Nov 18, 2008 Nov 20, 2008 Wednesday November 19, 2008
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Mobispine's iPhone MMS application... for the entire universe?
We heard yesterday that Telia customers might be getting an MMS app for their iPhones, and that it was being developed by the carrier themselves, with plans to launch in the next two months. Well, today we've gotten word that Mobispine is likely the developer of said application, and that they have plans to offer it to carriers all over planet Earth. Mobispine says that the app will be branded to each particular operator, and distributed via Apple's App Store, but we don't know when all of this is going to go down. Now we'd just like to meet the caveman owner of the iPhone pictured above who needed to be told (on November 15th!) that "Obama will be our next president." [Thanks, Mike]Filed under: CellphonesMobispine's iPhone MMS application... for the entire universe? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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ATTO receives brocade data center ready status for storage networking compatibility
Posted by Dennis SellersATTO Technology, which specializes in storage connectivity and infrastructure solutions for data-intensive computing environments, says its Celerity FC-84EN, FC-82EN, and FC-81EN Fibre Channel Host Adapters have been verified by Brocade Communications Systems. as compatible with Brocade-based Storage Area Networking (SAN) infrastructure, according to the testing requirements of the Brocade Data...
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The 'Your Mac Life Show' is tape delayed
Posted by Dave MertenShawn and Lesa have embarked on a Grand Tour of the Mediterranean – first spending a couple of days relaxing in Rome, then on a cruise ship out of Genoa, Italy for MacMania 8, and now in the picturesque Umbrian and Tuscan region of Central Italy. That makes doing a...
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Apple TV 2.3 Update Adds Refinements, Kills Boxee
Late on Wednesday, Apple released the Apple TV 2.3 software update. This update adds a few refinements to Apple TV, but doesn't offer any breakthrough new features. If you read my post about boxee and installed it on your Apple TV, you'll want to wait because boxee won't run after updating. Apple's summary of the 2.3 update highlights four key features that have been updated.. AirTunes Streaming from Apple TV Third-party Remote Controls Playlists Music Volume Control The AirTunes update allows the Apple TV to become a source for other AirTunes speakers in the house. I haven't been able to test this because I only have one Apple TV, and no Airport Express, but this sounds like a great feature for party music. You can now select the music or playlist on the Apple TV and have it play elsewhere in the house. No word yet on if this means simultaneous output to local speakers and remote speakers, or just output to remote speakers and no local audio. And sorry, I don't have the setup to test it myself. (more…)
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Boris Box Set offered at special price
Posted by Dennis SellersFor a limited time, Boris Continuum Complete 5, Final Effects Complete 5, and Boris RED 4.x customers may credit the suggested retail price of their product towards the full price of the Boris Box Set.
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Mac OS Ken: 11.20.2008
Reports: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Set for 1Q â09 Launch / DigiTimes: Apple In Line for New Intel Quad-Core Chips / Electronista: Color on the Quad-Core Story / HP Intros Multi-Touch Enabled Laptop/Tablet PC / Report: iPhone 3G at Wal-Mart December 28th / CNET: Apple Talking DRM-Free iTunes with Other Three Labels / Ex-Pink Floyd Manager Bashes iTunes
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New BlackBerry could take iPhone by storm
Storm is appealing, though not a game-changer like the first iPhone. It has a blizzard of features but is harder to use. Still, ...
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Ars Investigates: Does Google Mobile use Private APIs?
People are calling foul on Apple and Google due to the use of private iPhone APIs in Google Mobile. Ars took a look and found that the answer to what's really going on is somewhat complex. Read on to find out what we discovered.Read More...
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Verizon finally has its answer to the iPhone
The new BlackBerry Storm, which goes on sale Friday, could be the first phone offered by Verizon Wireless that truly challenges Apple's iPhone offered on AT&T's network.
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Autodesk completes acquisition of SoftImage
Posted by Dennis SellersAutoDesk has completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Stracka Softimage, a developer of 3D technology for the film, television and games markets, for approximately $35 million.
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Microsoft, labels try to revive subscriptions
With fewer consumers than hoped for signing up for all-you-can-eat music subscriptions, Microsoft and the record industry are trying to make the option more appealing. As of Wednesday, those who pay for the $14.95 a month Zune Pass subscription will start being able to permanently keep 10 tracks a ...
