Oct 14, 2008 Oct 16, 2008 Wednesday October 15, 2008
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An Objective, hands-on, look at the T-Mobile G1
Yesterday afternoon I stopped by the local T-Mobile store to get some information about the T-Mobile G1. Sure, I've seen pictures online, and I've read the specs and all of that - but I was hoping to actually get a chance to use the phone. Much to my surprise, they not only had one on hand, but they handed it to me and let me play around with it for as long as I wanted. It wasn't tethered to a wall or weighed down with any type of “don't steal me” security - so I got a good, honest, idea of what using the phone would be like. Thus far I have been fairly critical about the phone. No multi-touch, no headphone jack, and a market place with no rules - seems like it could spell useless disaster to me. So I obviously approached the G1 with a critical eye. The first thing that I noticed was the size of the phone. Compared to the iPhone it looks like a brick. It's very thick, but not much longer than an iPhone. At first that seemed like a big deal, but honestly, the phone feels very good in your hand, and the added weight of it makes up for the “cheapness” of the plastic casing. It's certainly not as elegant as the iPhone, but it didn't feel like a cumbersome brick either. The screen on it is big and beautiful. It doesn't feel cheap like the LG Dare. It is a touch screen, but not a multi-touch device - and that's a hard thing to get reacquainted with. A certain amount of the intuitiveness of the iPhone comes from its multi-touch capabilities and not having them almost feels like you have one hand tied behind your back. Non-iPhone users are not going to have this problem - but it's definitely an issue for me. Still, navigating the screen was easy enough to do. Android has a slightly different way of organizing your applications, and I love the use of folders, and how there is a “drawer” to pull your apps from and create shortcuts on your desktop. It feels slightly Windows-like — but Windows if it was done correctly. I think the draw may draw some inspiration from the Dock in OS X, but it's a different delivery method of the concept, and it works very well. There are some features that I would very much like to see on my iPhone. Wallpapers, for example. That's certainly not a feature that would make me choose this phone over an iPhone - but it's something I would like to see on the iPhone in the future. The web browser is nice. It's not quite as smooth as the iPhone, but T-Mobile's 3G network as actually substantially faster than AT&Ts (at least in my area). I was impressed with the speed. I also tried out the trackball for playing Pac-Man on the device and it was a nice experience. The trackball also looks like it could be very useful if you need to navigate the phone with one hand. That was something I hadn't thought of until I actually tried the device out. I went from a flip-phone to an iPhone - so I never had the “real” qwerty keyboard experience on a mobile device, so using the “real” keyboard on the G1 was actually kind of difficult for me. The buttons seemed really small…but I would imagine that's only because I'm not used to that. I think fans of “real” keyboards are going to be very happy with this…and I'm sure I could get used to it if I had to. To me the phone has looked kind of flimsy in pics online, and I almost expected the pop-out screen to be loose, or to not feel like it was snapped in properly, but it doesn't. Overall, the phone is mostly impressive. The OS seems intuitive and well thought out - the device itself is missing a few key things to make it truly great…like a headphone jack. I'm also not partial to the choice of SD card storage - but I see where it could be a benefit for people who want to expand their storage further…and it certainly helps keep the cost down. Cost is another very important factor. The phone is $179 vs. $199.9 for the iPhone - and while the iPhone gives you more in style and storage for just a few bucks more, the G1 has a $20 a month unlimited internet plan, versus the iPhone's $30 a month plan. That makes the G1 substantially cheaper over time - and I wouldn't be surprised to see some people who are on the fence about which one to purchase heading toward the G1 based solely on price (storage and style be damned). All in all, I have to say I was impressed with the G1. I think it's an interesting phone, and it will truly be a contender for top dog in the mobile market. I wouldn't trade in my iPhone for it, but if I lived in a place where AT&T simply had no coverage, or if I was already locked into a T-Mobile contract - I think I'd be happy with what the G1 has to offer.
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T-Mobile G1 review
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds It's hard to believe, but rumors of a "Googlephone" have been floating around since 2006. To put it in perspective, the first Gphone post on Engadget was written by Peter Rojas. Needless to say, it's been a long, slow ride to get to Android, the Open Handset Alliance, and ultimately the T-Mobile G1. If we said expectations were high for the introduction of this device, we'd be understating it. It's not everyday that a company with the stature of Google announces it's getting into the phone game, and it's certainly not everyday that an honest-to-goodness innovator comes along. That last time the team at Engadget got this stoked for a device, it was a little something called the iPhone -- and you know how that turned out. Will Android and G1 live up to the hype? Is this the first coming of a serious new contender in the mobile space, or has the triple threat of Google, HTC, and T-Mobile not delivered on their promises? We've put both the device and the software through its paces to bring you the definitive review of the T-Mobile G1 and Android, so read on to get your answers.As we've really gone to great lengths to dissect the phone and OS, we're splitting the review into two, easy to digest parts. Enjoy!Part 1: HardwarePart 2: Software and wrap-upPermalink | Email this | Comments
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Boris FX releases Boris Continuum Complete 5.04 AVX
Posted by Dennis SellersBoris FX has released Boris Continuum Complete 5.04 AVX. This update includes a number of enhancements for Avid Media Composer 3.0 for Mac OS X 10.5 (“Leopard”) and Avid Media Composer 2.8 and higher for Windows.
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Om Reviews the Google Phone
Om Malik has been testing the new Google Phone for the past few days. His take? This isn’t an iPhone competitor. If you look at it, you can very quickly see that G-1 is a Honda to iPhone’s BMW. After a few days of usage I have become increasingly convinced that for people who like the Apple iPhone, will find Google-based G-1 aesthetically lacking. Read his full review on GigaOm.com →
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Apple's new MacBook / MacBook Pro get torn down in style
Filed under: Laptops Ah, the natural progression of hot new releases. First comes the wow, then comes the hands-on, and now comes the tear down. The masterful gadget surgeons over at ifixit have taken the time to carefully (and let us reiterate, carefully) undo all the hard work done on the assembly line to put these together, and we just know you're anxious to see what's really inside the new machines. Have a look below, and don't forget to pause and appreciate the scenery.Read - MacBook tear downRead - MacBook Pro tear downPermalink | Email this | Comments
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T-Mobile's Google phone heralds Android invasion
Will the first Google phone become the apple of your eye? We'll have an inkling in six days when the much-anticipated T-Mobile ...
