that it "lacks features" because Steve Jobs actually said so. That "lack of features" is actually a feature. The point is that because music, video and software are mostly being received wirelessly from the Internet in the digital wonderland in which we live, you really don't need them. The last time the Macalope used his optical drive was to install Leopard. Yes, you either need a USB optical drive or another Mac, but let's face it, at the MacBook Air's price, another $99 isn't going to bother you. But PC World isn't the only place where you can chew the FUD. Direct from the Canadian Ministry of Silly Punditry we learn that the MacBook Air may increase risk of laptop loss (tip o' the antlers to Colin Morton). Indeed. The only way to ensure your laptop won't get stolen is to buy big fat honkin' ugly ones. But, clearly, neither of those beats this gem from PC World's Mike Barton: MacBook Air Amiss: Time to License Mac OS X? Good question! Like "I Have Stubbed My Toe And Find It Painful: Time to Commit Suicide?" With its focus on form over function... Mike, if you knew the slightest thing about Apple or Steve Jobs, you'd know that form and function are inseparable. But, please, continue. ... it is destined for the niche of early Apple adopters, sure to get burned on price and features when Apple upgrades to at least include a bigger hard drive than 80GB, ethernet, Firewire and a user-replaceable battery. Predicting a laptop will one day have a bigger hard drive is like predicting death and taxes. But, with the possible exception of Firewire, Barton is wrong about the other three because they affect the size and weight and violate Steve Jobs' vision for shiny gadgets of the future. Let's face it: Apple's done letting you get a new battery when the stock one won't hold a charge anymore and having you milk your device. Their philosophy is that you should be turning these suckers over every two years or so, partially because that's the rate of significant advancement for components. In two years, it's going to be out of date. You may not like that philosophy, but the Macalope's found it fits his personal buying pattern anyway so no big whoop. The MacBook Air is not going to burn early adopters on features, but it might burn them on price. The Air is akin to the iPhone, in that it's "crippled" by lacking certain features you might have come to expect, but comes in a form factor not available in any competing product and it's priced at a premium. The problem is, it's different from the iPhone because while Apple doesn't sell another phone, it does sell other laptops. If you go into an Apple Store to look at the Air, you're going to wonder if it's worth the premium over the MacBook, when the MacBook is faster. That's why it also reminds the Macalope of another Apple product. What was that? If only he could put his hoof on it. All that said, if you'd had the chance to lay your hooves on one of these as the Macalope has, you'd know that the MacBook Air is sexier than the cover of Herb Albert's "Whipped Cream and Other Delights". Oh, who is the Macalope kidding? There's nothing sexier than the cover of Herb Albert's "Whipped Cream and Other Delights". But still, the MacBook Air is pretty damned sexy. If you're a Mac user who travels a lot and/or is driven by style, do not need a lot of power and aren't terribly price sensitive, the Air is probably already singing its siren's song. Clearly, as Macworld's Dan Frakes said, Apple has set its phasers to "niche". But there's nothing wrong with that and it certainly doesn't excuse Barton's world-class jackassery. I say let early adopters get burned. This product begs a bigger question of Apple: When will you stop holding back the Mac OS and start licensing the OS? Uh, well, let's see. Wednesday's no good because Apple has meetings all day. Thursday it has to take its car in and nothing ever gets done on Friday, so... How's never? I like the Mac OS (which is more advanced than Windows)... What's that even supposed to mean? That's like saying "I like butter (which is more advanced than motor oil)". Well, no, it's not. While both can provide lubrication, one tastes better and the other works better in engines. ... and I love the idea of being able to have a dual boot Windows machine. I am not in the market for an ultraportable, but Apple doesn't offer one laptop I would buy. Really? Not one of them? Why? While the price parity issue has waned, the fact remains: Apple doesn't make a laptop under $1000. Ohhh. You're cheap! Now the Macalope gets it! I just bought a new ThinkPad R61i that cost me $600 delivered (just to show you the model I bought). Aaaaiiii! It's horrible! Put it away! Put it away! Ha-ha! Seriously, though, that is one butt-ugly computer you got there. The Macalope is sure you two will be happy together. But what about the future of personal computing -- will we always be subject to Apple's product whims? Surely the company's entire product lineup was based on a series of whims. Apple is missing so much opportunity to grow market share with the Mac OS. Maybe it's not all that concerned with market share. Maybe it's concerned with profitability. Nah, that would just be wacky. Without it, Macs will struggle to warrant developers' time unfairly and remain a niche platform. Mike Barton, providing the latest analysis from 1995. Really, is there anyone out there using