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BlackBerry Storm review
By now most of us have heard this story in one fashion or another: when Steve Jobs and Apple were in the planning stages of the iPhone, the first carrier they brought the device to was America's largest network, Verizon. Even if you haven't heard how the tale ends -- Verizon refused and Jobs took his multi-billion dollar ball to AT&T -- you surely know the outcome. The iPhone has soared to become the ultimate smartphone, the must-have accessory that everyone from celebrities to your mom wants -- nay, needs -- to have in their pocket. It's changed the landscape of modern cellphones, put a serious dent in the sales of competing devices (just recently overtaking the venerable RAZR as the best-selling domestic handset), and unquestionably raised the bar when it comes to expectations for features in new handsets. It may seem unfair to open up the review of RIM's latest BlackBerry -- the Storm -- with a history lesson on the iPhone, but if you understand the market which Verizon and RIM hope to capture, then you understand the Storm, and it helps put this critique in perspective. The Storm, a widescreen, touchscreen device boasts many of the same features as the iPhone, but adds innovations like a clickable display, and comes packed with RIM's legendary email and messaging services. Mainlined into the biggest (and some say best) network in the States, the Storm is an almost deafening blast to the competition at first glance, but does it hold up on closer inspection? Read on to find out.Gallery: BlackBerry Storm in picturesContinue reading BlackBerry Storm reviewFiled under: CellphonesBlackBerry Storm review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Apple TV 2.3 update adds AirTunes streaming, support for other IR remotes
For home theater junkies who've been having a difficult time taking the Apple TV seriously, you should definitely have a look at what the latest software update brings to the dinner table. First off, we should warn you that any non-Apple TV software (like, you know, Boxee) will be banished should you choose to update, but if you're kosher on that front, we'll continue on. Apple's changelog notes that AirTunes streaming is now enabled, meaning that tunes can be streamed from the STB to AirPort Express speakers or other ATV units nearby. Additionally, the box can now learn other remotes, meaning that you can probably get your universal remote to handle this bugger, too. The last big addition is that Playlists in iTunes can now be seen on Apple TV, and there's also support for volume control in Music. Grab the download from within your box now if you dare, and feel free to chime in with any other noteworthy changes you happen upon.[Via TUAW]Filed under: Home EntertainmentApple TV 2.3 update adds AirTunes streaming, support for other IR remotes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Blackmagic Design demonstrates nine new products at Inter BEE 2008
Posted by Dennis SellersBlackmagic Design will showcase their product line launched earlier this year at the Inter BEE 2008 show in Japan.
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A Great Christmas Gift: iPhoto Calendars
It's the time of year when — love it or hate it — you need to start thinking about Christmas shopping. If you're the kind of person who prefers to leave their shopping until Christmas Eve, then by all means skip on to the next post! I prefer to plan ahead and beat some of the mad Christmas rush. Even better than high street shopping, I've found that my Mac is capable of producing some fantastic gifts for friends and family. Today I'll be briefly showing how easy it is to create a beautiful calendar using iPhoto, complete with all your important dates for the year and some seasonal photography. (more…)
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AOL Video Uploads to close on Dec. 18
Posted by Dennis SellersAOL Video Uploads users recently received the following email from the AOL Video Uploads Team: “We're writing to inform you that the AOL Video Uploads site is no longer accepting new video uploads and will close on Dec. 18, 2008. We hope that this does not cause you an inconvenience....
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Apple TV update 2.3 released
Filed under: Software Update, Apple TVApple has just released software update 2.3 for the Apple TV. Right now, we don't have the change log, but we'll update the post as soon as we get more information. It is important to know that as with all other Apple TV firmware updates, running the update WILL remove any non-Apple TV software. So if you have installed the USB boxee hack you might want to wait on running the update. Apple TV will eventually prompt you to run the automatic update, so boxee or XBMC users might want to check out the XBMC.org forums for information on disabling automatic updates. If you are not using any additional software and would like to download this new update, you can do so by visiting Settings > General > Software Update from the main Apple TV menu. If you notice any new features, be sure to let us know in the comments. Update: Apple has now posted a change log on their website. According to the knowledge base article, the following aspects of Apple TV have been updated: AirTunes Streaming from Apple TV - Music can be streamed via AirTunes to Airport Express speakers or other Apple TVs in your house. Third-party Remote Controls - Apple TV can now learn other remote controls and use them in addition to the Apple Remote. Playlists - Playlists in iTunes that contain Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, and Music Videos can now be seen on Apple TV. Music Volume Control - Support for volume control in Music. Thanks for the tip, Jeff.TUAWApple TV update 2.3 released originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Frenzic, one of the most addictive games ever, as it was meant to be played...on the iPhone
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News: Apple releases Apple TV Software 2.3
Apple has released Apple TV Software 2.3, the latest update to its set-top box. According to the release notes, the update adds the ability to stream music from the Apple TV to Airport Express speakers or other Apple TV units on the same network, to learn other remote controls' commands and use them in addition to the Apple Remote, and to see playlists in iTunes that contain movies, TV shows, podcasts, and music videos. It also adds support…
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Newton Peripherals rolls out MoGo Presenter Mouse
Posted by Dennis SellersNewton Peripherals, the developer of the MoGo family of ultra-portable products, today announced an addition to its MoGo product line: the US$89.99 MoGo Presenter Mouse. It's a business-card-sized mouse that stores and charges inside your laptop computer's PC Card slot (assuming, of course, it has one—and MacBooks and MacBook Airs...
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iTunes customers angry over copy protection moves at Apple
Apple forum heats up with Mac users upset that they are having problems watching iTunes content on their external displays.
