Feb 24, 2008 Feb 26, 2008 Monday February 25, 2008
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iPhone SDK Could Be Delayed
After promising eager iPhone owners everywhere a chance to have 3rd party Apps without the hassle of Jailbreaking and whatnot, it was expected to arrive February. Well it’s nearing towards the end and woopty doo, no announcement of even so much as a mention. Turns out the SDK…
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Worshipping at the Altar of Mac
S.O.S. When a massive freighter packed with a $103 million cargo tilts onto its side in the North Pacific, a team of deep-sea cowboys gets the call. Inside the epic struggle to save the Cougar Ace.
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About That $1 Billion
The Macalope on the bogus math behind the claim that unlocked iPhones will cost Apple “$1 billion” by the end of the year. (It’s the same sort of math the music industry uses to estimate how much money bootlegging costs them — based on the assumption that every single bootlegged track would otherwise have been purchased for the full retail price.) ★
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Regarding TUAW’s Mischaracterization of My ‘Repair Permissions’ Advice
My stance on “Repairing Permissions” is not complicated. If you have a permissions-related problem (or suspect one) it might solve it. It is not something you should worry about if you’re not having any problems. There is no good reason to run it periodically, nor any reason to run it before or after software installations or upgrades. If it were a good idea, Apple would configure Mac OS X to do it for you. It’s like taking antibiotics — a good idea if you have an infection, but a bad idea to take every day “just for good measure”. (My thanks to “Floggy”, whoever you are, for making the same point in the comments on TUAW.) ★
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The iPhone could be illegal in Australia
According to a panel of Queensland law researchers, releasing the iPhone in Australia could be illegal under current Australian trade practices. What?! Basically, Apple’s carrier exclusivity deals with Australian wireless service providers could be seen as anti-competitive. Says law researcher Dale Clapperton, “The iPhone is breaking new ground in using…
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Amazon offers up two iPods for the price of one
Filed under: iPod Family, AppleAmazon has started selling the iPod touch 32GB model. You might be asking, "What's so special about that?" Well, if you read the page carefully, you will notice that Amazon also is offering up a free iPod shuffle with the purchase of an iPod touch 32GB. That's right, you get a free 1GB iPod shuffle when you purchase an iPod touch. The ad reads: "You qualify for a free 1 GB iPod shuffle with the purchase of this 32 GB iPod touch from Amazon.com. Eligible 1 GB shuffles include the blue, green, silver, and purple. Just add both items to your cart and you will not be charged for the shuffle."As you may recall, Apple lowered the price of the iPod shuffle to $49 last week. Amazon is currently selling the 32GB iPod touch for $494 while Apple is selling the same thing for $499 -- seems that Amazon is wanting your business. Do you plan to use this opportunity to get a free iPod shuffle? Be sure to sound off in the comments![via iPodNN]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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More Apple MacBook / MacBook Pro models numbers pop up
Filed under: Laptops We've always heard that Apple deliberately sends out misinformation to distract the rumor sites, and it looks like that may actually be true -- check out these shots of the Future Shop inventory system, listing the upcoming MB402LL/A and MB403LL/A SKUs from Apple as being priced at CA$1149 and CA$1349, respectively. That's MacBook pricing, if we had to make a guess -- but remember that earlier Best Buy shot that showed a box size of 17 inches square, which is way bigger than any non-Pro MacBook. So, to recap: there are definitely new Apple laptops coming soon, but we have almost no idea what kind -- based on product cycles, we'd say it's the MacBook Pro, but signs point to the MacBook as well. Confused yet? Yeah, we thought so -- but hopefully answers are coming soon.Continue reading More Apple MacBook / MacBook Pro models numbers pop up Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Linkedin Goes Mobile
Six months after Facebook came out with a version of its social network for the iPhone, LinkedIn is finally coming around to releasing a mobile version of its own. Just go to http://m.linkedin.com/ on any mobile…
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DIY on how to make your plants Twitter
Filed under: Hardware, Software, Hacks, How-tos, Odds and ends, Internet, Open Source, MacBook Engadget hit on this one, and it's technically possible to do it with a Windows PC, but considering that Mac users are greener than most folks, and lovers of both plants and cool tech DIY, we're posting it anyway. Botanicalls, which is a project to help your plants make phone calls, has posted a how-to guide on getting your plants to twitter when they need water, got water but not enough, or are even being overwatered.The whole rig requires an Arduino board, and it's not exactly for Mom to do on her own (unless of course your Mom is an electrical engineer, which is entirely possible), because it also will walk you through making your own moisture sensor. Once you've got everything plugged in, the Arduino software will talk to the unit via USB and ethernet, and a terminal script will actually send the Tweets out. Unfortunately, despite a quick search on Twitter, I wasn't able to find any plants actually tweeting, but if you have one, let us know.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Counting down to the iPhone development kit
It's almost time to see how Apple will allow developers to create applications for the iPhone, and the answer could play a huge role in where the iPhone goes from here.
