Feb 25, 2008 Feb 27, 2008 Tuesday February 26, 2008
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Is Apple’s Mighty Mouse too smart for its own good?
While most attention on Mac input is focused on multitouch gestures on new notebooks and iPhone screens, even longtime Mac users may not know exactly how many buttons are on the Mighty Mouse that ships with desktop Macs. But all will enjoy the new trick Leopard Finder has when scrolling with a mouse or trackpad.
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News: NPD: iTunes to replace Wal-Mart as top music retailer this year
Following a report earlier today that iTunes has become the second-largest music retailer in the US, an NPD executive has said that the store will likely knock Wal-Mart from the top spot later this year. “Digital sales were up close to 50 percent and CD sales were down 20 percent last year,” said Russ Crupnik, president of music for the NPD Group. “Even at half that growth rate in digital sales, Apple will in all likelihood catch…
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Warning: Do Not Jailbreak 1.1.4, Yet
You may have already downloaded 1.1.4 to update for your iPhone and while ZiBri’s Jailbreak will work, he’s cautioned users to refrain from doing so until any bugs can be worked out and the Firmware can be further analyzed. One problem that has surfaced is that…
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New MacBook Pro tear-down
Filed under: Macbook ProIt's only been about 12 hours since the new MacBook Pro's were released and already someone has posted a tear-down online. AnandTech has a full gallery of pictures showing the tear-down process. Interestingly enough, AnandTech's Anand Lal Shimpi reports that while the MacBook Pro's processor got an upgrade today, it offers "very little performance boost." [via MacDailyNews]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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iPhone firmware 1.1.4 released!
That’s right folks- if you connect your iPhone to iTunes right now you’ll see there is an update to 1.1.4 available. More details to come. Via: Tuaw
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iPhone firmware 1.1.4 released!
That’s right folks- if you connect your iPhone to iTunes right now you’ll see there is an update to 1.1.4 available. More details to come. Via: Tuaw
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When will iTunes replace Wal-Mart as No. 1 music retailer?
Apple's iTunes will likely whip past Wal-Mart Stores to become the largest U.S. music retailer sometime this year. The NPD Group issued a report Tuesday that said Apple had outpaced Best Buy and Target to become the No. 2 U.S. music retailer. Unless the downward trend in ...
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Recycle The iPhone, Save The World
Apple has shaped up in their environmental awareness ever since Greenpeace blasted them for extremities demonstrated by other technology manufacturers. They’ve made improvements to their line of gadgets to make them easier to recycle and today they’re expanding on it. When I first read the news that Apple…
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Recycle The iPhone, Save The World
AUTH:tannergodarzi:tuttleclick@121 Apple has shaped up in their environmental awareness ever since Greenpeace blasted them for extremities demonstrated by other technology manufacturers. They’ve made improvements to their line of gadgets to make them easier to recycle and today their expanding on it. When I first read the…
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But, there is one less thing... dealing with Front Row without a remote
Filed under: Bad Apple, MacBook, Mac Pro, MacBook Air The MacBook / MacBook Pro update wasn't "major" but it brought about some changes to the Apple line of notebooks. However, one feature that the new 'books are lacking is the inclusion of an Apple remote. The Apple remote is now a $19 accessory. Currently, the only computers that Apple is including the remote with (as standard) is the iMac and Mac Mini. You can still use Front Row (Apple's media management application) without a remote. To start Front Row, just press command + esc on your keyboard. You can also launch Front Row by clicking it in your applications folder (if you are running Mac OS X Leopard). To navigate through the menus, just use the arrow keys on your keyboard. What do you think about Apple not including the remote with their line of notebooks? Sound off in the comments!Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Tip: iTunes 7.6.1 Fixes
Only a few days ago Apple rolled out iTunes 7.6.1 to the masses but some users have reported some problems such as their iPhone not being recognized in iTunes or a false reporting of excess data. the best fix is to restore your iPhone through iTunes. You can see the…
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Brief: ACU Freshmen Getting Free iPhones, iPod Touches
Freshmen students arriving at ACU university will be met with a lot more than tuitions fees and an education. To put the name of the university out there, Freshmen are being given an iPhone or iPod Touch. No word on who gets which iDevice but the school is hoping to…
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iTunes: Free Tuesday
Filed under: iTS, Features, Deals Once again, TUAW is pleased to present you with a selection of free songs and videos from around the world. Many of these iTMS items won't be free for long, so grab your copies before the week is up. And don't forget: If you want to buy these on your iPhone or iPod touch, make sure to sign into your account in iTunes before you sync.Continue reading iTunes: Free TuesdayRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Texas university giving freshmen iPhones and iPod touches
Abilene Christian University will be distributing iPhones or iPod touches to incoming freshmen this fall, and plans to integrate the devices with classes and student services.Read More...
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New MacBook Pro takes a dive on battery life?
Some conflicting accounts coming out of the Web-o-sphere today about Apple's revamped MacBook Pro laptops. At the heart of the controversy are reports that the new 15 and 17-inch Pro models have taken a nosedive on battery life, despite the inclusion of allegedly power-saving Intel Penryn processors. Both Ars Technica ...
