Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Google Toolbox source code for developers
Google recently unveiled the release of the Google Toolbox for Mac source code, joining the ranks of Google Data APIs Object-C Library of open source materials available from the internet services giant. The development team calls the collection eclectic, containing apps that are required for most every day tasks. Eventually, the Google Mac Team ho... [ Full story from MacNN | The Macintosh News Network ]
Google releases Google Toolbox source code
Google recently unveiled the release of the Google Toolbox for Mac source code, joining the ranks of Google Data APIs Object-C Library of open source materials available from the internet services giant. The development team calls the collection eclectic, containing apps that are required for most every day tasks. Eventually, the Google Mac Team ho... [ Full story from MacNN | The Macintosh News Network ]
YouSendIt releases Express for Mac
Filed under: Software, Freeware, Internet, Apple
I'm probably one of the few bloggers here who hasn't shelled out for a .Mac subscription (and an iDisk) -- I've just never personally come across a situation where I needed one. For transferring big files I usually either throw it on a DVD or an FTP site, or I use YouSendIt for free -- there's a 100mb limit, but in all of my file transferring, I've never had reason to break it (most of what I send is audio tracks for podcasts).And now they've released the appl ication version of their interface -- YouSendIt Express is now available for the Mac. Unfortunately, it seems like the standalone app doesn't have some options that the web interface does (specifically checking delivery confirmation and a download limit), but for just shuffling a file off to someone else fast, it does the trick.
From everything I can find on the website, it works just great with the free account version of YouSendIt, so if you find yourself shipping off files quickly enough that you need a dedicated app to do it, there you are.
[Via Macenstein]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Compromises Limit Appeal of Apple's Lightest-Ever Laptop
Laptop design has always been about compromise. Though they've come a long way in the past few years, laptops have never been able to offer the features available in desktop computers, and certainly not at comparable prices. In order to squeeze an entire computer into a portable shell (and have it... [ Full story from washingtonpost.com - Personal Tech ]
Apple launches basic Mac tutorials
Apple today launched a series of tutorials geared toward PC owners who are entertaining the prospect of owning a Mac. The three current guides already available include 'Anatomy of a Mac,' 'Move to Mac,' and 'Windows on a Mac.' Anatomy of a Mac explains the process of using a Mac right away, including the internet setup assistant and the desktop. T... [ Full story from MacNN | The Macintosh News Network ]
Apple's MacBook Air support docs reveal one-of-a-kind solutions
Without a built-in optical drive or a user-replaceable battery, the MacBook Air requires several unusual solutions that may stymie experienced Mac users -- including special tricks for resetting the SMC and installing Boot Camp. Apple's new support ... [ Full story from AppleInsider ]
iWeb 2.0.3 'addresses compatibility with Mac OS X'
iWeb 2.0.3 is available for download from Apple, which said only that it's a compatibility update for Mac OS X. [ Full story from Macworld ]
Macessity ships MX4 Rack Tray for Mac mini
Macessity has unveiled its MX4 Rack Tray for Mac mini, a device made specifically for Apple's smallest desktop Mac. The tray features designated locations for one Mac mini at each corner, supporting up to four of the systems while providing ample ventilation via air slots in the base. Holes located in the tray sides allow for easy cable management,... [ Full story from MacNN | The Macintosh News Network ]
Apple releases iWeb Update 2.0.3
Apple today released iWeb Update 2.0.3 update which addresses compatibility with Mac OS X... [ Full story from MacDailyNews ]
YML: Newsweek's Steven Levy Talks MacBook Air
Your Mac Life (YML), with Shawn King, which airs every Wednesday night, will chat with Newsweek's Steven Levy about his impressions of the new MacBook Air. In addition, YML will talk to Rosetta Stone's Director of Learning Duane Sider about their new learning product
[ Full story from The Mac Observer ]
The MacBook Air reviewed
Jason Snell has spent a week with the MacBook Air. And after extensive testing of the ultra-thin, ultra-light notebook, he's ready to give his final assessment of Apple's newest portable. [ Full story from Macworld ]
Apple’s MacBook Air now shipping
Apple today announced that MacBook Air, the world’s thinnest notebook, is now shipping... [ Full story from MacDailyNews ]
Take Control Updates Maintaining Your Mac Title for Leopard