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★ Google Mobile Uses Private iPhone APIs
Google’s just-released and much-publicized update to their Google Mobile iPhone app features some very clever interaction design for the voice search feature. There is an on-screen button you can tap to initiate a voice search manually, but, as illustrated in their example video, you can initiate a voice search just by lifting your iPhone to your ear. In order to trigger this automatic voice prompt, you must: Move the iPhone. Trigger the proximity sensor next to the speaker at the top of the iPhone. You need to do both, in that order.1 The voice prompt is never triggered by motion alone, nor by covering the proximity sensor without first having moved the phone. The only way it is triggered is by moving the phone and then triggering the proximity sensor. It’s very clever, and the resulting user experience is very nice. But here’s the intrigue: There is no public API in the iPhone SDK for using the proximity sensor in this way. As you might imagine considering the number of accelerometer-driven games in the App Store, there are plenty of public API calls to access data from the iPhone’s acceleromter. But the only thing apps can do with the proximity sensor is turn it on and off. When the proximity sensor is on, the screen turns off and stops accepting touch input when you cover the sensor (typically with your head, when holding the phone to your ear to, say, make a phone call, but you can just as easily trigger it by covering the sensor with your finger). By default, the proximity sensor is turned off, and the overwhelming majority of apps leave it that way. If you’re a registered iPhone developer, you can read the relevent documentation for the proximitySensingEnabled property in the UIApplication Class Reference. An app can check the status of this property (is it on or off?), and can toggle it, but that’s it. After an app has turned the proximity sensor on, the app never finds out when or if it has actually been engaged. There is no way for an app to be notified when the proximity sensor has been triggered. No way, that is, via the public APIs. If you use something like the command-line strings utility to examine the UIKit framework, you can see that there’s an undocumented (and therefore private to Apple) method named proximityStateChanged. And if one were to strip the FairPlay DRM from the current Google Mobile application binary — which, of course, you wouldn’t do, because you’re not supposed to strip FairPlay DRM, but I’m just saying if one were to do this — a class dump of the application binary would show that Google Mobile does in fact implement proximyStateChanged. So, (a) Google Mobile is using a private API, and (b) to my knowledge, there is no way to duplicate the behavior of Google Mobile’s “just lift the phone to your ear to trigger the voice prompt” feature using only the public APIs in the iPhone SDK. Needless to say, using private APIs violates the iPhone SDK Guidelines. A developer that plays by the rules cannot do what Google is doing. I can think of three explanations for how Google got away with this: Whoever at Apple approved this Google Mobile update did not realize that it was using the private proximyStateChanged method. Whoever at Apple approved it knew that it used a private API, but approved it anyway. Google sought and obtained permission from Apple to use this method. Based on information from informed sources, I do not believe #3 is the case. I’m pretty sure that the App Store approval process is every bit as much of a black box for Google as it is for everyone else. That leaves #1 and #2, either of which suggests that the Google Mobile team followed the adage that it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission. If this is the case — if — it might explain why Google started publicizing the voice search feature several days before it actually appeared in the App Store. The publicity from John Markoff’s feature in The New York Times put pressure on Apple to accept the app. #1 is possible. There is no technical barrier that prevents a third-party iPhone app from making calls to private APIs, and I have heard that several apps that do so have slipped past the App Store approval process. But I would presume the Apple employees who examine App Store submissions are well-versed regarding which hardware features are exposed through the official public APIs. If it’s #2, though, this stinks. Third-party iPhone development is purportedly a level playing field. If regular developers are forced to play by the rules, but Google is allowed to use private APIs just because they’re Google, the system is rigged. So here’s to hoping that it’s #1. My thanks to Robert Marini for assistance researching certain of the technical aspects of this article, including going so far as to build an iPhone app to test whether any documented application delegates are triggered when the proximity sensor is engaged. (The answer is no.) This explains why, if you turn on Google Mobile’s off-by-default setting to allow the UI to rotate, the automatic voice search prompt is disabled. By default Google Mobile tracks motion to see if you’ve moved the phone to your ear; turning the UI rotation option on means it instead tracks motion to see if the display orientation should be changed. It apparently can’t do both at the same time.↩
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Ultimate Ears launches earphones with top-fire speaker design
Posted by Dennis SellersUltimate Ears, a producer of custom in-ear monitors for professional musicians and sound engineers, has added the Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 5 and Ultimate Ears Super.Fi 5vi earphones to its line of universal-fit earphones. The company says they're the first products on the market with a top-fire-armature speaker design, which delivers...
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Searchme brings its Coverflow search to iPhone
New iPhone app Searchme brings its desktop sibling's Coverflow-style Web search to the small screen. It's fun and it works great.
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Frenzic for iPhone
I’ve played a bunch of iPhone games that, while fun on the computer, just don’t translate well to the iPhone. Games that are best suited to control using a keyboard, joystick, or mouse often just aren’t fun when using the accelerometer or touch screen for input. Frenzic, a joint production of The Iconfactory and ARTIS Software, is the other way around. When Frenzic came out for the Mac in February 2007, I thought it was a neat concept, but it required far too much precise mousing for me to find it fun. It’s so perfectly suited to touch screen controls that it’s hard to believe it wasn’t designed for the iPhone all along. $5 at the App Store. ★
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Unlocking the iPhone 3G With Proxy SIMs
In the interests of all those readers who need to unlock their iPhone 3G's for use on different carriers, I donned my investigative hat and tested an iPhone 3G unlock that really seems to work. While the iPhone Dev Team plunder the secrets of the mysterious baseband in search of the ever elusive software unlock, some of us regular users just can't wait. In this article, I'll run you through a typical hardware unlock process, highlighting some of the quirks and a couple of awful potential drawbacks. As some of this is arguably questionable, The Apple Blog must warn you that you're doing this at your own risk. Seriously. In fact, one iPhone 3G was totally borked in the process of testing this — almost relegated to a desolate Apple graveyard; nevertheless, in the interest of finding out if we really could unlock the iPhone 3G, we persevered. Again, The Apple Blog does not endorse your attempts at any of what follows, it could ruin your iPhone. Furthermore, this is not an official solution and as such, it is totally unsupported by Apple. That being said, let the fun begin. (more…)
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Mathematica integrates over 500 new functions
Posted by Dennis SellersWolfram Research has released Mathematica 7, an update that accelerates the drive to integrate and automate functionality as core Mathematica capabilities, adding image processing, parallel high-performance computing (HPC), new on-demand curated data, and other recently developed computational innovations—in total over 500 new functions and 12 application areas.
