Man, what have I been wasting my time with Vinoriffic or Driven for? I could have been making potty joke apps and making ridiculous amounts of money!
Buy it now!
Update: I broke down and bought this for, uh, market research (yeah, that's it!). I must say, despite the topic, it's a very well done application. Plus it was a hit with my nephews at Christmas!
Check out iAuto from Mobiletelligence, a subsidiary of my employer OneSpring. It's a free app that lets you search for cars and trucks to buy. Sort & filter based on your preference. It's a cool little app - check it out!
Apparently businesses are buying used PC's just to get XP off of them. It's cheaper than buying a new PC and downgrading it. Is Microsoft even paying attention anymore?
via Gizmodo
This is just simply a cool iPhone app. Take a photo of any CD, DVD, Video Game or Book and SnapTell will give you links to learn more about the item or even buy it. Future versions will have price comparison across multiple online stores, ratings and more. Very nice. I tried several items in all sorts of quality and it worked 100% of the time. Sweet.
CNN Money's Apple 2.0 blog has a great comparison of the iPhone and Blackberry Storm. I'm definitely intrigued by the tactile feedback of the Blackberry's touchscreen. Both phones have their pros and cons. The article does a good job of being non-biased. Check it out.
Update I had a chance to briefly check out the Storm. Long story short, it's nice. While cool, I don't think the physical click of the screen adds anything to the experience and the build quality is a little lower than I had expected. But definitely a solid option.
This guy had a really good experience with Dell and would recommend it to anyone. Not.
Here's a great site where you can vote for the features you'd most like to see on your iPhone. You know I'm a fanboy, but there are some things that really annoy me about the iPhone. Like copy and paste. And the ability to hide applications I never like notes. And the ability to listen to the iPod via Bluetooth. And a lot more. Check it out and make your voice heard.
With the aforementioned MacBook Air purchase, we have a 2006 White MacBook for sale on eBay. Check it out.
We have a new Mac in the family. We just upgraded my wife's computer to a MacBook Air. Best Buy is selling the previous generation of Airs for $1299, which is $50 less than what Apple is selling the refurbished models on the web site.
This thing is insanely light. I'm in process of setting it up and transferring files. Will give a full review soon.
The box it's in is tiny, but weighs 3 times as much as the computer!
Wow, can you believe the iPod is 7 years old now? The Unofficial Apple Weblog has a great gallery of iPods over the years.
My year-and-a-half old MacBook Pro recently went comatose. I certainly wasn't happy, but was damn glad I had AppleCare. It turned out being the logic board which Apple replaced within 3 days at no cost to me, other than the loss of the computer.
In the meantime, my company allowed me to pick up a backup computer. Now most of use (all but one actually) use Macs. But the lure of the low price tag compelled them to an HP.
Now many fault for Apple for the limit in choices of their computers. I for one welcome it. Shopping for a PC is a ridiculous exercise is frustration. Even though my search was already limited to HP's, there are an insane number of PCs to choose from, all within the same price point, all with different specs. It's truly insane. I researched online and went to two stores and I'm still not sure what my choices were or what they meant. I took the easy way out and chose a PC based on size and price.
It was a 14" HP laptop. God only knows what the model is and what the specifications are. But hey, I got a good deal - $650 and a free printer.
Oh joy. I get a plastic hunk of crap loaded with a crap OS (Vista). The seams don't quite fit together, the cooling fan sounds like a jet engine, the screen is sub par. Sure, it was only $650, but man, you get what you pay for.
Apples are definitely worth the premium. Sure, I know there are nicer and more expensive PCs out there. But what I saw was truly a pile of crap.
UpdateOkay, it's been pointed out that I may not be comparing Apples To Apples hear (pun intended, deal with it). Yes, it's not fair to compare a $650 PC with a $2400 Apple Mac. But I would gladly pay $1299 for a new MacBook over the $650 PC any day.
Congress returning from their ridiculously long vacation may be receiving iPhones.
Okay, now that some time has passed, I've absorbed information from the media event, Apple web sites, etc, and can now offer up some more thoughts.
Yawn.
Yep, that's it. Okay, don't get me wrong, the MacBooks are the nicest/hottest notebook computers on the market. And that's whether you run Mac OS X, Winblows or both. The new gorgeous screens, zippy graphics cards, mongo trackpad, faster system bus, lighter/stronger form factor, et al, are nice. If you're in the market for a new notebook, you'd be mistaken not to buy one of these.
