Nov 22, 2008 Nov 24, 2008 Sunday November 23, 2008
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Maccast 2008.11.23
A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 245. Mac OS 10.5.6 release may be soon. Will we see a new cat in the new year? What new hardware will Macworld bring? Apple should weather December. New Macbooks using DPCP. Apple discontinues 23" Cinema Display. Updates, updates, updates. Apple TV updated to 2.3. iPhone updated to 2.2. More malware and trojans target Apple. Mac Mini Home Theater Special Feedback. Syncing Firefox bookmarks to iPhone Review: Choosy. Mac web development tools. Home Inventory software for your Mac. Simple personal banking software.Special thanks to our sponsors: Wizard 2 - Merlin is professional-grade project management application software designed specifically for the Macintosh operating system. Written using the latest Apple technology for Mac OS X, Merlin's rich feature set and intuitive tools allow you to focus on your work, not the software.Smile on My Mac, check out DiscLabelNew music, "Massachusetts by The Predicates (iTunes)EOL: Real World Photoshop CS4 UI (Link)Oooh! Look at her! I could use a love potion on her! -- Willow (1988)Shownotes in: HTML or OPMLSubscribe to the Podcast Feed or Get the MP3
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Mac OS Ken: 11.24.2008
Apple and AT&T Sued (Again) Over iPhone 3G / ZDNet UK: 2 Pieces of Mac Malware Reported / No Google Street View for iPod Touch 2.2 / iPhone Dev Team Pwns 2.2 Update / Gizmodo: Google Street View for JailBroken iPods Touch / Macworld UK: Telia Sonera Talks MMS Deployment / Rock Band and Guitar Hero Co-Creator Eyes iPhone Development / Consumer Reports: More U.S. Shoppers Buying Tech for the Holidays / Apple Releases Pro Application Update 2008-004 for Final Cut Studio 2 / Apple Moves to Trademark OpenCL / ZDNET: Apple Spends $486M on Ads in FY 2008
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Stocks Will Continue to Erode In this Busted Economy
As a warning to the reader, my attendance at a Metallica concert a few days ago may be contributing to the extreme angst I am feeling. The concert, by the way, was really great, especially for my son and his friends. While some of the lyrics are downright depressing ("waiting for the day that never comes", "growing darkness taking dawn"), truthfully, I couldn't really hear them.I feel like the guy who had the winning lottery ticket but lost it. I was as bearish as one could be late last year and early this year, but I succumbed way too early to the bottom-guessing game. Despite the horrific market, I was doing all right through the end of September.
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The 'Macsimum Apple Store' grand opening
Posted by Dennis SellersJust in time for the holidays, Macsimum News is proud to announce the grand opening of the “Macsimum Apple Store,” where you can purchase all your Apple products and more, from the convenience of your home or office.
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New MacBook Pro performance degrades with the battery removed
Gearlog has discovered a weird issue with the latest generation (Late 2008) MacBook Pros â they run like dogs when the battery is removed. To the tune of a 37-percent drop in speed without the battery. Zach Honig benchmarked a 2.53GHz MacBook Pro with Maxon’s Cinebench R10. With a battery the MacBook Pro scored 5,549, without [...]
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iPhone jailbreakers: Problems with QuickPwn?
On Friday, the word came out from iPhone jailbreaker community to avoid update to the iPhone 2.2 firmware. The next day, the team at blog.iphone-dev.org warned that use of QuickPwn could bring problems with Apple's iPhone Firmware 2.2 update released on Friday.
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iPhone Dev Team delivers iPhone 2.2 firmware jailbreak with a warning
Posted by Dave MertenAs promised, the iPhone Dev team has delivered the 2.2 firmware jailbreak in the form of the Pwnage tool and Quickpwn for both Mac and Windows machines. This update seems to be the real deal breaker in regards to future unlocks. Upgrading using iTunes can forever eliminate your chances of...
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Talkcast tonight: Black Friday, holiday shopping, and more
Filed under: TUAW Business, Podcasts Last week, with Christina at the helm, talkcastees and talkcasters reminisced with former staffer Nik Fletcher, now with the fine folks at Realmac Software. You can listen in via the Talkshoe page, or download the show in iTunes / via RSS. Be so kind as to join us tonight, November 23 at 10 p.m. ET for an hour of witty repartée about the week's news, and plenty of speculation about Black Friday and the coming holiday shopping season. Mike, Dave, Christina and I will be there, so join us, won't you? You can join the conversation on TalkShoe by using the shiny browser-only client; you can also use the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client that we all know and love. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. You can also listen in on the Talkshoe page or call in on regular phone or VOIP lines: dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *-8. Talk with you then! Recording support for the TUAW Talkcast provided by Ecamm Network's CallRecorder for Skype.TUAWTalkcast tonight: Black Friday, holiday shopping, and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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BDEmailer: This App Doesnât Do What You Think it Does
Engadget, Gizmodo, and 9 to 5 Mac seem to be puzzled about an app called BDEmailer, and why it's allowed on the App Store. I think this is because they're giving the app more credit than it's due. Engadget says Apple “violates its own policies” because the app's SMTP feature “duplicates an exact function of Apple's Mail application on the iPhone and touch.” I disagree. The product's own demo video states that if “there's more than two [email addresses] it will send them to Apple's Mail, the SMT[P] only sends one address at a time.” That's hardly a duplicate of Mail's send feature. Gizmodo says Apple's app store policies are a “crap shoot.” This may very well be true, but I'm not sure you could prove it by this app. They want to know “just what the hell is going on.” Well, what's going on is this: BDEmailer is an enhancement to Apple's Mail, and there are already plenty of those on the app store (e.g., Easy Mail, TouchType). 9 to 5 Mac says the app “goes up against Apple's own email app,” which is the furthest from the truth because this app relies on Apple's Mail app. In addition to SMTP, I believe some confusion stems from the app's write-up in the app store. It talks so much about what you can do, it can give the impression it's a Mail replacement. But it does not receive mail, and the limited sending is obviously an issue. Bottom line is that while this Mail enhancer seems more extensive than others — which duplicate some of BDEmailer's features — it's still just a Mail add-on, not a replacement. Finally, none of this is meant to judge the app itself, or its potential usefulness as a Mail helper. This is not a review; I leave it to readers to use the app or read existing app store reviews and make their own determination. I'm simply responding to articles questioning why Apple did not disallow this app from the Store.