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Apple software updates for Nov. 19
Posted by Dennis Sellers4D, Inc. has released 4D v11 SQL Release 3, which the company says “highlights the maturity and robustness of its new database engine built on the SQL standard.” On top of pure performance improvements and core stability, numerous other features have been introduced.
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Report: Swedish carrier planning iPhone MMS app
There's no officially sanctioned way for iPhone users to send pictures and video via the MMS standard, but Telia might soon bring that feature to its Swedish customers.
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Rumor: Apple close to signing major labels to iTunes Plus
Apple is reportedly "in talks" at least three music labels to offer their content DRM-free. Ars' take on this news is: no duh?Read More...
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Apple, music labels discussing DRM-free songs
Posted by Dennis Sellers A year after iTunes began offering music without copy protection software from EMI, Apple is in discussions with the other three top recording companies about acquiring DRM-free songs, according to two music industry sources, reports CNET.
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App Store Lessons: Expect Delays after approval
"Ready for Sale" doesn't mean that your application appears in App Store right away. Expect to wait a bit before it goes live. Here's what you can do in the mean time.Read More...
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Apple and Quad Core Affair Ignite Firey Rumors
Rumors are circulating regarding Intel’s new family of quad-core chips that have been specially designed for small form-factor PCs like the Mac mini and all-in-one systems such as the iMac.read more
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CNET News Daily Podcast: Microsoft shakes up security world
Microsoft says it will now offer its antivirus software for free; Psystar's legal claims against Apple get shot down; and Steve Ballmer wonders when everyone will stop asking him about Yahoo.
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MacBook Pro users getting bitten by HDCP
Filed under: Video, iTunes, Bad Apple, Macbook Pro, MacBookYesterday, our buddy David Chartier at Ars and Sam Oliver at AppleInsider both publicized an issue that's been burning up the support boards for a while now: iTunes video rentals and purchases in HD are flagged for HDCP control, and in cooperation with the new Mini DisplayPort connector on the MacBook and MacBook Pro unibody models, those movies and TV shows are refusing to play back on non-compliant external displays. In this case, 'compliant' means HDMI or recent-vintage DVI, but even monitors or TVs that support HDCP may not properly negotiate with the DisplayPort connector to give iTunes and QuickTime the all-clear signal (if so, quitting and relaunching iTunes once the display is hooked up may clear the playback hold). Equally annoying: HDCP is only supposed to apply to 'high-value' digital streams, meaning standard-def purchases and rentals on the iTunes store should be out of scope... but some reports indicate that both the HD and SD instances are flagged, blocking playback on anything but the laptop's internal display or a straight-thru HDMI connection. Argh! While Apple TV users with unconventional output setups have been dealing with this aggravation since the beginning of the year, MacBook and MBP owners have largely steered clear, even as the HD content on iTunes became available for playback on the laptops. Now that the hardware and software have come into sync on the unibody models, Apple's compliance with HDCP -- a necessary but appalling condition of the content companies that deliver the HD movies and TV shows -- is beginning to close out the 'analog hole' and cause real aggravation for laptop owners with legitimate use cases. Talk about a bag of hurt.TUAWMacBook Pro users getting bitten by HDCP originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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'Macsimum Recommended Reading' for Nov. 19
Posted by Dennis Sellers“Reseller sells early MacBook Air prototype on eBay: A California computer repair shop is likely to receive a call from Apple asking it to explain where it obtained an internal MacBook Air prototype that it later turned around and sold on eBay for $730.”—AppleInsider
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Goliath Gives David a Pounding as Psystar Antitrust Suit Flops
Psystar's chief legal defense in its fight with Apple is off the table -- for the moment at least. U.S. District Judge William Alsup has dismissed charges that Apple is violating antitrust regulations and creating restraint of trade by linking its operating system with its branded hardware. Psystar is the company that dazzled some Mac fans several months ago -- and raised more than a few eyebrows -- with the offer of a product called "Open Computer." Essentially, Open Computer is a cheap Mac clone that runs the Macintosh OS X Leopard operating system.
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Music Moves to New Phase as CDs Fade
We've written a lot about the death of the recorded music business, but in a keynote address to a music industry conference a couple weeks ago Topspin CEO Ian Rogers sketches out a different future. Rogers, the former head of Yahoo Music, correctly points out, as others have before him, that it is not the music industry that is dying. It is the CD business.
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New Opera designer looking for desktop UI feedback
Opera's new lead designer, Jon Hicks, is looking for comments from Mac, Windows, and Linux users (and everyone in between) about how the browser feels as a native app on their operating systems. If you have feedback, now's the time to give it.Read More...
