Jan 21, 2008 Jan 23, 2008 Tuesday January 22, 2008
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Agua Leopard Folders... so refreshing
At the risk of becoming a Mac icon news site, I thought I'd let you know that the Iconfactory's David Lanham has expanded his crisp, clean Agua icon series with the release of Agua Leopard Folders. CandyBar users are going to love this system replacement set and how it improves the overall look of the Finder--especially when using Cover Flow. [read more at MacMerc.com]
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FastIcon.com unearths Dino Icons
Fast Icon Studio has released a new icon set: "Dino Icons", which contains 6 freeware icons of cute dinosaurs and cavemen. The icons are available for download as Mac OS X icons, Windows Vista icons as well as a handy PNG files for Linux, web or blogs. They're yabba dabba delicious! [read more at MacMerc.com]
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A punishing market shouldn't detract from Apple's value
I've been at another site all day in my new job at Yankee Group, so I only caught up with Apple's record earnings announcement a few hours ago. The short version: the company set a new record for both revenue at $9.6 billion and profit of nearly $1.6 billion for its first fiscal quarter. The company also provided guidance for the second quarter of $6.8 billion in revenue. Earnings reports don't get much better than that. Yet as I write these words at 11 pm EST, the stock is down more than 17 points or about 11%. I suspect a lot of Apple investors are screaming why, why, why?Here's my take: international markets were down significantly in overnight trading. Apple stockholders waited until earnings were out before selling just in case Apple announced a cure for cancer, Steve Jobs being elected Pope, and an acquisition of Wal-Mart. Failing those events, when Apple only reported records, it joined the rest of the market.Let's face it. Apple is a consumer electronics and computer company, not a miracle worker. It's growing rapidly, but it can't insert another Christmas shopping season in the spring to boost fiscal Q2 sales, nor can it ensure that recessions are banned from its stores. Steve Jobs' reality distortion field is strong, but it's not perfect.But any way you slice it, more people are buying Apple products than ever before. Apple is offering customers more products than ever before. Ten years ago, Apple only sold computers. Now the company sells computers, music players, movies, phones, software, operating systems, and has a pipeline of even more to come. Apple operates the most efficient and most profitable retail stores on the planet. It has no debt and has tens of billions of dollars in the bank. By any rational metric, that's a good investment.Yes, Apple's value is bound to fluctuate with its earnings announcements, with the doom and gloom in the markets, and yes, even with the loss of confidence from the credit crisis. But when I look into the future of always-connected mobile consumers and businesses, what we at Yankee Group call the anywhere economy, someone is going to be making the devices that consumers carry with them. Those devices will keep them connected with their families and businesses, keep them entertained as they travel, and will make a statement about them as people. To me, just as I saw on the subway this evening, many of those ubiquitous devices will have Apple logos, because that's what Apple does better than anyone else in the consumer electronics business. The only question is whether only a few of them or a lot of them have those logos. Given today's reports, every indication I see says that a lot of them will have Apple logos. And that, not what Apple projects for its second quarter revenue, is why I think Apple is going to be growing and thriving for a very long time to come.Full disclosure: these opinions are mine alone, and do not reflect the official position or analysis of Yankee Group. The author also holds a long position in Apple at the time of writing.Technorati Tags: Apple
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Bird-Electron EZ-18B iPod touch speaker stand
I don't know if this is particularly new, but it caught my eye and, if I actually had an iPod touch, I'd be inclined to buy one. The Bird-Electron EZ-18B iPod touch speaker stand is made out of heavy duty steel and comes with a silicon pad that protects the iPod touch from scratches while also keeping it from sliding off the stand. It's a plug-and-play stand with a built in speaker that holds... [read more at MacMerc.com]
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Adobe posts InDesign CS3 5.0.2 update
How annoying is Adobe Updater? I'm trying to get some work done, but it wants me to authorize the downloading of several updates and then restart my Mac. It's a petty beef, but it's mine. Today, Adobe Updater was bugging me about this one: the InDesign CS3 5.0.2 update. It offers "fixes in the areas of anchored objects, character alignment, step and repeat, indexing and table of contents, text... [read more at MacMerc.com]
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iPhone and iPod touch nab SNES emulation
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming You've waited, you've watched, and now your wildest dreams are about to come true. That's right, someone has coded a native SNES emulator for the iPhone / iPod touch. Right now, the project is still in the beta / testing phase, but you can be assured that in the very near future, your sweaty hands will be smudging all over a virtual controller during heart-pounding games of F-Zero, Killer Instinct, and Super Metroid. If you absolutely can't wait one more second (Paul Miller, we're looking at you), slip the developers a donation and they'll break you off some beta test action. If you're the patient type, you can enjoy the video after the break, and sit tight till the app goes public.[Thanks, Daniel]Continue reading iPhone and iPod touch nab SNES emulation Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple Beats Estimates, Proves to Be Lowball Central
Apple (AAPL) reported another stellar quarter and their typical conservative guidance.
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Jobs, iPhone have Skyhook pointed in right direction
The big idea came on a trip: Ted Morgan and Michael Shean used Wi-Fi signals in their travels so often to pick up e-mail, they ...
