Sep 16, 2008 Sep 18, 2008 Wednesday September 17, 2008
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Test driving iPhone 3G (Verdict: mediocre)
I finally took the plunge into the iPhone. So far, not great, but not terrible. We'll see what happens next.
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Genius feature on iTunes gets high marks
You're listening to a favorite song in iTunes and want to hear other tracks that replicate the mood. At the click of a button, ...
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Sonic Studio plans Moscone event to announce new products
Posted by Dennis SellersAfter a two year hiatus, San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center will be the renewed focus of all things audio. Sonic Studio will be there Oct. 2-5, launching new products, demonstrating current wares, and providing a glimpse at future technologies.
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Android-powered HTC Dream to sell for $199 on T-Mobile
Filed under: Cellphones With under a week to go before the HTC Dream is officially unveiled in the Big Apple, the Wall Street Journal has given us something juicy to gnaw on for the time being: a price. Unsurprisingly positioned to compete directly with the iPhone 3G, the Android-powered HTC Dream / G1 will go for a cool $199 (with 2-year contract, obviously) when it launches on T-Mobile, though there's no word yet on what it'll run sans subsidization. So, how do you like dem Apples?[Via Fortune]Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Integrien previews VMware-specific capabilities of next version of Alive
Posted by Dennis SellersIntegrien Corp., which makes intelligent systems management products, has previewed at VMworld new VMware-specific capabilities that will be featured in the next version of its flagship software offering, Alive.
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The iPhone Monopoly Myth
Daniel Eran Dilger After initially dismissing the notion that Apple could ever break its way past entrenched rivals and make any significant impact on the smartphone industry, tech pundits are now aghast that Apple is running its business the way its executives see fit. Critics charge that the iPhone and its mobile software store amount to [...]
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TUAW Review: Podcaster
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Internet Tools, Reviews, Podcasts, iPhone, App StoreYou've heard about the controversy surrounding Podcaster -- it's the iPhone app that was turned down by Apple for "duplicating the functionality of iTunes." The developer, Alex Sokirynsky, is now distributing his native podcast stream receiver app via ad hoc distribution. The iPhone development world & the Mac blogosphere (not to mention the mainstream press) is still loudly debating Apple's decision, but not much is being said about the application itself. Alex was kind enough to provide a review copy of Podcaster to TUAW, so we gave the app a workout. Read on for our review of this controversial and useful application. Continue reading TUAW Review: PodcasterRead|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Panic on Wall Street - Fast Money Recap (9/17/08)
Recap of CNBC's Fast Money, Wednesday September 17.Panic on Wall Street - Goldman Sachs (GS), Barclays (BCS), Lehman Brothers (LEH), Morgan Stanley (MS), Wachovia (WB), U.S. Bancorp (USB), Financial Select Sector SPDR (XLF)
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Farewell, Jerry, we barely knew ye
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, HumorIt's an open question whether TUAW readers really care about the inside-baseball, schadenfreude-laden story of an expensive ad campaign for another technology company that left many in the audience scratching their heads, wondering "are these ads about nothing?" Most of you probably took passing note of the commercials and moved on to your game of Spore.Nevertheless, the word tonight via Valleywag and Engadget, among other sources, that Microsoft will be dumping Jerry Seinfeld from its upcoming TV spots (and bringing in a John Hodgman look-alike to directly target Apple's "I'm a Mac" campaign) is making us think. Why lose the Sein? He brought a slightly cranky, slightly spacey vibe -- not a bad matchup for Bill Gates, when you come down to it. There must have been more to it than simply "people didn't like the ads..."View PollPermalink|Email this|Comments
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Singer-songwriter Tom Fox offers legal free MP3 downloads
Posted by Dennis SellersGuitarist, singer and songwriter Tom Fox is one of a small but growing group of artists giving away music for free rather than charging or having fans fined for stealing it. On his web site he has made CDs of free music downloads available, including songs from Midnight Rain (which...
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First Look: GL Golf
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touchIf you're the golfing type (and I must admit, I'm no golfer), then you may like a new game/simulator for your iPhone/iPod touch. GL Golf [iTunes Link] allows you to play golf on your iPhone in a semi-realistic 3D world. The game consists of 5 golf courses, and you can play with up to 4 people. I really like the ability to change variables in the game. You can change things like weather, time of day, season, ball color, difficulty of play, and the type of course.The game play is solid. To swing the club just double tap on the screen; when the power meter reaches to a spot you want, just single tap and the club will swing, hitting the ball. You can change the type of club you have by dragging your finger up/down the screen, thereby changing the range. The game does pause itself when you tap the home button, so if you get a call while playing, you won't lose your game. The game is almost perfect with the exception of two things that could be easily changed with an update. First off, the graphics are not the best that you're going to find on an iPhone game. Second, not being able to move the camera (view point) around is a big downfall in certain circumstances. Sometimes a tree or river bank might be blocking your view and you cannot see if you're hitting the ball in the right direction (see screenshot 6). Despite that, the physics model in the game is amazing and very accurate. Overall, this is a solid game and should definitely be on every duffer's app download list. You can purchase GL Golf from the App Store today for $7.99. Be sure to look at our gallery of screenshots. Gallery: First Looks: GL GolfRead|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Microsoft Aims to Redefine ‘I’m a PC’
This Microsoft advertising story just gets weirder. Now they’re rolling out a commercial with a John Hodgman lookalike who declares, “Hello, I’m a PC, and I’ve been made into a stereotype.” Directly responding to Apple’s campaign is weak. It’s playing Pepsi to Apple’s Coke, Burger King to Apple’s McDonald’s. It’s an explicit acknowledgement that Microsoft is the second-place brand. ★
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Microsoft's new ads: Seinfeld and Gates out, Hodgman lookalike in
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops According to a report from in the New York Times, the next phase of Microsoft's latest ad campaign is set to begin -- sans Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld. Apparently, the new ads do away with the unusual (and somewhat ill-received) banter and "real life" experiences of the two celebrities, and trade them for an earnest embrace of... Apple's "PC" character. Apparently, one of the new ads even begins with a John Hodgman lookalike stating, "Hello, I'm a PC, and I've been made into a stereotype." Beyond the flip on a rival's depiction of its brand, the campaign will feature cameos from Eva Longoria, Deepak Chopra, Pharrell Williams, and even Gates -- though Seinfeld doesn't make the cut. While we're curious to see what the company cooks up in the new ads, it does strike us as somewhat odd that the supposed narrative Microsoft was establishing with Gates and Seinfeld has abruptly been abandoned in favor of these new spots. Is this a decision which was made long ago, or did the largely negative / confused reaction to the last set of ads force the company's hand? We only have its official statement to go on: "We will be executing the second phase of our advertising campaign tomorrow, as planned from the start."[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Microsoft's Zune makes strides to catch Apple's iPod
Apple has dominated the digital music scene with its iPods. Microsoft has been an also-ran with Zune. But that hasn't stopped ...