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Found Footage: iPhone restore screen hacked
Filed under: iPod Family, iPhoneLooks like the iPhone hacking teams are at it again. This time they have created a custom image where the normal "Connect to iTunes" image should be on a normal iPhone. This image, used when you restore your iPhone or iPod touch, was a yellow triangle and has been updated to the iPod connector and iTunes icon in recent iPhone/touch firmware versions. Thanks to roxfan, Turbo, wizdaz, bgm, and pumpkinRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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ACU provides iPhone or iPod touch to all incoming freshmen
Posted by Dennis SellersAn Apple iPhone or iPod touch will become a central part of Abilene Christian University's learning experience this fall when all freshmen are provided one of these converged media devices, says Phil Schubert, ACU executive vice president.
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All New MacBook Keyboards Have Right-Side Option Key
Me, back in 2005: My only actual complaint about the PowerBook keyboard is the Enter key next to the right-side Command key; I would much prefer to have a second Option key there. Yes, yes, Enter is a different key than Return on a Mac, but if you really need Enter while using the PowerBook keyboard, you can use Fn + Return. I’ve been baffled by this key arrangement for years — who uses the Enter key so much that it deserves such a prominent spot on the keyboard? Today’s new MacBooks and MacBook Pros do just that. I’ve had my fingers crossed ever since I noticed that the Air keyboard had a right-side Option key instead of an Enter key. ★
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Golden AAPL tarnishes, even as Mac sales shine
Another analyst sees bad news in iPod and iPhone sales, but good news for Macs.Read More...
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Steve Jobs flies more—so nifty new products coming?
Posted by Dennis Sellers Apple spent US$550,000 on CEO Steve Jobs' airplane expenses during the December quarter, which is three times the average over the previous six quarters, reports Barron's.
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Analyst: Apple laptop updates should help maintain Mac momentum
Posted by Dennis Sellers In a note to clients, Bill Shope Analyst J.P. Morgan's Bill Shope notes that the MacBook and MacBook upgrades announced today come as a time “when all eyes are on the Macs, as iPod and iPhone sales appear to be slowing.”
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Research firm: Mobile music adoption passes 'tipping point'
Posted by Dennis SellersThe total value of the global mobile music market is expected to rise to more than $17.5 billion by 2012, driven by rental music services and full-track downloads, according to a new report by Juniper Research.
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The value proposition of iPhone without phone calls
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Humor, iPhone The other day, I got sucked into a deep iPhone discussion. (It happens. Don't cast stones.) As you may know, I'm not big on the iPhone-as-phone. "What's the point," a friend asked, "of having an iPhone and not making calls on it?" Back and forth discussion happened. Here's the conclusion: the iPhone transforms people like me from insufferable know-it-alls to insufferable know-it-alls with the entire Internet in our pants. (Or fashionable handbag.) (Or manziere.) (BRO!) Google and Wikipedia don't equate to wisdom and understanding, but they provide inexhaustible streams of on-the-spot factoids. End those "Who's right?" arguments fast. So if you haven't jumped on the iPhone bandwagon yet, consider this. Put the Internet into your own pants. With EDGE, the Internet is anywhere you've got pockets. Until WiFi becomes ubiquitous, always-on connectivity is better than only being "sometimes-on." Especially when it's your pants (or purse) that are chock full of Internet-goodness.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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'setteB.IT': Top selling shows on iTunes
Posted by Dennis SellersBy Fabio M. Zambelli According to CBS CEO Leslie Moonves, the Showtime network is having its best run ever with a great increase in subscribers and six of the top ten selling shows on iTunes.
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iTunes #2 in Music Sales, New MacBooks Have Reduced Battery Life and 2GB iPod shuffle On Sale.
iTunes surpasses Best Buy in music sales, thieves love Apple products and Microsoft developer admits to copying Leopard.
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Apple Gazette Daily 215 - New Macbooks, iPhone update, and more!
New Macbooks, Macbook Pros, an iPhone update 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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New UK Retail Store opens this Saturday
Filed under: Retail, AppleHear ye, hear ye Britons! If you were wondering when the much-delayed Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes retail store was opening, you can wonder no more, for this Saturday the store is throwing open its doors for the first time. ifoAppleStore (the site in the know about all things Apple Retail) points to 'mis-sized glass' causing the store's opening to slip well past the intended pre-Christmas opening. As with all Apple Store openings, there's a "Digital Lifestyle Collection" of a black MacBook and silver iPod nano to be won, with the first thousand people through the door nabbing a free T-shirt.The store opens at 9.30am this Saturday, 1st March. If you're attending, do send us your reports (and maybe watch for a TUAW operative amongst the sheep queue-rs) -- here's to hoping you manage to bag a T-shirt!Thanks to all those who sent this in!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple's New MacBook: Favorable Price Comparison to Dell
Bear Stearns analysts Andy Neff, Bill Hand and Ted Chung sent a note to clients following Apple's (AAPL) announcement that it was releasing a new MacBook and MacBook Pro models.