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MacBook Air in the wild... with John Mayer
Filed under: Laptops That's right kids -- the unthinkable has happened. John Mayer, electric-crooner, BlackBerry pusher, ladykiller, and all around bon vivant has gotten his hands on a real, live MacBook Air. Sure, it's not surprising that a celebrity millionaire who's buddy-buddy with Jobs and Co. would have a pre-release model, but it may come as a shock that he's using the new ultraportable Mac to look at photos of himself double-fisting a couple of BlackBerrys. We suppose it's possible that someone has doctored this photo, but highly unlikely.[Via TUAW] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple F1Q08 (Qtr End 12/29/07) Earnings Call Transcript
Complete Story »
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Embracing weightless data
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Internet Tools, MacBook AirI can't stop talking about the MacBook Air. It's so thin, so light and so gosh-darn sexy (in the way that only a machine shaped like a two thousand-dollar toilet lid can be). Since the topic seems to have worn thin with my kids -- my 4-year-old insists that the lack of a Firewire port is ludicrous and my 2-year-old is threatening to "...go Edubuntu" just to spite me -- I'm going to share my thoughts with you. Continue reading Embracing weightless dataRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple Q108 conference call: iPod Touch is a "WiFi mobile platform"
At the quarterly conference call, the big news was that the iPod touch isn't just another media player.Read More...
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The secret life of firmware 1.1.3
Filed under: iPod Family, Apple, iPhoneCre.ations.net's Nate True wrote a blog post describing what he found inside the iPhone firmware 1.1.3 update. Whilst digging around in the iPhone's firmware innards, he found that Apple has made some startling changes to the iPhone's OS, including: The SpringBoard doesn't have to be modified to show custom Applications installed on the iPhone Applications no longer run as root, instead they run as 'mobile' Preferences are no longer stored in /var/root True states additionally that he has also found what appears to be widget support in the SpringBoard.app. 'SBWidgetApplication' manages package locations and icons. So, what does this all mean? It might mean that the stars are aligning so properly that this might be the release: the one that makes it possible for 3rd party developers.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Schedule Your Order To Go With Your iPhone
How many times have you been on your way home from a road trip and wished that you could arrive to a fresh brewed cup coffee? It is reported that a “Mr. Coffee� is in the process of launching.…
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Where's the WebClip icon?
Filed under: Cool tools, Odds and ends, TUAW Business, WIN Business, Developer We've gotten a plethora of tips asking that we make a WebClip icon for iPhone & iPod touch home pages for TUAW. And we hear you. In fact, one sleep-deprived Macworld-covering TUAW blogger created a webclip icon (pre-empting all the tips -- which we're eternally grateful for nonetheless). As our server gurus get the icon fixed in place, we thought we'd share with you some handy links both for making icons for your own site, and perhaps to find one for TUAW in the meantime. Waiting for a website to gain a WebClip icon? There's a load of sites available to either help you find an icon that's already been made -- such as WebClipMe! or the WebClip directory. clipalizer goes one better, allowing you to upload your own (correctly sized) PNG image and then use that as a webclip icon.So how do I create my own WebClip icon? A WebClip icon is basically a 57-pixel-square PNG image called apple-touch-icon.png placed at the root of your server's web-content directory (though the Apple Developer Connection site lists a way that code-savvy users can specify a custom location for it, should they so choose). Whilst the icons appear rounded on the iPhone, you don't need to worry about creating curved corners, or even apply a button-esque mask in Photoshop: iPhone takes care of all of that -- "Safari will automatically composite the icon with the standard "glassy" overlay so it looks like a built-in iPhone or iPod application."Thanks to all those who sent us pleading emails! Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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20 minutes with Woz
Filed under: Interviews, The WozDutch site One More Thing brings us a serving of Steve "Woz" Wozniak from Macworld. You may or may not be nonplussed by the exclusive interview with Apple's co-founder, but they use the word "computergeschiedenis" in the post, which you have to admit is a pretty fun way to say "computer history". At least that's how KavaServices translated it for me. And Woz, no matter how you look at it, has a place in computer history. Not surprisingly, Woz has a lot of love to share in regards to the Macworld proceedings, the Apple TV Take 2, and other Apple affairs. He is willing to state that the first Apple TV was a "very rare case where a product really wasn't quite done right," but mostly, I'm sure, because it's already been generally acknowledged. The interview is in English, which is good for me as my ability to follow along in Dutch would be somewhere between rusty and non-existent. It's also 20 minutes long, so if you've been wishing for a little time with Mr. Wozniak, for whatever reason, get your fill.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Strong Mac sales may come back to haunt Apple
SAN FRANCISCO (Marketwatch) -- Apple Inc. has become known for defying expectations.
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Apple updates Human Interface Guidelines for Leopard
Filed under: Macworld, Analysis / Opinion, Apple, DeveloperWith all the hysteria of the Macworld taking precedence last week, it appears that Apple slipped out a not-so-insignificant update to the OS X Human Interface Guidelines. After a fairly stagnant revision history in the last few years, the much-discussed 'UI Bible' (and I use the term loosely) has been updated to encompass OS X 10.5 Leopard.It's available as an online document, and also as a 28MB PDF file (link) for your perusal as you decide on how you want your next best-selling application to look, feel and act.[via Microsoft MacBU blogger Nadyne]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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iPhone, Sidekick make popular heist targets
Filed under: Cellphones In what might be irrationally described as a wave, rash, flood, or deluge, two separate cases of utter and complete phone theft have cropped up this week. The first concerns $8.2-million worth of T-Mobile handsets which apparently have disappeared from one of the company's warehouses. According to an internal email sent to dealers, someone made off with 36,000 phones (most of which were Sidekicks), and the telco is now in the process of tracking the devices via IMEIs in hopes of getting back the lost goods. In other thievery news, two potential Darwin Award World Stupidity Award recipients plotted to steal 300 iPhones destined for Hong Kong right off of the truck that they were delivering them on. Following the heist, the men quit their delivery jobs, purchased diamond-studded Yankee earrings and matching cars, and then were promptly apprehended when the hastily-wrapped reams of paper they sent instead of the phones were spotted in Cathay. Gold-plated hats off to you, gentlemen.[Thanks, Paul B]Read - T-Mobile gets jacked, around $8.2M in phones vanished like a David Copperfield actRead - Two Baldwin men arrested in stolen iPhone caper Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Can the Touch Revive Apple’s iPod Sales?