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Therese Poletti's Tech Tales: Apple and Intel think differently
This week, the technology world saw two opposing views on how to deal with the brewing economic downturn, writes Therese Poletti.
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Pinyin Dictionary for Mac OS X updated to version 2.1.0
Posted by Dennis SellersIdeographer.com has released Pinyin Dictionary 2.1.0, an update of the free Chinese Romanization utility for the Mac. With the update punctuation marks and line breaks can be preserved.
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New MacBook unboxing photos
Filed under: MacBook, Flickr FindIf, like myself, you can't tear yourself away from your G4 iBook long enough to upgrade to the latest and greatest consumer laptop from Cupertino, our friend Joe Russell saves you the fuss with his MacBook unboxing pics on Flickr. There are notable changes in the packaging: "Opening the box, first thing I noticed was that it's virtually identical to the iPhone 3G experience... the back of the lid is black softy foam, and when lifting the black tab it brings the machine up and forward." Joe describes the box as "small but dense." As we pointed out, Apple is trying to ship more by making less packaging (both economical and green). If you've been itching to see the MacBook unboxing experience, consider yourself gratified. Thanks Joe!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Survey: Verizon wireless leads in performance but …
Posted by Dennis Sellers Customers have spoken, and Verizon Wireless has the lowest percentage of dropped calls among all major U.S. service providers. That's according to Changewave's latest cell phone survey of 2,883 U.S. consumers, completed Sept. 18.
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Awesome Mail.app add-on Mail Act-On 2 released
Indev Software has been working hard (I know because I helped with beta testing) to bring you the latest edition of Mail Act-On. Mail Act-On 2 is a must-have enhancement to Apple's Mail.app that puts organization at your fingertips by allowing you to program keystrokes to initiate actions on messages. Mail Act-On 2 is a complete rewrite of Mail Act-On version 1 and brings several new features including: Full OS X 10.5 (Leopard) compatibility. A totally new slick interface: The new menu window can be locked open allowing you to attack multiple messages with rapid fire speed. Undo support: Yes!! Outbox Rules: Mail Act-On 2 will now apply your outbox rules when you send messages. Keystroke-based move and copy of messages Easy rule configuration: Mail Act-On tweaks Mail's rule configuration to add its two new rule types. MailTags support: Act-On 2 now lets you apply simple MailTags to your messages. Mail Act-On 2 is now shareware with an introductory price of USD$19.95--totally worth it.
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TAB Welcomes: Darrell Etherington
Hi folks, here's another addition to the ongoing role call. I started writing for TAB a little over a week ago, and so far I'm really enjoying myself. As far as I know I'm the only Canadian in the current roster, so I had to fight the strong influence of Waterloo-based Research In Motion when I purchased my 3G iPhone. If I lived an hour or so south of where I do now, that'd virtually be grounds for treason. The first Apple I owned was an eMac, which I purchased second-hand for $500 and sold two years later for $500 (I still regret selling it at all, but at least it went to a good home). My current computers are a black MacBook purchased in early summer 2007 and a 20″ aluminum iMac I bought in late summer of this year. I use my Macs mostly for writing, but also for digital photography (Canon Rebel XT, though the new 50D has me drooling for an upgrade) and digital art (Wacom Cintiq 12WX). My set-up and interests might give you an idea of the type of topics I'll be covering here at TAB, but I'm always hungry for the latest news. Which means you should tweet me anytime you hear anything, but I won't believe you if you say Apple's bringing copy-and-paste to the iPhone.
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Sherwood announces new Blu-Ray player
Posted by Dennis SellersSherwood America had introduced its first Blu-ray DVD player, The BDP-5003 costs US$299.95 and will be available in November.
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TUAW guests on Your Mac Life... right now
Filed under: TUAW Business If you're not watching the presidential debate tonight, and you feel like more Mac news is what you need, then pop over to Shawn King's Your Mac Life show -- live now, 8:30 pm ET -- and tune in for MacBook discussion and more. I'll be on the show for the segment starting at about 9:20 pm to discuss your responses to the loss of Firewire on the MBs and more. Your Mac Life is online at yourmaclifeshow.com and is streamed in QuickTime for your listening pleasure.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Feed it after midnight if you want, but do not get the new MacBooks wet...they'll rat you out to Apple
According to a reliable source and as seen posted here, the MacBooks and MacBook Pros announced yesterday are equipped with what the industry calls Liquid Submersion Indicators (LSI). These consist of what appear to be little white sticker dots that are adhered at strategic places within the main body of the MacBook case. These dots turn red when the come in contact with liquids. Drowning your Mac in liquid has always been a warranty voider, but with the inclusion of LSIs in the Apple notebook line, the iPhone and the new Nanos, even if the watery what-have-you doesn't kill your tech, any service done to it after that event will reveal the splashy mishap to the Apple service technician and any necessary repairs will be on your nickel. The little red dot is gonna rat you out. So, feed it after midnight if you must, but don't get the new MacBooks wet...and with those high gloss screens, you might want to keep them out of sunlight too.
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Flip Video Ultra Series Mac Software
I bought a low-cost Flip video camera recently. I realized that I had seen many reviews of the camera, but had read nothing about the software that comes with it. So, here's my take on the Flip Video for Mac software.
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Beware the dangerous icon
Jason Snell, over at Macworld, tells us that Apple has redesigned the icon of the Energy Saver preferences pane into one of these newer, more energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs that are progressively entering our homes. As I do not own one of these new MacBooks, I cannot check this assertion for myself, but I will trust him, and I invite...