a Mac who's pining away for some Windows-only app, crying themselves to sleep at night because some vertical market sales force integration module for the dental field isn't on OS X? Doubtful. And if Apple does not act soon to license the OS, the hacking community will gain critical mass... Right. Because everyone wants a completely unsupported OS running on their laptops. That's certainly going to be a big hit in the home and in the enterprise. With Apple on Intel and the genie out of the bottle with "hackintoshes" sprouting up, why doesn't Apple at least offer the Mac OS to business-focused companies... "Business-focused companies"? As opposed to all those companies focused on what? Badminton? ... especially if it is going to continue to develop niche products like the MacBook Air when there are big holes in its lineup? Yes, Apple will never have all the various kinds of products that Dell, HP, Lenovo, Sony, etc. can offer. Want to know why? Because they get great margins on hardware. Who wants to give that up? And the Macalope hates to tell his good friends Leo Laporte and Merlin Mann this when they were just pining anew on Thursday afternoon, but the wait for a 12-inch MacBook is going to be awfully long. Like cosmically long. Like forever. The good news is you're going to love the tablet.
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MacBook Pro rumored to be getting multi-touch trackpad, sun also rumored to rise tomorrow
Filed under: Laptops While you'd be hard pressed to come up with a safer Apple rumor to predict, it seems that AppleInsider has it on supposedly reliable word that the company will in fact be extending multi-touch trackpads to its top-end MacBook Pro line, and in the "next several weeks," no less. What's more, those same sources say that the new MacBook Pros (both 15-inch and 17-inch models) were originally supposed to make their debut "at or around Macworld Expo," but they got pushed back after Apple was forced to put additional resources and personnel on the MacBook Air in order to get it out in time. No firm word on what other specs we can look forward to, unfortunately although AppleInsider speculates that the laptops could be standardized around Intel's 2.5GHz and 2.6GHz mobile Penryn processors, which should offer some slight battery improvements in addition to a boost in performance.[Thanks, Mark] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Shawn Blanc examines Panic's Coda
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Internet ToolsShawn Blanc continues his outstanding series of Mac software reviews by looking at Coda, the all-in-one web worker's application from Coda (we've mentioned Coda several times). He explores Coda's performance as a text editor, CSS editor, FTP client and more, while extolling the little touches like the Clips feature:"You can save any text you want as a "Clip"... [which feature] a Global database as well as a site-specific database...."We love Coda, too, as well as Shawn's comprehensive -- even exhaustive -- explorations (somehow, "review" seems inadequate). Have fun reading, and if that doesn't convince you to purchase Coda, we don't know what will.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Expo Notes: Catching up with Matrox
At Macworld Expo, Matrox showcased its MXO 2.1 product, designed to turn your existing LCD display into an inexpensive HD video monitoring system.
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The $20 iPod touch upgrade: really for legal reasons or no?
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable VideoSo the rising discontent with Apple's new habit of selective feature enabling got us thinking -- while we're not experts on the subject, the generally accepted reasoning for the $20 iPod touch upgrade fee is the accounting requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act: iPhone and Apple TV updates are free since revenue from those products is realized as a subscription over a period of time, but iPod touch updates can't be free since Apple just records that revenue directly. That certainly makes sense to us when applied to things like the 802.11n Enabler, which was trivially cheap and turned on unadvertised hardware features, but it strikes us as being a pretty big stretch when applied to a $20 package of new software applications. iPod name or no, the iPod touch is essentially a little computer, and the whole purpose of software is to enable "significant unadvertised new features" on a computer. For Apple (or anyone) to say that a mail app is a "significant new feature" for a computer is pushing the line just a bit far, and it makes us wonder how the company accounts for new versions of iTunes, QuickTime, and Safari, each of which add new features to already-sold Macs -- and how things are going to play out when the iPhone / iPod touch SDK is released next month. We've got a call into Apple to get to the bottom of it all, we'll let you know what (if anything) we find out.Disclaimer: Although this post was written by an attorney, it is not meant as legal advice or analysis and should not be taken as such. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Research firms place Mac market share at 6 percent for Q1
According to estimates from IDC and Gartner, Apple may have broken the 6 percent market share mark in the last calendar quarter of 2007.Read More...