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Apple's $18 billion stash
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Apple Financial, Steve Jobs, AppleWhere's all that cash that Apple made from the iPhone and all those iPods, Macs, and iTunes downloads last year going? Why, right into Apple's mattress. According to the Financial Times, Apple currently has $18 billion sitting on their balance sheet, doing nothing much at all. And they're OK with that -- Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer recently said in the Q1 conference call that they like having that "flexibility." And after all, you never know when you might need to drop $18 billion on something important.All that money doing nothing isn't so great for Apple's investors though, some of whom apparently want a piece of the pie. They might like to see dividends, stock buybacks, or even actual spending come out of that on Apple's part (later in the piece, I'm surprised to see that Apple only spends 3% of their sales on R&D, while Microsoft spends 14%). But no -- Apple is flush with cash from all their big sales numbers, and they want to apparently stay that way.[Via Ars]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Yamaha unloads update to line of YHT HTiBs
The YHT-790(Credit: Yamaha)Yamaha skipped the big January Consumer Electronics Show, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't have plenty of new products to announce. The company unveiled the latest quartet of updates to its "YHT" line of home-theater-in-a-box systems for 2008. Unlike the smaller, sexier models offered by the likes of Sony and Samsung, Yamaha's component-based home theater systems focus on practicality and value. Each of the four are 5.1 systems that include five satellite speakers, a subwoofer, and a full-size AV receiver (with two HDMI inputs) that can handle the Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, and DTS surround modes found on standard DVDs. Buyers will need to supply their own DVD player for all but the YHT-690, which includes one in the package. Likewise, Yamaha is stressing its optional YDS-10 iPod dock and YBA-10 Bluetooth adapter--though third-party versions of each can be connected to the available audio inputs on any of the systems. Specific features on each of the models are as follows: ...
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Analyst: Mac getting even more important for Apple's future
Posted by Dennis Sellers BMO Capital Markets analyst Keith Bachman on Monday cut his price target on Apple's stock to US$140 a share from $160, and said in a research note to clients that “Apple's three growth drivers [iPods, iPhones and Macs] has now turned to one”: the Mac.
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Apple's cash position 'outrageously high'
Posted by Dennis SellersApple's current cash position, at US$18.4 billion, is “outrageously high,” Gene Munster, senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray, tells Financial Week.
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Schaeffer's Research: APPL continues to suffer from 'excessive optimism'
Posted by Dennis SellersApple options traders are rebounding from their recent bearish stint, and appear to have returned to their bullish ways, according to Schaeffer's Research.
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Macs at Microsoft fail to shock
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Switchers, Cult of Mac, Apple, Macbook Pro Let's all point and laugh: the folks at Microsoft use Macs! Because, you know, they make Windows, and Macs aren't Windows, and Microsoft and Apple are competitors, and isn't it funny and aren't cats and dogs different?Actually, let's not do this. Let's realize that Microsoft is a company and Apple is a company, and while yes, in some fields they are competitors, let's just put the whole Apple vs. PC idea to bed. Guess what: a Mac actually is a PC. It's a very, very well-made PC (in fact, the best made, in this blog's humble opinion). And why wouldn't the folks at Microsoft want to use the best PC out there to develop and run their programs?The battle between Mac and PC was cute back during the PowerPC age, when there were major differences between the two platforms. But things have changed: Macs run Windows, dogs and cats are lol-ing together, and the war's just not worth fighting any more. Of course Microsoft employees use Macs -- who wouldn't?[Via FSJ]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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MacBook Pro drumbeat increases as model numbers tip up
The latest sign that new MacBook Pros might be on tap from Apple? Previously unseen model numbers discovered by AppleInsider.
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iPhone and iPod touch wallpaper roundup
Filed under: Mods, iPhoneWhile checking out yesterday's beautiful iPhone mod, we though about wallpaper that would compliment an all-black iPhone. In the process we compiled a list of our favorite resources for iPhone (and iPod touch) wallpaper. Poolga The Iconfactory Pixelgirl Presents iPhone wallpaper group on Flickr Sciphone Deviant Art Have you got a favorite that we've missed? Let us know in the comments. While we're at it, check out more details on that iPhone mod, including pictures of the complex machine that gets the job done.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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'Freeridecoding' updates SmartBackup to 2.2
Posted by Dave MertenFreeridecoding announces a major update for its straightforward backup tool, SmartBackup v2.2. SmartBackup is the ideal application to perform all kinds of daily backups to hard drives, network sharepoints, webDAV, usb sticks, iPods etc.
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Restore sanity: Stop iPhoto from auto-launching with iPhone
In OS X, you either have the choice of iPhoto starting when any image capturing device is plugged in, or nothing at all. This lack of granular control has made a number of iPhone users insane, but luckily it can be fixed with a simple AppleScript and come command line voodoo.Read More...
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ABC stations to offer VOD...but no fast-forwarding
On Feb. 25, a MarketWatch story reported that local ABC affiliates would be able to distribute shows via iTunes and Xbox. In fact, the ABC network, not its affiliates, will be able to distribute more shows for download to those services. See corrected story.
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First Looks: Gameloft S.A. Bubble Bash!