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MobileMe: What it Syncs, When it Syncs, and Why I’m Staying With It
Recently MacLife magazine reviewed Apple's MobileMe service. My problem with the review is that it lists something as a negative that continues to spread misinformation: Doesn’t “push” your email instantly, rather every 15 minutes. This is wrong. In this article I'll touch on what gets synced with MobileMe, when it occurs, and why I'm happy with it. First, keep in mind the following about MobileMe: Many think MMe is just email, contacts, and calendars, but that underrates the service. I'll discuss everything MMe can sync. The sync process depends on what is syncing, and where the update was made. Updates can be made on as many as three different “device types.” I'll refer to them as the Web, which means you're logged into www.me.com, the iPhone, and the Desktop, which means a desktop computer. While the iPhone and desktop can have their sync/push configured, the web always syncs/pushes. (more…)
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Nov. 19 'Macsimum Podcast' now available
Posted by Dennis SellersThe Macsimum Podcast for Nov. 19 is now available here and the RSS feed is here.
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Give Good Food to your Mac, now with international cuisine
Filed under: Software, Deals Last year, the Give Good Food to Your Mac promo offered discounts on apps exclusively from Indie developers in Europe. This year the promo is back, and they've opened the doors to developers from around the world. There are some 60 apps available, and the deal is this: buy 3 apps and get a 20% discount on the total price, buy more apps and the discount increases up to 50% for 5 apps or more. Last year you could get a 70% discount at 10 apps or more, but that doesn't look like it's on the cutting board any more. The application lineup, however, is impressive. All of those Indie apps you were interested in but knew they would be part of a bundle sooner or later ... you'll probably find them here. The lineup includes apps from Aquafadas, Houdah Software, Devon Technologies and many more. Some of my favorite software is included, such as Reinvented Software's Together (recently mentioned) and ShareTool (a recent Friday Favorite). The Hydra Aperture plugin, which we've also covered before, Cheetah 3D, Voice Candy ... it's quite a list. Stop by the Give Good Food to your Mac page and see if there's not something there to whet your appetite. The promo is running now and goes until December 1st.TUAWGive Good Food to your Mac, now with international cuisine originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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News: Puzzle MMORPG Aurora Feint II shown for iPhone, iPod touch
Now operating under the corporate name Aurora Feint Inc., developers Danielle Cassley and Jason Citron have unveiled Aurora Feint II: The Arena for the iPhone and iPod touch. Based on the original RPG-slash-block-matching game Aurora Feint: The Beginning, the new game is described as an asynchronous massively multi-player RPG, which promises to let users play against “ghosts” of other players that persist in the game even when the ghost's…
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The Iconfactory, ARTIS Software announces Frenzic for iPhone, iPod touch
Posted by Dennis SellersThe Iconfactory, a graphics and interface design firm, and ARTIS Software have released Frenzic, a new puzzle-based game, available from the Apple App Store for US$4.99.
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Apple Gazette Daily 384 - Rumors, Psystar, and more!
podcast sponsor link:Click Here to check out Audible! Today's Show: Rumors, Psystar, 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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Tumblrette rocks Tumblr blogging on iPhone
Tumblr is a clever blogging service with a focus on the fundamentals and polished style throughout. Tumblrette is a third-party iPhone client for Tumblr that integrates well, and even brings a few of its own tricks to the table. After using Tumblrette for the last month, we think it's about time for a review.Read More...
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Backstage: Protecting the Metal MacBook: InvisibleShield, Part 1
I had hoped to be able to share a complete end-to-end discussion of ZAGG's version of InvisibleShield for the 13” metal MacBook ($55) with you today, but the installation is still ongoing. Even having gone through the process with numerous iPod and iPhone variants of the same product, trying to get all the pieces of this clear, scratch-resistant film onto the computer is no easy feat. The major challenges are alignment and keeping the…
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Volantis’ Feed Builder platform is iPhone compatible
Posted by Dennis SellersVolantis Systems has announced Feed Builder, a web-based platform that will allow mobile subscribers to manage, aggregate and design their own mobile information and content feeds. It's iPhone compatible.
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BusinessWeek: HP "out-touches" Apple
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Portables, Apple, Macbook Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air Talk about being slightly touched. Arik Hesseldahl's BusinessWeek article, published today, says "...as of Nov. 19, Hewlett-Packard has beaten Apple to the punch, announcing the first multi-touch-enabled notebook PC, the tx2. I can't help but wonder whether Apple just lost an important race." Not only did Apple not lose an important race, the tx2 isn't the first multi-touch notebook. Engadget points out that the Dell Latitude XT, which offered multi-touch technology, came on the scene back in July of '08. But even that wasn't first, because the MacBook Air was introduced on January 15th of 2008 with a multi-touch trackpad. "Well," you say, "there's a difference between a touchable trackpad and a touchable display." You're right: one's meant to be touched and one isn't. The reason the trackpad on the MacBook Pro and he MacBook has gotten larger, smoother and glassier is because Apple is (and will continue to) inviting you to do more with it than tap and click. Multi-touch gestures on a notebook ought to be delivered via the surface that's made to be touched, not the surface made to be viewed. On the iPhone those surfaces are one & the same because there's no other option. But really, the notion that Apple "lost an important race" by not being first is the biggest error here. Apple wasn't the first to release jukebox software, a portable music player or a mobile phone. Yet, iTunes, the iPod and the iPhone are the most successful examples of each. Apple's greatest strength is patience. The designers and developers at Apple know you want a fully touch-enabled laptop. So do the folks at HP. The difference is that Apple's staff are patient and careful enough to execute it in exactly the right way, not just the most obvious way. [Via MacDailyNews]TUAWBusinessWeek: HP "out-touches" Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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MWSF: Westone introduces three-way personal earphones
Posted by Dennis SellersWestone Music Products will release the Westone 3 on Nov. 28. The company says it's the world's first true three-way earphone specifically designed for personal listening.