Despite a 10 percent drop in Apple's shares, the company did very well in the fourth quarter, putting $3 billion in the bank. It plans to address its main weakness--slow growth in iPod sales--by emphasizing the Internet capability of the iPod Touch.
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Nothing But Air?
I think Apple made a few too many assumptions when creating the MacBook Air (MBA), but will that translate to a failed product? I highly doubt it, here’s why: The Developer Assumption I think Apple made three assumptions when developing the MBA for the subnotebook demographic: Subnotebook users regularly use WiFi hotspots Subnotebook users will not use their notebooks at home Subnotebook users have another computer at home I’ve found free WiFi hotspots in my area and I seem fortunate enough to be surrounded by a few, but I imagine the average traveler would rely more on an Edge/3g card than a hotspot. So while you’re MBA may be completely wireless, I would argue not as many folks will use it now as in the future. As a subnotebook, I imagine the MBA will suffice for day to day chores: internet surfing, document editing, etc. Does that mean I can’t use this at home more heavily? Will I not be able to edit photos? Edit films with iMovie? Maybe I’m an extreme case, but from Panther to Tiger, I ran my life around nothing more than an iBook G3 with 900 MHz. Slow yes, but it worked. So I have a bit of faith for the MacBook Air. Will it work as well as a MacBook Pro? That’s a resounding “NO.� So why differentiate into this new market? Frankly, because of the third assumption. What People Expect Isn’t What They Need Apple has to assume you have another computer at home to make use of the MBA. I think that’s another reason people are puzzled over it. People seem to equate SUBNOTEBOOK for a CHEAP entry into the Mac lineup. You want cheap and entry you get a Mac Mini. You want thin and portable, you get the MacBook Air. That said people may think Apple has stepped too far too quickly. In doing so they short-sided functionality with form. So I question, if you’re unhappy with the MacBook Air, why? What would you add to it that wouldn’t have you opt for a MacBook or a MacBook Pro instead? People said the same thing with the Smart Phone market when the iPhone was released. It faced strong criticism that the market was too small for any new, dominant player to take over. So why can’t the same be said for the subnotebook market? Perhaps with Apple’s entrance into it, a revitalization will occur, and people will begin to find niche uses for it. Think of the student. I could see the MacBook Air becoming the dominant dorm staple. It’ll get you to class, it’ll write your papers, it’ll hook up to an external monitor, and it’ll edit a movie or song for you. It won’t do it as well as the MacBook Pro, but it will do it in an extremely small, justifiable space. I think cost then, would be the only deterrent for this product. If cost is an issue, why aren’t you settling for a MacBook?
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How To: downgrade to previous iTunes software
Filed under: iPod Family, iTunes, iPhoneMany people running into trouble running the iPhone Utility Client (iPhuc) report that using an earlier version of iTunes' MobileDevices private framework will fix their problem since it would seem that iPhuc was designed to run under iTunes 7.4.2. What can you do? iPhone developer "core" has come up with a simple solution. Over at his WickedPsyched site, he's put up full instructions on how to keep the minty-fresh goodness of the latest iTunes install (currently 7.6) yet temporarily revert back to to 7.4.2 when you need to run iPhuc. The steps include downloading an old version of iTunes, backing up your current MobileDevices framework, copying the 7.4.2 framework to your system library, and using a simple shell script to toggle between the new version of the utility and the old one when you launch iPhuc.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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'MacHeads' movie seems a realistic look at cult of Mac
It's too early to tell, but the film looks like a realistic examination of the cult and emotions surrounding Apple's computers.
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MacHeads: The movie
Filed under: Multimedia, Apple HistoryPerhaps you've seen the documentary Trekkies. Hosted by the late Tasha Yar (curse you, Armus!), it profiles several of the show's most zealous fans and by that I mean people with serious mental disorders. Did you see what they did to that poor truck? None of us would get so carried away with our Apple fandom.Just a minute. Before you set your phasers to Smug, check out the trailer for MacHeads: The Movie. It feels like a cross between Trekkies and Leander Kahney's The Cult of Mac. Several users proclaim their love, including the guy with the tattoos and the girl who states in no uncertain terms that she has never slept with a Windows user. A few Mac celebs appear as well, including the man who isn't America's least-beloved technology pundit. The movie looks awesome, and we can't wait to see it. Not that we're obsessed or anything.[Via JSTAMANT.com]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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WordPress update not as smooth as hoped
Last night I updated Hawk Wings to WordPress 2.3.2. It didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped. Some text got munged up and some other bits and pieces are broken. I will work it all out in the end, but apologies for the mess in the meantime. apple mail, mail.app, not apple mail, russin' frussin' plugins, personal Related: Russin' Frussin' Cussin' Mail.app Getting started with Hawk Wings “Talking Mail.app” series wrap up Weekly Update Weekly Update
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Apple Reports First Quarter Results
Best quarter in Apple history: The Company posted revenue of $9.6 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.58 billion, or $1.76 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $7.1 billion and net quarterly profit of $1 billion, or $1.14 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. […] Apple shipped 2,319,000 Macintosh computers, representing 44 percent unit growth and 47 percent revenue growth over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 22,121,000 iPods during the quarter, representing five percent unit growth and 17 percent revenue growth over the year-ago quarter. Quarterly iPhone sales were 2,315,000. ★
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Apple Adds Pink to the iPod Nano Lineup
Looks pretty good. ★
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Apple earnings jump but forecast is lower than expected
Apple said Tuesday its fiscal first-quarter earnings jumped about 57%, aided by iPod and iPhone sales, but shares plunged on ...