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Unsanity releases APE, "haxie" betas for Leopard
Unsanity has released Leopard-compatible betas of many of its popular "haxies" for OS X, including Application Enhancer, FruitMenu, and WindowShadeX.Read More...
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Did Apple make the right decision in choosing EDGE over 3G?
Choosing EDGE instead of 3G for the iPhone’s data communication network may be the one of the most controversial decisions in the cell phone industry. However, there may be method to Apple’s madness, as implementing EDGE had several benefits at the time of production. Here’s what Seth Weintraub of Computer…
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UK: Mac Technology Association planning online directory
Posted by Dennis SellersMac industry professionals are being invited to contact the Mac Technology Association for free inclusion within an online directory, reports Macworld UK.
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Mariner Software ships MacJournal 5 for Leopard
Posted by Dennis SellersMariner Software has released MacJournal 5.0, the latest version of the journaling software. It's been totally redesigned and built for Mac OS X 10.5 (“Leopard”).
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It's 'New Music Tuesday' at the iTunes Store
Posted by Dennis SellersIt's “New Music Tuesday” at the iTunes Store. New titles this week include:
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Application Wizard conjures up version 2.2.1
Posted by Dennis SellersMaBaSoft has updated Application Wizard, a Mac OS X tool that provides access to your applications, document and pictures—to version 2.3.1.
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Democratic bill could force Apple, AT&T to unlock iPhone
Rep. Ed Markey is preparing legislation that would impose a slew of new obligations on wireless carriers, including forcing them to sell unsubsidized phones without long-term contracts.
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Democratic bill could force Apple, AT&T to unlock iPhone
When T-Mobile began selling Apple's iPhone in Germany last fall, a legal skirmish ensued, forcing the wireless carrier to sell it untethered to a contract--at $1,460, no less. T-Mobile eventually persuaded a court that the two-year contract was legal. Now that same kind of European rule would be ...
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iPods, MacBooks, iPhones: Analysts 'Chatty' About Apple
The Street is feeling chatty about Apple (AAPL) Tuesday, and there’s lots to talk about. The analysts are musing on the announcement of a refresh of the MacBook and MacBook Pro line, indications of January iPod demand in data from market research firm NPD, plus the recent weakness in the stock. And there is the question of why Steve Jobs has been spending so much time in the air.
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Don't Just Give That Mac Away
Transfer AppleCare for fun and profit.
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Mobile OS X 1.1.4
Apple’s entire description of what’s new: “bug fixes”. ★
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Celrun TV does multimedia streaming right
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment We've seen how Celrun does PMPs, and we're equally impressed with how it has tackled media streaming. The Celrun TV (no kin to the Apple TV, we're told) checks in with a 320GB hard drive, Ethernet / WiFi, a couple of USB ports, an integrated digital TV tuner and a slew of ports including HDMI, component and optical audio. The fun continues with support for AVI, MPEG1/2/4, DivX, ASF, XviD, OFF, FLAC, WAV, H.264, WMV and lots, lots more. No word on a price or release date, but we've all ideas this HD streamer won't be straying too far from South Korea, regardless. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple Throttles Up New MacBook Models With Penryn Processors
More than a month after Apple introduced its super-thin MacBook Air with the innovative multi-touch gesture-based trackpad, the company in Cupertino, Calif., has delivered a long-awaited refresh to its high-end MacBook Pro line. On top of that, it threw in a beefy update to its consumer-grade MacBook line for good measure. Both the MacBook and MacBook Pro feature the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors, larger hard drives, and 2 GB of memory standard in most models. The MacBook Pro also picked up the Multi-Touch trackpad found in the MacBook Air.
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Has Apple found the magic Touch?
With the expansion of the multitouch trackpad technology found in the MacBook Air to the new MacBook Pros, Apple seems confident that people are ready to experience new ways of interacting with their notebooks.
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Apple Enhances MacBooks, Now #2 U.S. Music Retailer
Apple (AAPL) Tuesday morning announced new models in its MacBook and MacBook Pro line. Price points for the notebooks have not changed, but the offering at each price point has been beefed up.
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iPhone 1.1.4 Firmware Goes Live
iPhone firmware update hopefully brings SDK.
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Apple releases new iPhone firmware
The latest revision to the iPhone firmware, version 1.1.4, doesn't appear to introduce any new features, but it fixes a number of bugs, according to Apple.
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New MacBooks Arriving (photo)
Hi gang, In Palo Alto today and witnessed the unloading of the new MacBooks. Hard to tell by this picture but there were well more than 100 computers delivered to this fairly small store. On checking with the staff it was hard for them to keep MacBook Air in stock and it remains to be seen if today's modest MacBook update will keep Apple's portable growth going. Were you a bit disappointed that Apple did not make more form-factor improvements?