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Yahoo search exec departs, perhaps to Microsoft
Microsoft may no longer be looking to buy Yahoo outright, but I'm guessing it is not averse to picking up some of its talent. Valleywag reported on Wednesday that Sean Suchter, a top search executive at Yahoo, is leaving the company and speculated that he is headed to Microsoft. ...
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Mozilla CTO: Firefox in neck and neck race
Brendan Eich talks to CNET News' Dan Farber about the future of the Firefox browser and about competing with Google, Microsoft, Apple and others.
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News: Apple talks with holdout labels on DRM-free music
Apple is in discussions with Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony BMG in hopes of offering DRM-free music from the labels on the iTunes Store, according to a new report. Citing two anonymous music industry sources, CNet reports that the talks are still preliminary, and although no deals have been finalized, one source suggests at least one of the three holdouts is close to an agreement. Apple first began offering DRM-free music, dubbed…
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Seagate offers new colors for FreeAgent Go portable storage solution
Posted by Dennis SellersSeagate is now offering its FreeAgent Go portable hard drive in new colors, including think pink, ruby red, solar orange, spring green, forest green, royal blue, sky blue, champagne gold, titanium silver and tuxedo black. The initial color options of ruby red, royal blue, tuxedo black and titanium silver are...
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Sources: Apple, music labels talk DRM-free songs
More than a year after iTunes began offering DRM-free music from EMI, Apple is in talks to acquire MP3s from the other top three music labels.
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Workamajig adds support for Flash 10, Leopard, Safari 3.2
Posted by Dennis SellersWorkamajig, Creative Management's software program for ad agencies and others in the creative and design industries, has been updated to version 10.0.1.0 to support Adobe's latest version of Flash (version 10) and for Mac OS X 10.5.5 (“Leopard”) and Safari 3.2.
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Rumor: Quad-core iMacs
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Rumors, iMac, AppleIt's not even December, yet Macworld rumors are starting to fly. Digital Times is reporting that Apple is among the vendors ready to use Intel's new 65W low-power desktop CPUs, specifically designed for all-in-one computers. The lower heat output makes these great little chips for the iMac. Additionally, these chips would come with a faster bus, and even run a bit cheaper than the dual core chips Apple is currently using - the 2.33GHz, 2.66GHz and 2.83GHz chips cost $245, $320 and $369, respectively, according to Digital Times. The iMac has been the star of many Macworld keynote speeches, and we expect the same this year. See you in January! [Via Electronista]TUAWRumor: Quad-core iMacs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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'Take Control of VMware Fusion 2' new from TidBITS
Posted by Dave MertenModern Intel-based Macs have numerous options for running Windows, but for people accustomed to Mac OS X, installing Windows and configuring virtualization software is easier said than done. Whether it involves dealing with drivers, sharing files between Windows and Mac OS X, or determining optimal RAM settings, Joe Kissell's new...
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News: GenevaLab launches GenevaSound Home Theater
GenevaLab has announced its new GenevaSound Home Theater, a combination theater sound system and TV stand. The Home Theater, available in black or white, features 2.1 surround sound with EmbracingSound DSP technology, an all-digital 700-Watt amplifier, seven speaker drivers including a 12-inch subwoofer, an integrated iPod/iPhone dock, a radio receiver, a CD player, and interior space for components such as a cable box, DVD/Blu-ray player,…
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TheAppleBlog On Twitter!
Well it took long enough! Your favorite blog has finally got its act together and jumped on the social bandwagon! You can now follow TheAppleBlog on Twitter! We won't be doing anything lame like just streaming our articles directly to our Twitter account…there's a real, live human being handling this. So, delay no more and give TheAppleBlog a follow!
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M*Modal announces real-time speech understanding iPhone app for healthcare professionals
Posted by Dennis SellersM*Modal, a company that specializes in advanced speech understanding technology, has launched AnyModal CDS Mobile on the Apple App Store. AnyModal CDS Mobile makes real-time speech understanding services available on the iPhone so physicians will be able to improve patient care from anywhere at anytime, says Michael Finke, CEO of...
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News: ReCover debuts Revive cases for iPod nano 4G, touch 2G
ReCover, formerly known as Imoeba World, has introduced its new Revive cases for the fourth-generation iPod nano and second-generation iPod touch. Made of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a recyclable copolymer that combines plastic and rubber, both cases feature open access to all ports and controls and ReCover logo art. In addition, both cases come in packaging made from 100% renewable plastic and 90% recycled paper. A portion of all proceeds to Earth911,…
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iPhone Rumored to Appear in Walmart
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Zenoss adds native Mac OS X installer to Zenoss Core 2.3
Posted by Dennis SellersZenoss, a provider of commercial open source systems management and network monitoring software, has added a native Mac OS X installer for the latest version of Zenoss Core, an open source IT monitoring product.
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MacBook Air prototype ends up on eBay, sells for $730
A California-based computer repair shop appears to have unknowingly sold a rare MacBook Air prototype on eBay from before the machine was introduced to the public. One lucky buyer picked it up for just $730.Read More...
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Adobe CS4 Information grows at Toolfarm
Posted by Dennis SellersToolfarm, a source of content, community and commerce for professional visual effects and motion graphics plug-ins, has announced the availability of a repository of information related to Adobe Creative Suite 4 (CS4).