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VueScan adds support for mouse wheel for image zooming
Posted by Dennis SellersHamrick Software has released Vuescan 8.4.88, a new version of the VueScan software for Mac OS X that's designed to let users produce better digital images from color snapshots, negatives, slides and documents. The upgrade adds support for mouse wheel for image zooming and fixes some bugs.
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Griffin unveils AirCurve acoustic amplifier, Clarifi case for iPhone
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Portable Audio We're not saying a transparent box designed to "acoustically amplify" your iPhone speakers is an unmistakable ripoff or anything, but we do believe your $19.99 would be better spent on materials and beverages of choice as you exercise that DIY muscle. At any rate, Griffin Technology has today introduced the AirCurve (that's the thing we just described) alongside the Clarifi ($34.99; pictured after the jump), a polycarbonate protective case for your iPhone 3G. Unlike alternatives, though, this one has a "close-up lens," which supposedly gives your iPhone 3G the ability to take remarkably detailed macro shots with even "more accurate colors." Call us jaded, but both of these things have marketing hoopla written all over 'em.[Via iLounge]Read - AirCurveRead - ClarifiContinue reading Griffin unveils AirCurve acoustic amplifier, Clarifi case for iPhone Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Microsoft to Give Seinfeld the Axe
CrunchGear is reporting that after only 2 commercials, Microsoft is giving Jerry Seinfeld the boot. The general consensus on the two ads that have shown has overwhelmingly been that people just straight out don't get them. Both ads mention next to nothing about Microsoft or Windows. It's reported that Microsoft will make an announcement shortly about this change but will make it seem as though it were the plan all along. That is, of course, unless blogs and news outlets around the world beat them to the punch and call them out on it. The obvious assumption here is that the ads just didn't ever catch on and were proving to be a waste of money. But for a company like Microsoft, a few hundred million here and there seems a bit like pocket change. My guess is that the ads could very well have been having a negative impact on Microsoft with viewers possibly equating confusion to the Microsoft brand. The exact reasoning is anyone's guess and I doubt Microsoft would ever divulge such information. I really was hoping to see this series of ads through to see if there was, in fact, some grand ending to it all…but alas we shall not.
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'Your Mac Life Show' went dark last night - Show will air tonight
Posted by Dave MertenThe Your Mac Life Show was canceled last night due to a Comcast cable outage in the YML studio. The show will air tonight at 8:30PM EST. Host Shawn and Lesa King apologize for the inconvenience and invite you to tune in tonight. Below is the itinerary for the show.
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HTC Touch HD handled, pre-release style
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds Okay, so this "review" of HTC's beastly new Touch HD isn't much of a review, but it offers up a few important snippets of insight -- and perhaps more importantly for the visual stimulation-starved among us, a plethora of photography. The reviewer notes that the 800 x 480 display is positively gorgeous, the cam is decent (though autofocus is a tad on the slow side), the latest iteration of TouchFLO 3D running here chugs along with virtually no slowdown, and despite the display and the heavy-duty spec sheet, the darned thing is essentially the same size as an iPhone 3G. Oh, and there's also a true 3.5mm headphone jack lurking on here, too, which we dare you to find on that HTC in your pocket right now. Makes it all that much harder to hear that it's launching in the fourth quarter without global HSDPA, doesn't it?[Thanks, Steph]Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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PCI Geomatics expands offering with PostgreSQL support
Posted by Dennis SellersPCI Geomatics, a developer of software and solutions for geospatial imaging applications, has expanded its image management systems with the addition of support for the PostgreSQL database.PCI Geomatics' image management systems now support the capability to read both raster and vector layers from a PostgreSQL database, and offer an solution...
