May 4, 2008 May 6, 2008 Monday May 5, 2008
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3G iPhone Pics -- This Time It's White
New spy shots show up in Chinese-language forum.
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VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1
Filed under: Software VMware has just announced VMware Fusion 2.0 Beta 1, the first beta of the second iteration of their very successful virtualization product for the Mac. As you'll recall Fusion allows you to run a host of OSes on your Intel Mac including, but not limited to, many flavors of Windows.The above video gives you a tour of Fusion 2.0 Beta 1's top new features, including: Multiple monitor support (up to 10 displays!) Improved networking and printing Support for DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 2 (this is experimental, and it might not work on your Mac) A refined UI for settings and VM management And that's just the tip of the iceberg. The beta is available now, and best of all the upgrade to version 2.0, when it comes out of beta, will be free to all Fusion users.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Handwriting recognition coming to iPhone
A couple of weeks ago a Chinese developer released handwriting recognition software — for both Latin and Chinese alphabets — for jailbroken iPhones called HWPen. Similar to Graffiti, the classic writing software for Palm, you can setup HWPen from Installer.app. I tried it, and while fun to play with, handwriting Latin characters is much slower than [...]
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iPhone to become subsidized, non-exclusive?
Filed under: iPhoneRBC analyst, Mark Abramsky, says that the iPhone will exceed its projected goal of 10 million devices sold in 2008 -- possibly by selling upwards of 14 million. How is Apple going to get these sales figures? Well, Abramsky suggests that AT&T could subsidize the iPhone by up to $200 for the 8GB model. This would mean the 8GB iPhone could sale for as little as $199 (previously rumored here); and possibly increase sales by 50 to 100 percent. According to Abramsky, this would mean Apple would have to drop revenue sharing with AT&T. Mr. Abramsky also believes that Apple will start to sell unlocked iPhones (or iPhones without a specific carrier) without a premium over the AT&T iPhones. He suggest that unlocked iPhones could increase the adoption rate by two to three times for Apple's phone.All of Abramsky's conjecture hinges on Apple and AT&T agreeing to end their 5 year exclusivity agreement early. We here at TUAW see no real reason for either company to agree to that, at least not in the States.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple Denies Rumors of Selling Off Pro Apps
Richard Townhill, Apple’s director of marketing for professional video applications: “I can categorically state, on the record, that is not the case.” ★
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★ Regarding the iPhone Keyboard
Coming from the aptly-named BlackBerry enthusiast site CrackBerry, I was intrigued by this list of “Top 10 Reasons the iPhone Is No BlackBerry”. Never having used a BlackBerry, I don’t know as much about them as I’d like — I’m generally wary of spouting off regarding things I’ve never used. But this list is weak sauce. A few items are reasonable — e.g., video recording,1 VOIP for Wi-Fi, and GPS — but they’re also exactly the sort of things the iPhone seems likely to support in the not-so-distant future. (VOIP for Wi-Fi seems like a sure thing once the iPhone App Store hits the street.) Other items on the list are just sad — #10 is that the iPhone is harder to use one-handed and therefore not usable while driving a car. And #1, bafflingly, is “The iPhone Third-Party Apps Debacle”: Sure the iPhone SDK has been released, and there might be some great apps in the works, but in my opinion, that’s too little, too late, as they say. Methinks Al Sacco, the author of this CrackBerry list, is deeply misinformed regarding the imminent iPhone apps market, but we’ll know the answer for certain in a few short weeks, so there’s no use spilling pixels over it here. The item on the list that interests me is #2, regarding the iPhone’s lack of a physical keyboard — clearly a fundamental difference between the two platforms, and a subject of debate ever since the iPhone was unveiled. One thing worth noting is that there doesn’t seem to be any measurable demand at all from current iPhone owners for a physical keyboard on future iPhone hardware. My own opinion is simply that the iPhone keyboard works a lot better than I expected it to. But, never having owned a phone or PDA with a BlackBerry-style QWERTY keyboard, I’m in no position to compare. This, to me, is the question: What do iPhone owners who do have experience using phones with physical keyboards think? So I asked just that on Twitter, generating two threads of replies: here and here. I encourage you to read them yourself. The general consensus: It really does take a week or so to get the hang of the iPhone keyboard, and about a month to get good at it. Most admit the iPhone’s keyboard isn’t quite as good as a physical one, but once used to it, it’s good enough to be happy. A few claim to type faster on the iPhone. A handful, like Dori Smith and Alex King, admit to still using both regularly, and those people tend to like the iPhone keyboard the least. (I suspect the only way for someone accustomed to a BlackBerry-style keyboard to get used to the iPhone keyboard is to switch full-time. The necessary muscle memory is too different.) In short, even iPhone users who previously owned phones with physical keyboards seem happy. But here’s the rub: if it takes a week of use to get the hang of the iPhone keyboard and a month to get good at it, how does Apple convince a current BlackBerry/Treo/Sidekick/BlackJack/whatever owner who is particularly skeptical about the keyboard? A few minutes pecking away on a demo unit in an Apple Store are likely to yield disappointing results. E.g., Laura Lemay, who responded thusly: Do you want actual iphone switchers, or people like me who really want to like the keyboard but don’t and therefore won’t switch? That’s not to say that everyone who won’t switch because of the iPhone’s keyboard would, if they did switch, grow to like it. The point is that some who would will never know because they won’t buy an iPhone in the first place because they don’t think that they would. “It takes a couple of weeks to get used to it” means you’ve got to take it on faith. In the grand scheme of things, the pocket of iPhone resistance comprising people currently using physical-keyboard phones is not that big a deal. Apple is looking at the iPhone market as iPod-sized: 100 million phones in the next five years or so. The grand total of existing smartphone users pales in comparison. Even if there’s not a single already-using-a-smartphone user left who is going to switch to an iPhone, it wouldn’t prevent the iPhone from being a mass market success. Most iPhone users — and especially most future iPhone users — are coming from regular mobile phones with numeric keypads. And no one can argue that typing on the iPhone doesn’t beat the pants off gimmicks like T9. But, in the near term, I do think Apple covets BlackBerry switchers in particular. Everything about the enterprise features that Apple has announced for the upcoming iPhone 2.0 software seems catered to appeal to BlackBerry users. The keyboard is perhaps the single biggest advantage RIM has with these customers. I do not think Apple is going to release an iPhone with a physical keyboard (“iPhone Enterprise”?), but if they did, it’d be one of those Steve Jobs “a year ago he said these things were crap and now he’s telling us this one’s awesome just because it’s from Apple” moves that drive some people — bless their hearts — spittle-flying-out-of-their-mouths crazy. I bought a $135 Flip Ultra video camera at the end of March, and have subsequently fallen in love with it. But it strikes me that an iPhone with video recording and a slightly better lens (than the current iPhone) could completely obviate the need for a Flip. ↩