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Airport Extreme owners not happy to be left out of Time Capsule
Filed under: Storage, Networking It's no secret that most of you aren't exactly pleased with Apple's decision to charge $20 to add in Mail, Maps, Stocks, Weather, and Notes to the iPod touch, but there's another segment of Apple users feeling burned by last week's announcements: Airport Extreme owners. Seems like Apple's only enabled network support for Time Machine when used with Time Capsule, not for USB disks connected to the Airport Extreme -- even though early Leopard promo materials promised such support. Of course, it's an easy hack to enable NAS support (although it's probably pretty risky), and who knows what'll happen when 10.5.2. is released, but for now, it certainly seems like Airport Extreme owners just got a raw deal. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Are We Not Men? We Are Mutato!
Devo’s panjandrum Mark Mothersbaugh mixes quirky musical sensibilities with consumerist seduction via his new company, Mutato Muzika. Its healthy soundtrack and commercial divisions are driven by... You got it: Macs.
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First Looks: Pacific Rim Bluetooth Handsfree Combo GBF-S5100
Developed by MobiFren, the new Bluetooth Handsfree Combo GBF-S5100 ($TBD) combines two types of Bluetooth accessories into a single package: the GBH-S100 is a hybrid Bluetooth monaural and stereo headset, with an in-canal silicone earbud design that can be worn in either one or two ears with a detachable included cable. The headset has a microphone and controls built-in to let you take iPhone calls as you're walking around. Once you get into your…
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Expo Notes: FastTrack makes it easier being green
AEC Software has developed templates to help users of its FastTrack Schedule project-management app take control of their green projects and initiatives.
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First Looks: Elgato Systems EyeTV Hybrid (2008)
Based upon the company's earlier EyeTV Hybrid, the new 2008 EyeTV Hybrid ($150) is the company's smallest, simplest piece of analog and over-the-air HDTV tuning hardware, now with improved reception and the ability to receive Clear QAM (unencrypted) digital cable TV. Made from silver plastic with a clear cap, Hybrid is a USB stick with a USB extension cable if you need it, a coaxial connector for attachment to a cable line, detachable video inputs…
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iPhone Tip: Easier Home Screen Scrolling
The main features of 1.1.3 have already been dissected but some lesser known gems still remain. One of our readers, David B. Alford sent us the tip which is a very handy way to scroll across the Home screen. I continually stumble onto little features of the iPhone, that…
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Pocketguitar for the iPhone lets you strum on the multitouch
Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Odds and ends, iPhone Engadget found this slick little gem over the weekend for your jailbroken iPhone. It's a virtual guitar (a lot like Jam Sessions if you've ever played that, actually -- reaffirming my thought that the iPhone is the best handheld gaming device ever made), where you can put your fingers over the strings at the top, and then strum on the bottom to play notes and chords. Not only can you play your own songs, but you can even play along with any stored music you have on your iPhone, too. And every song, I tell you, can be improved by throwing in another guitar solo.Pocketguitar for the iPhone and iPod touch is available on the ModMyiFone.com Community Sources packing in Installer under Toys. Load it up and strum away.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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First Looks: Etymotic Research EtyBLU Dual-Mode Noise-Isolating Headset
Substantially cleaner in design than last year's stereo Bluetooth ety8, Etymotic's new EtyBLU ($129) is a modular monaural Bluetooth earpiece designed to let iPhone users take and make phone calls without a wired headset. With Bluetooth 2.1 (and backwards) support, EtyBLU features dual microphones -- one in the base, one in the detachable, user-adjustable boom -- and a foam windscreen for the boom mic, plus an in-canal, silicone-tipped earpiece that…
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First Looks: Etymotic Research hf2 Noise-Isolating Headset + Earphones
Take Etymotic's award-winning, $330 ER-4P earphones and mix them with an iPhone-ready microphone and control box, and what do you get? The 2008 Best of Show award-winning hf2 ($179). Note the major price difference: the hf2 sells for nearly half the price of the ER-4P, which Etymotic attributes to slightly more relaxed accuracy tolerances in the newer model. It's also even more stylish than the most recent generation ER-4Ps, with all black, clean…
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News: O2 iPhone sales fall short of expectations
Sales of the iPhone through O2 have come just shy of the UK mobile operator's expectations, according to a new report. Citing unnamed sources, the Financial Times reports that actual sales were around 190,000 units in the first two months following the iPhone's UK launch, falling just short of the 200,000 units the company expected. O2 declined to comment on iPhone sales figures, but said it was “delighted with the response to the…
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First Looks: Griffin PowerBlock (2008)
First shown last year but only just released, Griffin's new 2008 version of PowerBlock ($30) is an iPod wall charger with an included USB Dock Connector cable and folding wall blades. Available in black or white with a gray interior, the new PowerBlock does nothing more than recharge a connected iPod; it's clean-looking, but larger than Apple's current iPod wall chargers, and just as expensive....