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Zibri's jailbreak works with iPhone 1.1.4
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hacks, iPhone Our own Erica Sadun has confirmed that Zibri's jailbreak does work with the 1.1.4 update, released today. We're told that Nate True has tried it out with the new update installed, and that it does work.So big news for jailbreakers -- update away, because the jailbreak wasn't one of the "bugs" fixed. Although if this update is, as we suspect, laying the groundwork for the SDK release, we may not have to worry about applications not working on the phone too much longer.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple releases iPhone 1.1.4 update
Posted by Dennis SellersApple has released the iPhone 1.1.4 update, but the only thing we know about it is that it contains bug fixes.
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iTunes Rises to No. 2 Music Retailer Spot as CDs Drift Away
Apple's online iTunes music store is now the number-two music retailer in the U.S. behind Wal-Mart Stores as measured by unit volume, market researcher NPD Group said Tuesday. NPD said that iTunes moved into second place due to the amount of music it sold during 2007, which was based on a 12-track CD equivalency for song downloads. The market researcher began tracking music sold stateside during the middle of 2006. In the fourth quarter of that year, Best Buy took second place behind Wal-Mart, while Target took third place and Apple's iTunes store fourth place, NPD analyst Russ Crupnick said.
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iPod/iPhone firmware 1.1.4 update released - still no SDK
Apple has released the iPod Touch/iPhone 1.1.4 firmware update, labeling it only as “bug fixes”. There is no official word just yet on what exactly it will fix - my hope is that it will correct the txt messaging problems that I've had since the 1.1.3 update. In the Apple Developer's Center there is still no iPhone SDK info as of this writing. Apple still technically has until the end of the week to release the SDK on schedule, and so far, no formal announcement has been made. The firmware update clocks in at 161 mbs - so hopefully there is something interesting in here. I'm installing it now. thanks to rich for pointing this out.
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Apple Now Number 2 Music Retailer in the U.S.
Second only to Wal-Mart. ★
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iPhone/iTouch firmware 1.1.4 lands with "bug fixes"
Apple has released firmware 1.1.4 for iPhone and iPod touch users. Unfortunately, the company isn't bragging about anything new--just "bug fixes."Read More...
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iBank 3 released for Leopard
Posted by Dennis SellersIGG Software released iBank 3, a new version of its financial management application for Mac OS X 10.5 (“Leopard”).
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The new MacBook's battery life and power adapter
The MacBook Pro update gets "5 hours of wireless productivity" on the battery and is charged by a slightly smaller power adapter. The MacBook has to settle for 4.5 hours. Has Apple's marketing changed to align with reality, or are the machines getting worse battery performance?Read More...
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iPhone and iPod touch get 1.1.4 firmware update
Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video Apple's 1.1.4 firmware update for the iPhone and iPod touch just hit the wires, courtesy of iTunes 7.6.1.9. Nobody knows what exactly is in store (SDK support, perhaps?), so obviously those jailbreakers out there might want to hold off while the braver souls among us give it a shot. For the record, no SDK has hit Apple Developer Connection yet, so take that for what you will. So far those who've successfully updated haven't seen any changes, but we'll keep you posted. So far the entire official word from Apple on the release seems to be "Bug fixes." Typical. Update: So far we've tested 1.1.4 on a jailbroken 1.1.3 iPhone and a non-jailbroken 1.1.3 iPhone, and had zero problems with either, including intact music libraries after the procedure -- your mileage may vary! We went through all of the system settings and can't spot anything new. Multiple sources are claiming ZiPhone works, but it's not fully tested and may be a little wonky at this point, so proceed with caution.Update 2: Well, ZiPhone claims to have worked, but there aren't any icons for our installed apps, and we can't uninstall or reinstall. Also, it's worth noting that since this is a rather hefty update in terms of file size, and yet added features seem non-existant, our best guess is that this paves the way for an SDK in the coming weeks.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Read - iPhone update direct linkRead - iPod touch update direct linkRead - TUAW's live coverage Permalink | Email this | Comments
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iPod/iPhone firmware update 1.1.4 released
Filed under: iPod Family, Software Update, iPhoneJust connected my iPhone to iTunes. More details as they come in.1:30: I'm downloading the software now... To download directly, the direct links are iPhone and iPod. (Do let me know if I messed either of those up.) I've decided that my wee little iPod touch will be the update fodder this time--remember last time all the trouble I ended up with when I basically fried my iPhone when going back to 1.1.1 after testing 1.1.3? The things I do for TUAW!Help requested If any of you are in ADC, please see whether the SDK is available? Thanks!!Reader asks: "What will 1.1.4 change? Will it be unlocked/jailbroken, etc." Do NOT upgrade if you have unlocked until the devs have time to figure out the landscape. Jailbreak pretty much always goes away. So again, if you like your jb'ed iPhone or iPod, DO NOT upgrade yet.All of you who are reporting in that the upgrade went fine and there are no big changes you can see are obviously working with much better Internet connections than I have. I wait.Release notes; "Bug Fixes". As "FunkeeMonk" writes: "wow, such a descriptive release". If you're on a jailbroken phone (or actually formerly jailbroken phone) and notice a big speed bump, like as not that's because all the junk you've installed over time got cleaned up by the fresh install.It's times like this when I just hate Mindspring, my ISP. 40 MB of 165.5 MB.ZIPHONE WORKS!!!!! Nate True has reporetdly tried out ZiPhone on 1.1.4 and IT WORKS. Looking for secondary confirmation now.Exchange Support!TUAW reader kab writes: "just spoke with Zibri and he says yep.. ziphone will JB 1.1.4 but it SHOULD not activate it".124.5 of 165.5 MB.Download has FINISHED. My computer is now recognizing my keystrokes without a 2 second delay (yay) and I'm installing...Permalink | Email this | Comments