Cloned from Taito's famous Puzzle Bobble/Bust-a-Move games, Gameloft's new Bubble Bash! ($5) places you in control of a character at the bottom of the screen who fires individual colored bubbles upwards into a matrix of existing bubbles, attempting to make color matches. Match three or more bubbles and they disappear from the top of the screen; the more matches you fail to make, the more crowded the screen becomes, putting your character in peril…
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Run Palm On Your iPhone
There is a video that you can watch here that shows an iPod Touch running the Palm OS. It is as perplexing to me as it is to others of why anyone would want the Palm OS on their iPhone or iPod Touch, but it would…
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Unsanity Wants To Skin Your iPhone For A High Price
The dominant Application for skinning and changing even the most minute of the iPhone’s interface is the very aptly named “Customize.app� and while it’s the only good thing available, the folks behind Unsanity are aiming to introduce their sorely missed skills to…
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New eBook explains Leopard's permissions
Filed under: OS, UNIX / BSD, LeopardDespite John Gruber's longstanding assertion that "Repair Disk Permissions is voodoo," Brian Tanaka has published "Take Control of Permissions in Leopard" for the Take Control series of eBooks. It's part troubleshooting (how to delete stuck files, for example), part tips and tricks (the best ways to keep files private) and part theory. It's only $10US for 87 pages of very useful information. For example, you might learn that repairing permissions with Disk Utility won't change the permissions to any of your user-centric files -- it's meant to restore application and system file preferences to their as-delivered condition. Even if you do think that Repair Permissions is nonsense, it'll be nonsense you fully understand. [Via MacMinute]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple among 'companies that matter in knowledge management'
Posted by Dennis Sellers Apple, SAVO, Citrix Systems and Xerox are among the “100 companies that matter in knowledge management.”
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MacBook Pro Update Event Horizon
Model numbers appear in Best Buy database.
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iPhone illegal in Australia under current set-up?
Posted by Dennis SellersThe release of the iPhone in Australia could be illegal under current trade practices laws, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
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Amazon.com offers free iPod shuffle with purchase of 32GB iPod touch
Posted by Dennis SellersAmazon.com is currently offering a free 1GB iPod shuffle with the purchase of a 32GB iPod touch for US$495.
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iPhone-optimized versions of LinkedIn, TalkShoe now up
Filed under: iPhoneWe don't post about every website that comes up with an iPhone/iPod touch-optimized version -- if we did, we wouldn't have time for eating or sleeping -- but every now and then a couple of sites newly built for Mobile Safari rise above the pack. Today's launches for everyone's favorite "internet in your pants" browser include pro-social business networking site LinkedIn and collaborative calling tool TalkShoe.LinkedIn's new iPhone beta version (at m.linkedin.com) allows you to view a list of your recent network updates, see your own profile (lest you forget your vital details) and search through your contact list. No editing options and no click-to-call or click-to-send buttons in this early version, but having the streamlined view is quite nice.Meanwhile, over at TalkShoe (host site for the weekly TUAW live podcast) the team has released an iPhone version of the Talkshoe site at iphone.talkshoe.com. It does a nice job integrating the telephony component of the service with call selection and management. Using the new iPhone UI, you can quickly search for ongoing or upcoming calls, then single-click to call in and chat about your topic of choice. Naturally we have some suggestions. There'll be a TalkShoe call tonight at 8 pm ET featuring our friends Victor Cajiao of the Typical Mac User podcast and Adam Christianson of the Maccast to discuss the new iPhone-optimized site. Should be fun.via Macworld & iPhone MattersRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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The state of the union for iPhone apps
With the release of iPhone software developer kit looming, Rob Griffiths takes a look at the state of unofficial third party applications on the iPhone.
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How-To: Truly reset your .Mac sync data
.Mac's Sync feature really is a nice piece of work, but it isn't infallible. If you're having trouble keeping n'sync, we have a tip that could get you back on track.Read More...
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Cineon/DPX Pro updated, version 3.0 coming soon
Posted by Dennis SellersGlue Tools has released version 2.5.12a of Cineon/DPX Pro, QuickTime components for Mac OS X.
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Yep, new MacBook part numbers are in Best Buy's database
Filed under: Laptops Our tip jar, it brings us so much joy -- and it brings you, dear reader, this printout of what's purported to be the Best Buy database listing for one of those heretofore-unknown MacBook model numbers. You'll note that whatever MB402LL/A turns out to be, it's said to be in stock on March 2nd, which is just a few days away -- but also note that current MacBook Pros have MA-series model numbers, while the regular MacBook has traditionally carried the MB designation. That's interesting, but we doubt a $1,999 MacBook is about to surface -- besides, the current MacBook box is 15 inches square, smaller than the 17 inches listed here. (Yes, we measured.) As always, we'll see when we see -- come on Tuesday, you're almost here. Permalink | Email this | Comments
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News: Gameloft releases Bubble Bash iPod game
Gameloft S.A. has released its Bubble Bash game for the iPod nano (with video), iPod classic, and fifth-generation iPod. Bubble Bash is a puzzle game set in an “island paradise” that features 100 evolving levels and a variety power-ups, and appears to resemble Taito's Puzzle Bobble. In the game, players toss multi-colored bubbles into the sky to pop three or more of the same color, in an attempt to break up a larger cluster of bubbles…
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Apple Gazette Daily 214 - Macbook Pro rumors continue, Apple recycles, and more
Macbook speculation, Apple recycles, 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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Killer Park Job: ‘Asus Designers Have Really Great Ideas’
Dan Hughes on the industrial design of the Asus Nova P22: To me, it initially looked like a pen holder. Bizarrely enough though, it turns that it is indeed a pen holder. Are you kidding me? What computer user has ever said, gee, the one thing this machine really needs is a pen holder hanging off the side of its case? What an amazing computer: slower, bigger, and more expensive than a Mac Mini — but where do you put a pen in a Mac Mini? ★
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DAQ Plot now offers 64-bit data acquisition
Posted by Dennis SellersVVI has released DAQ Plot 10.5.1 for Mac OS X, which offers 64-bit data acquisition and more.