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Broken iPod: fix it or replace it?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPod FamilyThere are few things worse than reaching for your iPod only to find that the screen is cracked, the hard drive has died, or that the darned thing just won't play music anymore. At that point you have to ask yourself, like someone did of the New York Times, do I fix this iPod or just replace it?The answer is easy if your iPod is still under warranty, but if it isn't things get a little trickier. If your iPod is a few models behind what Apple is currently offering it probably makes sense to put the money you would have spent on replacement parts towards a new iPod. However, if you have an iPod that Apple doesn't make anymore (I'm thinking of the iPod mini) then you just might want to fix up your piece of consumer electronics history.What say you, insightful TUAW reader? Would you just get a new iPod, or be more eco-friendly and get your old iPod fixed?View PollRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Is Apple selling off its professional software titles?
The slimmest hint of a rumor can gain steam when cycled around the Internet. It seems to be happening with rumor that Apple is pitching its professional applications such as Final Cut Pro.
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Traveling light while staying in touch
Two of Apple’s recent releases—the iPhone and the MacBook Air—can come in handy if you’re on a vacation and want to stay connected without hauling a lot of electronics with you.
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Traveling light while staying in touch
Two of Apple’s recent releases—the iPhone and the MacBook Air—can come in handy if you’re on a vacation and want to stay connected without hauling a lot of electronics with you.
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MicroHoo, We Hardly Knew Ye
The Microsoft-Yahoo merger died before it had a chance to live, but that doesn’t mean the blogosphere is letting MicroHoo go without a wake.
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ScreenSteps 2.1 beta: post lessons directly to your blog
Filed under: Cool toolsWhen Blue Mango Learning Systems released version 2.0.3 of (TUAW favorite) ScreenSteps, its software for creating screen-based lessons, they added the option to output blog-friendly code for pasting into your own site. But some of us were inspired by the possibilities and cried for direct blog posting. Taking to heart user input, they've just opened up the beta of version 2.1 to the public with the ability to post topics (they're called "Manuals" in the new version) directly to WordPress, TypePad and Movable Type blogs. It works quite well. On a Wordpress install with a basic theme, it comes out looking great, and adjustments are easy to make if you have a more complex custom theme. It adds a new level of usefulness to the software, in that it makes it a breeze to write and post tutorials to your blog. In the early beta tests there were some issues with repeating an existing post with the intention of editing it, but the folks at Blue Mango have been working diligently to smooth out issues. If you spend any time instructing others on screen-based tasks, give it a shot. The developers would love to get your input as version 2.1 comes to life.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple to include Chinese handwriting recognition in iPhone 2.0
Filed under: iPod Family, iPhoneOne of our tipsters, Kenneth, pointed us to a Chinese web page (Google translation) showing what appears to be an iPhone running some sort of handwriting recognition geared especially for Chinese characters. According to the post, this is how Apple will integrate Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) input into the iPhone. As you write the character, you are presented with a list of the possible characters on the right side of the input pane. According to MacRumors, Apple recently started hiring "Handwriting Recognition Engineers," could this mean the iPhone is coming to China soon? Only time will tell, but this should definitely give people something to hope for. Thanks, Kenneth.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Kensington unveils Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone / iPod
Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals Sure, there are already a handful of options out there for extending the life of your iPhone / iPod battery, but since when have we been ones to gripe about a little competition? Kensington has just introduced a standard and miniature version of its Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone / iPod, which unsurprisingly provides juice to your device's internal battery and can be recharged simultaneously. As you could likely guess, the only differences between the two contraptions are the size, price and battery life; the 0.22-pound standard model extends play time to up to 100 hours (music) / 6 hours (talk), while the even tinier mini version livens things up for another 30 hours (music) / 3 hours (talk). Each is available now for $69.99 / $49.99.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Found Footage: Band brings multiple instruments to iPhone
Filed under: iPhone If you're musically inclined and the owner of a jailbroken iPhone or iPod touch, keep your eyes and ears out for the impending release of Band (video here), the latest app from Moo Cow Music (the mad scientists responsible for Pianist, Guitarist and Drummer). Coming soon via the ModMyiPhone sources, this application promises to put all your musical fun into one touchable tool.You'll be able to record and play back your compositions, which is bound to make you the most popular person around (as if the iPhone itself wasn't enough for that).[via JustAnotheriPhoneBlog]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS
Shaken, Not Blurred
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Article: iDesign Interview: On JBL's Radical, Whimsical Speakers
The company's name is Harman International, and by the standards of most iPod accessory companies, the latter word is truly fitting: no matter where we've traveled in the world, its JBL and Harman Kardon speaker brands are found in stores, and amongst the most prominent wherever they're sold. And amazingly, the designs of JBL's iPod speakers—repeatedly referenced by iLounge's editors as some of the very best available,…
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Nikon D60
Who Needs iPhoto When You Can Edit in The Camera?