BUT.
As an existing MBP user (and Apple Fanboy), I'm really disappointed. There's really nothing in this product refresh that's really all that compelling or innovative. I think Apple played it WAY too safe. They should have blown people out of the water with a touch screen or integrated back scratcher or both. C'mon Apple, you let HP come out with a touch screen desktop? HP? And you know they have a notebook in the works (Update: Yep).
Why a touch screen? I dare anyone that owns an iPhone to tell me they haven't tried to touch a button in a dialog box on their notebook to clear it. It's a natural progression from the current input methods. Yeah, the big glass trackpad is nice, and certainly has utility, but BORING. I'm sure Apple is working on it, and whatever they come up with blow away anything HP or Microsoft or anyone else can do. But they need to step on the gas. As they pointed out in their own media event, they have a window of opportunity here to capitalize and they're going to squander it by playing too safe.
And yes, the manufacturing process and benefits of the new MacBooks are interesting, but John Q. Public could really give a rat's ass. They want sexy looking computers which work at a nice price point. The geeks love that stuff, but the new Mac buyers don't care.
BTW - Engadget has posted a nice list of various resources to get information about the new MacBooks.
The details are everywhere, but here's the summary:
MacBook Pro. Unibody construction (I feel like I'm talking about an SUV) makes it smaller, lighter and more rigid. Dual mode nVidia graphics cards let you choose between battery-saving basics (but still faster than Intel integrated graphics) or super-powered performance. Glass trackpad is larger and has multi-finger gestures. No button -the trackpad itself is the button. More on that later. Screen comes in 15.1" glossy with a nice black bezel. More on that later. Firewire 800 port is backwards compatible with Firewire 400(adapter needed) More memory, more hard drive space, yada yada yada. Starts at $1999
MacBook. Two new models. Basically a smaller MacBook Pro - same aluminum enclosure, ports, glass trackpad, etc. 13.1" glossy screen. Starts at $1299 unless you want the old "White MacBook" with none of the new features for $999. No Firewire port.
24" Cinema Display. Looks like an iMac. Built-in iSight, glossy screen, easy hook-up cables to MacBook, stereo speakers, built-in microphone. Even has a MagSafe power cord.
MacBook Air. Marginal refresh. Same sky high price of $1799.
Thoughts - definitely a nice upgrade. I'm skeptical of the buttonless trackpad - Apple does not have a good track record with mice/mouse functions. Glass trackpad I guess is nice, but seems gimmicky. I'm sure when I see/feel it I'll have a different opinion. Glossy screens look great, until you get them into a brightly lit room or outdoors. Would like to see a matte finish option. Graphics card is nice. Easy hard drive upgrade/replacement (under battery) is a welcome change (as I contemplate upgrading the hard drive on my MBP) Overall, these will be popular. It doesn't have enough "holy wow!" for me to trade in my early 2007 MacBook Pro though. Would love a 24" Cinema Display, but at $900, I can find other 24" displays much cheaper. I'm headed to the Apple Store tomorrow to see if they have the new items and will update with any impressions, etc.
Not that this hasn't been reported in a bazillion other places, but Apple is holding a media event next Tuesday October 14 to unveil new MacBooks. What secrets will they hold? What magical powers will they possess? What worldly ails will they cure? Only time will tell!
In a recent interview with The Telegraph Steve Wozniak says the iPod has lived a long life at number one and will die off as did the transistor radio and walkman. Um, yes, it will eventually die off as does all technology. But he's not really comparing Apples to Apples (pun intended, deal with it). Not only has the iPod has evolved over the years, it has something the transistor radio and walkman never did - an ecosystem. iTunes, accessories, plug-ins, the works. I appreciate his contribution to the computer industry, but what is his relevance now? What has he done lately? Segway Polo champion?
Steve that is. At least according to Ezra Gottheil, an analyst at Technology Business Research (who/what?).
Ezra says there is a stable leadership in place and the company will run fine. While I certainly believe that, I don't want to be caught holding a bunch of stock when Steve finally decides to call it quits.
While Jonathan Ive and Phil Schiller are great guys, I'm just not sure they could generate the same amount of "boom" that Steve does at keynote speeches.
:-)
Via MacsimumNews
Apple has finally dropped the NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) that has stifled developers from talking to each other, helpful books being published and more. About damn time dumbasses.
