May 11, 2008 May 13, 2008 Monday May 12, 2008
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iPod Game Console, Tablet at WWDC? Highly Unlikely
Daniel Eran Dilger Inventory shortages of the iPhone appear to predict the launch of a new 3G model, long expected to be released this June around the first year anniversary of its debut. However, the rumor mill has recently kicked into overdrive to predict the arrival of another new device based on the same platform, either focused on gaming or serving as a tablet device. This is highly unlikely, for the following reasons. (more…)
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Official: HBO arrives on iTunes, standard pricing be damned
It's official. HBO content just entered the digital halls of iTunes with variable pricing. Episodes of Rome and The Sopranos pop for $2.99 while The Wire and Sex and the City (yes the complete series) go for the iTunes "standard" pricing of $1.99. We just fired-up iTunes and confirmed it just like the rumor predicted. With Apple backing down from its strict, flat-rate pricing policy, don't be surprised to see additional content from previously iTunes-shy providers arriving in succession.Update: Deadwood ($2.99) and Flight of the Conchords ($1.99) are also available with "much more" apparently in the works.[Thanks, Turki]Permalink | Email this | Comments
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New Google Reader for iPhone
Those folks at Google have just made my day. I love Google Reader — it is always open in one of my tabs. Today, the Google Reader team announced a new beta version of Google Reader for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It is a lot like the list view on the desktop, which is my default view. When you want to read an item, tap it, and it will open right there. The beta version also allows you to load more items than the default 7 or 8, or however many there were. It also feels like it loads faster. It has a cleaner look and is more responsive. You can get to it two ways: Go to http://google.com/reader/i/ or when you are just in Google Reader on your iPhone, it will default to the classic view. Down at the very bottom, choose the “Mobile” view, and you will be redirected to the beta. Try it out, and let the good folks at Google Reader know how you like it.
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Wal-Mart's Retail Empire - Fast Money Recap (5/12/08)
Recap of Fast Money, Monday May 12. Click on a stock ticker for more analysis. Merrill Lynch (MER), Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Cisco (CSCO), Intel (INTC), Research in Motion (RIMM), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Electronic Data Systems (EDS), IBM (IBM) MER and Apple rose and took the financial and tech sectors with them. A break in oil's incessant rise also triggered a rally and Adami says he believes in large-cap tech and noted action in MSFT, CSCO and INTC. Najarian discussed new developments for RIMM and thinks Apple was driven up by RIMM. He added Apple is cheap, according to its price-to-earnings ratio. There are rumors that HPQ may buy EDS for $12-$13 billion. Najarian says this is a high price for HPQ and thinks IBM looks good on this news. He also discussed the call activity in EDS. Macke observed a decline in HPQ's stock on the takeover news but notes that the company will give its earnings report this week. Macke thinks the deal is not necessarily bullish for the entire tech sector.
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Picturesque get all 3-D in Leopard upgrade
I loved Picturesque back in version 1.0. It was a very slick little application that allowed you to give your blog pics more "oomph!" by adding shadows, reflections, glows, curved corners and strokes. I have a feeling I'm going to love Picturesque 2.0 even more. The folks as Acquilia Software have rebuilt the application for Leopard to take advantage of core technologies. This has opened the... [read more at MacMerc.com]
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ScreenFlow screencasting software adds Automator support
I swear I'm going to start screencasting soon. And when I do, I'm going to use ScreenFlow from Vara Software. The latest edition fixes a few bugs but also adds Automator actions for creating screen recordings in an automator workflow and support for Unicode text in marker tracks. ScreenFlow sells for USD$99.99 [read more at MacMerc.com]
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New Get a Mac ads: Pep Rally / Group
Filed under: Cult of Mac, Apple Apple just released two new "Get a Mac" ads -- Pep Rally and Group. In Pep Rally, PC tries to pep himself up despite the fact that the Mac is the "number one notebook on college campuses." Just when PC finishes his rant, the cheerleader squad starts cheering for Mac. In Group, PC is in a support group with fellow PCs. "You've just taken the biggest step, and that's accepting that our operating system just isn't working like it should," are some words uttered by the PCs. The comedy comes at the end of this one as a PC stands up and says "I am pleased to say that I've been error free for over a week" in a constant loop. You can view these new ads on Apple's Get a Mac website. Apple has also redesigned their Get a Mac site for viewing these Mac commercials, you can now view them by year going all the way back to 2006.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple trademarks iPod's design, applies for iPhone design mark
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable VideoQuick, what's the best way to dress up an otherwise dry piece on how companies can register non-traditional trademarks? If you answered "mention Apple and the iPod," you're the big winner -- and you've gotten yourself published in the Wall Street Journal. We'll be the first to admit that Apple's January registration of the three-dimensional design of the iPod strains credulity, but the simple fact is that non-traditional trademarks have been around for a while now -- we seem to remember a little kerfuffle regarding magenta recently, but we can't quite recall the exact details. Similarly, Nokia trademarked the 12 notes of its default ringtone back in September (even though they're part of a larger piece written in 1902 called "Gran Vals"), NBC has a mark on its ding-ding-ding station ID, and Coca-Cola has registrations for basically every bottle design it sells. Still, you can bet Apple legal threw quite a pizza party when this mark was approved -- and we can only imagine the kind of buttoned-down corporate lawyer jam that'll go down if the company succeeds in getting a mark on the design of the iPhone, which it's currently applied for. Hope you're ready for some more funktastic control layouts.Read - WSJ articleRead - Apple iPod design trademarkPermalink | Email this | Comments
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BlackBerry challenge to iPhone
A summer sales war is about to break out between Apple's iPhone and the BlackBerry, as the two wildly popular mobile phone brands do battle with new, upgraded versions of their internet-enabled devices.