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SSHing for fun and profit
Filed under: Internet Tools, Terminal TipsI'm sure you've heard all the cool kids talking about SSH in the cafeteria during lunch, but you had no idea what it was. Be ignorant no more, because Devanshu Mehta is writing a series of posts about using SSH for Apple Matters.The first in the series explains the basics of SSH and what you'll need to setup before you can start securely tunneling like a spy.Here's the really short explanation of SSH: it allows you to create secure connections between two computers. The protocol is a standard, so you can SSH into almost any kind of computer, assuming it is running SSH and you have the proper credentials.I'll be keeping my eye out for the upcoming parts in this series, because who can't use some more secure connections in their life?Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple among finalists for 2008 Life Science Industry Awards
Posted by Dennis SellersApple is among the finalists for the 2008 Life Science Industry Awards, which recognize life science suppliers that are best-in-class in both product categories and customer communications and support categories. The 45 finalists represent the five companies receiving the highest overall scores in each of 20 award categories. The finalists...
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Apple shares up slightly on analysts' improved outlooks
Posted by Dennis Sellers Apple shares rose modestly today after American Technology Research Analyst Shaw Wu raised his rating to “Buy” and RBC Capital Markets Analyst Mike Abramsky increased his price target for the computer and gadget maker's stock, reports the Associated Press.
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Mac software updates for May 5
Posted by Dennis SellersApple has released Logic Pro 8.0.1, an update of the pro audio editing application. The upgrade addresses compatibility issues and specific customer issues. It also includes WaveBurner 1.5.1 and Impulse Response Utility 1.0.1.
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Bezipped is free compression, archive utility for Mac OS X
Posted by Dennis SellersBezipped is a new, and free, file compression and archive utility built on top of the bzip2 command line tool that comes with Mac OS X.
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Associated Press launches iPhone-optimized site
Filed under: Internet, Internet Tools, iPhoneEarlier today, the Associated Press launched an iPhone-optimized news site that really is pleasant to use. To check it out on your iPhone simply visit http://apnews.com. Once there you'll find AP articles, of course, but also local events (in fact, you can enter several zip codes and follow events from several locations) and more from many different outlets.The preference pane looks like that of a native iPhone application (Save the orange sliders instead of blue) and the photos and videos render pretty quickly, even over EDGE. Plus, they've got a cute web clip icon. What more do you need?It's nice to see the AP catering to mobile users. We say, "Well done."[Via iPodNN]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Wicked-fast Screen Shot Sharing With grabUp
You'd think by now we'd have see everything when it comes to screen image capture software for OS X. While Apple provides basic functionality out-of-the-box there are a plethora of add-ons that vie for your ⌘-Shift attention. One of the more recent contenders is grabUp, a simple enhancement to ⌘+Shift+4 that takes the selected screen area, uploads it to grabUp servers and gives back a URL for the image. That's it. No accounts, sign-up, registration, etc. You enable grabUp via System Preferences and can choose whether it is available at login and also whether you wish to give up any remaining, precious menu bar space (their menu bar item provides access to your screen shot history): (That shot is also available via their site: http://www.grabup.com/uploads/5951fc424b702c5c85508f847f989369.png) Uploading is fairly speedy and providing the ability to turn off ⌘+Shift+4 hijacking makes it a complementary screen grab tool as opposed to a competitor. I should also note that it does keep a local copy of the image capture, just like an un-enhanced ⌘+Shift+4 would generate. I'd really like to see Growl support added so you know when the upload is finished and the URL is available, but there is built-in visual feedback for this if you do enable the menu bar icon (it turns green while the image is uploading). There is also no mention of how long your images will be available, but they are hosting over 15,000 captures as of this post. If you download grabUp and give it a try, drop a note in the comments. (And, before there is a deluge, readers should be aware that Skitch provides a similar bit of functionality, but you do need to register to make use of it).
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DiskLister Server is new Mac OS X network access tool
Posted by Dennis SellersDiskLister Server is a new US$30 Mac OS X tool that provides network access for search and browse of file databases, created with DiskLister Admin. It's cross-platform, has no need of installation and offers basic settings and logs for user actions.
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HookUp enables streaming, downloading of music, movies through iTunes interface
Posted by Dennis SellersHookUp is a new, free tool that enables streaming and downloading of music and movies directly through the iTunes interface, allowing a user to play and download from every computer running iTunes in a remote network as well as the local network.
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'Macsimum Recommended Reading' for May 5
Posted by Dennis Sellers“Steve Jobs Stakes Out the TV Den: I don't own my iPod. It owns me.”—New York Times
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Court finds for Nvidia in 3dfx bankruptcy trial
Posted by Dennis SellersNvidia has announced that the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California issued its Memorandum Decision After Trial in the 3dfx bankruptcy action.
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iPhone as backup web server
Filed under: Internet Tools, iPhoneUsing the port of lighttpd on his jailbroken iPhone, Mark Hoekstra of GEEKtechnique offers real-world proof that an iPhone can, indeed, function as a web server. He put up a static page and served 411 unique visitors during the time his server was offline for maintenance. Obviously, that's not battle-testing for a busier server, and the lack of database queries certainly aided the capacity of the tiny server, but it's definitely a fun example of the capabilities of a (hacked) iPhone. Apache has also been ported, along with Python, vim, curl and other tools web servers can make good use of. There's a good possibility we'll see similar scenarios as time progresses, especially as the hardware capabilities of the iPhone improve. So, is that a backup web server in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? Thanks, Mike!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Kensington releases battery packs, chargers for iPhones, iPods
Posted by Dennis SellersKensington has released the Battery Pack and Charger for the iPhone and iPod, as well as a lightweight portable version: the Mini Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod.