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TalkShoe walks out new iPhone app
Posted by Dennis SellersTalkShoe has unveiled an iPhone application that allows mobile users to participate on a call with just their iPhone.
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MotiMotion Prospects manages your cash
Filed under: Software There are many good ways to manage your money on a Mac (oh yeah, there's also QuickBooks). We at TUAW found yet another money management application for your Mac, and this one looks really good. MotiMotion's Prospects allows you to keep all of your banking accounts (and credit cards) organized with graphs, a register book, and more. When you start the program, you get an overview that has a graph of your assets and liabilities -- giving you the ability to see everything you need to. In addition to pretty graphs of your cash, you also can create: budgets, reports, categories, rules, and more. You can import QIF, OFX, and QFX files from your online banking website or from other money management applications. So, if you are in the market for a good money management application, then you should give Prospects a try. You can download Prospects from the MotiMotion website. They offer a free version that limits you to 100 transactions across your accounts or a single-user license for $35 (they also offer a family license for $10 more).Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple: BMO Capital Cuts Target, Ups Mac Unit Forecast
BMO Capital analyst Keith Bachman Monday morning trimmed his price target for Apple (AAPL) to $140 from $160, noting that “EPS upside relative to our and the Street estimates will more likely come from margin expansion, and less so revenue upside, which also warrants a lower multiple, in our view.�
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In-room iMacs added to hotel amenities
Filed under: Odds and ends, iMacMac lovers traveling to the UK may be able to leave their computers at home -- as long as they stay at a City Inn hotel.Guests will find a shiny iMac in each room, with full access to the internet, iLife and Office apps. Plus, the hotel will let you use the iMac as a TV, internet radio and media player (DVDs and CDs). "But will the hotel keep a history of what I do with that machine?" you ask. The answer is "No." They use Faronics Deep Freeze software to restore each machine to its factory settings every 24 hours, so you're safe (that also means you shouldn't save the article you're writing on the iMac's hard drive).This isn't the first time we've seen hotels offer Apple products to guests. In 2004, several W hotels gave away iMacs, iPods and music on "iTunes Days," and just last year Pod Hotels offered an iPod dock in each room. [Via Macenstein]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Coolgorilla re-releases Talking iPod Phrase Books
Posted by Dennis SellersFollowing on from the release of their lastminute.com iPhone Translator last year, the folks at Coolgorilla are re-releasing their Talking iPod Phrase Books, which are now available to download from iTunes for free.

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Apple hordes $18 billion like depression-era grandmother
Apple's cash on hand has risen to $18.4 billion. Investors want a dividend, but Apple is holding on for good reason.Read More...
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Rumor: New MacBook Pro shows up in Apple, Best Buy inventory system
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Portables, Rumors, Macbook ProAppleInsider is reporting that they have confirmed the Apple part numbers that were supposedly "leaked" out of Best Buy are in fact the real deal, and could be new MacBook Pros; other rumor sites are chiming in as well. This comes after some of Apple's retail chain partners have received part numbers and prices that match Apple's usual style; as of late, these numbers have been added to Apple's own inventory management system. One of the inventory systems reports stock on hand by Friday, February 29; our most recent information points us to an availability date of March 2 or earlier for these new machines.The numbers in question are: MB402LL/A ($1999.00) MB403LL/A ($2499.00) MB404LL/A ($2799.00) AppleInsider is also speculating that the new MacBook Pros may include the new Intel Penryn processor that clocks at 2.1Ghz for the base model and goes up to 2.6Ghz for the higher-end models. Along with the new processor, they are also speculating that the MacBook Pro might receive the MacBook Air's multi-touch trackpad goodness. If these rumors are true, then why is Apple going up on the price of their Pro notebooks? For the base model, that's a $200 price increase. Whoops, looked at the wrong laptop pricing. These prices, as our loyal commenters have noted, are exactly in line with the existing MacBook Pros. Whew.[via AppleInsider]Thanks Mr. XRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Overflow update adds full Leopard compatibility
Posted by Dennis SellersStunt Software has updated its Overflow launcher utility for Mac OS X to version 2.5.5.
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Microsoft sued over 'Windows Vista Capable' info
Posted by Dennis SellersA US judge has given the greenlight to a class action lawsuit against Microsoft by consumers for providing misleading information about Windows XP computers being able to run Vista, reports the Associated Press.