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Acorn 1.2
Filed under: SoftwareAcorn, Flying Meat's easy to use image editor, was updated to version 1.2 over the weekend. Acorn is the perfect image editor for me: it is easy to use, quick to launch, and it tries to guess what I want to do with an image and does it for me (that's what I call service!).New in version 1.2 are: "Last filter" command for applying the same filter over and over again support for JPEG 2000 images (they are like JPEGs only 2000 times better) smarter Trim command makes trimming even easier a host of bug fixes, UI refinements, and small features all listed here Acorn requires OS X 10.4.9 or higher, and costs $49.95. 1.2 is a free upgrade for registered users.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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WD MyBook updates for Leopard compatibility
Filed under: Hardware, Peripherals, TroubleshootingI have previously noted that I like the Western Digital My Book line of external hard drives (particularly for their design cues). However, since Leopard I have had some problems with my drive, in particular it would randomly unmount causing my SuperDuper! based automatic backup schedule to fail. Since I suspect some of our readers might suffer similar problems I thought it worth pointing out that Western Digital has finally released some updates. I've been testing them for a couple of weeks now and things seems to finally be working as advertised.First there is a firmware update for the drive itself (be sure to pick your actual model) which is necessary for using the drive with Leopard. Second, there is also a Mac WD Drive Manager menubar application which is supposedly necessary for light and button functionality. In fact, the light "fuel gauge" on my drive still doesn't work properly, but since doing the firmware update and installing the drive manager I have not had the drive randomly unmount. So if you have been having problems running a My Book drive with Leopard I highly suggest applying the firmware update and running the Drive Manager to see if it helps.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple helps Pixar out with WALL•E
Filed under: Odds and ends, AppleI'm a big fan of almost everything Pixar does (Cars wasn't their best effort, though it was enjoyable), so it is a happy day when a story that links Pixar to my favorite computer company comes along.It would seem that the good folks at Pixar really wanted to play up the differences between the titular hero of Wall*E and a new robot that appears (Eve, pictured to the right). They wanted it to look very cool, and very high tech. Luckily for Pixar, they know a guy pretty high up in Apple who was able to get Jonathan Ive, Apple's famed product designer, to help out with Eve's look.I wonder if Eve's battery is user replaceable.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Vita Audio adds a splash of luxury to R4 iPod / DAB radio
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio Nothing says sexy like a sleek wood trim, wouldn't you wholeheartedly agree? Vita Audio obviously does, as it's £499.99 ($980) R4 integrated music system just screams lavish. The all-in-one unit packs an iPod dock, slot-loading CD / MP3 / WMA-music disc player, USB port, DAB and FM tuner with RDS, front and rear auxiliary ports, built-in display, alarm clock function and the firm's detachable RotoDial remote. For those not feeling the rich walnut veneer, there's also a high-gloss white (surprised?) version available for £50 ($97) more. Sadly, the "coming soon" tidbit leaves us clueless as to how long you actually have left to save up for either of the pricey systems. [Via ShinyShiny]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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RIM Announces New BlackBerry Bold, $150M Developer Fund
The Bold is the new iPhone-inspired model, but while it’s been named and the price is set ($300-400), there’s no release day yet. Some time this summer, apparently. ★
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Apple gets trademark for iPod shape
Filed under: Apple Corporate, iPod FamilyAccording to the Wall Street Journal Apple has received an interesting new trademark for the three-dimensional shape of the iPod. Traditional trademarks have generally been granted for two-dimensional designs (logos, etc.) so actually trademarking the shape of the iPod is unusual. One key advantage of the trademark over patents is that while the latter expire after a period of time, a trademark can be continually renewed. In some ways this move on Apple's part is rather curious as the shape in question is the classic iPod shape, and I think at this point it's clear that the classic is more the past than future of iPod design. The awarded trademark itself is for the "design of a portable and handheld digital electronic media device comprised of a rectangular casing displaying circular and rectangular shapes therein arranged in an aesthetically pleasing manner." However, Apple has also applied for a similar trademark for the iPhone. For those of us of a certain age the phrase "look and feel" can't help but come to mind, though this time with rather more success for Cupertino.[via Daring Fireball]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Uplink 1.6.0
High tech computer crime and industrial espionage on the Internet of 2010.