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iLounge launches 'Design The Next iPhone, Win The Next iPhone' contest
Posted by Dave MerteniLounge has officially launched the 'Design The Next iPhone, Win The Next iPhone' contest. How can you win? Design the Next iPhone!
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Rock your clipboard with CopyPaste Pro
Filed under: OS, SoftwareDescribed as "Time Machine for the clipboard," CopyPastePro takes your Mac's clipboard way beyond simple temporary storage. There's a multiple clipboard option of course, but CopyPaste Pro also lets you edit the contents of a given clipboard (or "clips" as they call them) with its built-in word processor, create an archive of previous clips and even review clips via a "clip browser," which resembles Mac OS X's application switcher.If you're one of those users who just can't live with the standard Mac OS clipboard, check out CopyPaste Pro.CopyPaste Pro requires Mac OS X version 10.4.x or 10.5.x. For a short time, users of CopyPaste can upgrade to CopyPaste Pro for $20US. On May 12th, the price will go up to $30US.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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News: AppleCare for Apple TV now available
Apple has quietly begun offering its AppleCare Protection Plan for the Apple TV. The $50 protection plan extends the set-top box's one-year hardware warranty to two years, and also similarly extends telephone technical support. According to Apple, the plan also extends coverage to iTunes, an AirPort Express or AirPort Extreme Base Station, and Time Capsule. The AppleCare Protection Plan for Apple TV is available now to all Apple TV owners who…
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Forum Activity: May 5, 2008
iMac Wireless Issue Leopard Only Apps $30 to read RSS feeds? Really? What app would you refuse to give up? Macbook to have aluminium casing?
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iTunes finally reaches 1,000 movie mark, a few months late
After promising 1,000 movie rentals on iTunes by February, Apple has finally reached its goal... in May. Finally, though, there's something for everyone.Read More...
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Apple re-affirms commitment to video apps
Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Apple ProfessionalLast February, Apple's Senior Manager of PR Anuj Nayar announced that the company would not have a booth at April's National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show. Customers hoping to receive information on the already delayed Final Cut Server were disappointed to say the least.When Final Cut Server was finally released in April of 2008, it was nearly a year late. Many began to question Apple's commitment to the pro-level video applications. To extinguish concerns that Apple was "giving up" on pro video apps, their director of marketing for professional video applications Richard Townhill told TVBEurope, "I can categorically state, on the record, that is not the case." As for the delay, Richard said "... we wanted it to work without an IT department to support it."Good news for Mac-wielding producers. [Via Your Mac Life]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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iPhone firmware 2.0 adds Chinese handwriting recognition, Newton sweats
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds Screen shots posted on Chinese site wretch.cc allege that iPhone firmware 2.0 has added support for Chinese handwriting recognition in addition to a revamped (albeit non-recognition) Japanese interface. While that's still light years from an Apple admission that not everyone is in love with the on-screen keyboard, it's one small step toward functionality that seems to make boatloads of sense -- in any language -- given the phone's generously proportioned touchscreen and its reluctant but unavoidable nomination as the Newton's spiritual successor. What isn't clear is how folks are expected to draw characters, seeing how there's no provision for an on-board stylus, the entire interface is designed for finger use, and we don't see many owner rushing out for a Pogo. However Apple intends for this feature to be used, the implementation looks pretty hot, capable of operating in both portrait and landscape modes. Sadly, it seems that Chinese is the one and only language supported at the moment; sure you don't want to let everyone in on the Graffiti-esque retro fun here, guys?[Via Mac Rumors]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Two Analysts Who Are Liking Apple Now
Apple (AAPL) shares are getting a boost from a pair of bullish calls this morning from the Street. The most surprising one comes from Shaw Wu, of American Technology Research. He raises his rating on the stock to Buy from Neutral, reversing a downgrade on the stock he made just a few weeks ago. Wu’s downgrade came right before the company reported March quarter earnings; it turned out to be far too gloomy, as he conceded today.
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News: Kensington rolls out Mini Battery Pack for iPhone, iPod
Kensington has introduced its new Mini Battery Pack and Charger for iPhone and iPod. The Mini is a small, Dock-connecting accessory that can power and charge an iPhone or iPod, offering extended play times of up to 30 hours for music, six hours for video, and three hours of talk time. The small black body of the Mini houses a high-capacity, rechargeable lithium-ion polymer battery pack and a LED battery meter. The device also includes a retractable…
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Rumor: Austria will be Apple's 3G testing ground
Filed under: Rumors, iPhoneAccording to a post on fscklog (English translation here), Apple may use the Austrian market as the testing ground for a new 3G phone. T-Mobile Austria announced on Monday that a UMTS version of the iPhone will be available "...soon" with "more flexible" options. We assume that "more flexible options" refers to user plans.Last September, ZDNet Australia surmised that their country could be the first to receive a 3G iPhone, noting Apple's timetable for a battery capable of supporting a 3G phone ("...late 2008") and the iPhone's launch date in Asia Pacific. A good guess, but T-Mobile's announcement seems to shoot it down.If any TUAW readers in Austria can shed some light on the speculation, please let us know.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Tech Stocks: Yahoo punished over failed bid; Microsoft makes modest gains
Investors dump Yahoo shares in the wake of Microsoft Corp. backing away from its offer to acquire the Internet giant for more than $44 billion. Tech sector trades mainly lower, but an analyst upgrade shines Apple's shares.