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News: Apple releases software 1.1.4 for iPhone and iPod touch
Apple has released software version 1.1.4 for the iPhone and iPod touch. According to Apple, the update “includes bug fixes and supersedes all previous versions.” It is currently unclear whether any new features have been added with the update; however, with Apple scheduled to release the iPhone and iPod touch software development kit (SDK) this week, it is possible that this update could be a precursor to that release. iPhone and iPod…
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TUAW on the Spot: Secret Barista to report on Starbucks 'retraining'
Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone Wanting to get the scoop on the new coffee generation, I put in a call to my secret barista, Ms. Coffee. "Quick, tell the dish about the nationwide Starbucks retraining this afternoon!" "Wish I could -- got nothing to tell. All the stores close at 5:30 pm local time, no matter where they are. We have no idea what the training involves." So I extracted a promise: any mention of AT&T, the iPhone, EDGE networks or WiFi and she is to dash to the bathroom on a "weak bladder" excuse and call. For those of you who are completely caffeine deprived, Dunkin' Donuts will "ensure that no coffee lover is denied a delicious espresso-based beverage," offering lattes, cappucinos and espressos for $0.99 between 1pm and 10pm today. So what do you think, TUAW readers? Is this the big AT&T intro we've been waiting for? Thanks NickRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Only Wal-Mart sells more music than iTunes
Apple's continues to tighten its grip on retail music sales as iTunes has become the second largest U.S. music retailer. A report released by tracking company NPD Group, showed that Apple now has more than 50 million and sold more than 4 billion songs last year. Apple's ...
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iTunes now number two US music retailer
Filed under: Portable AudioLooks like there's something to this "downloading music" thing after all -- just eight months after topping Amazon, iTunes has now passed Best Buy to become the number two music retailer in the US. Apple says 50 million customers have bought over 4 billion songs, with 20 million sold on Christmas day alone. That leaves just Wal-Mart in first place, but with the percentage of digital music sales growing each quarter, ol' Wally may not be safe for long. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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“Hit Me On My iPhone� now available as iPhone Ringtone and MP3
I'm sure you remember this hilarious video featuring the guy from the iPhone guided tour remixed to lip sync Pete Miser's insanely funny (and accurate) “Hit Me On My iPhone” song. Thankfully, Pete has decided to make his song available to the world either as an MP3 or an iPhone ready Ringtone. Each is available for .99 cents on PeteMiser.com. You can also choose to “steal” the track and download it as an MP3 or Ringtone for free by clicking the “steal” button on the main page. Over several pages Pete make a good case on why you should pay for the song, but if you choose not to, at the end of it he still makes the music available for free. It's your call - but I say support independent music, drop .99 cents on it, and get this unique iPhone Ringtone direct from the artist by clicking here.
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Mac case designs: Nirvana achieved?
The case designs for most Macs are getting quite long in the tooth. Is that because the designs are perfect? Or is there room for improvement, and Apple's just choosing not to make those improvements?
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Creative drops Zen pricing -- 8GB Zen now $149
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video Creative keeps slashing Zen prices -- just a couple weeks after cutting the 32GB model to $299, it's back with price cuts to the midrange. The 4GB Zen is now just $99, while the 8GB model falls to $149 -- the same price as the 4GB iPod nano, for those of you keeping score at home. Not bad, not bad at all -- but we'll wait to see what comes of this Zen Share rumor first. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Time Machine to the Rescue
Last night, while working at my Mac, I experienced one of those heart stopping moments where you do something you didn't really mean to do, but once you do it, it can't be undone. I threw away all the items in my Keychain folder. All 150 of my passwords, software registration codes, Internet sign-in passwords, credit card numbers, everything. I was trying to discard one out-of-date item. Instead I discarded everything. This is not a case of dragging something to the trash.
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2 gig iPod shuffle now available for order
Filed under: iPod Family, AppleSeveral readers (thanks!) have pointed out that the new 2 gig iPod shuffle (which we blogged about last Tuesday) are now available to order. The Apple Store lists them as shipping in 7-10 days, for $69.Let us know in the comments if you are ordering one.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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ACU dishing out iPhone / iPod touch to all incoming freshmen
Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video Never heard of Abilene Christian University? We're guessing a wide majority of the general public hasn't either, but the institution is definitely getting its name out there by promising each incoming freshman this fall an iPhone or iPod touch. Granted, these aren't being explicitly marked as "free," but similar to Duke's efforts in years past, ACU plans on using these devices for educational enrichment. Reportedly, the handhelds will enable students to "receive homework alerts, answer in-class surveys and quizzes, get directions to their professors' offices, and check their meal and account balances" -- and that's just for starters. Interestingly, we aren't told whether or not the folks already enrolled will be left out -- nor what determines which Apple you get -- but we do know that the entity is hoping to "expand the program in the future."[Thanks, Byzil] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple Revises MacBooks and MacBook Pros
Speed-bump updates for the MacBook and MacBook Pro, larger hard drives for both, and an-Air-style multi-touch trackpad for the Pro. ★
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IMCruzer a carrying case for a 20 or 24-inch iMac
Posted by Dennis SellersThe iMCruzer is a new air-line safe shipping case from Cases by Pelican designed to protect a 20 or 24-inch—and the with aluminum keyboard and mouse—during travel.