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A big bag of Blu-Ray hurt for Apple
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Macbook Pro, MacBook Just the other day I was wondering on this very site just where Blu-Ray has been on Macs, and yesterday's big Apple event gave us the answer: Blu-Ray, according to Steve Jobs, is just "a big bag of hurt." Apple says they haven't settled on an HD format yet because no one else has either: "the licensing of the tech is so complex, we're waiting until things settle down and Blu-Ray takes off in the marketplace," said Jobs. He might as well have added an "if it does" on the end of there -- Sony, spurned by the Betamax loss, wants to make sure they get credit when Blu-ray gets popular, and for that very reason it may never be.In fact, if Apple has their way, there may not be a physical media of choice for high-definition content -- Phil Schiller pointed out that iTunes has plenty of HD TV and movie options without ever tying Apple down to licensing a specific format.Which is exactly everything we said last week. And I'm drinking the kool-aid, actually -- a while back, I was one who would have said that people need their physical media, but nowadays, I'm not so sure. I haven't bought a DVD, HD or otherwise, in months and months, and yet I've purchased and seen plenty of HD content in iTunes and over my Xbox and cable connection. Blu-Ray may have won the HD disc format wars and claimed the country, but maybe there's nobody living there any more.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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'MacNotables' looks at upcoming Take Control changes
Posted by Dennis SellersThe latest edition of MacNotables, a podcast that serves as home to Mac personalities who will comment on the latest news and opinions in the Mac community, is available.
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Steve Dismisses MacBook touch, Crushes Rumors Sites' Hopes and Dreams
What will they think of next? No, not Apple, the Mac rumor sites. Deprived of the Mac Tablet they assured us was coming, Cupertino-centered gossips will quickly have to come up with a cool new product to keep their readers coming back for yet another serving of wild speculation. read more
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Perilar brings Ultima-style RPG to the iPhone
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, iTunesMan, for all of the great games on the iPhone already (I've been really enjoying Lexitron lately), what we really need is a good old-fashioned, both complex and charming RPG. Arcade games are fun and all, and they just keep getting better, but what the iPhone really needs is a sink-your-teeth-in fantasy world, complete with dragons to slay, swords and magic to wield, and XP to earn.Perilar might just be that. It's based on the old Ultima-style turn-based RPGs, and the tiled graphics aren't much to look at these days, but it sounds like good (Net)hacking, slashing, and exploring fun. We're still not talking about the peak of the iPhone's potential as an RPG machine, but Perilar looks like a good first step.And the best part is that there's a Java version out right now, so you can try before you smack down the $4.99 price. I'm definitely planning on picking it up. Until we get a great original, and solidly addictive fantasy RPG on the iPhone, Perilar seems like it'll help scratch that itch.[via Touch Arcade]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Byline 2.0 iPhone Feed Reader Now Available
Amidst all of the hubaloo around Apple's announcements, one of my favorite iPhone apps was updated to v2.0 today. Byline, by Phantom Fish is an RSS reader application. It's big claim to fame is the synchronization/support of the Google Reader API. However, 2.0 has some other great new features. A new interface and icon Syncs with folders (tags) It now has a built-in web browser (more below) Allows note creation and deletion Allows you to email links Archives starred items immediately, with no refresh required No longer affects the performance of iTunes backups Pages archived for offline browsing no longer displace feed content (more…)
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MacJury looks at new Apple laptops
Posted by Dennis SellersIn a new edition The MacJury panel takes a look at the new MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops, what they offer and what was missed.
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2.5 GHz MacBook Pros at Amazon for $1644
Amazon has the old MacBook Pros on sale at a steep discount — $1794 with a $150 rebate. This machine sold for $2499 at the Apple Store two days ago. (Buy through this link and I’ll get a kick-back from Amazon.) ★
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MacBooks Latest Cog in Apple's Green Machine
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Adobe Begins Shipping CS4
Adobe began shipping its highly anticipated, Creative Suite 4 today. The suite has been thoroughly upgraded, including adding options for working with high-definition video in Adobe Premiere, and extensive use of the GPU by Photoshop. The bundle will be available in four different packages: Design Premium, Web Premium, Production Premium, and Master Collection. Prices will range anywhere from $399 for an upgrade, to $2,499 for the entire Master Collection. read more
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TextSoap for Mac OS X gets new interface, new custom cleaner editor
Posted by Dennis SellersUnmarked Software has updated TextSoap—a Mac OS X utility for cleaning out the extraneous forwarding marks, invisible characters, and formatting that you often find in e-mails and long documents— to version 6.0. The upgrade sports a new user interface and a new custom cleaner editor.
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New MacBooks: What's Cool and What's Conspicuously Absent
Apple's MacBook line had been getting a little gray around the edges, and the company's refresh Tuesday introduced a lot more than a new silver aluminum sheen with glossy black highlights. In an oxymoronic way, though, everything is different about the new MacBooks, and yet they remain remarkably similar to previous generations. Let me explain. I could start with the new design, but that's not the most important new change. What's bigger is the introduction of a new processor and graphics architecture.
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Apple's "spotlight turns to notebooks" event roundup
Filed under: Laptops There were few surprises from Apple yesterday -- MacBooks were in the cards, and MacBooks are what we got -- and the jury's still out on whether these new laptops are exactly what the market needs right now, but there's no denying that Apple's pretty proud of its new all-aluminum lineup. We'll have a full review of the laptops shortly, but in case you missed anything, here's a look back at the mayhem.The liveblogLive from Apple's "spotlight turns to notebooks" eventFirst impressionsNew MacBook / MacBook Pro unboxing and first impressionsHands-on coverageMacBook Pro first hands-on!Apple MacBook aluminum and glass super-shiny hands-onApple 24-inch Cinema Display hands-onProduct announcementsApple finally refreshes Cinema Display: 24-inch, LED backlit, $899MacBook Air gets NVIDIA graphics, storage bumpApple's MacBook gets a fresh face, NVIDIA graphics, original drops to $999Apple's all-new MacBook Pro packs new NVIDIA GPUs, glass trackpadIn-depth / detailsNVIDIA GeForce 9400 M, 9600M GT get official in new MacBooksApple's Steve Jobs calls Blu-ray "a bag of hurt"MacBook Pro requires logout to switch graphics modesIntel: MacBook Air sheds custom CPU for 45-nm Penryn "S"Multi-finger MacBook trackpad gestures demonstrated on videoNew MacBook Pro running HybridSLI?Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Michael Tsai on the New MacBooks
Good list of pros and cons. The lack of FireWire on the regular MacBook is the worst con, from my perspective. ★
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Typinator 3.2 speeds up FileMaker development
Posted by Dennis SellersErgonis Softwarehas released Typinator 3.2, the latest version of its tool for auto-typing text and auto-correcting typos system-wide across all Mac OS X applications. With the upgrade, FileMaker development has ben speeded up.