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Apple's cash balance grows, Microsoft's shrinks
Posted by Dennis SellersThe biggest cash pile in the technology industry has historically belonged to Microsoft, but now it's sharing that space with Apple, according to the Seattle PI.
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MacPractice DR interfaces with Planmeca Pan, Ceph, Ethernet sensors
Posted by Dennis SellersMacPractice—developer of MacPractice DDS, MacPractice MD, MacPractice DC, and MacPractice 20/20, management and clinical applications—has announced dimmediate availability to MacPractice DDS users of an all Mac interface with PLANMECA Panoramic and Cephalometric digital X-ray equipment and PLANMECA digital sensors (ethernet).
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Apple lays off 174 employees at sales and support facility
Apple has laid off 174 workers at its Elk Grove facility near Sacramento. The unlucky group included Internet sales employees as well as support reps.Read More...
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The MathWorks introduces Communications Blockset 4
Posted by Dennis SellersThe MathWorks has released Communications Blockset 4, which extends Simulink with a library of blocks for designing, simulating, and verifying the physical layer of communication systems.
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AmTech analyst changes mind, raises Apple rating
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Saying that the risk associated with Apple Inc.'s earnings has passed for the near-term, American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu on Monday raised his rating on Apple's shares to buy from neutral, less than two weeks after cutting his rating on the stock.
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UTC Global Clock 3.0 introduces multiple time displays, timers
Posted by Dennis SellersAquilaDigital Partnership has released UTC Global Clock 3.0, an update of the application program that supports an unlimited number of time displays, each appearing in your menu bar or screen corner.
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Mac 101: Tag almost anything in Leopard
Filed under: OS, Mac 101Here's a very simple and even more useful tip from Dennis Best. He's thought of a clever way to tag almost any document he creates in Leopard with Spotlight and a clever use of keywords.When writing a note, composing an email message, etc., he precedes keywords with the ° bullet character (shift-option 8). Later, he can conduct a Spotlight search for " °Tahoe" and find every tagged email message, sticky note, iCal event, etc. Pretty clever!For added usefulness, save that Spotlight search for a self-updating reference.[Via Micropersuasion]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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T-Mobile clears everything up: 3G rollout (with data) is on in NYC
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless Great news, T-Mobile USA fans -- the roller coaster ride is finally over. After we thought T-Mobile's 3G network was but moments away from launching, we soon found that data may be left out. Oddly enough, a few reports hailing from the Big Apple claimed that data actually was included. At long last, the carrier is coming clean and announcing its official 3G rollout in the States. Unfortunately, the UMTS / HSDPA network is initially launching in New York City alone, but the good news is that data will be included and the operator expects the high-speed data network to "be available in cities where a majority of its subscribers currently use data services" by the year's end. Yeah, it's safe to celebrate now, we promise it's not a(nother) false alarm. Full release posted after the jump.Continue reading T-Mobile clears everything up: 3G rollout (with data) is on in NYCPermalink | Email this | Comments
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News: Handwriting recognition interface discovered in iPhone Software 2.0
The latest beta version of iPhone Software Version 2.0 includes a new handwriting recognition interface for the Chinese language. According to reports, build 5A258f of the 2.0 software adds several new Chinese input methods to the international keyboard settings menu, including handwriting recognition. “Unfortunately, handwriting recognition is only available in Chinese (Traditional and Simplified) and doesn't support English,” said…
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Divine Fiat releases Grunge theme for Keynote
Posted by Dennis SellersDivine Fiat has released Grunge, a new US$26 theme for Keynote, the presentation component of Apple's US$79 iWork bundle. The theme is designed to let you “go gritty not pretty.”
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Video reviews of all iPod games now available
Posted by Dennis SellersThe Digital Lifestyle has launched a new page featuring quick (one minute or less) independent video reviews of all of the currently available iPod games from the iTunes Store. The reviews mark a branching out into portable gaming for the site.
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Briefly: At&t iPhone Wifi offline, iPhone SDK goes international
For those of you that have tried to access the At&t free wi-fi for iPhone that was reported to be up and running - don't be surprised when it doesn't work. The service was up in Texas and California, but is now reported as being down. It's possible that someone was running a test, and this was a new feature that was not yet supposed to be revealed, and it has been shut down until its official launch. The iPhone SDK (which is on its 4th revision) is now available for international developers. Apple has also updated text on its official site indicating that the change has happened. You can click here to download.
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Apple Gets Lift on Analyst's Second Thoughts
Apple shares rose modestly Monday after an American Technology Research analyst raised his rating to "Buy" and an RBC Capital Markets analyst increased his price target for the computer and gadget maker's stock. Apple shares rose $3.57 to $184.51. Earlier, the shares traded as high as $185.31 -- their highest since early January. In a client note, American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu raised his rating to "Buy" from "Neutral" and set a $210 price target. The change came about two weeks after Wu, who has long been bullish on the stock, lowered his rating to "Neutral."
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iPhone-Optimized AP News
Very nice MobileSafari-optimized news site from the Associated Press. ★
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AppleScript: Delete old folders
Filed under: Features, How-tos If you work like I do, then you have a hierarchy of folders contained in a single folder that allows you to manage project files, notes, etc. Well, when it comes time to chunk those old files, normally you have to manually go through and remove them; this task can become daunting if you have multiple project folders. I am going to show you an easier way. In this how-to, we'll cover how to create an AppleScript that will allow you to remove folders that are older than 30 days. Continue reading to learn how to create this AppleScript.Continue reading AppleScript: Delete old foldersRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Extra, extra: Read AP stories on the iPhone
The Associated Press and more than 100 of its member newspapers are launching a service Monday that will make news stories available ...
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VUDU: Day and date releases? Yeah, we’ve got that.