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Switched On: Apple bets that to Air is human
Filed under: Features, LaptopsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment. The MacBook Air is the third member of Apple's notebook line and weighs only three pounds while it barely penetrates the third dimension. Nonetheless, Apple is again banking that human factors -- particularly that bigger screens and keyboards are better -- will allow the blade-like profile of the world's thinnest notebook to slice into the traditionally slim market for ultra-portable notebooks.The Air was certainly the show-stealer at this year's Macworld keynote. While some Mac fans were hoping for a pocket-sized productivity product, the best hope for that in the near term are third-party solutions that can turn an iPhone or iPod touch into such a device. Furthermore, Apple remains one of the few major notebook companies to not offer a product with integrated 3G wireless connectivity. While most of these products have been aimed at business users, the premium positioning of the MacBook Air should have exceptional appeal to these potential customers. While the computer may fit in an interoffice envelope, the company clearly did not mail the effort in. As usual, Apple has asked much of its suppliers and some of its users in order to achieve stunning results. The Intel chip die package that powers the MacBook Air is 60 percent smaller than those used in other notebooks. For users, there are also compromises, including a bare minimum of ports that exclude wired Ethernet and FireWire. The latter has been a Mac hallmark since the days of the first iMac, but with camcorders now rapidly moving to USB and flash cards, the case for its inclusion where space is at a premium is not as strong as it once was.Continue reading Switched On: Apple bets that to Air is human Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple Gazette Daily 192 - iPhone for Enterprise, Macbook update Speculation, more
iPhone plans now released for enterprise users (no word on just what Captain Kirk thinks just yet…ha-yuck…), Macbook and Macbook Pro update speculation 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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Garmin announces new software at Macworld 2008
Garmin said they had something up its sleeve for Macworld, so what did the company come out with? Software to help Mac users manage GPS map information.Read More...
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Expo Notes: Tooble makers
A high school student has developed Tooble, a program that bridges the divide between YouTube and your iPod.
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First Looks: Griffin TuneFlex Aux (2008)
As one of several winners of our 2008 Best of Show Finalist awards, Griffin's new 2008 version of TuneFlex Aux ($50) is the company's latest generation of in-car gooseneck mount, charger, and line-out audio accessory. The new version improves on the predecessor's industrial design with cleaner curves, nicely replaceable iPod mounting cradles, and a variable line-out port with a knob rather than a switch for volume attenuation. Griffin's new gooseneck…
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Analysts Peg Apple to Beat Expectations in Tuesday's Q1 Report
Apple reports earnings for its first fiscal quarter on Tuesday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period. In October, Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple released the Mac OS X Leopard operating system. The company said it sold more than 2 million copies of the system during the first weekend it was available. Apple had planned to ship Leopard last June, but said in April 2007 it needed to divert resources so it could launch the much-anticipated iPhone on time.
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Community Activity: January 21, 2008
The Mighty Mouse Help With Dashboard Living with 2 Macs Safari RSS Wireless Dropping and Reconnecting?