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Apple executive parade not prelude to change
Just because CEO Steve Jobs shared the stage with several of his top lieutenants at Tuesday's notebook announcement doesn't mean he's ready to give up control.
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Like a phoenix from the ash, VisualHub is reborn as OSS
The developer of a great Mac OS X video conversion utility, called VisualHub, closed up shop earlier this month. While future plans for the beloved app were initially up in the air, things fortunately changed for the better.Read More...
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Apple’s New Manufacturing Process
Along with all the other technology that Apple announced today, there was quite a bit of time devoted to showing off the innovative manufacturing process in the new 15″ MacBook Pro. Previous versions of the MacBook Pro were made from pressed aluminum parts held together with screws and fitted with plastic gaskets to cover the seams. The new MacBook Pro enclosure is milled from a single “brick” of aluminum. This approach allows for a seamless enclosure with no visible screws and a few other innovative features. Apple is referring to this new approach as a unibody enclosure. They employ CNC machines to carve the unibody from a solid block of metal that starts out weighing 2.5lbs and ends up as a .25lb top enclosure. The other 90% of the original piece is recovered during the manufacturing process and recycled to make new aluminum blocks. The result is a thinner and lighter enclosure that is simultaneously stronger and stiffer. The aesthetics are affected as well. Gone are the screws along the side and the opening for the sleep light to shine through the case is actually perforated by laser so that it's virtually invisible to the naked eye. The only breaks along the edge of the new MacBook Pro are from the various ports on the left, the superdrive slot on the right, and the IR port on the front. The screws holding the top case and the bottom together are found along the back edge and underneath the new access door along the front. The new access door covers the battery and the hard drive. The battery is not part of the bottom case anymore and is entirely covered by the access door. Because the battery is otherwise covered by the access door, the battery indicator lights are visible through perforations in the side of the enclosure. This gives the new MacBook Pro a very clean look along the bottom as well. Improvements to the manufacturing process go beyond the new unibody construction. Apple has also dropped a number of harmful chemicals by using LED backlighting (no Mercury) and removing BFR and PVC from the logic board, cables and connectors. The unibody enclosure also means fewer extraneous bits and pieces to hold the enclosure together that would have gone to a landfill before. The packaging has also been reduced by 37%, which means less paper products and decreased environmental impact from transportation. The significance of all these changes is a new laptop that is almost entirely recyclable and has earned the highest rating of EPEAT Gold.
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CFMulti allows use of Eye-Fi cards in CompactFlash-based cameras
Posted by Dennis SellersSynchrotech's new US$28 CFMulti enables CompactFlash Type II (5.0mm CompactFlash Slot) based digital cameras to use Eye-Fi WiFi SD Cards to wirelessly transfer their photos to their computer just like SD based cameras can. Most current high end DSLR and late model midrange digital cameras feature CompactFlash slots.
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Microsoft releases Office for Mac updates
Posted by Dennis SellersMicrosoft has released updates for the 2004 and 2008 versions of its Office for Mac suite. According to Microsoft, the update contains several improvements to enhance stability and performance.
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IDG: Apple has 9.1 percent of US personal computer market share
Posted by Dennis Sellers Following Gartner's report on global and US computer market trends, the IDG research group has issued its own. And Apple does well, particularly in the United States.
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Bipartisan Agreement on PC Sales
A second research firm confirms PC sales are slowing in Asia.
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Macsimum iPhone video: Unboxing a new MacBook Pro
Posted by Dave MertenToday's Macsimum iPhone video features a proud new MacBook Pro owner unboxing his new computer, just hours after they were released. The box is much smaller than the previous MacBook Pro box, as Steve Jobs referred to at Apple's Special Event.
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ShaggyMac ships new screen protectors for new Apple laptops
Posted by Dennis SellersShaggyMac is offering new screen protectors for the newly launched unibody MacBook and MacBook Pro. Designed specifically for each model, the ShaggyMac lays on the keyboard surface and cushions/protects the screen while the lid is closed.
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Apple Gazette Daily 366 - Notebook event aftermath, Juice Pack 3G, much more!