Remember on Thursday when Apple announced that “Day and Date” movie sales and rentals would available on iTunes (and Apple TV) on the same day as they’re released on DVD? Well, it turns out that that may not be that big of a deal. According to an email I received from the PR agency that handles [...]
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Free AT&T WiFi for iPhone users not currently accessible
Last week, Starbucks locations in Texas and California started offering free AT&T WiFi access to iPhone users. Users now report the service is currently unavailable, however.Read More...
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How to: Buy The Right Camera
Choosing the right camera is ultimately a personal decision. Follow our step-by-step advice to help understand a camera’s critical features and help guide your purchase of the perfect digicam.
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Olympus Stylus 1030 SW
A Nearly Invincible Super-Shooter
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Yahoo/Microsoft Merger is Dead, AT&T iPhone Wi-Fi Halted and Free Nine Inch Nails Album
Jerry Yang and Steve Ballmer part ways, MacBook rumor and a history of Flash.
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Under The Radar News - Monday
AOL dials up Microsoft. Time Warner's (TWX) AOL reportedly approached Microsoft (MSFT) after the latter backed off its bid for Yahoo (YHOO). There is speculation Rupert Murdoch will try and sell AOL and MySpace/Fox Interactive to Microsoft, which is clearly looking to increase its internet presence. No News with Yahoo. Yahoo's (YHOO) talks with News Corp. (NWS), once seen as a defense against Microsoft's (MSFT) now-pulled bid, have cooled in recent weeks. Intel looks for acquisitions. Intel (INTC) will become "more acquisitive" and expand into consumer electronics and other areas, a top exec says. Pat Gelsinger, head of Intel's Digital Enterprise group, identifies five areas in which the chipmaker can enhance its in-house development with acquisitions, including smart-phones and mobile internet devices (mids), especially those based on WiMAX, on which Intel has "placed a big bet." Murdoch won't match offers. Rupert Murdoch (NWS) will not raise his $580M offer for Newsday in response to Cablevision's (CVC) $650M bid. The bids don't appear to be completely equal: Cablevision's bid includes Newsday's real estate while News Corp.'s does not. Still uncertain is how Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman will respond. BSkyB looking at Virgin Media portfolio. News Corp. (NWS) controlled BSkyB is mulling a £600M bid for Virgin Media's (VMED) cable channels. KKR has also shown interest. BHP getting ready for Rio bid. Last week shares of Rio Tinto (RTP) fell on speculation suitor BHP Billiton (BHP) had lost interest. Now UK media reports say it is prepared to file with the European Commission within the next two weeks in the hopes of gaining approval to make a hostile bid for the company. It is possible BHP will up its bid prior to filing. Arcelor tables cooperation plan. Arcelor Mittal (MT) has held discussions with Chinese steel company Angang in the hopes of extending its presence in the region. Angang turned down Arcelor's proposal to take a 25% stake in the company earlier this year. Lakshmi Mittal offered to send two leading Indian women table tennis players to train with Angang's championship-winning female ping-pong team in the hopes of increasing the companies' cooperation. Forbidden futures. India's finance minister is considering a ban on foodstuff futures on growing concerns speculation is compounding a recent surge in food prices. Lenovo Thinks of spreading its wings. Lenovo Group (LNVGY.PK) CEO Yang Yuanqing says the company will look to make acquisitions to boost its market share after losing ground to Acer last year. "We are not satisfied with our current market share and global ranking," he said Sunday. "I believe there will be further consolidation in the industry and we hope to seize the opportunity." HP (HPQ) and Dell (DELL) have recently expanded their distribution networks, causing further Lenovo erosion. "The most important thing is growing our market share, more than making money," Yang said. Lenovo has the right to use IBM's (IBM) ThinkPad brand until 2010. Rich daddy. After bailing out Bear Stearns (BSC), student lenders reached out to the Fed for help in hope of receiving similar support. "It is appalling where we are right now," former governor William Poole says. We've become "a backstop for the entire financial system." The yield spread between Treasurys and the debt of GSEs Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE) has already dropped to just 0.55% from 1.15% as the Street banks on a similar bailout, if need be. Declining dollar. Merrill Lynch strategist Brian Belski notes U.S. dollar bear runs tend to last just 53 months, vs. a much longer 102 months for bull runs. For what it's worth, the dollar began falling in about March 2002, more than 72 months ago. Get AP on iPhone. AP is launching a service to make its news stories available on iPhones (AAPL) and other mobile devices. LDK Solar (LDK) is up 4.5% to $34.92 on speculation Siemens (SI) is preparing a bid for the company. MoneyGram (MGI) is up 12% after Calyon analysts upgraded its shares to Buy from Neutral, citing its profitable and growing money transfer business. Calyon says recent trading has driven shares down to a point at which investors can buy-in for considerably less than the long-term value its the stand-alone money transfer business. MGI reports Thursday.
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News: 3G iPhone coming soon to T-Mobile Austria?
T-Mobile has said it will soon be offering the 3G iPhone, according to Austrian newspaper Der Standard. T-Mobile reportedly made the announcement at a press conference in Vienna, saying that the phone would soon be available and adding that Austria will be a test market for the new handset, making it one of the first countries to receive the new phone. Pricing for the 3G iPhone is said to be more “flexible” than current offerings. Although…
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Who uses Java SE 6 for Mac?
Apple recently released Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 1 (which adds Java SE 6 to your Mac) after receiving much criticism for omitting it when Leopard shipped: Discussion threads began to appear in Apple’s support forum following the release of OS X Leopard on 26 October, and numerous users reported that code written in [...]