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Review: Digifocus Pocket Hi-Fi in Bass Mini Sound System
Maybe, maybe not. Like the smaller unit, Pocket-Hi Fi comes in three colors—silver, red (shown), or black—each with silver front and back pieces, and now measures roughly 4.8” by 2.4” by 1.8”. This puts it in roughly the size category of portable speakers such as Logic3's i-Station Travellers and Pacific Rim's Cube—units that don't fit into typical pockets but use their extra enclosure space to…
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LinkedIn comes to the iPhone, iPod touch
Posted by Dennis SellersLinkedIn, a site for professional networking, is now available and optimized for the iPhone and iPod touch, reports iPhone, Therefore I Blog.
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Community Activity: February 25, 2008
2GB iPod Shuffles Disc Burning Problem Small iPhone Bug iPhone 3G versus Edge Organizing PDFs and Printing Tags: Site News Related posts No related posts.
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Keywurl adds keyword searching to Safari
Filed under: Software, Freeware The world of Safari plug-ins has a sparse and somewhat barren landscape; however, sometimes you run into some plug-ins that are must-haves. Keywurl is one such Safari plug-in. Keywurl adds the ability for Safari to do keyword searching just like Firefox does -- which will end up saving you time. You can assign specific keyword searches in the Safari preferences. So for instance, if I wanted to search for "Steve Jobs" on Wikipedia, then I would type "wiki Steve Jobs" in Safari's address bar; the query would then be sent to Wikipedia, where it would be parsed in a search and the wiki page displayed. Keywurl is available as freeware from the developer's website. It runs on both Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5) and Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4); and requires Safari 3.0 or later. What's not to love with the price of free and the ability to add custom keyword searches to Safari? Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Best Buy shows off Time Capsule in this week’s flyer
Time Capsule has been listed as shipping in Feb. and now Best Buy has it listed in this week's sales flier. So, it's safe to assume that Time Capsule will be available this week. Time Capsule is, of course, the new wi-fi base station/automatic backup device from Apple. It features either a 500 gb or 1 tb drive, and 802.11n. It works seamlessly with Time Machine in Leopard allowing you to automatically back up every file on your computer without having to think about it. It starts at $299, and is still listed for pre-order on Apple.com right now.
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Apple's free cell phone recycling adds to green efforts
Apple adds free cell phone recycling—from any manufacturer—to its recycling efforts. Greenpeace, watch out!Read More...
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iPhone Tip: The Blue Box Explained
Normally your iPhone lets you know when you’re connected to the Internet either through Wi-Fi or EDGE. Sometimes you don’t even need an indicator to notice the surprisingly slow speeds between the two but much to my surprise it can get slower. But then me being surprised is like a…
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Win a BookEndz Dock for MacBook from Macsimum News
Filed under: Accessories, Hardware, PortablesIf you failed to win the BookEndz Dock for MacBook that we gave away last month, Macsimum News (MN) is offering you another chance. It's almost April, so they're having a good, old-fashioned Easter Egg Hunt. Several articles on the site will be littered with colorful eggs. Keep track of which eggs appear where between today (Feb. 25) and March 18, then email your findings back to the folks at MN. You can read the full details here.The BookEndz Dock is a cool product. In our previous review, Mat said, "The MacBook model looks particularly nice with a built-in 5 port powered USB hub and both VGA and DVI connectors...and [makes] moving a MacBook (Pro) between locations with many different peripherals quite easy."Good luck, everyone.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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This Day: February 25, 1981: Black Wednesday
If you work for a large corporation and are called into the President’s office you’re likely confused. Are you about to be promoted? Fired? You have no idea. Corporate presidents don’t fire average employees; they leave heavy lifting like that to HR and feel-good promotions are usually left to the…
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Rogue Amoeba: ‘Your Screen. On A Screen. On Screen!’
Guy English on a nifty trick in the latest version of Airfoil: So when you’re streaming to an Apple TV via Airfoil running on Leopard, we send along the image of your Mac and overlay your desktop on it. Put simply, it’s damn cool to see. ★
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News: Amazon offers free iPod shuffle with 32GB touch purchase
Amazon.com is currently offering a free 1GB iPod shuffle in green, silver, purple, or blue to customers who purchase a 32GB iPod touch. The promotion does not appear to extend to other iPod touch models. To take advantage of the offer, customers need to add both the iPod shuffle of their choice and the 32GB iPod touch to their cart; Amazon says buyers will not be charged for the shuffle. The promotion is available for a limited time only. ...
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News: Apple issues Cease and Desist to DRM-stripping devs
Apple's legal team has issued a Cease & Desist letter to the developers of the Hymn Project, software that allows users to strip the FairPlay DRM from files purchased from the iTunes Store. A post in the Hymn Project forums says that the letter demanded that all downloads be removed from the site. The post continues: “Until further notice, no links are to be posted anywhere on the site to programs that can strip DRM from any of Apple's…
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Pirates of the Caribbean: Aegir’s Fire
Send in the kraken to put us out of our misery.