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Walmart will sell iPhones starting Dec. 28
Filed under: iPhoneWalmart will be taking a pass for most of the holiday shopping season with one particular item: the iPhone. It will begin selling the handset December 28, according to Jamie Townsend, of research firm JRPG. Boy Genius Report also notes that the phone will be sold in some Sam's Club stores as well. The blog broke the news about Walmart's talks with Apple, but originally said the smartphone would hit shelves last Saturday. Walmart seems to be capitalizing on post-holiday shopping fervor, with BGR's Zach Epstein speculating, "Won't people be happy when they find out Apple's handsets popped up at discount prices three short days after Christmas?" It depends on how meager Christmas is, I suppose. The handsets will apparently be activated in-store. No pricing details were released. TUAWWalmart will sell iPhones starting Dec. 28 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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Wal-Mart to carry iPhone after holidays?
The retailing giant is apparently set to add the iPhone to its lineup, but it won't feature Apple's mobile phone until after the holiday shopping rush has ended.
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NumberKey
$2 app turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into a numeric keypad for your MacBook. I have no need for this personally, but I can’t help but link to it given that one of the themes matches the Apple IIgs ADB keyboard. ★
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Psystar Countersuit Dismissed
The countersuit that was filed against Apple by Psystar is tentatively dismissed, according to released documents. In July, Apple filed suit against Psystar for installing Mac OS X on non-Apple branded hardware. Psystar retaliated and filed a countersuit stating that Apple violates antitrust regulations.read more
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iPhone 3G may be on its way to Walmart after holidays
The iPhone 3G is supposedly "confirmed" to be arriving on Walmart shelves, though a little late for the holidays. While rumor has it that the iPhone could get a discounted price at the massive retailer, we aren't holding our breath.Read More...
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MMS for iPhone? It’s Already Here, Says Mobispine
Multimedia messaging (MMS) is within reach for iPhone users, or at least that's what Mobispine AB is saying via press release today. The Stockholm-based mobile services company currently provides white lable RSS reader and Desktop SMS and MMS solutions to companies looking to get their own branded mobile service. Today they announced that they are now offering yet another brandable service: MMS capability for the Apple iPhone. The lack of MMS has long been one of the most glaring omissions in the iPhone's feature set, and is available on much less advanced handsets from all major manufacturers. Third-party applications like Flutter have attempted to bring workaround solutions to the platform, but to limited success and with awkward restrictions on how messages are sent and received. Mobispine's solution is targeted at providers, not individual consumers. Essentially, it would add backend support for sending and receiving MMS from a carrier-branded MMS interface. This conveniently avoids the need for Apple buy-in, since individual operators would be the ones making the decision as to whether or not they will offer the service. Apple still needs to OK the service implementation through the App Store approval process, however, since it would operate through a custom-branded native iPhone app. On the end-user side, iPhone owners will be able to create MMS messages from within the application, and attach photos saved to the iPhone's hard drive, or new pictures taken with the iPhone's camera. MMS messages will also be received via the Mobispine app, not in the iPhone's built in SMS application. According to the press release, MMS messaging to and from all capable handsets will be possible, so non-iPhone users will not require any special software or have to visit any external links. Since the decision to pursue the service is up to operators, it'll be interesting to see who bites. Likely candidates are markets where more than one provider offers the iPhone, or where existing sales numbers indicate that the market appears saturated, and to get more customers requires offering some perceived value-add to justify an iPhone purchase. There's also a possibility that carriers could charge for the additional service. iPhone users: Is MMS important to you? Would you like to see your carrier implement this solution, or would you rather wait for an official Apple MMS service, if one comes at all? Would you pay for the MMS service if your carrier decides to charge a fee?
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Apple may release Snow Leopard as early as March '09
According to a slide presentation delivered at the LISA '08 conference last week, Apple is targeting a Q1 2009 release for Mac OS X 10.6, slightly ahead of schedule.Read More...
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FXFactory offers support for Adobe After Effects CS4
Posted by Dennis SellersNoise Industries, developer of visual effects tools for the post-production and broadcast markets, has announced that FxFactory has expanded host integration support to include the newly released Adobe After Effects CS4. In addition to the expanded host support, there are four new plug-ins for FxFactory Pro users.
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Ballmer: 'We are done' with Yahoo acquisition idea
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer threw his daily bucket of cold water on the notion that the software maker will return with a new bid for all of Yahoo. "We are done with all acquisition discussions with Yahoo," Ballmer said, adding that he has said this a bunch of times but ... Originally posted at News - Microsoft
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Microsoft hiring could be slow through 2010
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told shareholders Wednesday he expects the company's move to slow its hiring will continue beyond the middle of next year. Headcount, he said, will experience "much, much slower growth for the remainder of this financial year and I suspect into next year." Microsoft's current ...
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Akvis ArtWork released for Macs, PCs
Posted by Dennis SellersAkvis has released Akvis Artwork, a special effect tool that applies different painting techniques to common digital pictures. Available in Mac and PC versions stand-alone or as a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, it's designed to make digital photos look as if they were real oil paintings.
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VoodooPad upgraded to version 4.0, includes WebDAV sync
The latest major release of personal wiki Voodoopad, version 4.0, has been released. It comes with a slew of nifty features, including WebDAV/MobileMe sync, new palettes, and a variety of other features.Read More...
