Thursday, November 30, 2006
News
Studios Push Anti-Piracy Rules On Apple
After months of discussion, a sticking point has emerged over the studios' demand that Apple limit the number of devices that can use a film downloaded from iTunes.
Bear Stearns Lifts Apple Target To $100 A Share
New product potential, strong iPod, Mac sales behind move.
Opinion
Apple Lost My Computer!
This level of incompetence is almost amusing. Almost.
Digital Hub
Get the technology out of people's face and give them a pleasant user experience.
In Writing: "Apple Does Not Licence The Term 'Podcast'"
"Apple does not object to third party usage of the generic term "podcsat" to accurately refer to podcasting services."
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
News
A Head For Relationships
"I knew instantly this was the way to go, because it automated so many things, so easily. But, most important, it also had all these cool features designed to help you stay in touch with customers."
Merlin 2.0 Features Report Generator
Security Update 2006-007 Released
Universal Music May Seek Royalty Deal With iPod
Universal Music group Chief Executive Doug Morris said on Tuesday he may try to fashion an iPod royalty fee with Apple in the next round of negotiations in early 2007.
Opinion
Docktop, Curiosity... Satisfied!
Palm CEO Ed Colligan's Head Seems To Be Stuck Somewhere
Thomas Hawk Buys A Mac
It just works. And it feels so great while it does that.
Review
Wireless Video Streaming From OS X To Your TV?
Windows Vs. Linux Vs. OS X
"I used to think that the Macintosh was something used by free spirits just to be different. Now I realize the Mac has such superior human factor engineering that it's used by people because they can be more productive. If Apple comes up with a 2- or 2.5-pound 12-inch-screen laptop that runs cool, has better integration with Exchange, and if Vista turns out to be the beast it could be, then I probably will move to a Mac."
Diamond Detective: Changing Layouts, Mix Of Puzzles And Logic Put New Spin On Matching Game
Worth checking out for casual puzzle gamers.
Sidetrack
Who Will Win In the Negotiation Table?
Which do you think is more likely to happen, should Apple remove all Universal's music from the iTunes store? A) Large number of customers abandon iPod to buy Zune so that they can legally buy Universal's music, or B) More Universal's music gets pirated, or C) Nobody cares.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
News
Analyst Upgrades Apple To $110 On Strong Retail Sales
Think Equity analyst Jonathan Hoopes cited strong retail sales and predicted more strength at retail in December.
Three New "Get A Mac" Ads, This Time Generating Real Laughter?
Salons Of The Year 2006
It is no secret that Apple computers are the most elegant technology solutions on the market. In an industry that has everything to do with elegance, many salon owners understand this.
Apple Files 'Acquisiton, Management And Synchronization Of Podcasts' Patent
Beatles: Only On iPod?
After years of refusing to make the move to MP3, the Beatles may give Steve Jobs' iTunes an eclusive.
Opinion
Review
The 17-in. MacBook Pro Gets The Core 2 Duo Treatment
An already solid laptop just got better — and faster.
Monday, November 27, 2006
News
... Though iPod Users' Famous Loyalty Facing Tests
Short battery life frustrates even iPod diehards.
Apple's Quest To Put Us At Ease With Technology
Ask designers which companies excel at design, and they'll probably say Apple. But if you ask Jonathan Ive, Apple's senior vice president of industrial design, how Apple does it, he seems almost apologetic. "It sounds unremarkable and even naive, but it's our obsession with making really great products," he said. "It's at the heart of everything we do. I don't understand how you can exist as a company and not have it."
Opinion
I Got A Mac
You really can't get a scope of how much more productive you can be with OS X, by poking around the Apple store and looking at the MacBooks. You really just won't get it until you try it for a few days.
Wintel
Life After Vista: Can Microsoft Retool For Web?
The crux of the issue is how Microsoft's signature Windows product should adapt to the internet, and to rivals such as Google that are using the net to deliver competing offerings at unprecedented speed.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Sidetrack
Hello Apple? Inkwell's Calling
There have been some very persistent rumors about certain Apple products that is coming out of Cupertino Real Soon Now. The phone is one. The tablet PC is the another.
Ever since the demise of Newton, and the cancellation of the Newton spinoff and the naming of the handwriting recognition software, there has been rumors and speculations that Apple is coming out with its version of the tablet PC.
Add Smarthouse's article as another data point. Mid 2007 — WWDC? —- is the expected launch date.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Sidetrack
The Wait Is Over: Napster In Your Pocket
One of the most talked about feature of Microsoft's Zune is the wireless sharing of music, and the overly-strict DRM policy of 3 days or 3 plays.
Of course, deep down, we know it is a feature that is calling out for hacks. And one very simple hack has arrived. You can now trade any files wirelessly and DRM-free using Microsoft's Zune by fooling the MP3 player think that you are simply trading large photos. (Photos are exempted from the DRM scheme.)