Take Control and TidBITS announced the immediate availability of and updated version of Take Control of Maintaining Your Mac on Wednesday. The new edition was revised to address the needs of both Tiger and Leopard users in mind
[ Full story from The Mac Observer ]
[ Full story from The Mac Observer ]
PTHVolume 2.1.0
If you’ve got multiple audio devices connected to your Mac, PTHVolume makes it easy to switch between them. It also lets you add volume keys to non-Apple keyboards. [ Full story from Macworld ]
Older AirPort may cause networking issues with MacBook Air
Apple has outlined a few potential issues with the MacBook Air. [ Full story from Macworld ]
Management tools help Mac usage at enterprises
As a senior technical support analyst at Harcourt, Randy Rowles is happy that he gets to manage the educational publisher's 1,000 or so Macintosh systems -- perhaps even a little smug, as Mac afficionados can be, about how the stability and ease of use of the systems makes his job so easy. [ Full story from Macworld ]
Apple launches Mac video tutorials website
A new subsection of Apple's website dubbed "Find out how" offers dozens of new video tutorials aimed at swaying consumers towards its Mac computing platform and then helping them achieve the most from their Mac experience once they bite the bullet. ... [ Full story from AppleInsider ]
Hot Forum Topic - Unraveling Apple's iPhone Revenue Cut
Part of Apple's exclusive deal with cell carriers includes getting a cut of contract revenues. Exactly how much does that add up to? That's what TMo readers are discussing today
[ Full story from The Mac Observer ]
Apple: iWork
"performance issues while playing or exporting presentations" for Keynote and, er, "compatibility with Mac OS X" for Pages and Numbers [ Full story from MacInTouch ]
Take Control Intros Easy Back Up Guide for Leopard
Take Control and TidBITs announced the immediate availability of Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard by Joe Kissell on Wednesday. The title explains how to use time machine along with other backup methods to build a comprehensive data protection strategy
[ Full story from The Mac Observer ]
[ Full story from The Mac Observer ]
Apple debuts comprehensive online Mac video tutorials
Apple has debuted "Find out how," a new section featuring video tutorials along with... [ Full story from MacDailyNews ]
Fastmac offers high-cap 17-inch MacBook Pro battery
Fastmac is selling a replacement battery for 17-inch MacBook Pros that costs less and lasts longer than Apple's. [ Full story from Macworld ]
Mozilla outlines two mobile-browser prototypes
Developer Doug Turner describes how he'd like to see people browse the Web on a cell phone. How would it compare to the ways of Apple, Opera, and Skyfire? [ Full story from CNET News.com ]
FastMac intros 17-inch MacBook Pro battery
Upgrade specialist FastMac has announced a new upgraded notebook battery, designed specifically for the 17-inch MacBook Pro. By swapping it with the default unit, owners are said to gain extended battery life, over and above the 5.75 hours promised by Apple. Along those lines, the FastMac battery is rated at 71Wh, surpassing Apple's 68Wh figure. ... [ Full story from MacNN | The Macintosh News Network ]
Quick Look Suspicious Packages
Filed under: OS, Freeware, Security
As I've noted before, I'm a huge fan of Quick Look and I eagerly follow the third-party plugins released by developers. A new one came along recently that's worth a look, especially for the security-conscious out there. Suspicious Package will let you use Quick Look to examine the contents of standard installer packages before you install them. You can navigate folder structure and have a look at what it contains with one click. Of course you can do this manuall y by right-clicking in the Finder and choosing "Show Package Contents," but this makes it that much easier to do a quick check. Unfortunately, it does not work yet on 'mpkg' meta-packages. Suspicious Package is a free download from Mother Ruin Software.
[via QuickLook Plugins List]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
ASUS preps $500 'iMac killer' Eee PC desktop
ASUS is expanding its Eee PC line to include not one but multiple extra models, including an all-in-one desktop, the company said today at a press event. The E-Monitor will aim to do what the original Eee PC notebook did for portables by reducing the cost of entry for the class; the system will have a screen between 19 and 21 inches large but use ... [ Full story from MacNN | The Macintosh News Network ]
iPhone unlocking explodes despite Apple's countermeasures
Despite company's attempts to make life harder for the unlocking community, the number of unlocked iPhones appears to be soaring. [ Full story from CNET News.com ]
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Are unlocked iPhone sales really so bad for Apple?