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Microsoft Employee talks about how MS is copying Leopard for next OS
Brandon is a developer for Microsoft. He has a Macbook that he carries around at work because its a well built machine. He barely uses OSX on it, and he even knows some people at his job who have them and have completely deleted the OSX partition - because the hardware is THAT good…but, you know, OSX doesn't quite compare to Windows Vista. Anyway, in this post on his blog, he discusses not only how Microsoft is looking at Leopard and copying features, but he also ponders if Apple is doing the same… “One day a friend of mine on the team printed off a couple dozen screenshots of Leopard, showing off various tasks the user can do in OS X, and hung them on one of our hallways. Across from it are pictures of the same tasks in that incredibly well-kept secret of a project that we’re working on. There are post-it notes and markers next to each wall where passersby leave comments / questions. I wonder if any hallways in Cupertino have something like that?” My guess would be no, Brandon. I mean, fanboyism aside, what exactly is there to copy from Vista? Vista has been universally panned and berated as horrible, which is why you guys are fast at work on that “incredibly well-kept secret of a project” that you mentioned. What are Jobs and company going to copy? The asking permission to do anything feature? Seriously readers - is there anything in Vista that OSX needs to have? Are there any great features that I'm not aware of? I've tried Vista - I even ran it on my Macbook Pro for a while, but I had no use for it. If there's something awesome that I'm missing, though, I'd love to know what it is.
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Quick & Secure Network Filesystem Access With ExpanDrive
Magnetk – makers of SftpDrive for Windows – have brought their secure, remote filesystem magic to OS X with version 1.0 of ExpanDrive. If you have a blog/site hosted on any flavor of Linux or BSD (including OS X) or do any amount of cross-platform management or development then you know how useful ssh is for speedy & secure command-line access from the Terminal. The advent of MacFUSE on OS X brought sshfs to the Mac application landscape, though it can be slow and cryptic to setup for the average user. ExpanDrive simplifies access to these remote filesystems via an unobtrusive menubar icon and straightforward user interface. Simply open up the ExpanDrive Manager: and enter in your connection info. You can leave the password field blank if you already have ssh public/private keys defined and configured your servers appropriately. A simple double-click of the drive in the list view mounts the filesystem and it behaves just like any AFP, SMB or attached disk. I'm fairly mobile, moving from AT&T 3G to Wi-Fi to Ethernet throughout the day and I've been able to keep ExpanDrive filesystems mounted across all these transitions without the dreaded “spinning death ball” that is usually associated with the Finder and network mounts. While some Mac apps – TextWrangler and ImageWell being two that I use – have native support for SFTP, ExpanDrive provides for universal access across all applications and makes it simple to reliably integrate remote storage operations into your workflow. If you poke around the application bundle (you do poke around application bundles, right?), you'll find that ExpanDrive was developed with Python as a foundation, fully demonstrating that you do not need to be an Objective-C maven to create great Mac software. ExpanDrive has an introductory price of $29.00USD, is a Universal application and runs on OS X 10.4.1 (Tiger) or higher. If you give it a try, drop a note in the forum or comments, especially if you are using it with any type of high-speed NAS configuration. Tags: expandrive, macfuse, python, sftp, Software Reviews, ssh, sshfs Related posts No related posts.
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iTunes, number 2 with a bullet
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTS, iTunes, AppleI have an iPod, an iPhone, an Apple TV, and I manage all my music with iTunes as I am sure many, many other people out there do as well. Why do I mention this? Because some of my purchases (and yours too) contributed to making the iTunes Store the second largest music retailer in the US (according to NPD data) in 2007. That's right, iTunes is second only to Wal-Mart in sales of music (though the iTunes Store does lack those greeters that make shopping at Wal-Mart so pleasant). Let's take a moment to reflect on this. Less than 10 years ago the idea that the second largest retailer of music wouldn't have a single brick and mortar store would seem ridiculous. Today, it is a reality and digital distribution can only get bigger. We're living in the future, I tells ya.Apple also mentions that people downloaded over 20 million tracks on Christmas day alone. iTunes does face some tough competition (I'm a big fan of Amazon MP3), but the ease of use and integration with the iPod/iPhone really makes the iTunes Store a force to be reckoned with.Thanks, zx.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Hack the planet! Or maybe just your iPhone's camera
If you have a penchant for photography and a knack for saving busted electronics, this hack might make for a fun afternoon.Read More...