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Apple begins cellphone recycling program
In response to criticism from groups like Greenpeace, Apple has now implemented a new recycling program designed to reduce the amount of damage that mass consumption can cause. In addition to products like iPods, people will now be able to recycle cellphones, no matter who the manufacturer might be. You can send the devices to Apple in one of two ways - Either by dropping it off at an Apple Store near you, or mailing it to a central location. If you choose the mail option you can specify any quantity of phones or iPods. You must then decide whether to use either a print-out label on your own packaging, or you can request a custom package shipped from Apple which will take 7 to 10 days to arrive. Both options are free of charge. You can find more info about it right here.
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SDK Late for an Important Date, Recycle that iPhone and Happy Birthday Steve
O2 iPhone blues, Jon Stewart distracted by iPhone and Blu-ray already declared dead by some.
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Missing Drawer for TextMate revisited
Filed under: Software, Open SourceWay back in 2006 - after the excitement of the Midterm Elections and before the launch of the Wii - Hetima wrote MissingDrawer, a plugin for the oft-mentioned TextMate that took the standard-issue OS X drawer used by TextMate project file lists and turned it into an Xcode-like pane embedded in the edit window. It was lauded by many as a major improvement of the TextMate UI, but has gone pretty much untouched since then, perhaps because it was good enough for most users to begin with. But Jannis Leidel saw room for improvement. The new MissingDrawer builds off of the original, adding some aesthetic UI tweaks along with some usability polish. On the aesthetic front, it increases the line height of the file list, shrinks the project buttons and tweaks the file list frame. A new resize method accompanies the Mail.app-style resizer handle and the position of the splitter pane is saved automatically now. And lastly, the panel now hides when using the Show/Hide Project Drawer menu item or shortcut. You can download the 2008 MissingDrawer (including source code) at Jannis' site, and installation is a couple of double clicks away. TextMate users who liked the first version of the plugin will surely appreciate the touch-up. I know I do.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple 1.6G Hz MacBook Air
Lightweight or Airhead? The world’s thinnest laptop is a little thin on “depth� and “features� too.
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New MacBook Pro part numbers leaked?
Filed under: Laptops If you've been replying to our earlier post on Apple rumors by repeatedly typing "MacBook Pro update" across the screen, you'll be happy to hear this latest news. AppleInsider claims they have confirmed three new Apple part numbers which are showing up in both the Best Buy and Apple inventory databases. The numbers, MA402LL/A, MA403LL/A, and MA404LL/A, have appeared on these systems with the prices of $1,999, $2,499, and $2,799 in tow -- leading some (read, all) to believe that they may be those new laptops everyone's been talking about. Of course, we haven't seen these inventory management systems with our own, bloodshot, sleep-deprived eyes, so don't be too disappointed when it turns out this was just a really, really specific typo.[Thanks, Mark] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple: Is All This Angst Really Warranted?
It’s open season on Apple (AAPL) these days. The stock is in a tailspin. Worries abound. The iPod market is saturated. The consumer wallet is pinched. It all adds up to an ugly stock chart. But it’s time for a reality check here. Is all this angst really warranted?
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Be.ez announces new range of MacBook bags
Posted by Dennis SellersBe.ez has launched the LAbesace range of MacBook bags. The LAbesace Classic and LimeDrop combine “fashionable and colorful design with practical security and storage features.”
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'InUse' report: iPhone lives up to the hype
Posted by Dennis SellersA new report by InUse concludes that the iPhone does live up to the hype surrounding the communications device.
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Shaky iPhone Profits Perturb Analysts
Shares of Apple slid more than 3 percent in late trades Friday, putting the stock down in excess of 40 percent since the start of 2008. The move follows a research note from Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi that says the company's iPhone business, expected to be a significant profit driver for the company, is facing challenges from lower than expected demand and greater than anticipated incidences of "unlocking" the device, which prevents the company from sharing in service-related revenue.
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Apple drops out of top 10 in UK Superbrands survey
Posted by Dennis Sellers Apple slipped to eleventh place in the 2008 UK Superbrands survey, which for the first time was topped by Google, reports Macworld UK.
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Apple angst? Why?
ZDNet's Larry Dignan provides a great counterpoint to the recent "angst" over Apple. Despite the year to date stock chart (right) Apple's business isn't exactly limping along. Sure you can worry about the iPhone not selling 10 million units, or iPod profit margins and even whether the MacBook Air is that big of a deal. But what's the point? Until proven otherwise most of us would love to have Apple's business. The Macalope has given Dignan a hard time in the past, but this piece is eminently reasonable, raising the issues and providing a retort to each. As they say, read the whole thing.
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Mac 101: Restore a Safari window
Filed under: Mac 101 For those of you that use tabbed browsing in Safari, you know how frustrating it can be when you accidentally close a window full of tabs. Well, if you are using Safari 3 you can get that window back, along with all of the tabs. When you accidentally close a window full of tabs, just click "History" in the menu bar and select "Reopen Last Closed Window." You can also use "Reopen All Windows From Last Session" if you accidentally closed Safari and need to get all of your windows and tabs back after re-launching Safari.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Stunt Playground comes to the Mac
Posted by Dennis SellersThe open source Stunt Playground has been ported to the Mac, reports Inside Mac Games. It's a 3D stunt driving game.
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Apple launches cell phone, iPod recycling program
Posted by Dennis SellersApple has launched a cell phone recycling program. It offers “free and environmentally friendly disposal of your iPod and cell phone (regardless of the manufacturer or model) with no purchase necessary.”