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Softpress to exhibit Freeway 5 at Maximum Photoshop CS4 tour events
Posted by Dave MertenSoftpress will be on hand to demo Freeway 5 at both the Portland, OR and Seattle, WA Maximum Photoshop CS4 Tour events on Monday, November 17th and Monday, November 24th, respectively. Special pricing on both Freeway 5 Pro and Freeway 5 Express will be available at each show from the...
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Pixelmator Team releases Pixelmator 1.3 Tempo
Posted by Dave MertenThe Pixelmator Team has released Pixelmator 1.3, codenamed Tempo, a third major update to the revolutionary GPU-powered image editing tool that provides everything needed to create, edit, and enhance still images. Available today as a free software update, Pixelmator 1.3 Tempo features major performance improvements: click-and-drag technology-based Magic Wand, Paint...
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Marware announces the Nuance for 4G iPod nano
Posted by Dave MertenMarware has announced the Nuance for the iPod nano 4G. The Nuance is a slim, colorful leather case for your iPod nano 4G. The Nuance's detachable hand strap adds another fun way to use your nano. With extra detail given to the profile of the new nano, the Nuance provides...
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Otterbox Defnder: Ulimate iPhone case for the 3G
Posted by Dave Greenbaum When I had a bit of an accident with my last iPhone a month after purchase, I was determined to find the ultimate case. I wanted a case that was comfortable and functional yet protected my iPhone as much as possible.
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Intego issues a Mac security memo
Posted by Dave MertenIntego today has released a Security Memo. Reports have been circulating about a new Mac “malware” or “Trojan horse”, usually under the name “OSX.Lamzev.A”, which is claimed to open a back door on compromised Mac OS X computers. The code is added to an unsigned third-party application that is installed...
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Investment Advice for Today's Markets
To say that we live in historic times would be an understatement. We've all been shaken by more earth-shaking news in just the past few months than we've seen in the prior decade. There's been the takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the disappearance of Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Washington Mutual and Wachovia, the TARP rescue plan (which itself has changed shape many times since being passed) and now the potential bailout of the Detroit automakers. Oh, and did we mention hedge fund redemptions and failures, and now commercial real estate problems?!?
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Meizu M8 Flash demo hits the scene, looks mighty familiar
How much ASCII will be spilled, how much bandwidth utilized on this legendary (if vaporous) iPhone killer before it becomes a real reality? Like the tail end of a torrid love affair, we're not even sure if it's the phone itself that we dig or the soap opera that we enjoy so much. And now, hot on the heels of the hands-on video that has captured the imagination of the entire world, Meizu has posted a flash demo of the M8's UI for those of you thirsting for a closer look at the thing. SPOILER ALERT: It bears a strong resemblence to the interface of a certain Apple product.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Filed under: CellphonesMeizu M8 Flash demo hits the scene, looks mighty familiar originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Law in a Flash Law School Flashcard Series released for the Apple iPhone
Posted by Dave MertenAspen Publishers, part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business and the leader in legal education study supplements, has partnered with Modality, the premier developer of learning and reference content for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch, to transform the popular Law in a Flash study series into digital study resources...
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Infusions of Grandeur releases Giftory 3.0 for Mac OS X
Posted by Dave MertenInfusions of Grandeur has announced Giftory 3.0, an update to their gift buying and tracking utility for Mac OS X. Giftory helps keep track of gift giving and receiving for multiple people, on multiple occasions, over a period of years. It can also help with setting and keeping detailed budgets...
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Dare to be Creative offers Renamer4Mac at 50% off on Mupromo
Posted by Dave MertenDare to be Creative has announced that Renamer4Mac, the batch file renaming utility for Mac OS X Tiger and Leopard, will be on sale at Mupromo on November 13th 2008. Renamer4Mac is a utility application that batch renames large numbers of files using a graphical drag and drop interface. Renamer4Mac...