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First Looks: Griffin iTrip FM Transmitter (2008)
As the early 2008 successor to one of the iPod's most popular portable accessories, Griffin Technology's new iTrip ($50) continues the family's tradition of offering simple digital FM broadcasting so that you can hear your iPod's audio on any FM radio or car stereo. This iTrip comes in black or white versions, each with a USB cable for pass-through charging with certain Griffin car accessories, as well as up and down tuning buttons, two sets of body…
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First Looks: H2O Audio iN3 Waterproof Case for the iPod nano 3rd Gen
Improved from the company's past iPod nano waterproof cases, H2O Audio's iN3 Waterproof Case ($80) now includes a screw-on belt clip, as well as a neoprene armband carrier and second removable T-Seal to keep water from breaching the case's latched hard shell design. As before, iN3 requires you to separately purchase H2O's waterproof headphones, which together enable you to use your nano safely underwater at depths of up to 10 feet. A sophisticated…
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AT&T finally announces iPhone Enterprise plans
Getting these touchy-feely gadgets into the hands of corporate employees can only be a good thing for sales and future feature updates. AT&T has taken the first step.Read More...
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Expo Notes: A Bluetooth keyboard for the iPhone?
Waking the Expo show floor last week, Dan Frakes spotted the BTKeyMini, which input-device maker MacAlly says will be iPhone-compatible when it ships in March. If so, that's very good news for iPhone owners.
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First Looks: DLO Headphone Splitter for iPhone and iPod
Unlike many headphone port splitters currently on the market, DLO's new Headphone Splitter ($10) interestingly offers one port with the ability to pass-through iPhone-specific microphone and remote functionality, and the other port for standard mic-less headphones. Using a six-inch cord with an iPhone-compatible plug, the Headphone Splitter is both iPod- and iPhone-compatible....
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Thailand's Advanced Info Service goes for the iPhone
A mobile operator in Thailand, Advanced Info Service, is now "in talks" to bring the iPhone to Thailand. But things won't be as easy to work out as they seem; revenue sharing will likely present the same challenge as it has elsewhere.Read More...
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Guitar simulator for the iPod Touch/iPhone
Turn that air guitar into an iPhone guitar. Erm, sort of.Read More...
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NBC and Apple play kissy face over iTunes TV Downloads
You may remember the little spat that NBC and Apple had last year. It ultimately resulted in all NBC programming being removed from iTunes and got so out of hand that the companies shot insults back and forth from NBC CEO Jeff Zucker saying that Apple “destroyed the music business” and Apple even attempting to drop NBC content before their mutual contract even expired. It was like blog drama, but with giant corporations. Well, today the Financial Times and Business Week have a pair of interviews that have the two companies basically kissing and making up - or at least indicating that they're going to do so in the very near future. In the Financial Times NBC CEO Zucker says “We've said all along that we admire Apple, that we want to be in business with Apple.” That's not new, but then there is this little addition. “We're great fans of Steve Jobs.” That's high praise for the “destroyer” of the music business. Business Week also has some words with Jobs today, and he had this to say about the Apple/NBC situation. “We'll put it back together on the TV thing. Everybody lost. But NBC is a great company, and Apple is a great company.” So it sounds like things are on the mend between the two companies. It's a shame the big studios and the writer's can't do the same thing. Then we might actually have some content in iTunes worth downloading.
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Improving the MacBook Air
I previously railed against the newly announced MacBook Air, and with good reason: too high of a price point and lack of anything that sets it as a pro machine. The MacBook Air is a great concept, but the shipping product in my mind doesn’t line up with a finished…
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News: Apple in negotiations over Thai iPhone launch
Apple is in talks with Thailand's Advanced Info Service about the iPhone's launch in the country, according to a statement made by an AIS executive. “We are negotiating on details, including a revenue sharing standard. Apple needs a local operator to promote iPhone,” said Prattana Leelapanang, assistant vice president for Advanced Info Service's wireless business marketing. Leelapanang gave no details of when the talks…
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First Looks: Vestalife Ladybug & Element Skateboards Limited Edition Ladybug
Sold in two versions -- the standard Ladybug ($110) and artistic special editions ($125) -- Vestalife's new iPod speaker differentiates itself from the (huge) pack by offering a combination of great, youthful design and very good speaker quality at an attractive price point. The battery- or wall-operated globe-shaped speakers pack left and right drivers, plus a rear subwoofer; the front speakers unfold like ladybug wings to reveal an iPod dock and…
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Hints will return tomorrow...
Macworld's offices are closed today in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr's. birthday. We'll return with the usual slate of new hints tomorrow. -rob.