podcast sponsor link:Click Here to check out Blogflux Groups! Today's Show: Notebook event aftermath, Juice Pack 3G, much 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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Farewell FireWire?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, MacBook During the meta-liveblog yesterday, I was in full-out Apple fangirl mode. I won't lie, after the MacBook specs and design were revealed, I was already contemplating putting my current BlackBook (that I bought in August '07) on eBay or Craig's List, hoping that the RAM and hard drive upgrades and all the software I would include could net at least $900. Then I would buy a new MacBook.After the dust settled and the specs were released, a dark cloud quickly dashed my plans: FireWire 400 ports are no longer included in the redesigned MacBook. The old style MacBook (now selling for $999) still includes FireWire 400, but the new beauties are FireWire free. What a bummer! Back in January, we listed lack of FireWire as one of the biggest downsides of the MacBook Air. On our Talkcast earlier this week, we actually discussed the idea of FireWire being withdrawn from the MacBook line. I thought it was plausible on the then-rumored $800 MacBook (a rumor that never materialized, sadly), but I was really, really hoping it wouldn't be removed from the line as a whole.Whether the reason was based on user-feedback (which I'm sure Apple will claim), or done merely to force a schism between the "consumer" and "pro" lineups (as commenter Kai Cherry suggested), the net result is that a technology Apple has been pushing for nearly 10 years and that many of us have come to rely on, for external devices, target-disk mode and digital video needs, is no longer available in any laptop other than the MacBook Pro (or the older generation white MacBook).No company has pushed IEEE-1394 (the technical name for FireWire) more than Apple (though Sony is close). The iPod was a FireWire device until its fifth revision in 2004 (USB adapters were available for the third and fourth generation units). Target Disk Mode is arguably one of the most useful Mac diagnostic tools. As long as you have a FireWire hard drive, you can safely migrate, repair or perform component tests on Mac, without damaging the internal drive. As of right now, there is no true support for USB devices in target disk mode. Yes, you can boot from a USB device, but it's not the same as TDM. It's a shame that they are now phasing out this feature, and without a genuine successor. I don't want to start a USB 2.0 vs. FireWire 400 argument, but for sustained transfer, power consumption and the ability to daisy-chain devices, FireWire remains superior, especially under OS X (other operating systems don't benefit from FireWire as much). I mean, if you are going to get rid of FireWire, at least give us an eSATA port. That would at least be a better alternative for external drives than USB 2.0.While it is true that FireWire only devices are on a serious decline -- the latest generation of digital camcorders that use AVCHD and store data to SD cards all utilize USB 2.0, as do the vast majority of external devices -- are we really at the point that it is a "pros only" feature? It took years and years for consumers to finally ditch VHS-C and move on to miniDV. Are we already at the point that everyone has migrated to AVCHD and converted all their old footage digitally? Obviously, for existing Mac users who are just buying a new MacBook, this might not be a big deal. Use the iMac or an older MacBook for digital conversion. But this is still a blow to anyone who relies on (or *shocker* prefers) FireWire and wants to replace their primary machine.There are bridge adapters available that will allow you to connect a FireWire device to a USB port, but they are expensive, and Windows XP-only. It is likely that a similar adapter will be created for the Mac, but how these devices will actually perform is questionable. As a fervent supporter of the standard since 2000 (when I bought an OHCI compliant PCI card for my PC so that I could edit video at home or at school on an iMac DV), I have demanded FireWire support on every computer or laptop that I have purchased in the last 8 years. Buying a laptop that I will use as a primary computer that does not have a FireWire card is frankly not an option for me. My next MacBook will have to be a MacBook Pro. And because spending another $1000 is a bit different from spending another $500, I won't be upgrading any time soon.What are your thoughts. Is a FireWire-free MacBook a deal-breaker for you, or is it something you can live without. Do you know of any devices or cables that will help ease the transition? Sound off in the comments!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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New MacBook Pro running HybridSLI?
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Media PCs Alright, something's fishy here. When Apple announced that the new MacBook Pro has two NVIDIA GeForce chips -- the 9400M and the 9600M GT -- the focus was on what that means for battery life. Absent any mention of HybridSLI, we assumed that was all, but PC Mag has posted some eyebrow-raising benchmarks comparing the new MacBook Pro to HP's Pavilion HDX16t, which also features a 9600M GT. While the MacBook Pro test model fell behind the Pavilion in most benchmarks due to its slower processor, its Crysis framerate beat that of the Pavilion by 24.1 frames per second -- 41.9 over 17.3. That doesn't make a lot of sense, unless you look at benchmarks of a desktop with NVIDIA's similar GeForce 9300 chipset and a GeForce 8500 GT -- turns out Crysis runs 12.63 frames per second faster (29.19 over 16.56) in HybridSLI than it does on the 8500 GT alone. Is the MacBook Pro running in SLI mode when set for performance? We don't have confirmation of that, but we'll put it to the test in our forthcoming review -- until then, feel free to grab a grain of salt while freaking out anyway.Read - PC Mag (MacBook Pro benchmarks)Read - Hot Hardware (NVIDIA GeForce 9300 desktop motherboards benchmarks)Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Freeverse updates Big Bang Board Games for iPhone
Posted by Dennis SellersFreeverse says its iPhone games suite, Big Bang Board Games, has received a major update. The update adds the ability to play Chess, Checkers, Backgammon, Mancala, and other board games against a human opponent, as well as against the computer.
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Apple posts Jonathan Ive's favorite industrial MacBook pr0n
Jonathan Ive, Apple's Senior VP of Industrial Design, said he thinks the interior of the MacBook is hotter than the exterior. Before you start questioning either his man- or geek-hood, why not take a look for yourself?Read More...
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★ Listen to Tim Cook
One thing Apple knows is what it does. Apple designs and produces very nice things. All this hubbub over low-cost laptops is outside the realm of what makes Apple Apple. There has long been, especially in the business press, a strong bias towards encouraging Apple to act like a “normal” computer company. Remember when it was common for analysts to call for Apple to break itself apart into separate software and hardware companies? Or for Apple to obtain a license for Windows and make “well-designed” Windows PCs. Or for Apple to sell licenses for Mac OS X to Dell? A lot of the current action in laptops, industry-wide, is at the low end of the market. Some of these machines look pretty interesting. None of them look like something Apple would make. But yet there was (and is) this consensus that given current industry trends, combined with the rather shaky (to say the least) state of the global economy, well of course, what Apple needed to do was cheapen its MacBook lineup. Exhibit A, exhibit B, exhibit C. What Apple announced Tuesday was exactly the opposite. Instead of making them cheaper, they made them better. Dramatic performance improvements in graphics, and a significant leap forward in industrial design and build quality. Cheap laptops creak and squeak at the seams. Apple’s new MacBooks are cut from solid blocks of aluminum and hardly have any seams. Apple doesn’t make computers that people have to buy. They make computers that people want to buy. The “netbook” market