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Apple says WiFi-equipped iPods are the wave of the future... maybe
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video During the Apple earnings call today, the company suggested that WiFi-enabled iPods were "one" of the future directions in which Cupertino sees the media player market heading. While sticking to vague characterizations, a spokesperson intimated that wireless communication would play a role in upcoming devices (as demonstrated in the iPod touch), saying, "The iPod market is bigger than just for simple music players, one of the iPod's future direction is to be one of the first WiFi mobile platforms." Of course, Apple wasn't ready to put all its eggs in one basket, nor did it mention emerging wireless technologies such as WiMAX, but they're probably confident that customers will take it where they can get it. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple posts first quarter 2008 results
Filed under: Apple Financial, AppleWe are in the process of liveblogging Apple's financial conference call, but Apple has already posted their quarterly results for all to read. Here's what Apple sold this quarter: 2,319,000 Macs (44% more than last quarter) 22,121,000 iPods (5% more than last quarter) 2,315,000 iPhones Revenues clocked in at $9.6 billion and a net profit of $1.58 billion.Best. Quarter. Ever.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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News: Notes from Q1 2008 Apple Conference Call
During Apple's Financial Results Conference Call, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer and Apple COO Tim Cook made several comments concerning its music-related products, which accounted for 50% of the company's total revenue in the first fiscal quarter. The average sale price of the iPod during the quarter was $181, up 17 percent year-over-year, largely due to the launch of the iPod touch, which the execs enthusiastically described as a success.…
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More Details On Latest Jailbreak
The downside with new Firmware updates is the lack of 3rd party hacks (for now at least) and is no different this time around. Luckily more details have surfaced about a Jailbreak for 1.1.3 with some good news as well. First off, the release of the Jailbreak could…
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Apple's earnings rise 58%, but outlook disappoints
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Apple Inc. on Tuesday reported a first-quarter profit that rose 58% from a year ago thanks to strong sales of Mac computers and iPods during the busy holiday shopping season.
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Apple posts $1.58B profit, buys monocle, top hat
Filed under: Misc. GadgetsWell, the holidays were pretty happy down Cupertino way this year -- Apple just posted its Q108 financials and they're impressive. Spurred by sales of 2.3 million iPhones, 22 million iPods, and 2.3 million Macs, Steve and the boys raked in $9.6 billion in total revenue, which translates to $1.58 billion in pure, glorious profit. That represents Apple's latest best quarter ever, with a 35 percent jump in revenue year-over-year -- a $2.5 billion increase from last December. The $1.76 profit per share also beat consensus analyst estimates of $1.63 a share, and, as Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster pointed out in his notes, Mac sales have increased 43 percent since last year. All in all, quite a quarter for a fruit company -- we'll let you know what else we find out during the conference call later today. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple Reports Q1, Beats Consensus
Apple (AAPL) Tuesday afternoon reported fiscal first quarter revenue of $9.6 billion, with $1.76 in EPS. The company shipped 2,319,000 Macs in the quarter, and 22,121,000 iPods. The company sold 2,315,000 iPhones in the quarter.
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Apple's earnings rise 58%, but outlook disappoints
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Apple Inc. on Tuesday reported a first-quarter profit that rose 58% from a year ago thanks to strong sales of Mac computers and iPods during the busy holiday shopping season.
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Apple Q1 2008 results liveblog
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple Corporate, Apple Financial, TUAW LabsRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple posts nice Q1, but pessimistic on Q2
Apple earnings were strong during its first fiscal quarter, but second quarter guidance amid a nervous stock market disappointed financial analysts, and iPod sales were lower than expected.
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iPhone Draws Brits to O2's Mobile Service
Apple's iPhone has lived up to expectations as the most-talked-about handset ever released, with O2 revealing that its successful bid to sell the device exclusively in the UK had triggered a three-fold increase in the number of people visiting its stores over the past two months. The iPhone is only available in the UK in O2 and Apple stores and in Carphone Warehouse's extensive chain. The O2 figures will please investors in Carphone Warehouse, where the shares have come under pressure over recent weeks.