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Review - Presto Printer Mailbox
Mother's Day is coming up, and those of your still looking for the perfect gift, may want to take a look at a new kind of Printer called “Presto”. I first saw the Presto printer on an infomercial styled ad on BBC America. It looked like one of those ideas that really should have been thought of before now. When I noticed it was Mac compatible (since everything is web-based it will work on any OS capable of running the website) I contacted the company to see if we could get a unit in for review, and it arrived a few weeks ago. Now, before I go any further let me explain just what the Presto is. Presto is an HP built printer that works completely independently of a computer. The only thing needed to hook up a Presto is a wall and phone outlet. The machine is designed as a “printer mailbox” for family members that do not use computers. If you have a Mother or Grandmother that you wish you could email - this device is perfect for them. The printer dials-in to the Presto site several times a day, fetches any current email, formats it in an easy to read manner, then prints it out, including the phone number of the person that sent the email so that you're loved one will know who to contact if they want to talk about the email or pictures they received. The Presto service is $9.95 a month, and no other Internet account is required. The Printer is set up through the Presto website, and you - as the administrator of the account - control who can send the Presto unit email, making it virtually impossible for the box to get spam. The site also tells you the ink levels of the machine, so you'll know when it needs to be changed out (only one cartridge is needed, making it very simple to do), and even includes news articles, games, and other fun stuff that you can send to the mail box at no additional charge. To truly test it out, My mother-in-law set up the machine, and then took it to her mother's retirement home to see how it would work. For the most part the user interface online is easy to understand - but sometimes it over simplifies things to a point that was slightly confusing to us regular computer users. Still, that's not a very large complaint. The box works perfectly, and it couldn't be easier to send messages to my wife's great-grandmother. The Presto costs $149, and you can find it at most major retail chains. If you order from the official Presto site, they are doing express shipping for mother's day as well. If you have a loved one in your life that doesn't use computers, but would like to receive email, photos, and other things from you, I highly recommend the Presto. It's a great idea, that has been a long time coming.
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News: AP launches iPhone news portal
The Associated Press and more than 100 of its member newspapers have launched the Mobile News Network, a new web-based news portal for the iPhone, iPod touch, and other mobile devices. The portal offers local news from participating member newspapers and national and international news from AP, as well as sports and entertainment coverage, all organized by ZIP code. Announced in April, the service now has 107 newspapers participating, up from 18 at…
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Moun a gateway-accessed server directly using MacFUSE
MacFUSE is a great addition to the OS X system. One common usage of a FUSE is to mount a remote directory as a local volume, for easy access, and with MacFUSE in conjunction with sshfs (available at the same link), this is really easy to do.In my situation, however, the remote directory that I wanted to access was on a firewalled server that only allowed access through other machines on the some local network. I had access to various gateway machines, so access as such was not a problem, but it was a pain to have to hop through the gateway each time I need to transfer files to the firewalled server. Also, I could not use local applications to work on directly on files on the server, even if they supported ssh- and sftp-based editing.I messed around with trying to set up an ssh tunnel, but got nowhere. When I finally turned to MacFUSE as an alterntive, I had everything set up and running within minutes. You will, of cour...
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Search WordPerfect for Windows files with EasyFind
As discussed in this prior hint, I have hundreds of WordPerfect for Windows files that I periodically need to access. Unfortunately, the existing Spotlight importer for WordPerfect only imports WordPerfect for Mac files. Devon Technologies' free EasyFind can be easily configured to search WordPerfect documents (and for real Corel Office devotees, Quattro Pro spreadsheets and Paradox databases).It won't do so by default, but if you click the light switch icon in the lower left of the EasyFind panel, a drawer will open with lists of file extensions to search. Just add the appropriate file extensions (wpd, wp [WordPerfect], wb3, wb2 [Quattro Pro], and db [Paradox]) to the list.
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A quick uninstall tip for Quicksilver-AppZapper users
You can directly drag an application from the Quicksilver pane onto the AppZapper window to uninstall the program. This is easier than opening the Applications folder and then dragging and dropping over to AppZapper (or any such similar program).
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Pixelmator - Powerful Core Image-based image editor
The macosxhints Rating:[Score: 8 out of 10] Developer: Pixelmator Team Ltd. Price: $59.00 [free demo available]Pixelmator is a layer-based image editing program that takes full advantage of OS X's features, opens tons of file formats (including Photoshop files), and has an interface that's easy to use, despite it not necessarily looking like a traditional Mac application. The program uses your Mac's graphics processing unit (GPU) and Core Image to render many effects in real time. James Dempsey covered Pixelmator 1.0.1 for Macworld last October, so I'll point you at his write-up for most the details about this program. You can also learn about many of its features just by reading compan...
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New Apple laptops tomorrow?

Posted by Dennis SellersReliables sources tell Macsimum News that the MacBook and MacBook Pro will be revved as early as Tuesday, May 6. We haven't confirmed this yet, but keep an eye out.
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iTunes typo causes widespread speculation
Sometimes the strangest things get blown out of proportion online. Take the Apple parody in GTA IV for an example of when I've done it, but this weekend MacNN and TUAW kind of lost their minds over a typo in iTunes. See last week Apple celebrated the 5th anniversary of iTunes, and in the page in iTunes talking about it they claimed to have “10 Million songs” in the iTunes library. Later, that number was reduced to 6 million songs. That's the whole story. Still these two articles have titles like “Apple backpedals on 10m iTunes song claim” and “4 million iTunes songs disappear” Really? “4 million iTunes songs disappear”? We bloggers need to calm down and drink a little less coffee, me thinks.
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Russell 1,000 Stocks Up and Down the Most Since the 3/10 Bottom
Below we highlight four stock filters based on performance and overbought/oversold levels. The first two tables show the Russell 1,000 stocks that are up and down the most since the market bottomed on March 10th. As shown, MLNM is up the most at 93.84%, followed by VRTX, WMG, SGMS and CLR. Other notables on the list of winners include NTRI, FSLR, FRE, BRCM, X, AAPL, FNM, MA, F and CMI. BSC, LNG, NCC, CROX and UAUA top the list of losers.