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Leadership
Last week's column on bad IT management and the strong response from readers that followed show this to be a huge issue. There are WAY too many IT managers who either can't or shouldn't manage technical teams. Last week I maintained that having a firm technology base, or at least the ability and willingness to acquire one, was essential for good managers. While readers got carried away with which technical test is the best, I don't think there is much dispute that there are certain aspects of technical management that are helped by the manager being a code god. But that's far from all there is to the job. So this week I want to go deeper and look at what's really missing in nearly every instance of such bad management, which is leadership. The distinction between management and leadership is a critical one. Management is -- at its very best -- an exercise in coping while leadership is so much more. Last week's simple idea that the manager ought to at least be able to tell good work from bad is exemplified by Bill Gates, who liked to claim that he could tell good code from across the room and that whatever task a team was facing was something he could code in Visual Basic over a weekend. Both statements are nonsense, of course, but Bill knew he had to talk the talk, making him at least an adequate manager. Does it make him a leader? I don't think so. But let's not blame Bill for that. Let's blame Charles Simonyi. Charles is the guy who came up with Microsoft's development process -- an outgrowth of his research at Xerox PARC. I covered this extensively in my book, Accidental Empires, but the short version is that Charles came to advocate a strong program manager as the central controller of any development group. One person made all the decisions and as long as that one person was correct 85 percent of the time, it was better to have a dictatorship than a democracy or even a meritocracy. This was an effective way to extend Bill's will to Microsoft programmers Bill would never even meet. And to Charles' credit the system worked well enough if the dictator was really, really smart and the task at hand wasn't too complex. It was perfect for the 1980s. But it is far from perfect today and represents one of the fundamental reasons why Windows Vista was so late to market and such a mess when it finally shipped. Vista had plenty of management, but not very much leadership. When I think of leaders what comes to mind first are political and military leaders. We use the term "leadership" to describe those roles far more than we do for what ought to be similar roles in business or technology. This week former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina said that John McCain, Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, and Joe Biden were all ill-suited to be CEOs of major corporations. However badly the statement went over (Carly supports McCain, by the way), her real point was that there are different skill sets for leaders than managers. And she's right to an extent, but it also says a lot about her own tenure at H-P, which was long on management and short on leadership. Management is telling people what to do, which is a vital part of any industrial economy. Leadership is figuring out what ought to be done then getting people to do it, which is very different. It is a vital part of any successful post-industrial economy, too, but most managers don't know that. Let's use the U.S. military involvement in Iraq as an example of the difference between leadership and management. As more books are written and stories come out we can see that there is a lot of arguing that goes on inside the military. Officers are onboard or not. They are proposing various strategies and taking positions generally advocating what's perceived as safest for both the mission they have accepted and the preservation of life among their troops. Eventually someone makes or imposes an order, but even then there is a lot of second-guessing in the military, which has to be ready with Plans B through G just in case they are needed. This is a lot different from the image many of us have of General Patton pointing toward Berlin, imposing a singular view and forcing it through. In contrast to the military, most businesses do a lot less explaining and pondering and a lot more laying down edicts. That's management, which works fine on an assembly line, but not at all well building a big software application or winning a war. Janna Raye is someone I worked with at InfoWorld half a lifetime ago who has built a consulting career on understanding this stuff and helping companies to transcend 20th century corporate hierarchies and become what she calls "fractal organizations." Janna's consulting business is called Strategems and here is her take on this issue: "Modern corporations suffer from systemic-level issues that emerge in top-down hierarchies. Managers are there to control staff and budgets, not to lead. Although you can make valiant and often successful attempts to control things and processes, you will never again be able to control people. We've evolved, basically, and the information age has had a lot to do with it. So we still "manage" companies the same way as when we actually operated assembly lines in America--the good old days! Now, people need leaders, not managers, and that's what a fractal organization enables. "In fractal organizations, it's the staff deciding how to continuously improve processes in their functional areas for efficiency of time and resources. These organizations thrive with a new pay model also, based upon results or value of work delivered and not how much time it takes to do the task. Those who are really good will get to go home early! These are not the organizations that are shrinking. Like galaxies, they continue to expand, actually aided by a strong gravitational pull of the leaders at the center. Those who do it well create a compelling vision and keep it alive. They allocate resources to projects that align with the vision, and reward arm- and team-cluster leaders for the creative ideas their staff bring to the organization. It's a shared vision and collective goals that are missing from the vast majority of organizations, which is why failing projects continue to drain resources. Really caring about what you do and feeling proud to be a part of something special and wonderful is what every human desires, even if they say they don't." So what's Janna's model for the ideal 21st century organization? Pixar. "They let creativity run wild at Pixar!" says Janna. "Ed Catmull, Pixar's president, wrote an article for the Harvard Business Review on their collective creativity. Ed and John Lasseter (and sometimes Steve Jobs) are in the center of the galaxy, keeping the gravitational pull strong and the company rotating, so to speak. Around them are the directors, who in the fractal org model lead the arms (no more divisions!). Each film team or cluster, from the storyboard artists to the renderers, goes through the iterations necessary to achieve the best results. Everyone is on board with creating exemplary films and they are relentless in demanding only the best. But in this process, as they say, they have to get all the "sucky" ideas out first. If they don't reveal all the ideas, they don't get all the perspectives and therefore might miss something important. In quantum physics and information theory, this relates to the observer effect and the importance of acknowledging the perspective influence of everyone in a scene. "In top-down hierarchies, the opposite occurs, yet the people on the front lines are the ones dealing with the evolutionary changes going on around them and are the best source of ideas for solving tactical issues. You wouldn't need "change management" if you made continuous improvements at the functional level the responsibility of every individual and team cluster. Yet Pixar makes incredible films in this manner, so you could certainly accomplish it anywhere, even in a supermarket! In fact, some of Whole Foods' leadership practices are fractal -- in-store teams make decisions about products and their