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Picturesque 2.0 released
Filed under: Multimedia, Developer, Graphic Design If you think back to June last year, Picturesque - a neat lightweight image editor - was the deserving recipient of an Apple Design Award for 'Best Student Product'. So it's fitting then that, just in time for this year's Apple Design Awards, Acqualia Software has released version 2.0 of Picturesque. So what's new? First of all, it's a Leopard-only application with a Core Animation-powered graphics engine. Throw in an entirely new all-in-one window interface, plenty of fancy new effects (such as the 3D iChat effect), a Media browser for easy iPhoto access and AppleScriptability (Picturesque meet Cory) and it all adds up to a rather tasty upgrade. With the release of version 2.0, a license for Picturesque will now set you back $34.95 whilst owners of version 1.0 can upgrade to the latest version for just $12.95. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Electrical outtages make you appreciate mobile technology
I awoke this morning to the crackle and thunderous crash of a 100-year-old oak tree snapping and falling in my next-door neighbor’s yard (iPhone picture above). We’re lucky that no people or property were damaged, but the tree fell on a power line knocking out service for my entire street. The local electric utility has [...]
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Ive +Â Eve
If that picture from Pixar's Wall-E looks somewhat familiar in all its white glory, it is because it's design was developed in part by Apple's own Jonathon Ive. He was called in as a consultant to the process. Here is an interesting comment from Ive: I wanted Eve to be high-end technology — no expense spared — and I wanted it to be seamless and for the technology to be sort of hidden and subcutaneous. The more I started describing it, the more I realized I was pretty much describing the Apple playbook for design. The article also states that Ive was secretive about Apple's goings-on and would not comment on the future of technology designs. If you want to see more, Wall-E opens on June 27th. [Via Fortune]
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Solving the Leopard Puzzle
Piece together the perfect Leopard interface with updates, tweaks, and third-party apps.
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More hints that a 3G iPhone is imminent
Most people seem pretty convinced that the 3G iPhone will be released next month. The going theory is that Jobs will announce the beast at his keynote address at WWDC in San Francisco on 09 June 2008 and that it will be shipping in quantity some time around the end of the month. More hints that [...]
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When should you buy an iPhone?
Filed under: iPod Family, Retail, iPhone As iPhone channels continue to run dry, more and more readers have asked whether now would be a good time to buy an iPhone or not -- assuming you could even find one. Our Mike Rose suggested that dry channels might indicate that Apple is trying to avoid that whole "if a new model appears within 15 days of purchase" nightmare. If he's right, expect to see a flood of refurb units hit Apple and AT&T just after the new 3G unit is introduced. The first generation iPhone is an absolutely fabulous device and there's nothing to indicate that it won't be 100% compatible with new firmware for a long time to come. Price cuts on previous generation units make them an especially good match to hacking and unlocking. You can be enjoying your new iPhone while waiting out the inevitable 3G price drop or the move to newer generation technology. With Apple, there's a distinct consumer advantage to buying about 6-months behind the trend. As a delayed adopter, you buy all the beauty of the new technology while getting that (plus all the software updates and fixes) at a slightly lower price.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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AT&T Black iPhone Update
Turns out it's a placeholder.
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Jobs WWDC keynote all but confirmed
Filed under: Rumors, WWDC, iPhoneWhile there still hasn't been an official announcement from Apple (as of this writing), Fortune has reported that Steve Jobs will don the black shirt and blue jeans to deliver a keynote address on June 9, kicking off WWDC '08.It's not a surprise, of course, as Steve typically talks during the show. Also expected is the announcement of a 3G iPhone, as well as plans for international distribution, as rumors have been at their usual pre-event levels for a couple of weeks.If you can't wait for all of the fun to begin, download the Countdown to WWDC Dashboard widget and stare at it obsessively.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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May 12 'Macsimum Podcast' now available
Posted by Dennis SellersThe Macsimum Podcast for May 12 is now available here and the RSS feed is here. The show is sponsored in part by Trans International, a maker of memory for a variety of Macs.
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Mac software updates for May 12
Posted by Dennis Sellers>Barton Springs Software has released Photonic1.1, an update of the Mac OS X Flickr application. The upgrade brings an enhanced caching engine and better file system support.
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Stolen MacBook Owner Logs On, Takes a Photo, Busts Thieves
When Apple created the Back to My Mac feature on its .Mac service, it probably never envisioned it as a crime-solving tool. Yet that's just what it became last week, when the service helped the owner of a stolen MacBook recover her lost computer. Kait Duplaga, a young Apple store employee from White Plains, N.Y., lost her MacBook to thieves in late April, when her apartment was robbed. Police were unable to find the thieves until Duplaga managed to access her stolen computer remotely using the Back to My Mac feature, photograph a man using it, and turn the photos over to police.
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'Macsimum Recommended Reading' for May 12
Posted by Dennis Sellers“Climate Counts”—RoughlyDrafted Magazine
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AT&T says "iPhone Black" means nothing, gunman acted alone
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds We've just received an official statement from AT&T regarding the presence of an "iPhone Black" on its model selector earlier today: "The reference to 'iPhone Black' was simply a temporary placeholder used over the weekend for a scheduled catalog update. It was meant to temporarily distinguish the various iPhone models-4GB, 8GB and 16GB-but was never reassigned. We're changing the site now." Makes total sense, right? Three models of iPhone, two placeholders: iPhone and iPhone Black. You know, because "Black" has so much to do with memory capacity, and is easier to remember than 4, 8, or 16GB.Also, AT&T, we know those cigarettes are yours, so you can stop telling us you were "just carrying them for a friend." We're not stupid, you know.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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3G iPhone Predictions
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone Now that it's more or less a given that a 3G model is on its way -- very shortly if rumors are to believed -- let's have a little fun speccing the thing out. Sure there's absolutely no data so let your imagination guide you. What's the price of this baby going to be? How much memory will be onboard and what will its battery life work out to? Better onboard camera? With Video? And how about "Back to My Mac"/"Back to My iPhone" features? What are you willing to pay per month for the glory of all that is new, shiny and iPhone? Let us know in the comments about your dream 3G iPhone.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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OpenOffice.org 3.0 Mac Beta sports new Aqua look
The OpenOffice.org will ditch the need for Mac users to run the X11 windowing system with Version 3.0. The update, now with a Beta Version in release, will offer limited VBA support, unlike Microsoft's Mac Office suite.