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Making Music on the Mac: the basics of GarageBand
Posted by Dennis SellersBy Brian Parnell Welcome back everyone. It's been a few weeks since we last met. I'm getting ready for my Logic Pro Trainer re-certification at Apple's NY headquarters. Fun City.
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Video: Fiest talks iPod commercial on Colbert Report
We all know who Fiest is - thanks in no small part to her appearance in an iPod nano commercial. What we didn't know (assuming she's serious in this video of her from the Colbert Report) is that not only can being in an iPod Nano commercial make you famous - it can also get you US citizenship. Apparently - again, if she's being serious - Steve Jobs and Co. got her US citizen ship as part of her deal to allow them to use “1-2-3-4″ for the famous nano commercial. Now, I know that sounds absurd, but she says it with a very straight face. What do you think? Is that possible?
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Non-US devs now being accepted into iPhone Developer Program
You wanted iPhone apps from devs all over the world, not just the US, right? Luckily for you, iPhone developers outside of the US are reporting that they have finally been accepted into the iPhone Developer Program.Read More...
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'setteB.IT': iPhone Dev Program now open to International developers
Posted by Dennis SellersBy Fabio M. Zambelli The iPhone Developer Program page on the Apple web site has changed. Before it stated: “the iPhone Developer Program will initially be available to a limited number of developers in the U.S. and will expand to other countries in the coming months.” Now it says, “the...
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TUAW Faceoff: Screenshot apps on the firing line
Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Features, Reviews, TUAW Faceoff Whether you want to post something to a web page or blog, or show off an application element in a presentation, taking quality screenshots is becoming an increasingly common task for lots of different Mac users. Although OS X comes with its own built-in screenshot utility, Grab, and onboard F-keys for the task, there are lots of third-party options as well. Contrary to popular belief, not all screen capture applications are created equal. So what program is the best for taking quality screenshots off of your computer? To find out, I put five screen capture programs through their paces to try to find the "ultimate" screen-capture program. The programs I used: Grab - built into OS X Skitch - free (at least while in beta) Snapz Pro X - $29 for image capture only, $69 for image and motion capture InstantShot! - free QuickSnap - $14.95 Read-on for my analysis and take a look at the gallery for screenshots from each program, as well as head-to-head comparisons. Gallery: TUAW Faceoff: Screenshot apps on the firing lineContinue reading TUAW Faceoff: Screenshot apps on the firing linePermalink | Email this | Comments
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News: Power Support Japan intros new iPod nano cases
Power Support Japan has introduced several new accessories for the iPod nano (with video). The Crystal Jacket Set (Translated link) is a hard plastic case, offering two-piece snap-together construction, access to all ports and controls, a place to attach the included strap, and included film protectors. It sells for the equivalent of $19. The Silicone Jacket Set for iPod nano comes in both rounded and square versions, and in clear or black, or clear…
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Site News: Guest Bloggers Needed - going on Vacation next week
Next week I'll be going on vacation, but that doesn't mean I want the site to take a vacation just because I'm taking a break for a few days. I already have a few guest bloggers lined up through some friends on Twitter (feel free to join in the fun), but I wanted to open the options up to everyone. If you'd like to write a guest blog post for next week, just send me an email (michael(at)applegazette(dot)com)with either the post in it, or an idea that you'd like to write. I'll post as many of them as I can - but they will have to finished and sent to me by Friday (May 9th, 2008). Drew from TV Jab will be popping in with news posts to keep you up to date on the goings on around Apple inc, so you're free to write about anything you like - as long as it relates to Apple, is well written, and is rated PG (at the most). I look forward to see what you guys come up with, and you will, of course, get a link back to the blog or site of your choice within your guest post. Thanks!
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Apple is losing money on iTunes Movies - Will it pay off?
It was reported late last week that Apple is paying $16.00 for every $14.99 movie that it sells in iTunes under its new deal with major studios like 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., and Paramount Pictures…just to name a few. All the major studios are involved…and now its clear why. Apple is calling it a “loss leader” and hoping that it will help them finally get ahold of the downloadable movie market that they so desperately want to dominate (I know it can be argued that they already “dominate” in this area - but we all know they want it to expand - and to dominate the expansion). I can understand the want to do this - but I'm not convinced yet that its going to pay off for them. What I really can't figure out, though, is what's going on in the minds of those pea-brain executives at the studios. Universal, for example, would love nothing more than push iTunes under a bus for music, but they've made a deal that could potentially give Apple the same iron grip it has on digital music downloads to digital movie downloads. My guess is that the different divisions within Universal don't talk to one another as much as they probably should. Regardless of what the movie executives are thinking - its pretty clear where Apple's head is at this point. This same day as DVD release is the most compelling movie download offer that Apple has provided thus far. If they could just get the DVD special features in the downloads somehow I'd be on board. I know lots of you are supportive of the direct download method because its convenient. My question to you is - will this gamble on Apple's part pay off? I still have a hard time justifying $14.99 for a new release, and a lack of HD is even more of a bummer - but getting the content out the same day as the DVD release is a step in the right direction. I'd like to see the price come down by a few dollars (which will never happen as long as Apple is having to pay $16.00 a download), and I'd like to see an HD option (in fact - if they go HD and I can avoid the purchase of a Blu-Ray player - I'm sold - special features or not) - but they are definitely getting closer. What do you think?
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Flash Wars: Adobe in the History and Future of Flash
Pitted against Microsoft's efforts to crush Flash using its own copycat Silverlight platform, open source projects seeking to duplicate Flash for free, an