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App Cubby introduces Gas Cubby 1.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch
Posted by Dave MertenApp Cubby has introduced Gas Cubby 1.0, their gas mileage and vehicle maintenance app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Whether a hyper-miler or just need a reminder to change the oil, Gas Cubby will save money and help keep any vehicle operating at its peak. Featuring easy-to-use service reminders...
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Mini TubeStick with TV community and iPhone integration for on the go (video)
Posted by Dave MertenToday equinux introduces the smallest TubeStick DTT USB receiver providing live TV on your Mac and PC. With its compact size, the new TubeStick is sure to impress and it provides everything you need to watch TV on your Mac when you're on the go.
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Vista Doing Just Fine; Itâs Leopard and iPhone OS That Are In Need of Fixing; We Have Always Been at War With Eurasia
What a sad strange little place the Microsoft tech punditry beat has turned into. â
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Customizing Your Mac: Wallpaper Fun
The desktop wallpaper on your Mac is something that you may not pay a great deal of attention to. If so, you might be missing out on a great way to create a personal look and feel for your computer, revel in stunning photography, or even re-create the feeling of being somewhere thousands of miles away from your desk. In this post on customizing your Mac I'll be looking at a some sources of beautiful wallpaper, investigating a few of the effects and features pre-built into OS X, and showcasing two pieces of software for revolutionizing your desktop. (more…)
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Apple Falls Flat as Market Rebounds - Is There Really Investor Confidence?
This past week will live on in infamy, unless this is just a warm up for the big show. That's because this past Wednesday (November 19) we broke through the support level that had been holding this market up since our first monumental drop in late September, early October. Since that time we've been thrashing about in a flurry of volatility, the likes of which have never been seen before in the stock market. And it its wake, all the world's economic institutions have been brought to their knees. Well, that support was the last line of defense before the 2002 Bear Market lows. And although most investors thought that it would provide good support for the time being, there is the fear that we might compromise that level quickly. And if we did, there would be little underneath that to hold this market together. On Thursday it happened. We blasted through the 2002 lows, sending shivers down the market's spine. All hopes were pinned on an oversold rally on Friday (November 21).
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MacOSG: Hidden .com button In iPhone Mail
Posted by Dave MertenAs you already know, Safari has a .com button on its keyboard for easy URL typing, But have you ever wondered why there is none on the Mail application? Well, there is; it's just hidden.
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iPhone Dev Team releases 2.2 jailbreak
Team posts downloads and instructions for unlocking the firmware update, and also includes a word of caution about Apple's baseband technology.
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The Dow's Lost Decade
One of the best posts I read this week was from Fortune's Andy Serwer. In it, he noted: At the end of 1999 the Dow was around 11,400. Today the Dow is at 8,400, which means the index has fallen some 26%, a decline of almost 3% per year. With just one year left in this decade - even if 2009 is a humdinger - it is increasingly likely that first 10 years of this century will be one big washout for investors. A lost decade.
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MacBooks take performance nosedive on AC power alone
Filed under: Portables, Macbook Pro, MacBookHere's a curious thing. Gearlog is reporting that in testing a MacBook Pro, they found substantially lower performance while running on AC power alone, with the battery removed. Apparently, Apple doesn't hide this quirk; there's a Support Document claiming that this is done to prevent "the computer from shutting down if it demands more power than the A/C adapter alone can provide." On their new unibody MacBook Pro, Gearlog noted a 36% lower processor benchmark without the battery. The upshot is simple: leave the battery in, even if you use your MacBook (Pro) at your desk. Interestingly, at the same time Apple does recommend allowing the battery to discharge at least once per month.[via Engadget]TUAWMacBooks take performance nosedive on AC power alone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 23 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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BlackBerry Storm: the aftermath
With day zero of the Age of the Storm (well, Verizon's day zero, anyway) now behind us, it's probably a good idea to pause for a moment, take a deep breath, and reflect on what just went down. First and foremost, we're hearing that stock levels are pretty bleak at the moment in many areas; in some cases, stores didn't get as many Storms as they'd been expecting, leading to speedy sell-outs. Some of those that were able to snatch a scarce unit were met with activation issues, Verizon's servers seemingly meeting the same fate as AT&T's and Apple's on iPhone 3G launch day. Will the situation improve? We can only imagine -- but it's hard to say just how long it'll take before you'll be able to stroll into the store (or shady mall kiosk) of your choice and score a Storm sight unseen, especially in light of the firmware drama unfolding before our very eyes. In the meantime, owners (and hopefuls, too), keep sending in your reports from the field![Thanks to everyone who sent this in]Filed under: Cellphones, HandheldsBlackBerry Storm: the aftermath originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 23 Nov 2008 07:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Apple's Superlative Sequel: The Latest iPod Touch
They say sequels often fail to live up to the original. That's not so with the second generation of Apple's iPod touch. Apple has managed to make the touch look better, work better, and deliver more features -- all for a $229 starting price, significantly cheaper than the previous entry-level $299 version. The changes, while subtle, are so significant that I give the second-generation touch a rare perfect score. The touch, while an iPod, is close to the iPhone in lineage. It has the same touchscreen and plays music and videos the same way.