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Office 2008 Installer Assigns Most Files to User ID 502
Joel Bruner on a bizarre bug in Office 2008’s installer: First things first: They’ve moved to Apple’s Package Maker (.pkg) installer files, good news for the enterprise rollouts? Well, unfortunately they’ve created all the packages to install most all of the files with the owner set to 502. This will grant a non-admin user — if that user is the second one created on the machine — ownership of some top-level folders in /Library/ and /Applications/. ★
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Corporate users rejoice: the iPhone is now an option
Filed under: Enterprise, Apple, iPhoneThe biggest challenge I encountered when lobbying for an iPhone at work wasn't the price, or the fact that is only kinda sorta supports Exchange (IMAP, I love you, but you are no ActiveSync) but rather it was bureaucratic in nature. There was simply no way to buy an iPhone using a corporate account. I got around this by buying the iPhone myself, and paying the monthly bill myself (aren't I clever?).Luckily for well heeled corporate drones everywhere AT&T has announced Enterprise plans for the iPhone. The rates are pretty much the same, but the beauty is that some faceless, soulless corporation will be footing the bill for you (ain't capitalism grand?).Thanks, Chris.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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CoverSutra 2 brings iTunes search, UI enhancements, more
A slick iTunes controller digs even deeper into your library, allowing you to search, pick playlists, and show album art bling in handy new ways.Read More...
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Apple and the rest of us...a different view
Tim's post asks whether Apple's "shock and awe" approach to product announcements is a dinosaur in a web 2.0 world. I think there are a couple of other points worth making for perspective on this.
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Apple and the rest of us...a different view
Tim Leberecht, in a Matter/Anti-Matter blog post, asks whether Apple's "shock and awe" approach to product announcements is a dinosaur in a Web 2.0 world. I think there are a couple of other points worth making for perspective on this. First, Apple has shifted dramatically from purely ...
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Pixelmator releases version 1.1.2
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Cool tools, Graphic Design I nabbed Pixelmator last week as part of the Macheist bundle, and I have to say that it's quickly become my photo editor of choice for blogging-- it's quick, beautiful, simple, and perfect for what I need. Of course, what I need is mostly just resizing and cropping (with the occasional color fills or quick brushes), so I'm not a pro photo editor by any means, but as the creators said in our interview, it gets the job done.And with the new patch 1.1.2, just released today, it gets the job done even better. The patch offers quite a few bug fixes, and a short list of interface tweaks and improvements. Selection tools have been beefed up, as have those color fills (they work in real-time, unlike before, you know, when they worked in fake-time). The update is now available for download over on the site, or should show up in the application as well.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Verizon Wireless: Calling all iPhone killers
As part of its move to open its network to new devices, company is inviting gadget developers to swap ideas at a two-day conference this March in New York.
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Verizon Wireless: Calling all iPhone killers
WASHINGTON--Just a few months ago, Verizon Wireless was protesting proposed "open access" rules requiring mobile operators to let their customers use whatever devices or applications they please. Now it's inviting gadget developers to swap ideas at a two-day conference in New York City, scheduled for March 19 and 20. ...
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News: Apple sells more than 22 million iPods during Q1
Reporting its first quarter financial results today, Apple said it sold 22.1 million iPods during the holiday quarter — a 5 percent increase compared to the same quarter last year, and a new single-quarter record for iPod sales. It also sold 2.315 million iPhones in the quarter, bringing the total number of units sold up to above 4 million. The company posted revenue of $9.6 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.58 billion, or $1.76 per diluted…
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Watch the Keynote in HD
Filed under: Macworld, Steve JobsHD is the next best thing to being there, and if you weren't fortunate enough to be in the audience of Steve Job's Macworld 2008 keynote, than this is for you. Apple has just made available a HD stream for your viewing pleasure. The stream is 720p (that's 1280x720, just what the Apple TV supports) and requires a fairly fast machine to watch (Apple says you need a 1.8 GHz or faster G5 at the very least to watch the stream, and at least 256 MB of RAM).I just watched the first few minutes and it looks great.Thanks, Adam.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple, TI to report as fears of economic slowdown accelerate
Late traders will tackle quarterly results from technology bellwethers Apple and Texas Instruments as the peak period of the fourth-quarter earnings season gets under way.
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Uh-oh, Optimus: United Keys partners with FoxConn to build OLED gaming keyboards
Filed under: Peripherals Man, it looks like all these display keyboards are finally going from vapor to reality -- United Keys, which has been pimping various versions of its Display Keys product since 2005, has just announced that it's signed a deal with FoxConn to build a gaming keyboard with several OLED function buttons, and thats it's aiming to ship by summer. Interestingly, United Keys told us it holds two US patents and several foreign patents on the tech, and that it's searched for Art Lebedev's claimed Optimus patents but "can't find anything." Fair enough, but there are definitely some other similar patents on the books, like Elkin Acevedo's "display keyboard" patent, and Apple's recent filing. Looks like there's a giant, dorky light-up keyboard fight in the works, eh? Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Microsoft Backpedals, Embraces Vista Virtualization
One year after Microsoft's Vista operating system came to market, the company announced a change to its end-user licensing agreement, now allowing users to run the Vista Home Basic and Home Premium editions in a virtual environment. The move is good news for consumers, who can run the OS on any machine, but it's even better news for IT administrators, many of whom have been reluctant to switch to the Vista OS because there was no simple -- and cheap -- way to test hardware, software and network connections without sacrificing a real machine.
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Pole Position Remix brings racing to the iPod
While some prefer a console controller, others would rather use a steering wheel for their racing games. The hardcore? The iPod scroll wheel.Read More...