This hack, unfortunately, stills demand considerably efforts from Microsoft's customers. But you bet other clever minds are similarly hard at work in hacking the Zune.
Maybe Microsoft has been expecting this all along? Oooh, sorry, RIAA. We didn't know our software is so easily hacked...
Friday, November 24, 2006
News
Apple Tries To Quantify iPod Halo Effect
Apple has commissioned research to try and determine if the much-discussed 'halo effect' — the notion that people who buy its wildly successful iPod music player are more likely to subsequently purchase a Mac — actually exists.
Ban On MP3 Transmitters Is Lifted
Ofcom is legalising the use of FM transmitters that allow iPods and other MP3 players to play through car radios.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
News
iPods Help Kids Plug In To Schoolwork
Louisa-Muscatine educators are using the digital audio/video players to help students with learning disabilities.
Apple In Top 3 UK Online Retailers
Consumer Reports Rates Apple Best Place To Shop
Readers reported that Apple topped the charts for consumer satisfaction in two of three categories: Best place to buy directly from the manufacturer, and best walk-in store.
Fission: Streamlined audio editor designed to get you editing in minutes, not hours.
Downfall: Drop stacks of colored blocks to form lines that will react and disappear.
SafariDepot: Synchronize your Safari bookmark file between different Macs with a FTP or FTPS server.
Opinion
Apple, Spaces And Virtual Desktops In Leopard
A look at Apple's Spaces technologies - who will benefit most?
Apple's Night Before Black Friday
... What to my wondering eyes should appear, But a magical sleigh full of brand new Mac gear.
Death Of An iPod
It could be said that it died young, but given the early mortality rates of these MP3 players, it had a comparatively long life of giving musical pleasure.
Give And You Shall Receive
What is good for one shareware product may not be good for another.
Review
Scrabble: New Game Lets Mac Users Relive The Fun Of The Classic Board Game
Scrabble from Gamehouse is a fine value for anyone who wants to relive the fun of Hasbro's classic criss-crossing word board game on their Mac.
Evoluent Mouse-Friendly Keyboard: Interesting Design Marred By Poor Key Layout
Despite its compact size and interesting design, most Mac users will find this keyboard disorienting and frustrating to use.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
News
Apple Shares Close At All-Time High
Attack Code Targets Zero-Day Mac OS X Flaw
A security researcher has published attack code for an unpatched flaw in Mac OS X, the latest vulnerability in the "Month of Kernel Bugs" campaign. The proof-of-concept code exploits a security hole in the way Apple's operating system handles disk image files.
Pangea Arcade: Three action arcade games based on aracde classics that has been beefed up to the extreme.
Groupcal: Take full advantage of all the group calendaring features of Exchange directly frm iCal.
Opinion
Wherever iTurn, It's An iPod World
It's an iPod world and we only live in it.
Nielsen Schmielsen
Maybe people watch just exactly as much video as is appropriate for a portable video device given that we consume video differently than we consume music. Ya thought of that, Nielsen? Huh, have you?
Review
Tiny New iPod Shuffle Delivers Big Sound
It's sleek and stylish, unobtrusive and tiny, and it sounds as good as more expensive iPods.
MacBook Core 2 Duo/1.83GHz And 2.0GHz
Among the three standard configurations, I like the middle model best.
Sidetrack
Joel Spolsky argues — and I more or less agree — that computers should really have only one button to switch off. He calls it the "b'bye". No need to have a long list of commands, with names like "Restart" and "Lock" and "Sleep" and "Hibernate".
I just feel that I still want a good power manager that allows me to configure what happens when I click on that "b'bye" button.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
News
Laptop Makers Investigate Heat Conversion Chips
A chip that turns waste heat back into useful electrical power promises to significantly extend laptop battery life.
Mac Fans Buzzing About Expected Apple iPhone
The long-rumored arrival of a hybrid mobile phone and iPod music player from Apple has morphed from a question of "if" to "when" among fans and analysts.
iPod Shuffle Sales Exceeding Supply
iPod shuffle sales seem set to reach five million units this quarter, a report claims.
SuperSync: Synchornize all of your music, from any computer that you keep music on. Listen to your music collection from anywhere on the internet.
Secret Folder: Conceal files and folders, a fast way to protect personal documents.
Opinion
iPhone - The Beginning Of The End For Apple
Past success may be giving Apple a dangerious overconfidence.
Why No Mac Viruses?
The Unix security model is more secure than the pre-Vista Wiindows model, and must take the lion's share of hte credit for the lack of OS X viruses.
Pinprick
Aim for high quality and set your price accordingly.
Review
MindManager Comes To The Mac
MindManager is slick and generally easy to use, but I'm forced to conclude that, considering the state it's in and the nature of the competition, at $230 it may be overpriced.
Monday, November 20, 2006
News
iPod Users Remain Music-Focused, Despite Video
Most iPod users mainly listen to music using the device, claims Nielsen Media Research.