is an entirely different game. Apple may well go there eventually, but it won’t be for another year or two, and then when they do, it will drive the PC press nuts because Steve Jobs will announce it in such a way that makes it seem as though Apple invented the entire product category. (Aside: I think — and this is nothing more than my own speculation here — that it’s more likely that a hypothetical really small (as in much smaller than even the Air), really cheap (as in less than $700) notebook computer from Apple would not be a Mac. It’d run some variant of “OS X” of course, but I think it’d resemble a hot-rodded big-screen iPhone with a keyboard, not a stripped down small-screen MacBook. The iPhone OS would run faster on a $600 netbook than it does on an actual iPhone. Mac OS X would run slower, probably a lot slower. Apple builds things up, not down. Just my hunch. (Also: It’s too bad Apple has already used the name “iBook”.)) Higher performance and improved build quality are in direct opposition to lower prices. These guys calling for $800 Apple notebooks have the company all wrong. To me, the most interesting part of yesterday’s event had nothing to do with product announcements, but rather was COO Tim Cook’s “state of the Mac” segment at the beginning. This was Apple speaking directly to its investors and to the business press. Apple wants them to understand the Mac business. Cook outlined six main points which he claims Apple believes are the reasons behind the four-year-long growth in Mac sales: Better computers Better software Compatibility Vista Marketing Retail Stores “You may wonder,” Cook said, “why is Vista on the list. I think it’s fair to say that Vista hasn’t lived up to everything Microsoft had hoped it would. And consequently, it’s opened doors for a lot of people to consider switching to the Mac.”1 What does not appear on that list is price. This is not to say price is irrelevant to the Mac, or that Apple is somehow immune to the circumstances of the economy, but simply that price is not and has never been one of the main factors in the Mac’s success. Cook’s list isn’t marketing bullshit — it’s an accurate, succinct description of Apple’s computer business. Other PC makers fight viciously over pricing because it’s the only factor on which they can differentiate. Few of them bother trying to make better computers — most just build bland, junky wrappers around Intel’s reference chipsets. (Notable exceptions in the laptop space include Sony and Lenovo.) None can offer better software because they all ship the same version of Windows. They’re stuck with Vista. They all seem, for whatever reason, incapable of producing Apple-level marketing and advertising. And none of them who’ve tried have been able to do their own retail stores successfully. Price is all they have. Cook then showed two pie charts. One showing the Mac’s unit share in the U.S. retail market at 18 percent, up from “a single digit number, just a few years ago”. Cook then drops the kicker, the single key point you need to grasp to understand Apple’s Macintosh business: “And what’s more impressive than this is if you look at revenue share. Because we focus on fully-features systems, and we don’t compromise on quality, our revenue share is over 31 percent. That means that one out of every three dollars that’s spent on computers in U.S. retail is spent on the Macintosh. What a difference a few years makes.” 31 percent of the money on 18 percent of the unit sales. Those numbers are stunning — and they would not get more impressive by selling $800 MacBooks. Yesterday’s entire event, the whole thing, could be summarized by these five words from Cook: “We don’t compromise on quality.” Cook really rubbed this point in, putting up a slide and reading aloud this quote from Peter Burrows of BusinessWeek: “Vista looks like it could turn out to be one of the greatest missteps in tech history.” The executive-level rivalry between Microsoft and Apple seems to be at the highest level since the John Sculley era at Apple. ↩
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New trailer online for 'MacHEADS' documentary
Posted by Dennis SellersThere's a new trailer online for the MacHEADS documentary. It's a documentary about “fanaticism and unconditional devotion to a corporate brand.”
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Apple Picks Sides in Glossy vs. Matte Debate: The Pros and Cons of the Glossy Screen
Steve has spoken: No more matte. The new MacBook models all sport glossy screens. Why? Because consumers prefer them, according to Phil Schiller, who joined Jobs in the spotlight at Tuesday’s media briefing in Cupertino. Well, some consumers are fond of them, Phil. Others are less than thrilled. Here’s why: Yea!: Glossy screens make everything look fabulous -- colors pop, blacks are true blacks, contrast is crisp and images look sharper. read more
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Location-based iPhone Apps top 300
Location-based applications now top 300 titles in App Store. Ars breaks those apps down by categoryRead More...
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IK Multimedia announces T-RackS 3
Posted by Dennis SellersIK Multimedia has announced the T-RackS 3, a new mastering and mixing suite. It sports a suite of nine analog-modeled and digital Dynamics/EQ processors comprised of three new analog and vintage emulations (including models based on the Fairchild 670 and the Pultec EQP-1A), two new digital processors as well as...
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'Macsimum Recommended Reading' for Oct. 15
Posted by Dennis Sellers“Three Things Apple Won't Do: Turns out, a high percentage of the rumors and leaked images of the notebooks announced Tuesday were right on target: The price drop, the aluminum casing across the entire product line, the new unibody construction process, the black bezeled displays were all mentioned on Apple...
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Doseido Software announces Sharecard for iPhone, iPod touch
Posted by Dennis SellersDoseido Software has released Sharecard 1.0, a vCard sharing application for the iPhone and iPod touch. It's available at the introductory price of US$0.99 at the Apple App Store.
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Inside the new MacBooks: LSI, Battery, HD, and RAM
Prince McLean, AppleInsider Apple’s new MacBook and MacBook Pro models contain more innovation than just their case design and graphics. Here’s a look at other details, from LSIs to battery, hard drive and RAM features. Inside the new MacBooks series Apple details new MacBook manufacturing process A closer look at Apple’s move to NVIDIA chipsets, DisplayPort Inside the new MacBooks: [...]
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FMExtensionsInstaller installs FileMaker extensions
Posted by Dennis SellersCampSoftware has released FMExtensionsInstaller, an US$39.95 FileMaker database that installs FileMaker extensions. CampSoftware provides the full source code so you can move its functionality to your own solution.
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OWC announces 4GB DDR3 Memory Upgrade Kit for new MacBooks, MB Pros
Posted by Dennis SellersOther World Computing (OWC) has announced a 4GB DDR3 OWC Memory Upgrade Kit for Apple's new MacBook 13-inch and MacBook Pro 15-inch models, which were announced yesterday and are just starting to ship. OWC Memory is also available in modules and kits of up to 4GB for all previous MacBook...
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First Looks: JAVOedge Back Covers for iPhone 3G
Sold in an almost overwhelming array of colors and textures, JAVOedge's Back Covers for iPhone 3G are sold either alone ($20 each) or bundled with screen protectors ($27 each). Though some of them unfortunately continue to bear some of the sad traits of other recent JAVOedge products, including sharp, unpolished interior edges and the sort of sloppy finish that suggests that they weren't given especially rigid quality inspections, the shells change…
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UserMatic shipping for Final Cut Pro
Posted by Dennis SellersEditGroove Software is shipping UserMatic, a streamlined application for managing Final Cut Pro user preferences. It “encourages and facilitates experimentation in the thousands of ways Final Cut Pro can be customized.”