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News: Mix: Q1 Earnings, Travelocity, Camera, iPodPortugal
Apple will report its results for the first fiscal quarter 2008 later this afternoon, and will also offer a webcast of the conference call discussing the results that will begin at 5pm ET. Travelocity has announced the launch of its new web application for iPhone and iPod touch users. The application allows users to manage their itineraries by getting up-to-the-minute information on flight status, TSA security point wait times, local weather, maps,…
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Heavier than Air
Charles Miller on the MacBook Air: The tech press, it seems, has a bad record on judging products on criteria you can’t fit on a feature matrix. Which is a problem, because feature matrices suck. A feature matrix says: “Here is what everyone else is doing. To be competitive you must do the same.� Where’s the differentiation? Where’s the innovation in doing exactly what everyone else does, ticking the boxes, shaving off one or two points in each row so you get the green tick? I think his comparison to the iPod Mini is spot-on. ★
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John Mayer and Steve Jobs, BFFs
John Mayer has a MacBook Air and I don't.
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TUAW liveblogs the Q1 2008 earnings call at 5PM ET
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple Financial, AppleApple will be reporting its 2008 Q1 financial results today at 5 PM EST. After yesterday's worldwide market plunge (U.S. exchanges were closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), Apple shares dropped as much as 8% as the markets opened this morning. Though the stock has largely rebounded (thanks to the Federal Reserve's surprise emergency cuts in lending rates), this will certainly make for an interesting backdrop for today's earnings call.We'll be live-blogging the call (it is streaming live via QuickTime here) and trying out the CoverItLive service to see how it performs.Join us back here at 5 PM EST for all the action.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple Gazette Daily 193 - New iPod, MacHeads, and more
New iPod, MacHeads, 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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Depends What the Meaning of the Word ‘Expected’ Is
MacNN, on this afternoon’s upcoming quarterly finance conference call from Apple (emphasis added): Apple is expected to post better-than-expected earnings based on strong Mac sales, newly-introduced iPods, and favorable commodity pricing during the quarter. ★
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MacHeist II adds VectorDesigner, reaches $300K for charity
Last-minute software additions and record-breaking donations to charity make an invaluable bundle even more appealing.Read More...
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Expo Notes: Displays on display
We close out our reporters' notebook from a busy Macworld Expo week, with James Galbraith's account of the latest happenings in the display market.
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News: Apple faces challenges bringing movie rentals to Europe
Apple will face several challenges in bringing its iTunes Movie Rentals service to the European market, according to a new report. During his keynote address last week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said that he was “dying” to expand the service internationally, and added that it would happen later this year. The International Herald Tribune reports that in order to make that happen, the company will need to overcome “legal and regulatory…
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Rejoice Business People: AT&T Offering iPhone Plans
One of the many things lacking on the iPhone was a suitable business package. You were restricted to either your current plan if upgrading or a few options if you were a new customer but some people were left out. Luckily, AT&T is bringing them back in with…
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Apple closes security gaps for QuickTime, iPhone, iPod Touch
QuickTime updates for Windows, Mac users designed to prevent a system from being hijacked when malicious movie files are opened.
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Apple closes security gaps for QuickTime, iPhone, iPod Touch
Apple released the first patches for 2008 to the QuickTime media player as well as the iPhone and iPod Touch on January 15. The updates to QuickTime 7.4 for Windows and Mac users are designed to prevent a system from being hijacked when malicious movie files are opened. Apple Downloads lists the updates ...
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Pirates of the Caribbean Online Tips
Sail the online seas.
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Inquisitor 3 update makes affiliate links more transparent
An essential Safari search plug-in gets even better with a fitting solution so that everyone gets what they want.Read More...
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Hitachi DZ-BD70A
Blu-ray bummer.
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Apple Earnings Preview
Bear Stearns analysts Andy Neff, Bill Hand and Ted Chung sent a note to clients this morning previewing Apple's F1Q08 earnings today after the bell (find the conference call transcript here, later on tonight). Key excerpts: Tuesday 1/22 @ 5:00pm ET: AAPL 1Q08 EPS after market close – expect revenue & EPS upside on Leopard/Mac/iPod/margin strength. Given continued strength in Mac, iPod, iPhone and Leopard Mac OS (shipped 5mm in first 3 months) coupled with continued favorable component pricing and mix (higher software), we expect AAPL to report 1Q08 revenues and EPS above our Street-high estimates (which is already well above company guidance). · While AAPL is likely to provide conservative 2Q08 outlook (Mar) given company conservatism and macro-economic uncertainty, we remain optimistic given momentum in Macs (e.g., new MacBook Air) and expected rollout of iPhone in Asia. · Post-option EPS of $1.75 vs. $1.14 a year ago (guidance is for $1.42; First Call consensus is at $1.62) · Revenues of $9.67bn, up 36% year/year (guidance is for $9.2bn; First Call consensus is at $9.47bn), with Mac units of 2.19mm, iPod units of 24.95mm, and iPhone units of 2.13mm · On 1/14, we lowered our estimates across our entire coverage within the IT Hardware sector to reflect our assessment of macro concerns -- all of our estimates cuts were going forward(i.e., not for the December quarter)
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MailTags speeding along with Beta 4
Filed under: Software, ProductivityMailTags, what some would consider to be the ultimate Mail.app enhancement, has hit public beta 4. Seems like we were just blogging about beta 3 earlier this month. Oh yeah, we were. And I have to admit that seeing a speedy development pace on one of my favorite plugins has me feeling warm right down to my extra-thick winter socks. There isn't much in the way of new features, but there's an abundance of bugfixes and interface improvements. Beta 4 includes a workaround to compensate for incompatibilities with GMail's IMAP implementation, and updates for regular IMAP users to improve tag handling. There are improvements to the Spotlight import, a slew of changes in the preferences department, improvements to Notes handling and a few interface fixes. A "Clear color when clearing all Mailtags" option has also been added for the new Message Color Extra and fixes have been implemented for Rules and Smart Mailbox handling. I've updated and tested with great results, and now I'm one beta release happier than I was yesterday. Visit the MailTags page to read about and download the latest release.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Reminder: Earnings Call this afternoon
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Apple Pitches in With Pink Nano
Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs must be part of the Plunge Protection Team. Who knew? Because with the Fed cutting rates by a surprise 75-basis-points, Apple has made a major product announcement Tuesday, hoping to remind people what a great, wonderful, innovative company it remains.