Meet Me At The Apple Store
Walk by the Staten Island Mall's Apple Store on any given night, and the scene is similar: inside are just as many young teens mugging for the digital cameras as hip elders learning how to edit their own movies and cut their own podcasts. It's a place where computer geeks and the tech-savvy download, surf and shop in harmony.
Opinion
Jackass Of The Week: Larry Seltzer
The explanation that makes sense is the obvious one: that Mac OS X really is more secure and better designed. Not that it's totally secure. Not that it's perfectly designed. Not that it is utterly impervious to attack because it's protected by magic leprechauns. Just that it's better.
Content Is King Lesson Lost On Microsoft And Zune
Some might ask the question: if Apple can do it with iPod and iTunes, why can't Microsoft do it with Zune and Zune Marketplace? The answer to that is obvious. Apple were first!
Two Weeks With A MacBook Pro
It's fabulous. Easily the best Mac I've ever owned.
Why I'm An Apple Fan
Apple doesn't sell machines, it sells an experience like nothing that is in the market today.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
News
Dream Recorder: Measures your sleep states by detecting your motions all along the night... it wakes you up at the best moment of your morning sleep cycle, and provides dream feed-back and voice recording capabilities.
Coccinella: Chat client with a built-in whiteboard.
Opinion
iPod Vs. iPhone Vs. Everyone Else
Apple's gonna make a phone. But it's going to be an iPod.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
News
MPAA Sues Over DVD-To-iPod Service
Michael Zagaris: Capturing The Game
Apple Design Chief Jonathan Ive Collects CBE
Apple's design chief, Brit-bon Jonathan Ive, collectged his CBE from Her Majesty the Queen in London today, Apple has confirmed.
MindCad: Intuitive outlining and brainstorming.
myNotes: Create, organize and share notes and clippings, keep to-do lists or write a book.
Girls Inc. TeamUP: Help a team of characters solve puzzles by working together and using their unique abilities.
Opinion
The 24 Inch iMac Experience
Migration Assistant is the closest thing to magic I have experienced in a long time.
Mac Unfriendly Consumer Reports Says Buy AppleCare
Read Different: Apple Ads In Japan
In Japan you need to be more subtle.
Review
TVMicro: Compact tuner lets you take TV with you.
Miglia's TVMicro is a great portable analog TV tuner for Mac users.
Hands On With The Mac Pro: Testing The Limits
Frame rates and transfer speeds are put to the test.
Friday, November 17, 2006
News
Apple Shares Hit High On iPod And iPhone Optimism
Apple share reached a new 52-week high yesterday, boosted by positive iPod sales predictions from Piper Jaffray and continued strong market performance.
Apple Remote Desktop 3.1 Fixes AppleScript Issues
Burning Monkey Solitaire 4: Just when you thought it was safe to pick up the cards again... the monkeys are back for revenge.
Opinion
Review
Thursday, November 16, 2006
News
Skype Reaches V. 2.5 For Mac
New software offers conference calls, SMS messaging, video chat and more to Mac call client.
Apple To Expand ACSA Options With New Exams
Apple recently announced that it will be adding two new exams for its Apple Certified System Administrator title early next year.
iPods Not On A Plane, According To KLM And Air France
Apple's deal with six global airlines made waves yesterday, but two of those airlines are jumping up to say that they weren't quite ready to make such an announcement.
Rumor: Hon Hai Wins iPhone Contract?
A Chinese newspaper reported Wednesday that Apple has awarded a contract to build the elusive iPhone to Hon Hai, a contract manufacturer based in Taiwan.
Dylo's Adventure: Help Dylo to save the world! A game suitable for all ages.
CopyCatX 4.0: Create exact duplicates of your hard drive, Apple iPod, or Mac OS X startup drive.
Opinion
Review
Hands On With The Mac Pro: Putting It To Work
Audio, video, and virtualization tasks put to the test.
New MacBook Is 'Fast As All Get Out'
New MacBook is even better value than the model it replaces.
Apple's New Mac Pro Blows Away The Competition
Apple's latest desktop proves itself a winner in design, performance and flexibility.
Sidetrack
If We Are Successful, You Would Not Even Notice Us
Reading this review of Zune by Engadget is a very enlightening activity, not because it tells us what are the thing that Microsoft didn't get right with their entry into the MP3 player market themselves.
No, the most telling "learning point" we should get from this review — and probably a lot of the other Zune reviews out there — is that how Apple has gotten many of the user-interface issues right without even any of us noticing. That's the real strength of the iPod.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
News
Talk Transcript: The iPod Revolution
Quark Gains Confidence
According to Quark's European Marketing Director, Gavin Drake, Quark has lost some share when Adobe entered their market, but this been substantially stemmed and since QuarkXPress 7 was released, all eyes are on Quark again.
Young People Reluctant To Turn Down iPod Volume
Despite warnings that iPods can cause hearing damage, young people are reluctant to turn down the volume.