placement, based on their observations of customer patterns. "Most start-ups are fractal in their nature, especially those that have exciting visions and get everyone on the same page with collective purpose, goals, and objectives. Most investors, however, are bought into the conventional org chart; when the company devolves into top-down, the turnover begins. That's because of the internal competition that emerges in top-down organizations. The perception is that there's only so much room at the top. At each level of management, the competition increases as cooperation decreases. Thus are created the ubiquitous "silos" of information that thwart collaboration and encourage redundant, wasteful business practices. "Managers are supposedly promoted because of their ability to outperform others and not because of an intention to provide inspiration, guidance, and mentoring to their staff, nor are they openly rewarded for this behavior, even though it usually produces a healthier bottom line. The usual way of rewarding based upon meeting financial goals and managing budgets keeps the focus on short-term financial results only, whereas continuous improvement leadership by frontline staff creates more long-term successes. "When managers don't mentor staff, focusing only upon numbers and bossing people around, it leads to an illusion of control, of which there's no such thing. In these situations, they begin to feel they must continually prove their worthiness and so defend their territories against possibly brilliant staff working "beneath" them. This is a systemic issue, not a personality quirk, though some personalities are more susceptible than others. In most companies, the idea of climbing over others on your way to the top and throwing people who get in your way under buses is de rigueur. The top-down hierarchy was designed to manage industrial-age processes, not information-age challenges. You didn't want the door guy getting creative when attaching the door. Nor did he need to collaborate with the bumper dude. The information age is vastly different. Each scene we're in presents new circumstances and opportunities. "Pixar claims they have a meritocracy. This is a good description of the atmosphere that emerges in fractal organizations. Google was likely more fractal in the beginning, before they brought in managers trained in top-down hierarchies and engrained with the accompanying behavioral patterns, such as knee-jerk resistance to ideas they haven't thought of themselves. Not everyone is like this, of course, but usually those who aren't have had confident mentors themselves who encouraged creative participation. In Catmull's HBR article, he says they insist that everyone in the company contribute ideas, across all functions and levels, or they will perish. Interestingly, he mentions the difficulty in getting new hires to feel comfortable with this process. This results from cultural-level systems that keep people in competition rather than cooperation. Though Catmull tells readers what they do at Pixar and why, he doesn't instruct on how to make the organizational changes that enable this approach to creativity." I guess that last part is Janna's job. All this fractal stuff is interesting, but I'm guessing it is also difficult to implement, because it may describe Pixar but it DOESN'T accurately describe Apple -- the other place where Steve Jobs is king. Still, Apple's product success shows that something is being transferred from one company to the other. It's just that at Apple, Steve Jobs can't make himself stay out of the way.
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Sente for Mac OS X includes embedded web browser
Posted by Dennis Sellers Third Street Software has released Sente 5.6, an update of the academic reference management software. The upgrade includes an embedded web browser that supports targeted browsing—a new feature that enables users to capture reference data from many web sites with a single mouse click.
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A look at WritingPad
Filed under: iPhone, App Store As of now WritingPad is unavailable from the App Store, but before it disappeared I had a chance to install it and test it out. Bottom line? The "guessing" it does worked surprisingly well, but a few glitches (like trying to add a question mark, which you'll see near the end of the video) marred the intelligence of the autocorrection. The results of pitting the standard input versus WritingPad, however, weren't great. I found that if I trust Apple's built-in keyboard and autocorrect, my typing is faster. Plus, by smearing your finger around the screen the hand you're holding the iPhone with can get fatigued. I tend to either one-finger type or use both thumbs delicately perched above the keyboard. Also, you have to think a bit more when typing with WritingPad, which sometimes messed me up as I "spelled" the words with my finger. You may type by pressing one letter at a time, however. Guesses appear three at a time below the text entry area. Moving the cursor around is harder because it doesn't magnify the screen as Apple does (so you guess a bit). When you do finish typing you can email the text to yourself or save it inside the app. WritingPad is a very nice tech demo, but I don't see it usurping Apple's virtual keyboard entry method any time soon. Perhaps a larger screen using similar technology makes sense?Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Kodak debuts OLED wireless frame
Posted by Dennis SellersKodak has introduced what it says is the world's first consumer-available wireless picture frame featuring Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) technology, a Kodak invention that the company says produces exceptionally sharp and vivid image quality.
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Inside the iPhone App Store Acceptance Process
Niall Kennedy on the App Store and the Podcaster saga. Includes this fascinating nugget regarding Podcaster developer Alex Sokirynsky’s decision to sell the app on his own, via ad hoc provisioning: As of yesterday afternoon Podcaster had provisioned 1130 devices for distribution across 12 different copies of the application hosted on Google Code. Each new uploaded build included up to new 100 authorized devices after the publisher received payment via PayPal. It’s stretching the Ad-Hoc distribution model a bit but the application may have collected approximately $11,000 over the weekend through suggested donations of $10 per handset. At the time of writing Apple has not pulled the application or developer certificates from their central certificate authority. ★
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New iPhone products from Griffin Technology
Filed under: Accessories, Audio, iPhoneThose inventive dudes at Griffin Technology have come up with two new products for iPhones.The AirCurve for iPhone and iPhone 3G is a really cool idea -- an amplifier that uses no power adapters or batteries. Instead, it amplifies the sound from the iPhone's speaker using a coiled waveguide (think of an old-fashioned cheerleader megaphone wrapped around into a helix, and you've got the concept). The AirCurve is made of translucent polycarbonate so you can see the curving waveguide. There's a pass-through slot so you can charge and sync your iPhone. The AirCurve is much less expensive than powered alternatives, selling for $19.99. The other new product, Clarifi for iPhone 3G is an attractive iPhone 3G case with a difference. It has a built-in lens that slides into place for taking close-ups. While the normal iPhone 3G can focus up to about 18 inches away from the subject, the Clarifi's lens can bring you in as close as 4 to 6 inches. The suggested price is $34.99. By the way, it's not as cheesy as the telephoto lens for iPhone we covered last month.Both products will be available in October from the Griffin Technology website and retailers.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Mac virtualization software sales skyrocket
Both VMware and Parallels are seeing booming sales of their Mac products in the North American market, which makes you wonder what Apple is missing out on.Read More...