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MacBook Air Overtaken by MacBook Paper
Papercraft MacBook steals tiniest title from Air.
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A sampling of Mac games on display at Macworld 2008
Filed under: Macworld, Gaming, VideoMike took a tour of some Mac game booths over in Moscone West. Check out a quick review of Tiger Woods Golf, Sims Pool and Sims Bowling for the iPod, making machinima using 'The Movies' (who'd a thunk it), a brief interlude with Aquaria, a true Guitar Hero (seriously, one of the world's best takes on the hardest song on the hardest setting), and a look at EVE Online, now available in PC, Linux and Mac. All this in less than 9 minutes.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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iPhone 1.1.3 Hacked, Pretty in Pink, and Air Pics
iPod nano goes pink, MacBook Air unboxing and 1.1.3 jailbreak won't be released for a while.
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Piper Jaffray lowers iPod estimates ahead of earnings call
Piper Jaffray analysts are lowering their iPod sales estimates for the December quarter just a few hours before Apple's quarterly earnings call. That can't be good news.Read More...
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Apple earnings to take spotlight after market close
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Apple Inc. will take some of the spotlight off of a wild trading session Tuesday when the Macintosh and iPod maker is scheduled to give its first-quarter earnings report.
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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--perfect for your brand new pink nano! 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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John Mayer has a MacBook Air and you don't
Filed under: Cult of Mac, Odds and ends, MacBook AirWhen Steve finished up his keynote last week he introduced Randy Newman and after-wards lots of people said, 'at least it wasn't John Mayer again.' I have nothing against Mr. Mayer, myself, but it was nice to have a little variety in the keynote musical presentation. Lest you think that Mr. Jobs and Mr. Mayer are on the outs due to this change in keynote musicians, worry not! It would seem that John Mayer is toting around a MacBook Air weeks before anyone in the hoi polloi has the chance. Head on over to this blog entry to check out two pictures of the MacBook Air in the wild.Thanks, Jamie.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple ads Pink iPod Nano just in time for Valentine’s Day
Apple today announced the release of the latest color option for the 3rd generation iPod Nano. Pink joins the light blue, mint green, black, silver, and (product) red as color options for the latest version of Apple's smallest video player ever. They are available at Apple's online store right now, and will be at retail outlets very shortly.
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How the MacBook Air stacks up against other ultra-light notebooks
Daniel Eran Dilger At last year's Macworld Expo, Apple's dramatic unveiling of the iPhone divided the world into two camps: those who were excited about the state of the art being pushed, and those who were irritated that Apple was the one doing it. This year, the role of the iPhone is being played by Apple's new MacBook Air. As with the iPhone, Apple wasn't inventing a new category of product when it announced the MacBook Air. The ultra light notebook category has been steadily refined and advanced by Sony, Panasonic, Fujitsu, Lenovo, and many others; each manufacturer has delivered product lines designed to match their customers' needs. Sony targets high end consumers; it leverages its physical media engineering prowess to build DVD burners into most of its models, something that few other light notebook makers even attempt to do. Sony's Vaio line is splashy and feature rich, but isn't commonly regarded as well built or durable. Panasonic is known for its ruggedized Toughbook line, designed to operate in rough environments. Its models commonly trade off high end performance and features for extremely light weight and compact size. That relegates Panasonic's fans to mobile business users, and makes it less appealing to mainstream consumers. Lenovo, which bought up IBM's PC division, continues the venerable ThinkPad line as a highly regarded workhorse that delivers top performance in a thin but well constructed case — all work and no play. ThinkPads are also known for their long usable life and their fingertip controllers rather than trackpads, something that polarizes users for or against based on their personal preferences. Fujitsu is another leader in light and thin notebooks, but also makes more general purpose machines that borrow from its leading edge thin designs. Its larger sized lines are powerful and economical while still remaining thin and fairly light. Fujitsu also makes Tablet PC convertible machines with the flip-around monitors that have yet to prove popular because they are gutless and expensive. Asus, best known for its popular $350 EEE PC toy notebook, is also making inroads into the light notebook business. It's targeting low powered thin models with small but higher resolution displays than most of the competition. Of course there are many other makers of light notebooks. Dell and HP both make lighter notebook models, but none are really comparable to the top competitors in the ultralight market; instead, those two companies target the mass market, which hasn't yet started chasing light thin notebooks because of the engineering tradeoffs they require to drop the pounds and millimeters and their commensurate price tags. Continues: AppleInsider | How the MacBook Air stacks up against other ultra-light notebooks Technorati Tags: Apple, Mac, Review, Software, the Media
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Mac OS X 10.5.2 update now said to be packing nearly 100 fixes
Filed under: Laptops Last we heard, Apple had some 76 fixes in store for the now-imminent 10.5.2 update of Mac OS X, otherwise known as Leopard. Of course, that was more than a month ago, and Apple seems to have found plenty more room for improvement since then. According to AppleInsider, "people familiar with the software" are now saying that the update will pack "nearly 100 code corrections and enhancements," including twenty fixes that were turned up in the short time since Mac OS X 10.5.2 build 9C16 was released to developers during Macworld. All told, that should bring the latest update in just over the 450MB mark which, as AppleInsider points out, should make it the biggest "dot release" of Mac OS X yet. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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iPhone In UK Falls Below Expectations
Although being a hit in the US, the iPhone has faced some tough hurdles in Europe due mainly to price and lack of features common to foreign handsets. The numbers show according to the Financial Times. The expectation was to sell 200,00 iPhones within the 2 month launch…
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10.5.2 to add Remote Backup, Translucent menubar option
Looks like current AirPort Extreme owners won't have to protest outside the doors of 1 Infinite Loop after all.Read More...