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First Looks: GreenEdge Cases for iPod touch & iPhone
Almost identical to earlier CoverCase cases we reviewed for the iPhone, these new GreenEdge cases for iPod touch and iPhone ($TBD) are coated with a metallic lustred "soft touch" material that feels slightly rubbery and pops visually by comparison with the standard glossy finishes of most iPod and iPhone hard cases. Each case has integrated button coverage and a flip-out stand that lets you view widescreen videos or navigate in Cover Flow mode; the…
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First Looks: GreenEdge Reef Soft Touch Cases for iPod touch & iPhone
Almost identical to earlier CoverCase cases we reviewed for the iPhone, these new GreenEdge Reef-branded cases for iPod touch ($25) and iPhone ($30) are coated with a metallic lustred "soft touch" material that feels slightly rubbery and pops visually by comparison with the standard glossy finishes of most iPod and iPhone hard cases. Each case has integrated button coverage and a flip-out stand that lets you view widescreen videos or navigate in Cover…
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10.5.2 to Offer over 400Mbs of fixes and updates
Last week the 10.5.2 update of Mac OSX Leopard was quietly released to developers and testers - and this thing weighs in at almost 400Mbs, and featuring 100 bug fixes and well over 40 application fixes as well. Mac Scoop has the details, but you can see the complete list below: New issues fixed in this seed, as listed on the seed-note, are the following: - Border now draws correctly when 2-up printing - Preview Image and scrolling horizontally with keys - CFNetwork and Proxy error messages - NTFS Volume and System UIServer fix - DVDPlayback and second display hookup - Preview PDF and Mail Document fix - Resolved tabbing issue with PDFView (more…)
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"HBO on Broadband" to offer free downloads, live feed
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Networking Being an HBO subscriber is about to get a lot more appealing, as the Time Warner-owned pay channel giant is set to roll out a new service that allows subscribers to both download select content as well as view live feeds on their PC. "HBO on Broadband," as the feature is called, will give HBO on Demand customers on Time Warner's Roadrunner network access to both the live east coast feed along with numerous TV episodes and Hollywood films, although downloads expire after 12 weeks or less, and you can't natively transfer any of this video swag to a portable device. Mac support is also conspicuously absent here, but seeing how the offer is confined to Time Warner cable and broadband subscribers only in Wisconsin for now, anyway, it's quite possible that an OS X client (and 64-bit Windows one) will become available as more regions get switched on. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family][Thanks, Judith] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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First Looks: Power Support Crystal Jacket for iPod nano 3G, iPod classic & iPod touch
Sold in separate versions for the third-generation iPod nano ($25), iPod classic ($30), and iPod touch ($30), each of Power Support's Crystal Jackets includes screen, control, and back protective film, a front shell, a rear shell, and a Dock Connector port cover. The iPod nano version includes a detachable clip and video stand, while the iPod classic and touch versions have flip-out video stands permanently attached to one of their two included rear…
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The MacBook Air Is a Sign of Things to Come
The MacBook Air has, unfairly in my opinion, had quite a bit of criticism heaped on it. I think a good deal of this was bitterness from those suckers* who actually thought a tablet of some sort was going to be released and then got their panties in a twist…
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Sababa Toys shows the iNo
Filed under: MacworldIn the Moscone West "first look" section we found Sababa Toys demonstrating their iPod music-trivia game called 'iNo.' Unfortunate naming scheme aside, it looks pretty fun. You push your iPod into the device, it plays a random song while hiding the screen. If you think you know the song (or artist, etc.-- there are cards you draw), you press a little handheld button, which stops the song so you can answer. The iNo is also a speaker/iPod charger, although it uses six AA batteries, so maybe not the most economical charger in the world. Still, if you are tired of playing the built-in iPod music game and have some time to kill with musically-inclined friends this is a unique effort from one of the pluckier vendors we found at Macworld.To see the thing in action watch the video after the break.Continue reading Sababa Toys shows the iNoRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Toshiba adds 3G to the featherweight Portege R500
Filed under: Laptops Forget the MacBook Air: those folks seeking the absolute lightest notebooks on the planet know that Windows machines are still the only way to go, and Toshiba has proven that once again with an official 3G upgrade to the already impressive Portege R500. According to Akihabara News (which seems to be a little confused concerning the model number here), two new 12.1-inch, HSDPA-equipped configurations will be available this month: the ultra-lightweight (and ultra-pricey) R500-11J, highlighted by a 64GB SSD drive and impressive 1.72-pound package, and the cheaper, optical drive-packing R500-11I, which features the same 1.20GHz U7600 CPU and 2GB of RAM, but introduces a less appealing 120GB HDD. Pricing should be around €2,500 ($3,658) for the high-end 11J and €2,050 ($3,000 even) for the heavier 11I. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Minireview: GraphPad Prism for OS X
Being a scientist isn't all experiments; at some point, you have to analyze the data to see what you've got. Ars takes a look at Prism 5 and sees how easy that can be.Read More...