While its revenue-sharing agreement with AT&T is kept under wraps, Charles Wolf, an analyst with Needham & Co., believes the carrier... [ Full story from MacDailyNews ]
O2 sweetens service plans for UK iPhone customers
In an effort to spur more sales of Apple's iPhone while simplifying its pricing structures, European wireless provider O2 announced Tuesday a 'radical shake-up' of its monthly tariffs that will see most of its iPhone customers awarded with three time... [ Full story from AppleInsider ]
Turret Wars game goes multiplayer
Sector 3 Games has released Turret Wars MP, a multiplayer version of its ballistics game for the Mac and PC. [ Full story from Macworld ]
iPodObserver - iPhone Application Key Hits the Web
Apple's secret key needed to install iPhone applications through iTunes doesn't appear to be so secret any more. Hackers have apparently uncovered the code used to properly sign applications as legit now it is circulating around the Web
[ Full story from The Mac Observer ]
Matrox releases Mac GXM Control Panel software
Matrox has released new Control Panel software that enables Mac users with GXM devices to access additional resolutions. [ Full story from Macworld ]
What's the deal with Entourage 2008 and Blackberry sync?
Filed under: Software
If you've got a Blackberry that you plan to sync with Entourage 2008 (other than via Exchange and a Blackberry Enterprise Server, which could give two figs for your client application), you might run into some difficulty. No, you'll be fine. Well, now we're not sure. What's all this fuss about? Let's start with this post from MacWindows, which raises the alarm: Microsoft dropped direct BlackBerry syncing in Entourage 2008, the headline reads. Uh-oh, whatever shall we do? The article reports that the pl ug-in that enabled direct synchronization of Entourage to Blackberries will not be supported in 2008 by Microsoft or Missing Sync, and all synchronization must take place via Apple's Sync Services framework.
Gosh, that's scary news, except that it's complete hogwash, says Mac pundit/gadfly John Welch. While Entourage 2004 did support Palm synchronization via a HotSync plugin that's now absent in 2008, the Blackberry sync process was always handled by Entourage's interface to Sync Services, the same underlying technology that connected Entourage to Address Book and iCal. Did MacWindows talk to someone at Mark/Space who mixed up the two s ync technologies, or was the confusion on the reporting end? Welch is pretty sure where the problem lies.
All that said, it should be safe to sync Entourage with your Sync Services clients, right? Not so fast, say the mavens at the Entourage Help Blog. Since Entourage 2008 shipped, there have been plenty of reports of issues with Sync Services, including some catastrophic cases of data loss. The recommendation of the experts is to leave Sync Services off for now until Microsoft can address some of these problems. Once that's taken care of, both Mark/Space and PocketMac say that Entourage 2008 should be supportable for calendar and contact sync. What a relief.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
UK iPhone users to see better value service plans
Filed under: iPhone
Amongst a general re-shuffling of contract pricing, O2 has announced that iPhone customers are going to be getting a better deal on their contracts. The UK contracts were, at launch, notably slim on both calls and texts when compared to other O2 packages. Whilst the higher price was due in part to the inclusion of the Cloud WiFi and unlimited data, there was speculation that the prices were higher to pay for Apple's take of the monthly revenue on the service plans.Thankfully, that's all about to change in February, as O2 has brought its iPhone tariffs in line with regular O2 deals. For those on the cheapest £35-per-month package (such as yours truly) , minutes get tripled to 600 and texts to 500 per month, and the £45-per-month package gets bumped to 1200 minutes and 500 texts (previously costing £55). O2 has decided to remove the £55 option of the past, and will reduce their future bills to £45, or allow them to move to the £75, 3,000 minute / 500 SMS package. If you have your iPhone on O2, you'll want to check out this page for the complete low-down.