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First Looks: Griffin AirCurve iPhone Sound Amplifier
But not for the fact that Griffin's already using the name AmpliFi for a speaker product, it would have made a lot of sense for this new iPhone and iPhone 3G dock called AirCurve ($20). Made from transparent plastic and held together with metal screws, AirCurve is a passive amplifier for the iPhones' speakerphone features, channeling the speaker and mic's audio in a manner that's supposed to noticeably improve volume levels -- 10 decibels, Griffin…
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News: Current Standings in 2008 Readers' Choice Awards; Vote Now
If you haven't yet voted for our 2008 Readers' Choice Awards, now's the time to do so. This quick 4-question poll lets you name your picks for 2008 iPhone + iPod Application Developer of the Year, 2008 iPhone + iPod Game Developer of the Year, 2008 iPod + iPhone Accessory Developer of the Year, and favorite new Apple media player of the year. Here's a brief overview of the current leaders in each category: Best new Apple digital…
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FlipSide5 releases air hockey game for iPhone, iPod touch
Posted by Dennis SellersFlipSide5 has released Touch Hockey, an air hockey game for the iPhone and iPod touch. It's available for free at the Apple App Store.
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iLove College Football 2008 available for iPhone, iPod touch
Posted by Dennis SellersiLove College Football 2008 by Fandora's Box is now available for the iPhone and iPod touch. In addition to providing live scoring, you have access to rankings, schedules, standings, weekly picks, Heisman watch, top 25 game previews and recaps, team reports, and other editorial content. It's available for free at...
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Zut alors! MacBook announcement doesn't translate well
Filed under: Humor, Bad Apple, MacBook Thanks to what appears to be a character encoding problem on a French version of the Apple website, the MacBook announcement -- meant to say "perfectly designed" in French -- came out reading "perfectly dumb" (or as one of our tipsters said, a more vulgar version of "perfectly poopy"). That wasn't the only problem: according to Macenstein, a Macgeneration article noted that the announcements were replete with spelling and grammatical errors. (Link is en français.) The pages have since been updated with better grammar. Unfortunately my decade-old high school French can't tell me what about the grammar is wrong, but hopefully our commenters can let us know by leaving a comment. Thanks, Bertie and Fabrizio!Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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New MacBooks: The Rumor Mills Were Right, Mostly
As much stick as the Mac Web rumoristas and “insider” channelers take from advocates of “serious journalism,” over the years they have proved to be right more often than not, and leading up to yesterday's new Apple MacBook announcements, it's now confirmed that they've been batting a pretty high percentage this time. Let's take a look at the various rumors that were passed around about the new MacBooks and see how they fared. (more…)
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PCalc updated for iPhones, iPod touches, Macs
Posted by Dennis SellersTLA Systems has announced a new release (1.1) of the PCalc calculator for the iPhone and iPod touch. It's available to download today from the Apple App Store for US$3.99. There's also a corresponding update to PCalc for Mac OS X (updated to version 3.3.1).
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Indev Software Releases Mail Act-On 2 for Mac OS X
Posted by Dennis SellersIndev Software has released Mail Act-On 2, an US$19.95 enhancement to Apple's Mail application that lets you create rules to perform actions on messages by responding to simple keystrokes.
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Domainer for Mac OS X adds label support
Posted by Dennis SellersRAGE Software has updated RAGE Domainer, a Mac OS X application for web site owners, marketers and investors to track and manage their domain names, to version 1.8. The upgrade adds support for labels, which lets you easily categorize domains like you would with files in the Finder, more domain...
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Marware ships Eco-Runner for iPod nano 4G
Posted by Dennis SellersMarware is shipping the US$34.99 Eco-Runner for the iPod nano 4G. It's an environmentally friendly iPod carrying solution that replaces neoprene with a special eco-friendly material. Also, the wrist/armband case is designed to accommodate the new 4G nano and the Nike+ Sport Kit receiver.
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Apple Loosens Grip on iPhone Development -- But is it Enough?
October 1 was a happy day in developer land -- Apple finally dropped the Non-Disclosure Agreement that coders had to agree to abide by if they wanted to create apps for the iPhone and iPod touch. read more
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Agenda for Mac OS X updated to version 4.0.5
Posted by Dennis SellersYenco has just has released Agenda 4.0.4, an update of the Mac OS X (10.4 and higher) app that keeps track of your events and tasks, lets you enter your thoughts, and create calendar or journal web sites. This update fixes a bug with task import from iCal files.
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R.I.P. Apple matte screen displays
The thing that bums me out the most about yesterday’s MacBook announcements is Apple’s move to all-glossy displays. I’ll make no bones about it – I loathe glossy displays – especially on a notebook computer. Apple will spin it that blacks look darker and colors are more saturated, blah, blah, blah. It’s a load of garbage. [...]
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AirGrab announces WiFi Radar 1.0 for Mac OS X
Posted by Dennis SellersAirGrab has released WiFi Radar 1.0, a free, wireless networks information tool that displays info about Apple Airport base stations and other WiFi (802.11b/g/n) wireless access points.
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Digital Heaven releases Loader for Final Cut Pro

Posted by Dennis SellersDigital Heaven, a third party developer for Apple pro apps, has released Loader, an US$49.99 application that streamlines the process of importing media into Final Cut Pro. Importing music, sound effects, graphics or movies into Final Cut Pro is a task that most editors do many times a day.
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Byline 2.0 update a huge improvement: adds tag support, mini browser
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touchPhantom Fish yesterday updated Byline to version 2.0, adding functionality to browse by tag, and a spiffy new wood-grain interface. I briefly reviewed Byline 1.0 in July, but wanted to re-visit the application after the update. Byline 2.0 is a Google Reader client and offline browser for the iPhone and iPod touch. After having used beta versions for the last few weeks, I can say with certainty that this update takes Byline head and shoulders above the first version. Byline 2.0 is faster than both version 1.0 and Google Reader's MobileSafari-optimized interface. Articles are now grouped in folders according to tags you've already set up in Google Reader. You can mark whole folders of items as read, and save items to your phone by starring them. The app doesn't show a splash screen at startup, but instead a "blank" version of the interface, which gives the illusion that the app is hanging for a short period of time. As soon as the list of folders appears, however, loading items was zippy on my iPod touch (connected via WiFi, of course).Continue reading Byline 2.0 update a huge improvement: adds tag support, mini browserRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Absoft advances Fortran Development on the Mac 

Posted by Dennis SellersAbsoft Corp. has announced advancements for customers developing and maintaining Fortran programs on Intel-based Mac OS systems. These improvements affect three areas of code development and are incorporated into Absoft's newly released Pro Fortran v10.2 for Mac OS/Intel: 1) increased application speed, 2) superior debugging and 3) new tools for...