Watching Their P's And Q's Over R&D
Google, Apple among best firms at turning cost-efficient research into products.
Retalers See Strong Mac Demand, Little Excitement Over Zune
Apple Improves RAW Support For Digital Cameras
The update improves RAW file format compatibility for Canon Digital Rebel XTi, 400D and Kiss X Digital camera models, the Nikon D80 and Pentax *ist DS camera.
iPods To Integrate With In-Flight Entertainment
Six airlines will soon offer iPod seat connections to charge and power iPods in-flight, and to allow the iPods to display video content on seat-back monitors.
iPod Owners 'Thieves', Implies Universal Music Boss
Universal boss wants a slice of player sales.
Quinn: Implementation of a popular falling-blocks game which, according to the Tetris Company, must not be named here.
AquilaCalendar: One or three month tear off menu bar calendar.
MegaSeg: The ultimate music scheduling, mixing, and library management software.
Opinion
Paul Vs. Apple, Round Three
Ultimately, this reinforces the notion that it pays to complain when you've got a valid argument, especially when it comes to customer service.
Zune And iPod Is Not A PC Versus Mac Re-Run
With Zune, Microsoft is trying to go up against a competitor who knows its market much better than Microsoft. Jos and company have proven many times over that they know the music and video business. IN this space, Microsoft is just a beginner and with Zune it shows.
Rants And Raves: iWant My iPhone
There's a lot of demand out there for the right product and if Apple releases it, it will be a huge success.
Review
Benchmarks: The Unofficial Eight-Core Mac Pro
We might be ahead of Apple's product release cycle, and we've probably vioated our Mac Pro's warranty, but we just had to see what the Apple Mac Pro could do when populated with a pair of Intel's brand-new quad-core Xeon 5355 processors.
How To Write A Cocoa Web Server
Benchmarks: MacBooks See A Modest Core 2 Duo Boost
Gains over Core Duo are slight, but new laptops outperform iBook, PowerBook.
Sidetrack
Steve Jobs may well be right that you don't use your Zune Wireless to pick up girls. Share your ear wax instead.
That doesn't mean that Apple isn't doing wireless iPod prototypes in their labs. But, I hope that all the bright engineers in Apple are not limiting themselves to only Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Charging batteries without wires is the way to go.
:-)
I Was Wrong: Apple Can Just Sit Still
I predicted Apple will have something new — maybe an iPod Phone? — by this time of the year, so as to steal the thunder from Microsoft's Zune. I was wrong, obviously. And I was wrong on more than one count, it seems.
Number 1: Apple does not need anything new to steal Microsoft's thunder.
Number 2: Even the iPod shuffle is better than Zune.
Number 3: Apple does not need to do anything. The media will do the thunder-stealing.
Who knew? :-)
Thailand's new ICT Minister, as quoted by the Bangkok Post: The current government plan was a case of the blind leading the blind, as neither the people who are in charge no the people in industry seem to know the dangers of open source software. "With open source, there is no intellectual property. Anyone can use it and all your ideas become public domain. If nobody can make money from it, there will be no development and open source software quickly becomes outdated."
Looks like the government is still blind. Either that, or Microsoft is really fast in getting things done.
:-)
Wintel
Microsoft Sees Zune As Just Opening Act
Microsoft doesn't expect the Zune to knock the iPod off the stage, but it is counting on the new music player to at least get the company on the playbill.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
News
Apple Updates X11 For Second Time In Two Weeks
Apple Releases EFI Firmware Updates For Intel Macs
The update fixes several Boot Camp, start up, and wake-from-sleep issues.
Ex-Apple Counsel Retains Lawyer
Hiring called a precautionary measure as federal investigation continues into options backdating.
Justin Long Says He's Still The Mac Guy
In a post to his web site, actor Justin Long says he's still the Mac in Apple's television ads, despite a report last week to the contrary.
Opal: The new outliner by the creator of the award-winning Acta.
Toribash: Turn-based fighting game.
Completion Dictionary 4.0: Free Xcode plugin that enhances Xcode's built in code completion mechanism.
Opinion
Apple's iPhone Is Calling
When will the iPhone be launched? Likely when other devices start to eat into the iPod's market share, which won't be this holiday. Next year maybe?
Vim, Vigor And Vitality
Philosophy aside, I am yearning to see how the "old tools" can work today.
'Beta' Is Not An Excuse
Using "beta" as a badge of honor for released commercial software makes no more sense than using "buggy" in the same context, and it makes no more sense as an excuse, either.
OpenDoc
There are lots of reasons for OpenDoc's failure, but ultimately it comes down to the fundamental question of why Apple was developing this technology when no-one in the company really wanted it.
Why, Apple, Why? Why Won't You Let Me Redownload My Songs?
Dates In TidBITS
I want to talk about the seemingly mundane topic of how we present dates in TidBITS, since it's something we've put a good bit of discussion into over the years, and it might prove useful for those of you who must also write dates in a consistent fashion.