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A Post-Macworld look at Apple in 2008
Macworld is behind us now, and even though some consider the keynote announcements to be less than spectacular, I have to say that I'm more excited about Apple in 2008, than I was in 2007 at this time. Why? Well, let's take a look at what we had to look forward to from Apple in 2007 after Macworld. We had the iPhone and the AppleTV. That was pretty much it. No new products were released at Macworld 2007, and with the exception of the March release of the AppleTV, we basically talked about the iPhone from the day of the 2007 Keynote until the day Leopard was released. We had very little MAC stuff to talk about in 2007 from Apple. The primary focus was on releasing the iPhone and getting it in shape. Leopard was delayed, there were no new Macs to discuss - and that can get particularly boring for our International readers, some of whom STILL don't have legal access to iPhones. This year, however, we saw a major software update to the iPhone (and a promise of an SDK in Feb. 08), new iTunes rentals, a completely revamped AppleTV, and a brand-new Mac - the Macbook Air. While I don't really think the Macbook Air is going to be groundbreaking sales-wise, I do think the ultra-slim design of the device will have an influence over the notebook market, and will lead to better, slimmer, Macbooks and Macbook Pros down the road. If the Macbook Air does well, we could see some very interesting third party products for the device in the near future, and I look forward to see just where the Air takes us. It will be interesting to see how the AppleTV takes off on its second attempt. The new features seem to be adding some much needed appeal to consumers, and I'm glad to see that Apple didn't leave early AppleTV adopters out in the cold. If there is ever going to be a time for the AppleTV to take off - I think 2008 might be it. Obviously the software side of the iPhone is just beginning this year, with the 1.1.3 updating adding some great new features - and the upcoming SDK is going to open up even more new avenues for the iPhone that should prove to be very, very interesting. Last year, after all the excitement of Macworld had simmered down a bit, we were left waiting for an amazing device to debut - and we waited - and waited - and waited some more. It made for a really speculation filled, and slightly boring first 2 quarters of 2007 on the old Apple news front. 2008 looks to be a lot different, and I can't wait to see what else is in store.
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News: AT&T announces iPhone business plans
AT&T has announced details of its iPhone business plans, and is now offering the handset to business customers. In addition to an eligible voice plan, business customers wanting to add an iPhone to their account must also sign-up for a 2-year service agreement or a renewed 2-year agreement and must add one of three Enterprise Data Plans for iPhone to their account. Enterprise Data Plans for iPhone include unlimited data, Visual Voicemail, and…
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DLD: Wales v. Calacanis
Jason Calacanis makes the case for human v. algorithmic (SEOed or spammed) search and then shows off his apple pie and his new social network. Jimmy Wales says what we need is more transparency and openness in search. “This is something that has benefited us across the internet,” he says. David Kirkpatrick, the moderator, says that given Google's incredible growth, people are satisfied with search. Calacanis mentions a study that says 60 percent are dissatisfied (anybody have that citation?). Jimmy says that the leading search engines — Google, Yahoo, Ask — return essentially equivalent-quality results. So he argues that they compete on brand. Marissa Meyer of Google is sitting in the front row right in front of them. I'm betting she's not scared. She's the fourth member of the panel just by her presence. Jimmy says that Wikia will have not only the functions Jason's Mahalo has but also user-submitted algorithms. This goes to yesterday's theme of software being content — and open software requires open algorithms. Jason says he doesn't think Jimmy will be unsuccessful trying to “jump in front of the Google train” in algorithms. Jason says that he has a “pretty good suspicion” that Google is using people to clean up results. Marissa shakes her head no. Jason says he has 60 fullitme people and 400 freelancers. “I believe in paying people for work,” he says; his zing on Jimmy. “I'm a writer by trade and I take offense when people try to devalue writing.” Do you think this way about Wikipedia, Kirkpatrick asks. “There's a very strange element to it, cult-like some people would say, that they want content to be free.” Jimmy responds: “Nobody works for free… What people do for free is have fun…. We don't look at basketball games and people playing on the weekends and say these people are really suckers doing this for free.” Jason has his teeth in the leg. He says it's hypocritical