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Adobe Creative Suite 4 details emerge
Prince McLean, AppleInsider Adobe next week will unveil Creative Suite 4, a new version of its media design bundle set to ship the following month with features such as enhanced options for working with 3D objects in Photoshop, new Flash document exports from within InDesign, and a new animation model for Flash, AppleInsider has learned. AppleInsider | [...]
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Math Books Heart Apple Profits
It makes sense that homework for a class entitled, math for business analysis, contains the actual profits from actual companies, and that's why it makes even more sense that Apple's illustrious iPod is featured in a math textbook at San Francisco State. Surprisingly, Apple allowed the publishers to take a peek through their financial records. Scroll below for more evidence. read more
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Transfer vinyl records to your playlist with TTi
Posted by Dennis SellersNumark has announced the TTi turntable, which includes a Universal Dock for iPod, USB audio interface, a metal platter and pitch control. It's designed so users can transfer old vinyl collections to an iPod.
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Apple Gazette Daily 349 - Mac Sales up, Macbook Pro design rumors, and more!
podcast sponsor link:Click Here to check out Blogflux Groups! Today's Show: Mac Sales up, Macbook Pro design rumors, and more! You can subscribe via iTunes, or by RSS feed, or… you can listen to the episode right here: In addition to that, you can also download the Apple Gazette Daily Widget and listen to every episode of the show right on your Dashboard. Click Here to download.
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fit-PC slim, the 'world's smallest PC' -- just don't lose it on your desk
Filed under: Desktops fit-PC Slim is billed as the "smallest, most energy efficient PC available," and at 13 ounces it just might be. Slim is housed in a 330cc enclosure (4.3 x 3.9 x 1.2 inches), draws a mere 6 watts of power, and like the Linutop 2, runs on a 500MHz AMD Geode. This machine is available in a pared-down 256MB configuration (sans WiFi, hard drive) for $220; a 512MB WiFi version (with no hard drive) for $245; or go all out with the 512MB / WiFi / 60GB hard disk version pre-installed with either Ubuntu or Windows XP Home SP3, for $295 or $335, respectively.[Via LinuxDevices] Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Realmac teases LittleSnapper
Filed under: Software, Internet ToolsOur friends over at at Realmac Software, makers of the popular RapidWeaver website creation app, have just posted some information on their next Mac app, LittleSnapper. From what I can glean from the promo page, LittleSnapper -- which is expected sometime at the end of 2008 -- is designed to be the ultimate mash-up of screenshot applications like Skitch and Paparazzi.Back in May, I tested and reviewed various (static) screen capturing programs and options for OS X. Although I did not have a chance to actually address the issue of full web page captures in that article, I was, and continue to be frustrated by the lack of a good, Leopard-friendly program that can capture an entire web site, and not just the portion that appears on the screen. Stitching together screenshots in Photoshop is time consuming and unfortunately, Paparazzi's Leopard support is kludgy (.43 works with Leopard, but .5 won't even open). I demoed Web Snapper, but it is a Safari plugin (or InputManager for the semantically correct), which is not always ideal.From the Realmac website, it looks like LittleSnapper is really designed to take the best aspects of a program like Skitch, the ability to capture portions of the screen and annotate and share with other people, with the ability to work with web browsers and also organize screenshot libraries. They even show off a DOM-highlighter, so you can instantly capture a specific element of a site, much like Safari's WebClip and CSSEdit's Inspector.We'll let you know more about LittleSnapper as the details eke out. You can sign-up for updates at Realmac's website. LittleSnapper will be a Leopard-only application.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Heckler Design releases OnelessDesk minimal workstation
Posted by Dennis SellersHeckler Design has released the OneLessDesk and OneLessDesk Limited Edition desks that are designed to complement Apple products such as the iMac.
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Study: Chrome reached nearly 2 million in U.S.
Nielsen Online finds that nearly 1.4 percent of U.S. Internet users tried Google Chrome in its first week of availability. Plus, it generated nearly iPhone-scale discussion.
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Europe antitrust officials: regulators may need to impose new rules for online-music sales
Posted by Dennis SellersEurope's top antitrust official told Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Mick Jagger, and other industry executives that regulators may need to impose new rules for online-music sales.
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Backstage: iPod nano 4G and 120GB iPod classic Diagnostic Modes
From past experience, most readers don't seem to care much about the iPods' hidden diagnostic modes, but since we've been playing around with them, we figured that a few pictures and details might be of interest to some of you. Apple has been tossing diagnostic modes into iPods for years; the only model that doesn't let you access diagnostics is the iPod touch, which like the iPhone has an icon-based hardware diagnostic screen,…
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Realmac Software previews LittleSnapper screenshot manager
Previewed at Apple Expo Paris Wednesday, LittleSnapper is a new screenshot-snapping and management utility aimed at web programmers, designers, and anyone who needs to organize photos to help tell stories.Read More...
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Sept. 17 'Macsimum Podcast' now available
Posted by Dennis SellersThe Macsimum Podcast for Sept. 17 is now available here and the RSS feed is here.
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'Macsimum Recommended Reading' for Sept. 17
Posted by Dennis Sellers“U.S. iPhone traffic seen clogging up RIM's Bold plans: It looks as though BlackBerry enthusiasts in the U.S. have yet another reason to hate the iPhone. Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry Bold has yet to launch with its exclusive U.S. carrier and it appears that Apple Inc.'s latest iPhone may...