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Rumor: New MacBook Pros are imminent. Yep, still
Looking to buy a new MacBook Pro? Wait and see what tomorrow brings. Again.Read More...
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Adobe AIR, Adobe Flex 3 available
Posted by Dennis SellersAdobe has announced the availability of Adobe AIR and Adobe Flex 3 software.
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News: Apple launches mail-in iPod, cell phone recycling
Apple today unveiled a new by-mail iPod and cell phone recycling program that enables consumers to safely dispose of their cell phones, regardless of the manufacturer or model. Phones and iPods can be recycled in any quantity, through the mail, a program that appears to be separate from Apple's in-store iPod recycling initiative, which allows users to bring iPods (not cell phones) directly to a local Apple Store, and receive a 10% discount on…
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Apple Tuesday: super special MacBook Pro, iPhone SDK... or nothing at all?
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets As you may or may not know, Apple has made some sort of announcement -- however minor -- every Tuesday since the beginning of 2008. The internet is currently stacked floor-to-ceiling with guesses of what this last Tuesday in February will bring. Many are speculating that it's going to be the often-discussed, never-seen MacBook Pro update, while others are certain that this will be the day old Jobsy unveils iPhone's supposedly-delayed SDK to the world. Still there are those who believe this Tuesday will see the launch of the Apple Robot Army, while many think that we're going to finally get a look at that iShrink shrink ray that's been long-rumored. Of course, it's possible this will be a heaping dose of iNothing. We want to know: what do the talented, handsome, and infinitely-wise readers of Engadget think we'll see tomorrow?Read - More New Apple Products... This Tuesday?Read - Tuesday's Coming Permalink | Email this | Comments
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iPhone Mod Makes It Better Looking On So Many Levels
As Apple users we slowly came to accept the fact that once Apple ditched the limited range of colors they so enthusiastically splashed onto their products for the few years after Steve Jobs returned that we’d be stuck with the colors white…
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2008 Predictions
Some of you more observant readers might have noticed that even though we are almost two months into 2008, I have only just now churned out a list of new year's predictions. What can I say, I like to give myself time to think about these things. There is just…
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How To: Use Screensaver Images as your Wallpaper
Apple has shipped some decent screensavers in OS X, and although it’s not anything to write home about, there might be that one particular image that’s piqued your interested but has stumped you on how to obtain it. Here’s how. The screensavers in OS X are nothing more…
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iPhone macro lens hack
Filed under: Mods, iPhoneThis isn't the first time we've seen someone take macro photographs with an iPhone, but it is the most involved. Last time, someone just held a pocket magnifying glass against the lens. This time, blogger Colin Devroe attached the lens from a dead digital camera to the back of his iPhone McGyver-style and produced some nice results. But what about low-light situations? Colin has got that covered, too. He mounted a small, giveaway light he picked up at last year's SXSW's keynote to the iPhone and found that it functions as a nice flash. Good job, Colin! You've demonstrated the answer to the question, "Why are you holding on to those old things?" (Answer: "Because I might need it some day").[Via our very own Flickr pool]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Why iPhone Unlocking is Growing Every Day
While many of my readers are technology sorts, more of my readers are from the financial side of things. As a result, while they know the words "unlocking iPhone", and they know it is becoming an issue for Apple, it is something of an abstract notion.
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10.5: Set the alarm sound for default iCal alarms
The version of iCal in 10.5 has the ability to automatically add a default alarm to every new event -- enable this feature in the General section of iCal's preferences. However, there's no ability to choose the sound for these default alarms; you get what iCal chooses and have to manually change it each time. But there's a solution to that... To change the default alarm sound in iCal, first quit iCal. Now double-click the com.apple.iCal.plist file in your user's Library » Preferences folder. When Property List Editor opens, click the arrow next to Root and select the Root entry. Click the New Child button in the toolbar. In the entry that was just created, enter the Item as Default alarm sound, leave Class set to String, and then type the name of the sound file you'd like to use in the Value field. Save preferences file and relaunch iCal. Create a new event, a...
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Sort files into date-labeled subfolders using Perl
When I installed Leopard, I installed it to an empty partition using a clean install. I then manually migrate my older documents and settings over time -- it's not that I don't trust the Migration Assistant (well, I don't trust it completely, but that's another story), but that I look on each major OS X upgrade as the chance to clean house. So this weekend, after a slow migration, I decided it was finally time to zero out the old 10.4 partition ... but I had a slight problem. I archive my iChats, and have done so for many years. In those archives, there's a ton of knowledge that I prefer to keep rather than lose, so I wanted to move the archived chats into my current iChats folder on the 10.5 disk. In 10.4, all iChat archives were stored at the top level of your user's Documents » iChats folder. In 10.5, however, archived chats are now sorted into subfolders based on the date of the chat. I wanted to move my huge archive to the 10.5 partition, but I didn't want to clutter ...