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Determine if iTunes will stop or pause a track
In iTunes, it has always bothered me that when I am in another playlist than the one playing, pressing the space bar would sometimes pause the track and sometimes completely stop the track. Sometimes I just want to pause the track, but I am always afraid that if I don't return to the playlist that it's playing in, the track will stop (if you listen to classical music, having to restart or re-find your place in a 30 minute track can be a pain). Other times I actually want to stop the track so I can press the spacebar again to play in the playlist I am in. I could never figure out the pattern to this behavior, so I would always take the fail-safe method of moving to the playing playlist to pause. However, I discovered the other day that I don't have to. The Play/Pause button has the pause symbol (two vertical rectangles) if it is going to pause, and the stop symbol (a square) if it is going to stop. No more guessing![kirkmc adds: This is less of a hint tha...
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Bandwidth throttling in OS X
Advanced OS X users know that Darwin comes with ipfw, which can be used to set up a custom firewall. This same service however can be used to also limit bandwidth on specific ports.Example:   sudo ipfw pipe 1 config bw 15KByte/screates a pipe that only allows up to 15KB/s to go through.Then:   sudo ipfw add 1 pipe 1 src-port 80will attach that pipe to the outgoing traffic on port 80, effectively limiting the outgoing traffic of the web server.   0sudo ipfw delete 1will remove the pipe from the port.[kirkmc adds: I haven't tested this. Just make sure you remember to turn this off when you no longer need it!]
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Fix the "Verification Failed" error in Boot Camp Assistant
I needed to install Windows XP on my MacBook, but whenever I tried to partition my drive, Boot Camp would give an error which said "Verification Failed" and tell me to use Disk Repair on my Leopard CD.Problem is that most of the time it says that the disk doesn't need repair and thus the error remains. If you have the same problem, you can to the following to sort it out:Restart your Mac.As soon as it turns on, even before you hear it go bong, hold down Cmd+S.The system will boot showing a lot of text. If it doesn't and you see the Apple logo, you've waited too long. Reboot and try again.When at the prompt type fsck -f. If changes are successfully made it will repeat the process then say "Modifications have been made".Then simply type in reboot and you should be able to partition your drive successfully.[kirkmc adds: This is not the only cause of such an error. When partitionin...
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Easily identify rental movies in the iTunes Store
It can be frustrating to find movies available for rent from the iTunes Store. Here's an easy way to do so.After selecting the iTunes Store source, go into "browse" mode in iTunes by clicking the little eye icon at the bottom-right of the iTunes window. Select Movies in the left-hand column of the browser, then choose a genre from the other column. Click the Price column to sort by that criterion. In the list of movies, any movie that has "View Movie" or "Add" in the Price column is available for renting. (But not those that say "Add Movie"; you can tell by their prices.) [kirkmc adds: Rob posted this hint last week, after we were chatting about how to find movies for rent. Today's hint is another method, which seems, in my testing, to be a bit easier to use, though you have to browse by genre. It's surprising that Apple doesn't make this easier.]
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Preview crops In Aperture
When using the crop tool in Aperture there is no preview supplied to show what the final image will look like. This can make it difficult to get the adjustment right as you switch in and out of crop mode. However, since Aperture updates the thumbnail in real-time, you can get a preview by making the thumbnail image visible on the screen at the same time.If using the regular viewer, make the thumbnail large so that the final image can be seen easily. If using full screen mode, switch the film strip to On mode so that it stays on the screen all the time.[kirkmc adds: I haven't tested this: I don't have Aperture.]
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Quick tip: fixing Safari's fumbles
Filed under: OS, Tips and tricksHave you ever downloaded a file using Safari and ended up with an extension like .dmg.bz2, only to find that no amount of double clicking will actually get you to a mountable disk image? Here's the down and dirty: Safari has a habit of guessing at what you're downloading and appending an extension for you, at least when the server doesn't explicitly declare it. In this case, it's looking at the compression method being used inside of the disk image, finding bzip2 and appending that extension. But the disk image isn't actually archived, so this throws everything off. When the OS sees the bz2 extension (or any extension after the .dmg), it assumes it's a compressed archive and unzips it. The resulting file is broken. The answer? If you run into this problem, just click the file once to rename it and remove the trailing extension after .dmg. The disk image should mount on a double click. An aging post at Unsanity also