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4G iPod nano available in 4GB for some international markets
An unannounced 4GB iPod nano is available in "some international markets," according to an Apple spokesperson, but it seems like the 8GB is still a better value. Read More...
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OtterBox releases Defender series case for iPhone 3G
Posted by Dennis SellersOtterBox has released the Defender Series case for the iPhone 3G. It's described as “semi-rugged, drop and scratchproof.”
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Which Company Should Replace AIG in the Dow?
By Matthew HouganDespite the bailout, it's time to remove AIG (AIG) from the Dow. Here's the short-list of which company might replace it.
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MildMannered Industries announces Bakelite rotary dialer for the iPhone
Posted by Dennis SellersMildMannered Industries has announced Bakelite 1.0, an old fashioned Bakelite style rotary dialer for the iPhone. It's available for free at the Apple App Store.
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MacPractice to offer ePrescription interface with NewCrop
Posted by Dennis SellersMacPractice—the developer of MacPractice MD, MacPractice DDS, MacPractice DC, and MacPractice 20/20—is collaborating with NewCrop, a provider of electronic prescriptions, drug interaction and insurance formulary solutions.
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Griffin Technology unveils AirCurve, Clarifi at Apple Expo Paris
Posted by Dennis SellersGriffin Technology has unveiled its latest iPhone accessories at Apple Expo Paris. The AirCurve (shown), the company's acoustic amplifier dock, amplifies and projects the iPhone's sound without speakers or the use of electricity. Also introduced today, Clarifi is a protective case for the iPhone that features a built-in lens for...
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Atempo delivers file, email archiving support for Mac environments
Posted by Dennis SellersAtempo has introduced a series of i enterprise digital archiving solutions for combined Windows-Mac computing environments.
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No Starch Press releases 'How Wikipedia Works'
Posted by Dave MertenSince Wikipedia's creation in 2001, volunteer editors have written over two million articles, making it one of the largest collaborations in human history. The beauty of Wikipedia is that anyone can put their stamp on it.
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Stylus introduced for iPhone, iPod touch
Posted by Dennis SellersTen One Design, a New York-based design firm specializing in solutions for the mobile lifestyle, has announced that its Pogo Stylus is fully compatible with the newest iPod touch and iPhone models from Apple.
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CNET News Daily Podcast: In hot water over cybersecurity
CNET News discusses why Uncle Sam is under renewed criticism over cybersecurity, whether Apple got it right with latest iPhone patch, and to what Mozilla pleas mea culpa.
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Backstage: The Why Behind the 4GB Fourth-Gen iPod nano
Apple is, at least most of the time, a global company. With the exception of the original iPhone, the products it produces are intended for sale across as many territories as possible, rather than just one or two countries. So when we heard yesterday from iFun.de that Amazon.com's German division was unexpectedly listing a 4GB fourth-generation iPod nano, we knew that there were only two possible scenarios. (a) Amazon was mistaken, or (b) Apple…
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Stuffit Deluxe turns 20
No self-respecting Mac user can forget Stuffit and Stuffit Deluxe, the venerable compression/decompression utility that turns 20 this year. I still hear a friend sarcastiscly saying “with Expander Enhancer!” in my head whenever I see or hear the word Stuffit. Ah, good times. The popular Stuffit Expander was practially a requirement and was part of almost [...]
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Apple selling limited number of 4GB iPod Nanos
Some retailers in Europe are selling 4GB versions of the iPod Nanos that Apple unveiled last week in 8GB and 16GB capacities--for about $50 more than the 8GB version.
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Receipts is business, receipt organizer for iPhone, iPod touch
Posted by Dennis SellersTidal Pool Software has released Receipts 1.0 for the iPhone and iPod touch. Receipts allows you to organize and track your business and personal receipts. Also, it includes support for creating custom categories and adding user defined fields.
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Who Wants to Buy an Android?
After years of development, Google's first Android-powered phone is finally here -- well, almost. T-Mobile is expected to unveil the HTC Dream at a closed media event Sept. 23, with the device rumored to hit store shelves by mid-October. The question, then, is whether the Dream -- and the Android concept on the whole -- can actually deliver. It's a daunting task to try to topple the king, particularly one as popular and heavily hyped as Apple's iPhone.
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Article: iPhone Gems: Five Sci-Fi Games, From Space Monkey to Star Wars
If you're a fan of space or science, our latest iPhone Gems feature is sure to be of interest: we're looking today at five different sci-fi games that have recently received prominent billing in the App Store. Though their ratings are all in the B range, it's worth noting up front that several of the scores have been weighed down by overpricing: two of these games were previously released for Click Wheel iPods, selling for half the…
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StuffIt announces 20th anniversary with launch of StuffIt Deluxe for the Mac
Posted by Dennis SellersSmith Micro Software has announced the launch of StuffIt Deluxe 2009 for the Mac, its archive and compression software. StuffIt Deluxe 2009 marks StuffIt's 20th anniversary and the latest edition offers improvements to compress, expand, secure and back-up even more formats and files.