Make Mine MacBook
The MacBook Pros really are the best of the best.
Review
Monday, November 13, 2006
News
Apple Appoints former IBM Legal Cheif As General Counsel
Donald J. Rosenberg, senior vice president and general counsel of IBM, will join Apple as its senior vice president and general counsel, reporting to Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
Apple Fights Off Adult Toy Manufacturers
Entertainment outfit Apple has set its legal hounds on a purveyor of 'adult toys'.
Tempting iPod Fans To Change Their Tune
Apple's $7 Billion Christmas Quarter To Be Paced By iPod Sales
Thinking Rock: Collecting and processing your thoughts following the GTD methodology.
PhotoLin 32: Image processing.
Opinion
Bestbuys New Scheme To Ripoff Mac users
From Four To Zero In A Day
When I first saw the Mac Pro, I thought "Geez, I'll never use up four internal drive bays!" Not only are they filled, but I'm already wishing there were at least one more.
Xserve SAN?
Call me slow, but I've only recently come to understand what the Xserve RAID really is, and it's not just a RAID.
Review
iTunes Remixed
Tips and tricks for iTunes 7.
Small And Silver: iPod Shuffle
It's cheaper, smaller, lighter, clips to your clothing, and holds more songs. It's also pretty darn durable.
Wintel
Start Me Up: The Sound Of Vista
Some musicians spend 18 months working on a whole album. At Microsoft, that's how long it took to perfect just four seconds of sound.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
News
MemoryMiner: Digital storytelling application that lets you zero in on the stories depicted in your photos by linking them to each other based on people, pleaces and time.
FRS Coloring Book Volume 2: The alphabet, counting, basic shapes, and even the four seasons are topics that you and the children that color the pages within will encounter.
Wintel
Tune Into Zune?
Microsoft takes aim at the iPod and misses — for now.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
News
Run Your iPod On A Single AA-Battery
iTurbo offers an easy way to spring a comatose iPod back to life — grab any old alkaline battery and plug it in.
17-Inch MacBook Pros Delayed
Customers are now beginning to receive e-mails from Apple.
Joe Cipriano: That Familiar Voice
iWorkout: The ultimate digital fitness trainer for your iPod.
Solitaire 3D: Treat your eyes as well as your mind.
WiLMa: Wireless location manager.
Opinion
Mac power Consumption
I wonder how feasible it is to runt he mini off some solar-topped-up batteries?
Mac Pro: Take Two
The switch over to the Mac Pro was not as seamless as I had originally thought... or hoped.
Training Keynote Thinkers
At first, I thought Keynote was little more than a glorified and beautified competitor to Microsoft's PowerPoint. In time, though, I've come to realize it's not just a better presentation-making tool for visual designers, but it's something of an essential thinking tool for us too.
Why Does Logitech Hate Apple?
Logitech only provides the bare minimum in terms of Mac support that may have been ok in 2001, but is becoming increasingly irresponsible as Mac marketshare increases.
"Music Only" For Your iTunes Playlists
I'd Buy That For A Dollar
Apple has leverage over the music labels because they have something the labels need: popularity.
Debating iPod's Merits At Zune's Party
So ubiquitous is the iPod that I suspect the company could find APple enthusiasts within its own ranks. Nonetheless, plenty of those who atteneded the Zune's party see areas where the Zune could best the iPod.
Rumor: Apple Getting Creative On Album Pricing
Supposedly, iTunes customers may soon be able to buy the album and get credit for any single tracks they have bought.
Time For iTunes' Movies Service To Enter Act II
The ways of Hollywood are mysterious to me, but I can't imagine studio executives enjoying the sight of Disney keeping all those sales to itself.
Review
Apple Xserve: The Final Review
Xserve is far better than the commodity server that the Intel x86 market expects. But what really blasts Apple's competition is OS X Server.
Friday, November 10, 2006
News
iTunes Lets Users Publish iMixes On MySpace And Blogs
Apple has extended iMix with the new ability to publish iMix playlists to the web.
Disney Sells Nearly A Half Million Films Through iTunes
Disney said it expects movie downloads to generate $50 million in added revenue during the first year of the program.
Bare Bones Yojimbo Adds Tagging Support
Missing Sync For Windows Mobile Links iPhoto, iTunes
VoodooPad: A garden for your thoughts. Plant ideas, images, lists and anything else you need to keep track of.
Life Balance: Coaching software that provides a dynamically ordered To Do List deiven by the importance of your goals.
Smultron: Text editor designed to be easy and intuitive to start off with and to become more and more able as and when the user wants it.
Opinion
Will The iPhone Save The iPod?
The best thing for the MP3 player might be to morph into a mobile phone.
Are Mac Fans A Dying Breed?
So are Mac fans truly a dying breed, being replaced by folks who don't possess those old loyalties,w ho would abandon the platform on a moment's notice if tempted by a few bad experiences? That's Apple's challenge.