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Forum Activity: May 12, 2008
Selection by Pixels? Mail Crashes Consistently A little help here with an external hard drive. What Mac should i get? Using a remote with a Mac is nothing new…
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Take the Mac|Life Survey -- Win iTunes Gift Card
Win one of two, $250 iTunes gift cards.
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Portfolio: Apple and HBO Close to a Deal
Huge win for both companies. ★
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Rotary dial for your iPhone
Filed under: Odds and ends, iPhoneI am one of the few people left in the country that owns and uses a rotary-dial telephone. Call me old-fashioned, but I just like the sound of that bell instead of an electronic noise when the phone rings. Now you can extend part of that experience (at least the labored dialing part) to your iPhone. Minnesota-based CodeMorphic has released RetroPhone, an application that simulates the rotary dial mechanism on the screen of your iPhone. Their website doesn't have a whole lot of information yet, but you can watch a video of the software in action at the St. Paul Pioneer Press's Your Tech Weblog. Of course, RetroPhone doesn't replicate the satisfying tactile response, but all the joy of spending two hours to dial an international phone number can be entirely yours. Thanks, Julio.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Quick look: Bokeh, deep freeze your idle apps on the Mac
Anyone who does processor-intensive work on the Mac, and even those who don't, know that sometimes, idle apps can take on a mind of their own. Using Brokeh, you can deep freeze those background apps while performing important tasks, and then unfreeze them when you're done. Read More...
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Mailplane 2 Beta flying to your Mac
Filed under: Software, Beta BeatLook! Up in the air! It's a bird, it's Superman; no, it's Mailplane 2 Beta!The wizards at uncomplex gmbh have posted a beta of an upgrade to Mailplane. In case you're not familiar with it, Mailplane is a "Mac-friendly" front-end to Gmail with a powerful feature set, and a quick fly-by of the upgrade revealed even more Gmail goodness: Full support for Gmail 2 mailplane:// URLs for accessing and searching your Gmail database A free OmniFocus clipping plugin for creating new tasks containing links to conversations in Mailplane Better photo attachment customization Assign different notification sounds and colors to specific Gmail accounts The ability to post Google Spreadsheet forms Integration with Mac OS X Address Book A "Do Not Disturb" mode and a few dozen more improvements! Once the beta program is complete, Mailplane 2 will be free to registered users or $24.95 for single users. Thanks for the tip, Chris!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple Gazette Daily 265 - Weekend News and more!
podcast sponsor link:Click Here to check out Blogflux! Today's Show: Weekend news round-up! 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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"iPhone Black" appears on AT&T ordering site
Filed under: Rumors, iPhone Apple Insider reports that AT&T customers can now choose Apple iPhone Black. This option appears on the AT&T page for upgrading or replacing phones. It reinforces the black-shell rumor that our big sister blog Engadget has been covering. Conventional wisdom still says "June" for the next-gen iPhone release. Might it be "May" instead?Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Data-only iPhone plan for $20/month
Filed under: iPhone Many months ago, I wrote about adding data packages to AT&T Pay As You Go accounts. I had hacktivated my iPhone to use the PAYG SIM to see how long it took to go through an entire 5MB data feature package. Answer? A few minutes. In case you don't see where I'm going with this, let me add that I just got off the phone with AT&T a few seconds ago. They have now officially added a new feature data package: for $19.95 you get unlimited data for 30 days. The way this works is as follows. You go to an AT&T store and buy a $100 prepaid SIM. This SIM is good for one year of use. You get a phone number, you get $100 of credit. Calls cost you either $0.25/minute or $1/day of use plus $0.10/minute. You pick which one when you set up the account. Read on for the rest of the details.Continue reading Data-only iPhone plan for $20/monthRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple flexes on flexible pricing? HBO iTunes deal rumored, NBC hits the UK
Filed under: Portable Video It looks like Apple might finally ready to give up its demands for straight up and down $1.99 TV show pricing on iTunes. If you'll remember, Apple and NBC had quite the squabble over price flexibility and margins last year, and some other show providers have held off providing content until they can get a more favorable deal from Apple. It seems one of those content holders was HBO, with word on the street that Apple is finally going to bow to desires for flexible pricing, and has signed up HBO to kick things off. Apple has also in recent months added NBC Universal shows to its UK store with variable pricing, which might be a sign that a return to the US store isn't far off.[Via Silicon Valley Insider]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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News: Vaja intros iVolution Stripes for iPhone
Vaja has introduced its new iVolution Stripes leather case for iPhone. The iVolution Stripes shares its basic design with the iVolution Top, offering a flip-down protective front flap, open access to all buttons and controls, and an optional rear clip. Unique to the iVolution Stripes is a customizable five-stripe color scheme, which allows the user “more than one million possible color combinations.” The color of the far left and far right…
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The iPhone 3G Switch
Turn 3G on and off in next generation iPhone
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Two Pro App Updates
Filed under: Software UpdateApple released two Pro App updates bright and early this Monday morning:ProKit Update 4.5: "This update improves reliability for Apple's professional applications and is recommended for all users of Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Express, Aperture, Logic Studio and Logic Express."Plugin Manager 1.7.3: "This update improves reliability for Apple's professional applications and is recommended for all users of Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Express, Aperture, Logic Studio and related SDKs."According the release notes for the Plugin Manager update, it addresses a backwards compatibility issue with Apple and third-party filters in the applications listed above. Users of any of these apps and Motion should fire up Software Update and install the recommended updates. No reboot is required (and there was much rejoicing!).Permalink | Email this | Comments
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MarketWatch First Take: New BlackBerry takes a page from the iPhone book
RIM leapfrogs Apple to 3G as iPhone and BlackBerry look set to trade blows for market share.