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Iomega's 320GB eGo Helium external HDD is quite sleek, silver
Filed under: Storage Iomega went out of its way to make sure you really, really understood that this here external hard drive would go nicely with your MacBook Air, but we'd prefer to see it as something that could slip right into just about any traveler's briefcase. The anodized aluminum shell measures in at just 0.63-inches thick, weighs 7-ounces and packs a 320GB 2.5-inch hard drive within. Additionally, the unit comes formatted with Apple's HFS+ file system, features the company's own Drop Guard design to protect it from falls of up to 1.3-meters (and not a nanometer more), and gets all the juice it needs from a spare (or only, in the MBA's case) USB 2.0 port. It'll be available across the globe next month for $149.99.[Via Engadget Spanish]Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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German site may have leaked photos of new MacBook Pro design
T-systems, a German computer retailer owned by T-mobile, is showing what appears to be redesigned MacBook Pros on its website. But is it an image uploading gaffe or a clever Photoshop?Read More...
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iPhone Software Spotlight - Pitch Pipe
One of the things that I think is really great about the App store is that you can create applications for very specific niches. Pitch Pipe is one such application. (for full disclosure's sake, Pitch Pipe was conceived by occasional Apple Gazette contributor Drew Corbitt). Pitch Pipe for iPhone/iPod Touch works just like a traditional pitch pipe that you can get at any music store. The benefit of having it as an iPhone application is that you always have it in your pocket, and you don't have to carry around any additional pocket objects. The App is simple, and does exactly what you would expect it to do. You simply touch the note that you want played, and it plays for you, allowing you to tune by ear. It's $2.99 and available right here.
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News: Griffin shows AirCurve, Clarifi for iPhone 3G
Griffin Technology has announced two new iPhone accessories at Apple Expo Paris. The AirCurve for iPhone and iPhone 3G is a unique clear polycarbonate acoustic amplifier designed to provide more powerful sound from the iPhone's built-in speaker without the need for added electronics. It uses a coiled waveguide within its base, which can be plainly seen thanks to its clear construction, to amplify the sound, and also offers a pass-though slot…
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iPhone 3G is 'Gadget of the Year'
Posted by Dennis SellersApple's iPhone 3G has won a public vote to find the year's best gadget, beating competition from three games consoles, a budget laptop and a balloon-shaped iPod speaker system, reports Reuters.
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Digital Foci ships Pocket Album OLED 1.5 digital keychain
Posted by Dennis SellersDigital Foci is shipping the new US$49 Pocket Album OLED 1.5 digital keychain photo viewer with a 1.5-inch (128128) OLED screen with a high contrast ratio of 1,000:1.It's compatible with Mac OS X 10.4 and higher.
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New iPod nanos apparently shipping in extra-small
Filed under: iPod nanoIt's a mystery: as Engadget reports, there are new iPod nanos showing up at some Dutch retailers... in a 4 gigabyte capacity. Huh? This wasn't part of the announcement last week, and it's not clear why you'd want to pick up a nano in a smaller capacity than the original iPod for actual use, as opposed to for its investment value.UK gadget site Pocket-lint has word from Apple that 4GB, 4th Gen nanos were produced "in a limited number" for some international markets, but they were never on the overall product roadmap. Were they intended to hit Dutch retail, or only for online sales? Could be a shipping mixup, could be clearing out inventory, could be on purpose -- but perhaps a collector's item for US customers.Now we have word from Dutch blog One More Thing that indeed the 4GB units are being sold, in all nine colors, for €119.Engadget has a lovely gallery of the low-cap iPods up for your viewing pleasure.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Script Timer update adds more than 25 features, enhancements
Posted by Dennis SellersApps & More Software Design as released version 2.6 of Script Timer, a script, Automator workflow, and application scheduling product for Mac OS X 10.3 and later. The upgrade includes more than 25 new features and improvements.
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News: Proporta unveils slew of cases for iPod nano 4G, touch 2G
Proporta has introduced its new line of cases for the fourth-generation iPod nano and second-generation iPod touch. The Profile Case for iPod touch 2G is an open-faced case made from thin polycarbonate with a patterned leather covering, offering open access to all ports and controls and available in four colors for $25. The Ted Baker Leather Case for touch 2G is a flip-top style case featuring a patterned leather exterior, open access to all ports…
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German retailer claims to have the new Macbook Pro
A German retailer called T-systems (which is a division of Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile - who already have the iPhone) has images of a Macbook Pro for sale. At least, they claim its a Macbook Pro. If it is its a redesigned model, because it includes a glossy screen with a black border - very similar to the current iMac design. The notebook has 2.5 Ghz and 2.6 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo options, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive,and an nVidia GF 8600 GT video card to round things out. If this is true - Steve Jobs isn't going to think this is funny either. This is either a prank from an employee of the website - or a legitimate leak. What I'm really curious about is what would happen if you ordered one. If you want to try - you can do so here.
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Apple's North American notebook share jumps to over 10 percent
Posted by Dennis SellersApple's North American notebook share has jumped from 6.6 percent in the second quarter of 2007 to 10.6 percent in the second quarter of 2008, according to a new report from DisplaySearch, a branch of the NPD Research Group. It was the largest jump of any laptop computer vendor.
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Yet Another Fake Tablet
Filed under: Hardware, Rumors, Graphic Design It's sad how much I want this whole tablet rumor to be true. So it's always a delightful surprise to find the latest Photoshopped fake in our inbox. Above is "Max Vinegar"'s contribution to the cause. I love the way it's artistically blurred, with just the right ceiling reflections and how the new-fashioned nano gives it a frisson of verisimilitude. Got a better fauxtotablet? Drop a link into the comments and I'll put up a gallery of 'em.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Better Finder Rename for Mac OS X revved to version 8
Posted by Dennis Sellers
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Apple gaining North American notebook share
Notebook buyers in North America continued to show interest in Apple's MacBooks and MacBook Pros during the second quarter of the year.