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Stream internet radio directly on Apple TV Take 2
A friend wanted to be able to play internet radio on his Apple TV. So I tried the first idea I had and amazingly it works. I've tried this on my Apple TV 2.0.; I'm not sure if it works with the first-gen Apple TV's, however. S here's how to get your favorite internet radio stations to stream through your Apple TV: In iTunes, go to your favorite radio station under Radio, drag it to a new playlist. (I then added a regular song just in case, but it'll probably work without doing this.) If you're getting your internet radio from the web, use the Advanced menu to Open Stream, then copy that to your playlist. Add as many radio stations you want to the playlist. Make sure this new playlist syncs with your Apple TV. On your Apple TV, navigate to the new "radio" playlist you made. Select the stream you want to play and you're ready to go. I turned off my Mac for a sec just to make sure it wasn't getting the music from there -- it's been switching...
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Use newer 2.5" SATA disks in a MacBook or Mac mini
If you want to use some of the new 2.5" SATA hard disks in your MacBook (or Mac mini for that matter), you'll notice that they do not show up in Disk Utility, and that you cannot even format them. They will work externally as a USB device, but will not show up when used internally. That's because the newer drives are SATA II (or SATA 2) and their higher "transfer rates" are not compatible with the Intel ICH7-M AHCI (which only support up to 1.5 GHz) used in the MacBook and Mac mini. To be able to use your new 250GB or even 320GB drive, you have to put a jumper on the two leftmost pins (when viewed from the front, meaning the other connector pins are on the right hand side). This worked for me on a Samsung 250GB drive, as well as a Toshiba MK3252GSX 320GB drive.
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Install Windows XP in Boot Camp on multi-partition Macs
When you try to install Windows XP for Boot Camp using Boot Camp Assistant, you are required to have a single partition to start out with. For those who already have partitioned their disks manually, this is truly inconvenient. If you already have partitioned your hard drive, you need a manual installation method. Many of the installations with only one or two Mac OS partitions (in addition to Boot Camp) can be done by simply starting up the Mac with the XP installer disc and installing into the C: drive that it recognizes. (You will have to make sure the FAT partition is less than 30G, and that you do a Quick Reformat into FAT before install into C:). However, due to XP limitations, if you have more than two Mac OS partitions in addition to the Boot Camp partition (ie more than three partitions total), XP cannot handle it, as XP can only detect up to three partitions. If you try, it will force you to reformat the entire drive (including the MacOS portion) to NTFS ... and t...
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Are the new MacBook Pros here yet? How about now?
Nearly every Tuesday in 2008 has seen a software or hardware announcement by Apple, yet each time I'm left feeling disappointed because it's not the one I'm waiting for: new MacBook Pros. Most Apple fans know you should always wait through the Christmas holiday until Macworld arrives in January before buying a new Mac. And with all the rumors regarding a new laptop, I had hopes I wouldn't have to wait long. Heck, maybe they'd even make all my wishes come true and introduce a replacement for the 12″ PowerBook. I know I'm not the only one who was hoping for something more powerful than a MacBook but less expensive and beastly than the MacBook Pro. Of course, we all know that dream didn't get fulfilled and instead we were introduced to the MacBook Air — which I tried very hard not to displace my disappointment onto ($1800 and it's slower than a MacBook!?) (more…) Tags: Commentary, Hardware, macbook pro, tuesday Related posts Protecting Your Mac Notebook (10) Multi-touch on the MacBook Pro (15)
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Steve Jobs turns 53 over the weekend
Feb. 24th 2008 marked the 53rd birthday of Apple CEO Steven Paul Jobs. I seriously doubt he had a cake that looked like the one above, but you never know. To celebrate Steve's birthday, join me below in viewing a montage of Mr. Jobs saying his favorite word over, and over, and over again. BOOM! - Happy Birthday Steve!
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NVIDIA releases CUDA developer environment beta for OS X
NVIDIA has released a beta of the CUDA developer environment for OS X, which will allow Leopard users to easily access the GPU of their NVIDIA graphics cards.Read More...
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OS X Help simplifies the Mac segue
Filed under: SwitchersMy mom and dad just purchased their first Mac. Unfortunately, it turns out I'm not a great teacher because I get overexcited about advanced features and take the basics for granted when I try to explain things. Fortunately for me, my father shares my autodidactic personality (might be where I got it...) and has been taking the learning curve in stride. I've felt like there are a lot of things they need to know about my favorite platform, though, that I haven't been very good at communicating. I've been wishing there was an all-inclusive, step-by-step resource that could better convey all of the information I try to share in my not-so-good-for-switchers way. Enter OS X Help, which debuted in January and has built up a nice catalog of articles for people just getting their first taste of OS X. The site features the tag "Insanely simple tutorials for the first time Macintosh user." I immediately thought, "son of a switcher! This could be the answer!" From hardware tips to an in-depth look at Safari and Finder, Scott Haneda and Caroline Merchiers have compiled a well-organized collection of brief introductions to Macintosh topics. The email to my parents is on its way.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Power your iPod for up to 8 hours with $5.99 disposable battery
Buy.com has the iPod-compatible Cellboost disposable battery for $5.99 shipped. The Cellboost promises 8 hours of play time.
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Power your iPod for up to 8 hours with $5.99 disposable battery
(Credit: Cellboost)Ick! Did I actually just write a headline with the words "dispos