We have decided to drop the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for released iPhone software.
We put the NDA in place because the iPhone OS includes many Apple inventions and innovations that we would like to protect, so that others don’t steal our work. It has happened before. While we have filed for hundreds of patents on iPhone technology, the NDA added yet another level of protection. We put it in place as one more way to help protect the iPhone from being ripped off by others.
However, the NDA has created too much of a burden on developers, authors and others interested in helping further the iPhone’s success, so we are dropping it for released software. Developers will receive a new agreement without an NDA covering released software within a week or so. Please note that unreleased software and features will remain under NDA until they are released.
Thanks to everyone who provided us constructive feedback on this matter.
For my overly enthusiastic politico friends - here's a must-have app for your iPhone or iPod Touch. Get easy access to all the information you need about any person in Congress.
This is fairly timely given the current situation our government has put us in. Tell them how much they suck and drive down their approval ratings even lower in the toilet than they already are.
:-)
I guess this is going to be a slow Apple news week as we all wait for new MacBooks in a couple weeks. Apple launched a new official YouTube page.
With the exception of an iTunes tutorial, it's all ads. Maybe they'll put some classic ads and things that are more interesting than ads.
(Via Macenstein)
My first iPhone/iPod Touch application, Vinoriffic, is live on the iTunes Apps store. Vinoriffic lets you quickly capture information about a wine that you've enjoyed and even purchase it right then and there.
I'm excited to see the feedback to know what to put in the next version. If you like it, or think it has a lot of potential, give it a good review on the store. If you don't like it or don't think it has potential, don't review it. :-)
I'm committed to enhancing the application based on what features people request most. The app went live last night some time and I've already had some feedback which is great!
Update Version 1.1 has been submitted to Apple for approval. 1.1 addresses an bug that prevents the proper wine from being returned in some searches. 1.5 is also coming soon with a vastly improved buy interface. 2.0 is starting to take shape with the addition of fields requested by some users.
Get it now. It's worth the wait! Better signals, battery life, faster interface, Genius, and more.
Finally got a chance to try the iTunes Genius feature on my MacBook Pro. Even though it has 1/1000 of my music collection, the Genius feature put together a great playlist. All songs flowed nicely into each other and were of the same tone. Kudos Apple!
Watching the keynote now (yes, I know, a couple days later - I've been in Jury Duty).
Highlights:
iTunes
- 65 million iTunes accounts
- 8.5 songs
- 125,000 podcasts
- HDTV Shows - $2.99
- NBC is back (aww, that Hulu thing didn't work out? Shocking.)
- iTunes 8
--- Grid view (I've used it a little, don't like it so far)
--- Genius (Signed up for it, haven't used it yet, be ready for a future post)
iPod
- iPod has a 73.4% market share of all audio players
- Over 5000 iPod accessories
- 90% of all US cars offer iPod integration
- Apple has sold over 160 million iPods since 2004.
- New 120 GB iPod classic (no 80GB or 160GB)
- New iPod Nano
-- Thinnest iPod ever made
-- Oval shape
-- Aluminum
-- Glass
-- Enhanced user interface (hold center button down for contextual menu)
-- Accelerometer (shake to shuffle - very cool)
-- Genius list creation
-- Voice recorder built-in
-- 24 hour music/4 hour video battery life
-- "Green" iPod (Mercury, PVC, Arsenic, BFR free)
-- nano-chromatic colors (silver, black, purple, green, pink, blue, yellow, orange, red)
-- 4GB - $149; 16GB $199
New Accessories
- Arm band
- Headphones
-- Volume Controls
-- Next/Previous/Pause/Play
-- Microphone
-- $29
- In-ear Headphones
-- 2 drives - woofer/tweeter (very nice)
-- Same controls
-- $79
iPod Touch
- Thinner
- Stainless Steel Back
- Integrated Volume Controls
- Built-in speaker
- Genius playlist creation
- Built-in Nike+iPod
- 36 hours music/6 hours video
- "Green" iPod (Mercury, PVC, Arsenic, BFR free)
- "Funnest iPod Ever"
- 8 GB $229/16 GB $299/32 GB $399
- 2.1 software (free to 2.0 users; $9.95 for 1.0 users)
iTunes Applications Store
- 3,000 Applications (but no Vinoriffic yet)
- Users have downloaded over 100 million applications
- Only 60 days old
iPhone
- 2.1 update - fixes lots of bugs (fewer call drops, better battery life, faster iTunes sync - about f'ing time)
- Free to all iPhone owners
- Available 12 September 2008.