[Via twitter / Macworld and thanks to all those who sent this in!]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Bush struggles for relevance in last state of the union
President overshadowed by race to choose successor attempts to reassert primacy [ Full story from Guardian Unlimited ]
Microsoft Offers Workaround for Office 2008 Security Flaw
Following the report that Office 2008 for the Mac improperly set permissions during installation, and Microsoft's confirmation of the issue, the company is offering a work around until a permanent fix is available
[ Full story from The Mac Observer ]
Apple working on iPhone Copy, Paste (and how it could be implemented)
Apple is aware of the desire for Cut, Copy, Paste on iPhone and it is working on it in the labs as we speak... [ Full story from MacDailyNews ]
Apple tops own guidance by average of 40.5% over past 8 quarters
Apple Inc. has, on average, reported actual financial results in the previous eight quarters that came in 40.5%... [ Full story from MacDailyNews ]
Nokia's Comes with Music service revenue to be shared with operators
Filed under: Multimedia, Nokia
Remember Nokia's Comes with Music (CWM) service? The service which includes a full year of free DRM'd music downloads with the purchase of a CWM cellphone. Up to this point, Nokia has refused to comment on the financial details of the service. Important since "free" is expected to be anything but free with those music costs tucked neatly into the price of the handset, the carrier's data plan, or both. In an interview published by Bloomberg, Tero Ojanpera, Nokia Ex ecutive VP, discussed CWM and says that, "In those cases where we cooperate with operators, there will be an arrangement so they can get a piece." Something previously hinted at by Nokia's CEO back in December. Still no word on who, beyond Universal, will offer their music on the new service or how much the new bundled handsets will cost. Ojanpera did repeat that CWM won't be available on existing Nokia devices. For its part, Universal says that DRM is a definite component of the service -- a possible deal-breaker if that DRM limits your CWM downloads to a single handset and PC for eternity.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
[ Full story from Engadget Mobile ]Show floor video: Webex lets you collaborate across platforms
Filed under: Macworld, Software, Video
So let's say you've got a Panther machine on your DSL connection with a firewall, and another computer across town running Windows 98 on a dual-ISDN connection, but you really need to control the Mac from the PC. No dice, right? According to Webex, this might just be possible,* although your experience won't be a zippy thrill-ride.Webex uses a subscription-based tool to allow remote access across computers, and at Macworld they were talking about Mac-to-PC friendliness. Scott had a ch at and wound up with pricing (it's as cheap as $10.35/month), a website (pcnow.com), and the aforementioned horrific scenario of connectivity. Oh, and they've got iPhone compatibility of a sort, just be aware of the limitations.
*In theory, Webex engineers say a 56k connection will allow connectivity. The specs also provide compatibility with Panther and Win98 on the low end. Note I said "low end" which means the performance won't be anything close to a high-speed connection and some more current OS'es.
Full video explanation after the jump.
Continue reading Show floor video: Webex lets you collaborate across platforms
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsTUAW Responds: Adding a Stand-Alone Contacts Application to your iPhone
Filed under: iPod Family, Hacks, How-tos, iPhone
[ Full story from The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) ]
Found Footage: MacBook Paper
Filed under: Cult of Mac, Apple, Found Footage
If you can't bring yourself to shell out all that moola for a real MacBook Air, why not print out a tiny MacBook Paper? The MacBook Paper is even thinner than the MacBook Air, and it comes with a case at no additional cost. Don't even get me started on this thing's battery life (though I am pretty sure the battery isn't user replaceable).Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Beta: AOL Desktop for Mac Beta 6
The new version of AOL Desktop includes AIM Chat (with support for iSight and built-in Mac mics), support for mail signatures, address book groups, and other improvements. [ Full story from MacInTouch ]
iPhone 1.1.3 update reveals SMS issue
Apple's latest iPhone firmware update, version 1.1.3, has revealed an an issue that causes SMS text ... [ Full story from iPodNN | The iPod News Network ]
iPodObserver - SecurityFocus Uncovers Mobile Safari Security Flaw
Security research firm SecurityFocus claimed it discovered a flaw in the mobile Safari Web browser used in Apple's iPhone. While the flaw could allow a remote attacker to cause a kernel panic on the iPhone, it appears for now that it does not allow for remote code execution
[ Full story from The Mac Observer ]
[ Full story from The Mac Observer ]
iPhone 1.1.3 update reveals SMS issue
Apple's latest iPhone firmware update, version 1.1.3, has revealed an an issue that causes SMS text messages to appear out of order for some users. The issue first appeared on the Cupertino-based company's own support forums on January 15th, according to InformationWeek, and quickly grew into a massive topic that garnered 11,000 views and 193 repli... [ Full story from MacNN | The Macintosh News Network ]
Update: MindManager 7 update
MindJet released a Leopard compatibility update for its brainstorming and mindmapping application, including Quick Look support. [ Full story from MacInTouch ]