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Ask TUAW: PPPoE, SSH, Exposé, Wake on LAN, importing DAT tapes and more
Filed under: Features, Troubleshooting, Ask TUAWThis time in Ask TUAW we'll be looking at getting rid of a PPPoE menubar item, assigning keys to Exposé, activating Wake on LAN, importing 32MHz DAT tapes, changing the iTunes Library location, learning SSH and more.As always your suggestions are most welcome, and questions for next week should be left in the comments. When asking a question please include which machine you're running and which version of OS X, as certain answers will vary between different Macs and Tiger vs. Leopard, etc. (we'll assume you're running Leopard if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions!Continue reading Ask TUAW: PPPoE, SSH, Exposé, Wake on LAN, importing DAT tapes and moreRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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HBO to Apple: Bada Bing?
Content deal between companies would supposedly involve selling HBO's content at a different price than the rest of the iTunes content--something Apple has fiercely resisted.
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HBO shows coming to iTunes with flexible pricing?
Posted by Dennis SellersTime Warner's HBO cable network is expected to start selling shows on the iTunes Store, with flexible pricing, reports Reuters.
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Apple offers 45 loonie credit to Canadians with old iPods
Apple is offering a $45 credit to Canadian owners of first, second, and third generation iPods as part of a settlement agreement in a class-action suit over battery life.Read More...
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AT&T Lists Black iPhone and Apologizes for Wi-Fi Mix Up and Curb Your Enthusiasm for iTunes
PowerBook power adaptor suit settled and BSD bug discovered, 25 years later.
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PrinterSetup project for CUPS
A recently released printer utility for larger Mac deployments is in "prototyping phase." For those managing mass-quantities of Macs and Unix machines, this project could be useful.
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UK: Apple design guru, Jonathan Ive, wins President's Medal
Posted by Dennis Sellers UK: Jonathan Ive, Apple's vice-president of industrial design, won the coveted President's Medal for his contribution in promoting engineering excellence, reports the BBC.
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First Looks: Gear4 DUO Versatile Speaker System for iPod
As one of the more significant speaker design advances we've seen in recent years, Gear4's new DUO (£150/approx. $290) is a two-piece audio system that becomes bigger or smaller depending on your needs. The metal and plastic front piece is a portable, rechargeable battery-powered portable audio system with a fold-out dock in front and a fold-out stand in back, while the considerably larger plastic subwoofer sits on a desk waiting for you to attach…
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Settings for 3G unearthed in most recent iPhone SDK
A hidden preference in the latest iPhone firmware beta allows users to enable 3G networking. It's the best evidence so far for a 3G-capable iPhone. Read More...
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Report: HBO will sell shows on iTunes
Time Warner Inc's HBO cable network is expected to start selling shows on Apple's iTunes digital entertainment service, with ...
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Shape of Things to Come
The WSJ reports on a non-traditional trademark Apple has received on the three-dimensional shape of the iPod. ★
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moshi zephyr MacBook cooler
Filed under: MacBook, MacBook AirThere are plenty of Mac portable stands and cooling devices out there, but few can rival the moshi zephyr for good looks. This cast aluminum stand incorporates a "high-thermal conduction interface compound" that contacts the bottom of the Mac and draws heat away to the heat sink and "USB-powered ultra-silent fan (
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iPhone is MIA
Device currently unavailable in Apple Online Store
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Why Doesn’t Apple Face the Innovator’s Dilemma?
Insightful analysis from Charlie Wood regarding the aforelinked “Good Enough” piece. ★
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Today's sign that the 3G iPhone is nigh
Give me a G! And another G! And yet another G! The analysts over at Piper Jaffray are getting ready for the launch of a 3G iPhone in "imminent" fashion.
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Pixar’s iPod-like Heroine
Jonathan Ive consulted with Andrew Stanton on the design of Eve, the gleaming white robot in Wall-E. ★
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TheBrain Technologies
This is your Brain on your Mac
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Synchronizing iCal to Outlook
I have a Mac and my boyfriend has a PC, and we were trying to figure out how to synchronize my iCal calendar with his Outlook calendar. Is there any way to do this?
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Europa Universalis 3 and Napoleon's Ambition
Napoleon complex relive history or rewrite it.