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OS X-installing EFi-X now shipping for $155
Filed under: Desktops, LaptopsAfter a few false starts, the OS X-installing EFi-X dongle is finally shipping to consumers. Currently, two versions are up for grabs: the USB V1 for the average joe / jane and the USB V2 Developers Unit for, well, developers. In short, plugging this gem into your PC will enable select systems to install OS X, but we'd take a hard look at the fine print (and certified systems) before blindly plunking down $155 and hoping for the best.[Via MacRumors, thanks Joseph]Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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First Looks: NLU Products BodyGuardz for iPod nano 4G and iPod touch 2G
Having previously loved NLU's clear film protectors for iPods and iPhones, we were excited to see BodyGuardz for iPod nano 4G ($25) and iPod touch 2G ($25) arrive today -- the first clear film protectors we've received for these brand new iPods. As always, NLU ships these in two-packs, so you get two front protectors and two rear protectors for the iPod touch, as well as two sets of full body protectors for the iPod nano, enabling you to instantly…
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Apple releases Apple Server Admin Tools 10.5.5
Posted by Dennis SellersApple has released Apple Server Admin Tools 10.5.5. It contains remote administration tools, documentation, and utilities that you can install on a computer other than your server.
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Google Street View goes mobile
Google Maps for Mobile now has Street View, walking directions, business reviews--if you have a phone that supports Java. That includes many BlackBerrys, but not iPhones.
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Nova media unveils new wireless USB modem with memory stick functionality
Posted by Dennis SellersNova media has unveiled iCon 401, a wireless USB modem for Macs with memory stick functionality. It supports most kinds of mobile connection speeds and can be used worldwide.
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Rumor: German retailer might have new MacBook Pro
Filed under: Hardware, Rumors, Macbook ProGerman retailer T-Systems (a division of Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile, already the iPhone's German carrier) has images of what it claims is a MacBook Pro for sale, but this model includes a glossy screen with a black border, much like current iMac displays. The notebooks feature 2.5GHz and 2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard disk, and an nVidia GF 8600M GT video card. My German is very rusty, but it appears the 2.5GHz laptops are offered with both glossy and matte displays. If true, it could mean more definite announcements from Apple soon about new laptops on the way. Thanks, Felix!Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Apple gains US market share in laptops
Despite a troubled US economy, portable sales are being driven by consumers, and Apple has called shotgun.Read More...
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iPhone 101: Pause an app download
Filed under: iPhone 101With the advent of firmware 2.1, Apple has added the ability to pause a App Store download currently in progress. When you purchase an app, a temporary download icon will appear on your home screen. While the application is still in the download process, tapping it will pause the download. Paused downloads will be denoted by the word "Paused" underneath the icon. To resume the download, just tap again. While Apple has added this feature to the iPhone OS, your mileage may vary as far as it working properly. In one instance, our iPhone had to be restarted completely before the download would resume properly. Want more iPhone tips and tricks like this? Visit TUAW's iPhone 101 section.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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CobraMobile releases Mouse About for iPhone/iPod touch
Posted by Dennis SellersCobraMobile has released Mouse About, a fast paced touch screen puzzler from the creators of the iPhone game, Numba. Mouse About costs US$2.99 and is available at the Apple App Store.
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Turns Out, We're Not Such Big Multitaskers
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Marketers have begun to believe that the average consumer is able to surf the web, answer a cellphone, read a newspaper or magazine, listen to an iPod and watch TV all at the same time. Yet a report released by MRI this week found that multitasking is less frequent than might be expected.
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New MacBook Pros leaked on German site?
Filed under: Laptops Sure, none of it makes any sense, but we can't shake the feeling that there's something a little weird going on here. We've received a number of tips that T-Systems -- a division of the same company that owns T-Mobile -- has got pics of some variation of a MacBook Pro that we've certainly never seen before. The appearance of a new model would fall right in line with those rumors we've been hearing, but this seems a little too easy. In fact, the specs of these devices appear unchanged from the current lineup of laptops. The likely explanation is that there's been a photo mix-up -- someone got their proper MBP pictures crossed with one of those "wishful thinking" renders. Then again, given Apple's recent propensity for leaked photos... maybe there's something more to this.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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NovaMind announces Connect social Mind Map sharing app
Posted by Dennis SellersNovaMind has announced NovaMind Connect, a system for sharing Mind Maps online. With it you can take a Mind Map document created in NovaMind and upload it directly from NovaMind to NovaMind Connect, where it.s turned into a full HTML version of the document.
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iPhone venture capital iFund begins blogging
The iFund originally made headlines by making $100 million in venture capital funding available to companies developing iPhone apps. Now, iFund blog has been launched to provide updates and information on the initiative.Read More...
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Mac 101: Create Zip Files
Before converting to Mac I ran Windows, which to my knowledge, has no built-in capability to create zip files forcing users to download and install a third party application. After converting to Mac it took me several years to realize that OS X had the built-in functionality to create zip files, which delighted me! To create a zip file in OS X (Tiger or Leopard): Right click on the file or folder you would like to zip Select “Compress … ” or in Tiger “Create an Archive of …” Creating zips is great if you heavily rely on email for your main form of communication; instead of attaching several documents to an email I make a new folder, name it properly, drop in all of my files, and zip it. Then I log into my favorite email client and attach the one zipped file instead of several single files, which saves me time and is easier for both me, the sender, and the receiver who now only has to download one file.
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Gesture is photo 'painting' app for iPhone, iPod touch
Posted by Dennis SellersBig Stone Phone has released Gesture 1.0 for the iPhone and iPod touch. It's an app that lets you turn your photos and snapshots into digital paintings just by dragging your finger over the photo.