Why I Won't Buy An iPhone
Nokia's durability and battery life, Apple's intuitive software. It's a marriage made in heaven.
Sidetrack
Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life
Some things in life are bad / They can really make you mad / Other things just make you swear and curse / When you're chewing life's gristle / Don't grumble / Give a whistle / And this'll help things turn out for the best / And...
Always look at this video of a laughing baby, and be reminded that, sometimes, laughters can come just so easily.
Is This How You Compete With The Pod?
Looks like Microsoft is not targetting customers that do not like Apple's closed ecosystem of the iPod, and all that RIAA-friendly DRM evils.
Not only is Microsoft's Zune a closed system too, it also have an DRM that is arguable more strict than iPod/iTunes. Worse, every time you buy a Zune, one dollar goes to Universal, one of the RIAA labels — even if you are Creative Commons/Podsafe advocate and vow never to give a single dollar to the RIAA companies.
And, of course, no Ogg Vorbis support either. :-)
Thursday, November 9, 2006
News
Apple Ditches 'Mac Guy' In New Ads
Adobe Ships Creative Suite 2.3
Adobe is now shipping Creative Suite 2.3, an enhanced version of the application bundle that now includes Dreamweaver 8 and Acrobat Professional 8.
Apple Says Huge Interest In New iPod
Liberating iPods In Cambridge
iPods have become a symbol of everything that free and open source software and free culture advocates oppose.
PocketMac Add-On Secures Data On Macs
Email Backup Pro: Automated email backup solution.
AppelJack: Troubleshoot a computer even if you can't load the GUI, or don't have a startup CD handy.
Opinion
Whither The iPod?
Yes, the ubiquitous music player is a powerful force. But what comes next?
And Then There Were Two: Fox Inking Deal To Sell Movies On iTunes?
Review
Apple MacBook Pro 15-Inch (Core 2 Duo)
The Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Core 2 Duo) offers the performance and features of the best laptops on the market.
Sidetrack
Congradulations to Microsoft, who has just finished writing Vista. I think all software developers know how difficult to finish a product, and I think nobody outside of Microsoft will really know how difficult it is to finish Vista.
With Apple coming back strong in the OS department, and with Linux continuing to be on the trail, I hope that in, say, 10 years' time, I may be able to say that I am proud to be developing on Windows, just like I can already say that I am proud to be developing on Mac OS X.
(Yes, I do develop for Windows. If you will go over to my employer's web site, you may take a glimpse of one of the product that is my baby. I won't tell you which one, though, so you'll have to guess. :-) )
Where, o where, dear Apple, is the Zune-trashing, thunder-stealing iPod that I have been waiting?
:-)
Wintel
Trying Out The Zune: iPod It's Not
Competition is good and all. But what, exactly, is the point of the Zune? It seems like an awful lot of duplication — in a bigger, heavier form with fewer features — just to indulge Microsoft's "we want some o'that" envy.
Microsoft's Zune Challenges iPod
The iPod and iTunes are still the champs. Still, I expect the Zune to attract some converts and to get better with time. And this kind of competition from a big company with deep pockets and lots of talent is good for consumers in the long run.
Microsoft: Vista RTM A 'Significant Milestone'
The code for Windows Vista has finally been released to manufacturing, Jim Allchin, co-president of Microsoft's platforms and services division, announced in a media teleconference on Nov 8.
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
News
Apple Ships Core 2 Duo MacBooks
Apple has today upgraded its range of MacBooks with Intel Core 2 Duo processors, the upgraded configurations are immediately available across all sales channels.
Apple Reveals Power Mac G5 Power Supply Warranty Extension
Apple has commeced a Power Mac G5 Repair Extension scheme for some Power Mac G5 systems that have sufered power supply problems.
Apple's UK Strategy For Success
Macworld caught up with Herve Marchet, Apple's director of education, EMEA, to discuss Apple education strategy.
Personal Finance: Keep your money transactions updated.
FizzBall: Bounce bubbles, rescue hungry animals, and solve a mystery, all at the same time.
CornerChaos: Unique puzzle game that's very easy to learn and great fun to play.
Opinion
Wintel
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
News
Nvidia To Buy PortalPlayer For $357 Million
CSSEdit: Design beautiful, innovative and fast-loading web sites.
CourseForum: Web-based e-learning software that makes it easy for you and your students to interact.
Nifty Box: Access your files and favourite web pages easily by your own defined tags or keywords.
Review
Second-Generation iPod Shuffle: Petite Player In Stylish New Package Offers Few New Features
The 2G iPod shuffle is the perfect first iPod for kids and those who, inexplicably, have yet to own an iPod as well as a worthy second, third or fourth player for current iPod owners.
Monday, November 6, 2006
News
A Monk For Your Mac
Boulder Mac Repair owner Sean Patrick has a mind for business, but as an ordained Theravadan monk — he has anything but business on his mind.