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Apple Settles iPod Class Action for $45 a Head
Apple has agreed to settle a pair of class action lawsuits in Canada alleging it misled customers about the staying power of their iPods, the latest courtroom truce over the dwindling battery life of early generations of the device. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company is offering credits for its online store of about $44.75 to people who live in Canada and bought certain iPods there on or before June 24, 2004, according to a court document.
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New BlackBerry, New Fund: Is RIM's Moat Wide Enough?
Business people can be hip too. That appears to be the message from Research in Motion (RIMM) and its motives behind its new BlackBerry Bold smartphone. There’s definitely a hint of some iPhone envy here, but the device isn’t a direct competitor. From the statement:
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Free Xserve Training From Apple
If you haven't tried yet, but are interested in running a server, now is your chance to get some free training about Mac OS X Server. Apple assures that if you don't have a dedicated IT staff, you can still run a server with their wicked easy-to-use Leopard Server. The free seminar is aimed at expanding IT departments and small business owners. The only drawback is that it will be in Addison, TX, so only those who live near the Dallas/Fort Worth Area will be able to attend. The seminar will be at the Addison Conference & Theatre Centre (the “re” endings are so hot right now). It is this Wednesday, May 14th, 9 AM to 12 PM. The topics included are: Introduction to Mac OS X Server Tools to configure and control your server Collaboration using the server Podcast Producer If you are able to make it, blog about it, and link back to this post.
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Under The Radar News - Monday
Bunge soaking up cash. Soybean and fertilizer giant Bunge (BG) is burning cash at a record pace. Soaring soybean and commodity prices, which should benefit Bunge (and have seen shares double over the past two years), are actually crushing the company due to its hedges, which are forcing Bunge to borrow at record rates. 2007 cash flow was -$411M, vs. -$289M in 2006 -- and it has already used another $353M in cash this year. In 2007, Bunge added $1.6B to its debt, bringing the total to $4.2B. The company's woes are complicated by the fact that soybean farmers are being squeezed by record fertilizer prices, resulting in defaults on their obligations to Bunge. EnCana gushes on breakup plan. Shares of EnCana (ECA) are up 7% after it announced plans to split into a natural gas company and an integrated oil-sands producer. Based on a sum-of-parts analyst, UBS analyst Andrew Potter thinks the company could be worth C$110/share, vs. the C$93 it was trading at this morning. Herbalife whistleblower. Former Herbalife (HLF) Director of Venezuela and Colombia, Ricardo Hollander, says employees of the company are committing fraud by falsifying their official addresses in order to get paid in the currencies of Columbia or Panama despite living in Venezuela. He says he was fired for reporting the illegal activity to his supervisors, and has been stonewalled by the company's human resources department. iPhone to hit Asia. Apple (AAPL) agreed to distribute the iPhone in Asia and Australia through four companies. SingTel will sell the iPhone in Singapore, Bharti Airtel in India, Globe Telecom in the Philippines and Optus in Australia. The iPhone will go on sale in Asia sometime this year. The agreements are not expected to be exclusive, and other carriers could still sign on. Fannie preferred offering. Sources say Fannie Mae (FNM) will market an issue of preferred shares worth at least $1.5B today, with a dividend yielding 8.25%. Fannie said last week it would raise at least $6B in fresh capital. Fannie also said it will sell $2B of three-month benchmark bills due Aug. 13, 2008, and $1.5B in six-month bills due Nov. 12, 2008, in a Dutch auction Wednesday. Friendly move. Sources say Google (GOOG) is set to launch a new set of APIs that allow Open Social participants to pull profile information from social networks. The protocol, called "Friend Connect," is thought to be similar to MySpace's (NWS) Data Availability and Facebook's Facebook Connect. Nvidia denies interest in Via. Nvidia (NVDA) says it is not looking at buying VIA technologies. "They don't need our money. I don't need theirs," Huang said. "They're doing fine. People want to create drama." Via makes chipsets for x86-based computers. "Our shtick is that we just focus on one thing," says Huang. "We said we're a visual computing technology company and we're completely focused on this." ADM faces criminal charges. Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) disclosed it is under criminal investigation by the EPA for wastewater-discharge practices at a Missouri facility. Power plant plan fizzles. BP (BP) and Rio Tinto (RTP) cancelled a plan to build a $1.5-2B coal-fired power plant in Australia. The plant was canned after the firms discovered rock formations in the area would not fully seal-in carbon dioxide deposits. Strikes hurt GM dealers. General Motors (GM) dealers say parts shortages and a lack of inventory due in part to the UAW strike against American Axle & Manufacturing (AXL) is causing clients to wait indefinitely for custom cars. GM says the strikes haven't broadly impacted individual retail sales. Turning up the heat on energy trading. A House committee is probing energy-market speculation, sources say. Regulators believe hedge funds and investment banks may have played a role in driving crude oil prices to record highs.
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News: HBO coming to iTunes Store?