that “everybody in the Web 2.0 industry should become millionaires and billionaires except for the writers.” Jimmy: “To me this like the debate we got over a long time ago because it was so stupid that open-source software is communism.” Yes. It's about aligned interests. Kirkpatrick pushes Jimmy and says he has a chicken-egg problem: Wikia is getting “terrible reviews” and he needs people to build the product but he needs the product to attract the people. Jimmy agrees about the chickena and the egg and says the bad reviews also hatched ore audience. “If you're going to come in the search space you need to invest at least $50 million to do this… This is not for the faint of heart. A major of search companies fail.” Jimmy says it will take at least two years to get to industry-standard results. Marissa from the front row says that it's a mistake to return to the human-created directory. she agrees with them that there's a false-dichotomy to look at this as all algorithmic or all human and, as Jimmy pointed, out, Pagerank is edited by humans — engineers, he says, but humans. She pushes back on Jason's model of trust and says that may not be the right model; expertise matters. “I agree with everything you said,” Jason says. “Can I go work for you?” Esther Dyson says the problem with their model is the long tail. If she were starting a company she'd do somethign else. “Ok, I'm going to kill myself now.” Punch line. He says that the fat tail will be human, the medium tale social, the long tail algorithmic. And he says that the advertising interest is in the fat tail. Michael Arrington says he was very tough on Wikia when it started but has “promising aspects.” He returns to the playing basketball for fun question and says “that there are very few examples of for-profit companies getting people to do their work.” Not sure I buy that as a rule. He acknowledges Digg. I'm seeing networked journalism. I do believe in sharing revenue (a better model than staff work given the business realities today). Jimmy responds that “if we ask people to do work we will fail” but if he provides tools they want to use for their purposes they will succeed. At the end, I ask about advertising and whether they will concentrate on the fat-tail brand, display ads and Google will have the scale to do automated advertising. Turns out that Jason will likely turn over all his inventory to Google to start and then, as with similar companies, will grow sold advertising. As the last word, Jimmy says, amazingly, that he hasn't thought about advertising.
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News: NBC to return to iTunes Store?
Recent comments made by Apple CEO Steve Jobs and NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker suggest that the two companies may be ready to resume negotiations in regards to the sale of the studio's television shows on the iTunes Store. “We’ve said all along that we admire Apple, that we want to be in business with Apple,â€? Zucker said in a recent interview. “We’re great fans of Steve Jobs.â€? In a separate interview, Jobs said, “We’ll put it…
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Which nuvi is the right nuvi for you?
Filed under: GPS Yeah, we sure love our charts / tables too, and with Garmin's nüvi lineup now bordering on thoroughly overwhelming, we're glad to see the folks over at NaviGadget doing the dirty work and cranking out "the ultimate nüvi comparison table." Click on for a much easier way to digest the latest outpouring of nüvis, will ya? Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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This Day: January 21, 2002: Lampshade iMac Released
The original iMac was a monster hit, but so was the Model T. After the iMac’s initial popularity began to ebb, Apple saw the need to completely revise the machine. In true Apple style the revisions weren’t simply incremental improvements or a new processor. The first complete redesign…
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Time Capsule = cash grab?
Time Capsule is one of Apple’s featured new product announcements at last week’s Macworld Expo in San Francisco. Time Capsule is basically an Airport Extreme WiFi base station (US$179) with either a 500GB (US$299) or 1TB (US$499) hard drive built-in. Time Capsule will begin shipping in February and is being pitched as the ultimate [...]
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An automated email of the week’s upcoming events
No matter how cleverly or reliably you set up a system for sharing calendars, it all depends on your partner / spouse / work colleague / children / significant other looking at the calendar from time to time. What if they don't? George Starcher has the same problem as I do, and he has the answer. He explains how to create an Automator action that will pull out the events for the upcoming week from individual iCal calendars and email them to your significant other and/or negligent fellow worker. Moving carefully through his steps in Automator and setting the resulting