Special Guest
- Sold 16 Million albums
- #1 male artist in iTunes history
- Jack Johnson
I have no doubt Way2Poppy will weigh in with more introspective reactions to Apple's announcement today, but - as a music fan - here's my take:
Too Poppy: The Lovers, The Dreamers, and Me
The quintessential digital music player got a refresh today - Apple announced the new iPod classic, the new and rainbowy iPod nano, new iPod shuffle flavors, and the new iPod touch. A new version of iTunes is also available for download. You'll hear about the details elsewhere, but my initial reactions:
Someone please explain this to me. Seriously. This is the softer side of Microsoft? What, retardation?
From sista blog Too Poppy:
It's been a looooong time since Apple has significantly upgraded the iPod and after dropping mine down the garage stairs for the first time in its two-and-a-half years of existence, it's good to know that change may be a-coming. Although, if the new iPod looks at all like this, I'll keep my trusty ol' classic working as long as possible (BTW, the drop resulted in not even a scratch - at least Brandon Wilde is playing fine today.)
Yep, you read that right. The geniuses at Bloomberg accidentally published a draft of Steve Jobs' obituary.
Read what Bloomberg plans to say when Steve eventually passes away, which I hope is a long ass time from now.
It's important to note that it is typical for a news outlet to prepare obituaries for prominent figures so that they can react quickly when the eventuality happens.
Embarking on a web site redesign can be a daunting task. If you don’t get it right, the damage can be immeasurable. Avoid these (too) common mistakes on your next web site project:
read more | digg story
Microsoft is gearing up to roll out their new marketing campaign to answer Apple's very successful "Get A Mac" ads.
Because if there's one way to show people how "with it" you are, it's to contract with a 90's icon whom hasn't done anything "with it" in over a decade.
BTW - there is a handful of new Get A Mac ads out.
Yep, I waited in line today. And yep, I totally underestimated the line and length of time it would take. I naively thought the lines wouldn't be as bad as last year since it wasn't new here, people would be more casual about it, etc. Duh. Finally got my phone after 5.5 hours in line and didn't have a working phone for another hour.
The time was mostly due to Apple and AT&T insistence that you can't leave the store without an activated phone. So you have a million people trying to all activate phones at the same time and Apple nor AT&T couldn't handle the traffic. It was taking anywhere between 15 and 45 minutes or more to purchase and go through the two-step activation process.
I'm a bit disappointed with Apple. One of the great things last year was that you could buy the phone quickly and easily and activate it at home. Sure there were activation issues last year, but I didn't have any and even if I did, I'd at least be in the comfort of my own home. That said, I waited in line with fun people and the Apple Store employees were there amazingly helpful selves.
On to the phone. I have not had much time to play with it, but I love the feel of it in my hand. It's a tad lighter than the previous iPhone, thicker in the middle, but with tapered edges which make it look & feel thinner. The interface is zippy and the 3G network is definitely light years better than the pokey EDGE network.
I have yet to download any Apps, but I'll definitely be trying a game or two and the MLB app. Cool stuff. This is going to be huge for Apple. The analysts have already doubled their estimate for iPhone sales next year to over 40 million.
Apple has posted a guided tour of the new 3G phone
AT&T has posted pricing, purchase and upgrade details.
AT&T has also posted videos on how to prepare for purchasing the 3G phone:
Existing AT&T Customers; New AT&T Customers.
AppleInsider details how to “hand down” your 1st Gen iPhone.
Some further details:
Believe it or not, it was 1 year ago today that the iPhone went on sale. Ah, I remember it vividly. Waiting in line for 6 hours with a couple friends, lawn chairs, and a couple beers smuggled in via travel mugs. Memories. And with the 2nd generation iPhone going on sale in 10 days, 16 hours, 2 minutes and 11 seconds (but who's counting?), I'll be repeating history.
Today is Bill Gates' last day at Microsoft. If you've been living under a rock for the past 2 years, he is retiring to start spending his 58 billion dollar fortune. He's got some charity or something. Frankly, I'd be more than happy to help him spend the money. He could even give some of it to my favorite charity - Give Chuck The World Foundation.