Apple will soon announce a deal with HBO to sell the premium cable network's programming on the iTunes Store, according to a new report. Citing HBO employees involved in executing the agreement, Portfolio.com says the new offerings could be announced in the next few weeks. Although the details of the agreement are unknown, it appears as though Apple has agreed to a separate pricing structure for HBO content, with both higher pricing for HBO…
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AT&T listing "iPhone Black" model, O2 gets the original back in stock
Filed under: Cellphones Good news and bad news on the imminent 3G iPhone front. O2 apparently got another batch of 16 giggers in stock, since it's currently accepting orders, while the 8GB remains out of stock, and both phones remain unavailable on the US and UK Apple Stores. More encouraging, however, is the new listing of an "iPhone Black" model on AT&T's account management site. There's nothing else on the site to hint at specs or release or whether this is indeed the upcoming 3G iPhone, but it does fall in line with the word we have on a glossy black back for the much anticipated phone. Whether all this means we have weeks or months to wait is anyone's guess, but there are plenty of encouraging signs out there for the true believers to cling onto.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Update: Telecom Italia Mobile's Executive VP Luigi Licciardi claims they'll be selling the iPhone 3G next month. How's that for clarity? [Thanks, Giovanni]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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HBO might be coming to iTunes, with flexible pricing
Filed under: iTS, iTunesPorfolio.com is reporting that you might soon be able to find Tony Soprano in the iTunes Store. HBO, the premium cable channel known for their original programming, is in talks with Apple to add their programming to the iTunes Store.This is good news for fans of HBO shows, but the real story here is the deal that HBO has reportedly managed to wrangle out of Apple. Portfolio's sources say that Apple has agreed to flexible pricing for HBO, which might mean we'll have to pay more than $1.99 per episode for that content. This is the structure that NBC, and many other studios, would love but Apple has been resistant to in the past.Before you go crazy, please note that flexible pricing might mean something other than paying more for the shows: Apple might give HBO a bigger cut of the profits from the flat $1.99. Only time will tell, since HBO insiders say that that HBO's inclusion in the iTunes Store will be announced and launched at the same time.Note: HBO and TUAW both have the same corporate overlords, but that doesn't mean we have any inside information.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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The Mac desktop, set to music
A friend emailed me a link to the above video from YouTube, which is a music video for The Bird And The Bee’s “Again & Again” created entirely on/in a Mac OS X desktop. I especially like the creative plug to buy the song on iTunes at the end of the video. (Tip: Stuart Pomerantz) Update: [...]
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WSJ details Apple's trademark strategy
The Wall Street Journal on Apple's methodical pursuit of a nontraditional trademark for iPod's three-dimensional shape, which was finally granted in January: Apply for a traditional trademark on the name: “iPod”. Use patents to protect against early competitors. Create ads associating the unique iPod wheel with Apple. Apply for additional traditional trademarks to leverage the product and strengthen the association. Apply for the nontraditional trademark for iPod's three-dimensional shape. Apple is already following the same strategy with iPhone.
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XP Update Ushers In Fresh Round of Bugaboos
Shortly following Microsoft's release of the third service pack for its Windows XP operating system, reports of problems regarding the SP's installation began appearing on blogs and the Windows XP Newsgroup. XP users have experienced an assortment of issues both with the installation itself and after the installation, ranging from failed and frozen installations to failure of external disks, wireless networking problems and repeated reboots following the update. Microsoft is aware of the issues and is investigating them further, it said.
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Reader Feedback Request: iTunes Cover Artwork Confusion
I'm having a bit of an inconvenience with my iTunes artwork on my iPhone. I'm listening to Jack Johnson, but the artwork is that of the Official Lost Podcast. It wouldn't be that big of a deal except that it's an ongoing problem. Vampire Weekend is showing John William's Greatest Hits…and on and on. It's not a “problem” per se, just an inconvenience…I would say that 40-50% of my library artwork is mixed up. I've poked around and found several others who are having the same problem, and it seems that it stems from the most recent Software Update. There's not really a clear-cut solution either…some say a Restore will fix the bug, for others a Restore didn't work, and they had to go in and manually fix every issue in iTunes (ugh). So I turn it to you, Dear Reader. Have you had an iTunes artwork mix-up? What kind of fix did you use to solve the problem?
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iTunesVolume
Filed under: Software, Freeware, iTunesThere are a ton of Mac volume controllers out there. CoverSutra is one of the best that we have seen, however, if simplistic and free is what you like, then why not try iTunesVolume. Just as the name implies, you are able to control the volume of the iTunes application with this small app. iTunesVolume definitely takes the Steve Jobs "one button is good enough for everything" approach. The slider controls everything -- you can move it to control volume in iTunes or hold the button down to get a pop-up menu with extra options.iTunesVolume is a free 2 MB download from the developer's website.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Research in Motion launches first 3G BlackBerry
Research in Motion unveiled its first 3G version of its popular BlackBerry device Monday, following weeks of speculation about how the mobile-phone maker would broaden its product line to compete against a potential onslaught from the iPhone.
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Apple presence growing in India
Posted by Dennis Sellers India: Reliance Digital, the IT consumer arm of Reliance Retail, has opened its “iStore” in Jaipur, offering shoppers in the Pink City the entire range of Apple products, reports Web India. The iStores will also offer specific training modules for different Mac applications like iPhoto, iMovie, Mac OS X, etc....
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India, Australia get multiple iPhone carriers
Three more mobile carriers have joined in on the iPhone orgy—two of which will be carrying the iPhone in countries where Vodafone will be carrying it as well.Read More...