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Socialcast adds iPhone support for corporate micro-blogging platform
Posted by Dennis SellersSocialcast, a provider of on-demand corporate social networks and micro-blogging solutions, today announced the introduction of a suite of new accessibility features to its Software-as-a-Service application. These new features include iPhone optimization, a Gmail plug-in for Firefox, and Jabber integration, each of which helps users to interact with their employee...
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Rubberduck Media Lab launches iPhone services for NetCom
Posted by Dennis SellersTeliaSonera's Norwegian brand NetCom is launching a mobile video service specifically designed for iPhone users. The service is developed by Aspiro's subsidiary Rubberduck Media Lab, who provides the hosting service, content sourcing and front end browser design and development.
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Snow Leopard Coming in Q1 2009
We knew we weren't going to have to wait too long for Snow Leopard (10.6) to make its appearance on store shelves, but according to MacRumors, things just got a little more specific courtesy of a slide from a conference presentation. Apple's Director of Engineering for their Unix Tech branch, Jordan Hubbard, spoke at the Large Installation System Administration (LISA) conference last week, and his slide deck included the gem pictured here. His topic was the evolution of OS X from large servers to embedded platforms, which featured the release schedule pictured, with a fairly specific (compared to vague “one year” timelines talked about when Snow Leopard was announced at WDC 2008) Q1 2009 date of arrival. (more…)
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AdMob: iPhone the number one mobile device worldwide
Posted by Dennis SellersAdMob, a mobile advertising marketplace, says the iPhone is now the number one mobile device worldwide, displacing the Motorola RAZR. In a regional feature focus that highlighted traffic from Latin America and the Caribbean, the Apple device has more than doubled in the last year in the October 2008 “AdMob...
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Hitachi Maxell intros noise canceling, battery draining iPod headphones
If short, intense sessions with your iPod are your bag, these new Maxell heaphones might just do the trick. Compatible with your fourth-gen iPod (or your first and second-gen iPod touch) the HP-NC20.IP earbuds offer active noise cancellation from 50-700Hz and noise suppression up to 20dB. Since they rely on the iPod dock for audio and power, you're stuck using the volume control on the headphones themselves, and battery life is significantly reduced -- anywhere from one half to two-thirds. If you're one of those people who never stops rocking, you might want to stick to something a little more passive, headphones-wise. But if you tend to "rock out" in concentrated amounts, these just might be the earbuds for you. Due to hit the streets of Japan on December 12 for a retail price of 8,000 (about $83).[Via AV Watch] Filed under: Portable AudioHitachi Maxell intros noise canceling, battery draining iPod headphones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read|Permalink|Email this|Comments
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10.5: Safer sleep during networked Time Machine backups
The problem: You have Time Machine set up using a sparsebundle on a network drive, such as a Time Capsule or an AirPort Extreme-connected hard drive. Most of the time, everything works great. Consider this reproducible scenario, however:You are working away at home and a hourly backup starts. Time machine automagically mounts the sparsebundle.You need to leave and put your laptop to sleep, not paying attention to the fact that time machine is working.You move your laptop to work/school and wake it up.The sparsebundle is still mounted, but obviously does not work. Finder and Spotlight grow increasing stuck until you have to reboot your machine. It occurs to you that the image back home was not closed properly and that eventually, this will corrupt your backups!Solution:Install SleepWatcher (I ...
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Disable Skype's auto-changing of microphone volume
Skype always irritated me with its automatic microphone volume changes. The Windows version has the ability to disable this option in the preferences pane, but the Mac version does not. Today, I spent some time trying to solve this problem. After some searching on net, I found a solution for the Windows version which also works on the Mac.Quit Skype and open the folloving file with TextEdit: ~/Library » Application Support » Skype » shared.xml. At the end of the document, you'll see this section: 77Simply change this section to look like this (adding one new line): 0 100AGC means Automatic Gain Control, and setting it to 0 disables this feature. Set it to 1 if you want to enable it again. The MicVolume can range from 0 (mute) to ...
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Create arbitrary keyboard shortcuts for bookmarklets
One of the things that makes Delicious (formerly del.icio.us) so useful it that it can integrate, to varying degrees, with all broswers via its JavaScript bookmarklets. Many other sites also use these -- for example, I have bookmarklets for Digg, FaceBook, and more. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to activate these from a keyboard shortcut? You can!Add a bookmarklet to your Bookmarks menu, not to your favorites bar.In System Preferences, go to the Keyboard Shortcuts tab of the Keyboard & Mouse System Preferences panel, and add a keyboard shortcut with the exact name of your bookmarklet. You can specify the application as either your chosen browser, or for All Applications if you use multiple browsers. If you choose All Applications, just make sure the bookmarklet has the same name in all browsers. Now I can post to Delicious by pressing the same keyboard shortcut everywhere. Yay![robg adds: This work...
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Another variant of RSPlug trojan for Mac pops up
Intego warns about OSX.RSPlug.D, a new variant of the RSPlug trojan that surfaced last November. Though the company is taking the chance to plug its anti-virus software, safe computing practices and/or not surfing for porn can help you avoid infecting your Mac in the first place.Read More...
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iPhone calls up No. 1 ranking for mobile metrics
Apple's popular smartphone captures the top spot worldwide for advertiser requests on the mobile-ad network AdMob for the month of October.