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MacBooks Selling Out Worldwide
Reports are coming in that Apple's new MacBooks and MacBook Pros are selling out in retail stores around the world. Apple's flagship San Francisco store reportedly had no stock as of this morning, and our own David Appleyard apparently scored the last new MBP at the Manchester Arndale store. The London Regent Street flagship store is also announcing that they are out of stock, and calls to the Toronto Eaton Centre Apple Store confirm that they also have no stock and aren't sure when they'll be receiving any. With flagship stores in three different countries already experiencing stock shortages, it's clear that Apple's new notebooks are being fairly well received by consumers, even if analysts are disappointed in the high price points of the new notebooks. It's not clear from these reports whether sales have been exceptionally high, supplies are short, or some combination of the two. Another possibility is that Apple is taking a page from Nintendo's playbook and short-stocking in order to drive up demand. Whether real or orchestrated, the same tactic worked well for them when the iPhone 3G initially launched. If you've run into any stock shortages or outages at your own local store, or if you were lucky enough to get your hands on one, let us know.
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BombSquad for Mac OS X blows up to version 3.2
Posted by Dennis SellersPositive Spin Media has announced BombSquad 3.2, an update to the free Minesweeper clone for Mac OS X. It requires Mac OS X 10.3 or higher.
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Article: iPhone Gems: Replicate Your Favorite Widgets, Part 1
Over the past few months, iLounge's editors have been hunting widgets—more precisely, we've been looking for iPhone OS apps that duplicate the features of popular and useful Mac OS widgets. Apple already includes Stocks, Weather, Calculator and other features with every iPhone and iPod touch, but what about others—phone directory apps, the unit convertor, and package trackers? Or dictionary, flight tracker, and simple translation…
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MacBook Air gets Penryn and MBP17 gets minor bump
Although they didn’t get fancy glass trackpads or unibody aluminum frames (like Apple’s other new notebooks) the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 17-inch received minor speed-bumps when Apple announced its new MacBooks yesterday. The MacBook Air went from: 1.6 GHz Intel C2D, 800MHz Front-Side Bus, 2GB 667MHz DDR2, 80GB HDD - [...]
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17-inch MacBook Pro Will Be Late, Not Absent
Many noticed (and lamented) the lack of a 17-inch version of the updated MacBook Pro at yesterday's notebook event. For those interested in Apple's Pro line of laptops, screen real estate is a valuable commodity indeed. Designers need the space for working on large documents and layouts, and creative professionals need to be able to convey to potential and actual clients the true scope and quality of their work easily on the spot. Depending on your work product, both of these needs are hard to meet on 15 inches. Which is why it's good news that AppleInsider is reporting this morning that the 17-inch version of the aluminum-glass MacBook Pro is not, as some speculated, going the way of the dodo. Rumors of optical drive and display issues on the bigger MBP delaying shipment appear to be correct, and will delay its arrival until after the holiday season. Meanwhile, Apple is offering improved specs on the existing 17-inch MBP. A high-resolution 1920×1200 display, 4GB of memory, and a 320GB hard drive now come standard, with the option available to switch in a 128GB SSD. (more…)
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Adobe releases Flash Player 10, ships CS4
Filed under: Software, Internet Tools It's been in beta for a while, but now Adobe's ubiquitous media plugin (warning: LOUD) has turned 10 officially for the Mac. The 5.5 MB download (available in separate versions for Intel and PPC) gains a host of new and improved features, including custom After Effects-style filters, advanced text support, 3D effects, better hardware acceleration and streaming support, vamped-up APIs, and file upload/download improvements. Flash 10 requires a 500 MHz G3 or better on the Mac, and runs on Tiger or Leopard: OS X 10.3 Panther users are out of luck. Download now from Adobe if you dare. Authoring content that takes full advantage of Flash Player 10 means using Flash CS4, which -- what a coincidence! -- is shipping as of today, along with the rest of the CS4 suite. Flash's ubiquity in the marketplace (99% of Internet users have some version of it installed, says Adobe) does give it a wide advantage over media alternatives like QuickTime and Silverlight, but one of the ongoing challenges for Flash is version upsell; getting people to move to the new build sometimes has to wait until a popular service requires it. For Mac users, the lure of upgrading includes a move away from the traditionally lackluster performance of Flash on the Intel hardware -- I know many MacBook users who can tell when a Flash ad is playing in a hidden Safari tab just by the sound of the cooling fans ramping up -- so with any luck, version 10 will address the challenges in that area while simultaneously adding all these cool new features. Thanks Richard Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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PCalc Updates for iPhone and Mac
If you haven't yet discovered PCalc for iPhone, you're missing out on a wonderfully designed and full-featured calculator. Version 1.1 was released yesterday and looks great. So does the Mac version, now at version 3.3.1.
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Stellar launches version 3.0 of Phoenix Mac Data Recovery software
Posted by Dennis SellersStellar Data Recovery has launched Stellar Phoenix Macintosh Data Recovery 3.0, an update of the application for retrieving lost data. You can now retrieve data from Mac hard drives, Lacie drives and iPods.
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The Problem Isn’t With Predictions
Peter Kafka: We thought that at this point, everyone understands: The blogosphere isn’t 100% reliable, especially when it comes to Apple-related news. Some combination of intense fanboy and investor interest, mixed with Apple’s secrecy fetish means that the Web is riddled with eroneous [sic, I swear] predictions about Steve Jobs’ next move. The problem is not with predictions. Predictions are fun. My predictions about Apple have been wrong far more often than they’ve been right. The problem is with false reports. None of the reports I called out yesterday were “predictions”, they were false r