CSU Students Can Access Classes Via Podcasts
Thought Out's KEY Will Turn 2G Shuffle Into Memory Stick
The premise is sime: on one side, it has the shuffle's headphone connector, and on the other side it has a standard USB plug.
Absolute Shisen-Sho: Easy to learn, but with three difficulty settings the game remains a challenge to master.
Android: Giant fun in a tiny universe.
Opinion
On Mac SO X Viruses
What this newborn Mac OS X virus essentially demonstrates is merely a manifestation of how operating systems work.
Xserve Xeon, Thumper, And Apple's Market Position
What's happend in the two and a half years since my earlier review? Mactel - with the result that Apple fell from leading the market on both price and performance to trailing the market on both price and performance.
The Delicious Generation
I don't know that I completely trust the market to sort things out.
My Top X Unlikely Requests For Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Apple's Push Into The SME Market Is Most Welcome
The sector needs the vendor's assistance.
Review
My Hands-On With 2G iPod Shuffle (Plus My First Unpacking Set!)
Where the iPod shuffle succeeds is in ruggedness, wearability and surprising you with songs you haven't heard in years.
A Sneak Peek At The New iPod Shuffle
If you are willing to surrender yourself to the serendipity of shuffle mode, the new Shuffle is superior to the old one in just about every way.
Sunday, November 5, 2006
News
OSX SkyFighters 1945: Open ended full featured fligh sim.
Opinion
Why I Love My Apple
The pretty interface of the Apple and the overal intuitive ease of use wins me over every time.
It's All In The Numbers...
About 30,000,000 lines of code make up the current version of Office that we are developing.
Review
Hands On: Apple iPod Shuffle
If you're on a budget and you want a good, albeit minimalist, audio player, get the Shuffle.
Saturday, November 4, 2006
News
Apple Places Encrypted Binaries In Mac OS X
A computer researcher has made public information that Apple has encrypted at the binary level critical parts of its Mac OS X operating system. These "Apple-protected binaries" can serve to protect the OS from being pirated and also to make it "nontrivial" to run Mac OS X on non-APple hardware.
Roger O'Donnell: One Man, One Instrument
Symantec Details OS X 'Macarena' Virus
Symantec has posted details about what it calls a "low risk level" virus affecting Mac OS X called OSX.Macarena. The company has already updated the daily virus definitions file used by its Norton Anti-Virus software for the Mac to address the problem.
Apple: Aperture Plug-In Interest Exceeding Expectations
OmniWeb: Web browsing that puts you in control.
TextMate: For expert scripters and novice users alike.
Printfolio: Create print designs for your business and personal needs.
Windowshade X: Three different minimization styles performed on a window.
w2w: Publish your site from iWeb to a local folder, w2w will then detect which files have been changed and upload those via ftp to your web server.
Review
Apple iPod Shuffle (2nd Generation)
Not only is hte player small, but it's sleek and convenient to carry or wear.
Friday, November 3, 2006
News
Apple Introduces 8GB Product Red iPod Nano
Apple has upgraded its Product Red iPod nano, adding an 8GB version to the orginally announced 4GB model.
Analyst: Apple Not Showing An Interest In The Enterprise
Despite a robust fourth quarter financial posting and the growing popularity of the Macintosh line, Gene Munster, a senior analyst at Piper Jaffray, wrote in his latest report that Apple is not making noticeable inroads into the enterprise market.
He Creates His Own Product With Apple
Darran Nathan has developed a product with the assistance of computer giant Apple. Called the BioBoost accelerator, it harnesses the power of Intel-based Mac computers to speed up applications used in life sciences.
Analyst On Unanswered Apple Questions
Mac Marketshare Up 34.6% In A Year
Apple Struggles To Fix iTunes Stutter Glitch
The latest update of iTunes is supposed to correct problems with the previous release, but users on Apple's own discussion forums are reporting mixed success, with some saying the "stuttering" problem remains.
Aperture 1.5.1, Demo Download, New RAW Support Coming Today
Apple Reveals "Touchscreen" iPod? Not So Fast...
Touch-Screen Leaks And Newer Notes
JourneyX: Archive and manage any kind of documents.
Christmas Super Frog 1.7.6: Santa's sleigh has broken down, scattering his gifts all around the town. Now it is up to you to recover all the missing presents before Christmas arrives.
Opinion
An Honest Options Problem
Options that are "underwater" still have a value if there is a reasonable expectation that the price of the stock will rise.
Excitable Mac Users Freak Out Over Typo
To me it has pure typo written all over it.
The Reality About Steve Jobs And Stock Options
A Switching Tale
I must say I have never felt so productive in front of a computer before.
Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro Runs 40 Degrees (F) Cooler
It runs much cooler than my previous MacBook Pro.
Is iPhone The Holy Grail Of Podcasting?
One has to believe that podcasters the world over are drooling over the prospect of their shows being made available to such an audience... all without the hassle of a single wire.