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News: AT&T lists 'iPhone Black' model online
A drop-down menu of devices on AT&T's customer website shows a new “iPhone Black” model alongside a listing for the current iPhone. The menu is visible from the Phone/Device selection screen in the Online Account Management area of the carrier's website. While no device with that name has been announced, the appearance of the listing does lend credence to prior reports that the next-generation iPhone would be available…
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A possible 35 countries/territories now have the iPhone
Posted by Dennis SellersSingapore Telecommunications (SingTel), Bharti Airtel, Globe Telecom and Optus announced on Monday that they have signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to Singapore, India, the Philippines and Australia later this year, reports Channel News Asia. This brings the total number of countries and/or territories carrying the iPhone...
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Updated: Apple designer Jonathan Ive offers input on 'Wall-E' robot
Posted by Dennis SellersWhen the new Pixar animated film, Wall-E hits the theaters this June, you'll notice that one robot, Eve (shown at left in photo), looks pretty familiar. Her form and design cues are reminiscent of an iPod, or maybe the original Airport Extreme base station.
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Bee Documents releases 3D Edition of Bee Docs' Timeline
Posted by Dennis SellersBee Documents has released Bee Docs' Timeline 3D Edition, a new edition of its timeline software for Mac OS X 10.5 (“Leopard”). Bee Docs' Timeline 3D Edition presents full screen, interactive, three dimensional timeline charts.
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Demo of Penumbra: Black Plague game released
Posted by Dennis SellersFrictional Games has released a demo version of Penumbra: Black Plague for Mac, reports Inside Mac Games. The sequel to Penumbra: Overture is due for release next week.
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Analysts weigh in on iPhone sales
Posted by Dennis SellersAmerican Technology Research Analyst Shaw Wu told clients that Apple's stock will probably go higher than expected based on all the new iPhone agreements. Meanwhile, Piper Jaffray Analyst Gene Munster is predicting a 3G iPhone by mid-June.
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Study: many iPhone users carry second cell phone
Posted by Dennis SellersOverall, iPhone users are happy with the communications device, but many also carry a second cell phone, according to a new study by Rubicon Consulting. The research firm conducted a survey of 460 iPhone users in the US to determine how the iPhone is being used and its effects on...
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Solve a problem where Docked items move or vanish
I use SyncTogether to keep my iMac and MacBook (both Leopard) in sync. I usually sync iCal, Address Book, bookmarks, notes and Dock items. Several days ago, however, I started to notice a very annoying issue with my iMac's Dock: some items started to move around on the Dock, or completely disappeared from it. Even if I placed the vanished items back on the Dock and selected Keep in Dock, they vanished after a while.I can't remember what was I doing when it started, but yesterday, the problem replicated itself to the MacBook. Other accounts were working normally, but not mine. I deleted the com.apple.dock.* files, but nothing changed. After using fsevent for a while, I noted some recent activities in ~/Library » Application Support » SyncServices » Local.I decided to make a backup of that whole directory, and in a brute force way, I then deleted the content of the clientdata and DataRefer...
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10.5: How to 'wrap around' the Command-Tab switcher
I had grown accustomed to using Command-Tab and the Right- or Left-Arrow keys to switch apps in 10.4, but that functionality changed a little in 10.5.In 10.4, holding the Command key, tapping Tab, then using the Left Arrow twice, one could get the end of a (potentially long) list of running apps -- the first Left Arrow press would select the 'previously used' application (the leftmost icon in the Command-Tab bar), and the next Left Arrow press would jump to the icon at the far right of the Command-Tab bar. Basically, if the leftmost app icon was highlighted, hitting the Left Arrow would highlight the app at the right end of the list, and vice versa. 10.5 doesn't allow this wraparound feature; pressing Left Arrow with the leftmost icon highighted does nothing at all.The solution? It was hidden in this...
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Choose storage destination for iTunes' Convert feature
You may have known that holding the Option key down before activating the Advanced menu in iTunes yields the 'Convert to [format]...' (where [format] is the audio format you've chosen in iTunes' Preferences) menu item, which is useful for selecting a file on your computer to convert to your preferred audio format and adding it to iTunes.If in the Open dialog, however, you select your desired file(s) and then again hold Option before clicking the Open button, iTunes will immediately open another file dialog asking for the destination in which to place the converted file, regardless of music folder location preferences.Note: The converted file is still added to the iTunes library. This hint just gives you control as to where the file will be saved in the Finder.
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Badia Printools available for Adobe InDesign CS3
Posted by Dennis SellersBadia Software has released Badia Printools 5.0 for Adobe InDesign CS3. The US$119.99add-on, which has been available for QuarkXPress since 1999, is now also available for the Adobe product.
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Dreamcatcher releases iPhone Video Recorder
Posted by Dennis SellersDreamCatcher has released the US$19.95 iPhone Video Recorder, an iPhone oriented video recorder. It records audio and video to the compressed MPEG-4 format in frame rates up to 15fps. You can play back the video, download it to a computer, upload to Youtube, or send it out by email.
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Eye-Fi introduces new Mac compatible products
Posted by Dennis SellersEye-Fi has announced an extended product line-up that includes three new, Mac compatible, wireless SD memory cards. One of those is the Eye-Fi Explore, which will automatically add geographic location tags to each photo and will allow users to upload their memories from Wi-Fi hotspots.
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