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Poll: How about them MacBook updates?
Filed under: Features, Laptops We all knew this day was coming. Apple's previous MacBook Pro revision was certainly getting long in the tooth, a MacBook spec bump never hurt anything, and hey, Penryn isn't getting any younger. Still, it's pretty obvious that quite a few of the Apple faithful feel like the MacBook Pro and its cute little MacBook sidekick are in some serious need of a form factor refresh, and perhaps a little bit of SSD. We can understand Apple not wanting to steal the MacBook Air's thunder, and to be fair most major manufacturers put the new Penryn chips inside existing form factors, but that doesn't mean it's wrong for you to be upset. So, how do you really feel? View Poll Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple patent involves color correction for displays
Posted by Dennis SellersAn Apple patent (number 7336285) for a method and system for maintaining color fidelity of color correction information with displays has appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. The invention relates to display devices, and more particularly to maintaining fidelity of color correction information with display devices.
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iPhone Haptic Keyboard Prototype debuts
Filed under: iPhoneFor quite some time, people have been asking for a haptic keyboard on the iPhone -- a way to produce tactile feedback when a user taps or hovers over a key. If you've used the Wii, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. It's that sensory feedback that confirms you've selected a wiibutton. This morning TUAW reader zebrum sent in a tip that a couple of University of Glasgow students (Malcolm Hall and Eve Hoggan) had built a prototype. I gave it a try and while I applaud the students for their effort, it's not exactly ready for prime time. It's a proof of concept, not a general-use mod. You test it out in a simple text editor. You can't for example, enable this for Safari. Moreover, it's pretty darned unstable. Sometimes it crashes. Sometimes the vibration keeps going until you quit the program, re-launch and get it to stop by tapping a key. What's cool about this app? It shows a neat new way of thinking about iPhone interaction -- even if that way is going to pay havoc on batteries if actually implemented -- and to use a helpful technology that's available on other devices. This kind of feedback uniquely highlights where keys start and end. Run your finger along the keyboard and receive instant tactile feedback (obviously in addition to the letter popups) when your selection changes.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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News: Analyst: iPod, iPhone no longer 'growth drivers' for Apple
Keith Bachman, analyst with BMO Capital Markets, has cut his price target for Apple's stock, saying that iPods and iPhones were no longer “growth drivers” for the company. “Apple's three growth drivers [iPods, iPhones and Macs] has now turned to one,” Bachman said in an analyst note. Bachman went on to say that the Mac will begin to take on more importance because the iPhone is not likely to experience growth on…
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'setteB.IT': Shorter battery life in new Apple laptops
Posted by Dennis SellersBy Fabio M. Zambelli setteB.IT has just published an article about the new MacBook and MacBook Pro.
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iTunes is now the Number 2 Music Retailer in the US
Well, that Amazon MP3 store must not be doing as well as I thought it would. Apple today issued a press release announcing that iTunes is now the #2 music retailer in the United States, trailing only behind retail juggernaut Wal-Mart. Apple also announced that there are over 50 million iTunes customers now, and that on Christmas day there were a whopping 20 million tracks sold in iTunes. “We’d like to thank the over 50 million music lovers who have helped the iTunes Store reach this incredible milestone,� said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “We continue to add great new features like iTunes Movie Rentals to give our customers even more reason to love iTunes.� So how long will it be now before iTunes overtakes Wal-Mart? I wouldn't be surprised to see it in 2008.
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First Looks: Griffin Reflect for iPhone
As the last of its family out of the gate for Apple's 2007 iPod and iPhone lineup, Griffin's Reflect for iPhone ($25) is a two-piece case with a mirrored front surface and a rubberized black plastic rear surface that snap together to protect most of the iPhone from scratch or drop damage. Designed to provide full bottom access for accessories, including Universal Docks, Reflect also includes a screen protector and cleaning cloth in the package....…
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iTunes now number two music retailer in the US
Posted by Dennis SellersiTunes is now the number two music retailer in the US, behind only Wal-Mart, based on the latest data from the NPD Group.
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2GB iPod shuffle goes on sale
Posted by Dennis SellersApple is now shipping the 2GB version of the iPod shuffle for $69.
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First Looks: Griffin SmartTalk Headphone Adapter with Control + Mic for iPhone
Designed to compete with Monster's iSoniTalk and Shure's MPA-3c Music Phone Adapter, Griffin's new SmartTalk ($20) adds an iPhone-ready microphone and control button to any pair of iPod-compatible headphones. Both components are found inside a black plastic nub that's at the end of a 30-inch black fabric cable, with a plastic headphone plug that fits right into the iPhone's recessed headphone port. A clip on the back attaches to your shirt....
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MacBook and MacBook Pro Updated
MacBook Pro, now with Multi-Touch trackpad.
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'Seeking Alpha': two firms positive on Apple
Posted by Dennis Sellers According to the Seeking Alpha web site, two firms—Morgan Stanley and Piper Jaffray—are positive on Apple's outlook despite an overabundance of negativity of late.