Why Is Adobe Soundbooth Intel-Only?
My best guess is that Soundbooth is not written entirely in standard C or C++, but instead, that parts of it are written in x86 assembly and/or that parts are vectorized, with C code written specifically for the Intel SSE instruction set.
Review
New MacBook Pro 'One Cool Customer'
The Core 2 Duo-based laptops offer more speed, less heat.
Sidetrack
Are We Still In The Year Of The Laptops?
I always wonder why nobody considers adding a simple battery thingy onto iMacs and Mac minis, so that one can move the computers around the house without needing to shut down.
But here's a more "traditional" hack: turning a Mac mini to a portable.
... if you are working at Apple, i.e.
According to this forum post, Apple is giving a free iPod shuffle to every "Full-time and part-time employee".
It's cheap, but it builds goodwill. Good job.
Thursday, November 2, 2006
News
Survey Says: 58% Of iPod Owners "Likely" To Buy A Zune
Apparently 58 percent of existing iPod owners who responded said that they were likely to choose a Zune.
Apple Flaw Kicks Off Second Month Of Bugs
Security researchers published on Wednesday the details of a flaw in Apple's Airport wireless driver.
Bonjour! From iTunes
CNET News.com has received reports from users that a glitch in the iTunes 7.02 software brings them to the wrong version of the iTunes Store.
Apple Unveils iTunes Latino
Apple has added a new portal to its iTunes store that highlights Latino entertainment.
Parallels Adds Installation Assistant
The software automates the installation of Window XP or Vista RC2.
Absolute Backgammon: Backgammon.
Dragster: Takes the dag out of file transfers.
NetworkLocation: With a single mouse click, you can set some of the most frequently changed settings you alrady manually set when you move your computer.
Opinion
Apple Comes To Albuquerque And Gets A Warm Welcome
My Love/Hate Relationship With Apple And Their DRM
The Human Interface Guidelines And Interface Builder Annoyances
I can't help but feel that Interface Builder in its present state is only half the tool it could have been.
Review
Trusted Computing For Mac OS X
Writing Environments, Plus Two New Outliners
iTunes 7.0.2
I highly recommend the upgrade based on the speed improvement alone.
Making A Smooth Move From .Mac To Google
Getting your mail, address book, calendar, online storage, online photos, and blog squared away are among the topics we'll investigate.
Sidetrack
Nobutoshi Kihara, 'Mr Walkman', has retired from Sony. "Back in my days," he said, "we had to draw product designs on papers. I would close my eyes and imagine our products. I would imagine joggers with Walkmans to see how the hinges should move or how the products fit into the lives of the users."
Steve Jobs, in the past, has declared his admiration of Sony. Maybe he should consider bringing this guy out for lunch.
You Do Know Computers Can Also Play MP3s, Right? And I Can Also Daydream About MP3s Too
A UK law firm is arguing that "businesses should clamp down on iPod use in the workplace because it enables employees to slack off and shut out their colleagues," reports Jason Stamper.
The question that remains unanswered though is this: why do employees want to use iPods during work?
Wintel
Cingular Sides With Microsoft Against Apple
Vista, The Five Year Old's OS
Is there an "expert mode" in Vista I can set so I'm not treated like this is my first computer the next time I use it?
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
News
To Boldly Go Where The iPod Has Gone Before
"The race is for second place."
Want To Repair Your iPod? Anyone?
A man from 'aamchee Mumbai' claims to be able to repair all Apple iPods...
Wireless Devices Send Mixed Radio Signals
Modulators that drivers use to listen to satellite radio or iPods can alter reception in nearby cars.
Beijing Gets Largest Apple Store Yet
iTunes Japan Competitor Quits Market
Apple has claimed another scalp in the music download market; this time a firm called Oricon has revealed plans to leave the Japanese download market.
Apple Overtakes Dell In UK Education Market
New iPod Shuffle Available Worldwide This Friday
Apple announced Tuesday that its second-generation iPod shuffle will be available in stores worldwide beginning Friday, Nov 3, 2006.
Tangerine: Color management software provides graphic designers and creative professionals with a unique color workflow experience.
ZeusDraw: Vector drawing program with a fluid, graceful interface, great brushes and a host of other features.
GeoParty!: Test your trivia knowledge.
Opinion
Ok, Buy A Mac (But Be Careful)
In this world of Apple outsourcing engineering and manufacturing to other companies you never know what you could end up with.
Insomnia Film Festival
Apple preserves the right to do things with it at their will, but doesn't subtract that right from you. That's a step up from typical in this sort of things.
Macs, While Usually Dependable, Have Recently Proven Troublesome
My Problem With Apple
I am done with Apple.
Review
Interarchy 8.2: File Transfer Utility Sports New Interface And Added Features
The new interface significantly enhances what is already a first-class FTP applications.
Inside The Mac Pro: Graphics Cards
Three different graphics-card options offer something for everyone.