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10.5: See more file info while browsing with Quick Look
Often I've found myself wanting to see more info about the files I'm viewing with Quick Look. For example, I'd like to see a panel with EXIF information as I'm Quick Look-ing through a folder of RAW images with the arrow keys. Turns out this is easy, using the non-obvious Inspector version of the Get Info panel. Select a file in the folder of interest, and press Command-Option-I to bring up the floating Inspector version of the Get Info panel -- this displays limited image metadata. Now, bring up Quick Look, and begin skimming through your images with the arrow keys. Both the Quick Look preview and the Get Info panel will update together.
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Play only the audio of a video podcast on the iPhone
I thought something was wrong with my brand new iPhone. I went into the Podcasts section and played a video podcast I had subscribed to. I was dismayed to see a still image from the video while the audio played along merrily. It turns out that you get audio only if you access a video podcast through the Podcast section. If you access it through the Video section, though, you get both audio and video. The Apple rep I spoke to said this is to conserve battery life if you don't actually need to watch the video while you're exercising. I'm glad to know my iPhone isn't broken. Now I just have to figure out what this "exercise" thing he mentioned is all about.
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10.5: Find iTunes song lyrics using Spotlight
I'm a huge fan of the lyrics capabilities of iTunes, but I was a little dismayed by the fact that Spotlight didn't include song lyrics in its indexing ... until Leopard, apparently! I didn't try this on purpose, but I typed tech into the Spotlight search field, and together with the folder I was looking for, the search results also listed the MP3 file of U2's Zooropa -- the first track of the album with the same name. How could that be? I immediatly recalled the bit of the lyrics that goes 'Zooropa, vorsprung durch Technik.' So I typed in some additional lyrics into the Spotlight field. To my great delight, it's now possible to search into your iTunes lyrics library from Spotlight, provided that you have previously filled up your MP3s with the lyrics.
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A free GUI solution to resizing disk partitions
I installed Leopard on a FireWire drive to test it before upgrading my MacBook Pro's internal Tiger installation. Satisfied with the results, I tried to use Carbon Copy Cloner to copy Leopard to my MacBook Pro's internal drive, only to find the external image was slightly too large for the internal. Not wanting to spend $35 on iPartition, I dug around and found the GParted LiveCD. It provides the GParted GUI front-end to parted (a GNU partitioning program) on a live Linux CD. I burned the image in Disk Utility and booted up on it. Once loaded, it provided a screen to select which kernel version to boot up, even providing a MacBook option. At first it only recognized my internal drive, ignoring my FireWire drives. I unplugged my Leopard FireWire drive, and reconnected it using USB ... voilá, the software recognized it. I've tried booting from the resized drive and have verified it successfully resized ...
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Automatically enable Internet Sharing at startup
You are sharing the Internet connection via Airport, but after every reboot, the AirPort icon in the menu bar shows that Internet Sharing is disabled. Looking in the Internet Sharing prefs panel, everything is configured correctly. Disabling and enabling it again, and it works as it should. This happened to me various times with 10.4.11 and it always happens with 10.5.x. I discovered that by killing either the InternetSharing or the bootpd process, launchd restarts them correctly and InternetSharing gets enabled. Since launchd stores the PID of bootpd in /var/run/bootpd.pid, I thought to automate the process of "refreshing" InternetSharing/bootpd at boot time by means of the /etc/rc.local script. (For compatibility reasons, this script still works in Leopard -- see man rc for details. Basically one needs just to issue the following command: sudo sh -c 'echo kill $(cat /var/run/bootpd.pid...
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Apple's 2GB iPod shuffle now shipping
Filed under: Portable Audio Break out the champagne, that Apple spec bump you've been waiting for is finally here: the 2GB iPod shuffle is shipping as of today. It'll set you back a cool $69, but if you've decided to hold of on this round of lackluster MacBook updates, we're guessing you've got the cash. Go ahead, you've earned it. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple patents involve iPods, accessories
Posted by Dennis SellersApple patent involving iPod and iPod accessories have appeared at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
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Sony adds iPhone support to clock radio line-up, rolls out USB turntable, new voice recorders
Posted by Dennis SellersSony is unveiling its latest clock radio with a dock for iPod and iPhone. The company also unveiled a turntable system with USB output and new digital voice recorders.
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Unsanity sets the record straight on Leopard burps
Unsanity, makers of the popular Application Enhancer utility for Mac OS X, has set the record straight on APE's incompatibilities with Leopard and explained exactly how and why it happened.Read More...
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Updated MacBook inherits Penryn processor
In addition to a new MacBook Pro Apple also today announced an updated MacBook notebook with similar upgrades.The new MacBook ships with Intel’s latest mobile processor, Penryn, which is based on 45nm-process technology, just like its big brother the MacBook Pro. The new MacBook configurations are: MacBook 13″ White–2.1GHz, 1GB, 120GB 5400RPM, Combo drive US$1,099 MacBook 13″ White–2.4GHz, [...]
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VectorWorks 2008 localized for Japan
Posted by Dennis SellersNemetschek North America and its distributor partner in Japan, A&A Co. Inc., have announced the release of localized versions of VectorWorks 2008.