Engadget has declared today Bill Gates Day. Mr. Gates will be speaking to all Microsoft employees later today.
Regardless of what you think of Microsoft, Bill Gates has achieved amazing feats in his 33 years at the helm. I could list some/all here, but it's too much work and a simple Google search will take care of it for you.
Ants! And these aren't the kind that invade your grandma's living room. These suckers get into electrical equipment and cause all sorts of trouble. With multiple queens and resistance to current pesticides, these things are around to stay. And just like fire ants, killer bees and kudzu, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they're found all over the southeast and attacking the iPod, iPhone & Mac Mania Blog global headquarters.
AT&T has refurbished iPhones on sale. Buy the 8GB for $249 and the 16GB for $349 with free shipping. I believe I've ranted in the past about the advantages of buying refurbed, so I'll spare you this time.
Of course, keep in mind that the 3G iPhone is right around the corner, sometime between any second now and June 24th, depending on who you believe.
Via SlickDeals
As rumored, HBO shows are now available on iTunes. The cost per episode is $2.99 which is $1 more than what other shows cost. Since HBO is a premium network, this does actually make sense to me and is not necessarily a break in Apple's stringent pricing.
AT&T is telling employees that vacation requests for late June through late July will be limited. They did the same thing last year for the iPhone launch. Considering the deafening rumors mill for this time frame, it's pretty much a guarantee.
I've been working on the OneSpring iPhone Simulation Developer's Kit (SimDK™) for iRise. The press release we did with iRise got picked up today by MacWorld and PC World (where they butchered my name)! Cool stuff!!
Update: My name has been corrected! :-)
It's been a while since the last authorized Mac clone was run out of business by Mr. Jobs. Here for your litigation pleasure is an announcement from a small company out of Miami selling an unauthorized Mac clone, the OpenMac.
It certainly does fill a gap in Apple's lineup. If you don't want the built-in monitor of the iMac or notebooks, your choice is either the Mac Pro or the Mac Mini. The Mac Pro is great if you're just that - a pro. It's got the horsepower and expandability to rule the world. However, if you're not a pro, it's the Mac Mini for you. The underpowered, integrated graphics, low memory mini. Want to upgrade the processor? Can't. Want to upgrade the graphics card? Can't. Want more the 2GB or ram? Can't.
Macenstein has a great writeup about it.
This one will be interesting to watch as I'm sure the Apple legal team is sharpening their pencils.
Update: It looks to be a hoax.
Well, one of the reasons. I recently had two issues with iTunes. I purchased a season of Scooby Doo (for the kids of course) on my AppleTV, but only 3 of the 8 episodes downloaded for some reason. I reported a problem with my purchase, and within 4 hours or so, I had a response with some troubleshooting ideas. They didn't work. Without a hassle, they reinstated the 5 missing episodes and I was able to download. Great customer service.
I have been listening to 3 purchased albums from a very cool band, Ike, recently. Unfortunately, on one of the two albums, three of the songs have a blip in the middle of the track. Very annoying. I again contacted iTunes and without question or hassle issued 3 download credits and asked that I wait three weeks so they could investigate. Awesome customer service.
Apple announced today that iTunes is the number 1 music retailer, surpassing Wal*Mart. Pretty impressive.
This is hilarious:
It is the original iMac commercial with Jeff Goldblum, but slowed down 30%. So basically he's just a drunk fast-talker.
Apple was recently named the number 1 brand with world impact. Microsoft was named number 1 brand in need of a makeover.
Awesome exchange between Steve Jobs and a customer:
Dear Steve Jobs,
I wanted to write and express my concern about some recent problems that I have had with Apple Care. This week, my MacBook Pro unfortunately sustained water damage. I understand this is entirely my fault but it is still something I would like to get fixed. After three or four calls I was finally able to get a straight answer. While I was happy to get a straight answer, I was not at all happy with the answer. It is very worrisome to me that the only way to get my computer fixed is to pay almost $300.00 up front with no guarantee that this will fix the problem. I was horrified to learn that their is no system to assess the problem and bill once all damage is known. I am reluctant to put money into a problem that could easily grow. I have had three Apple computers in a row. I love using them but I am not sure if my replacement will be one. I feel powerless in the situation and the whole experience has turned me off of the Apple company.
Sincerely,
Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxxxx,
This is what happens when your MacBook Pro sustains water damage.They are pro machines and they don’t like water. It sounds like you’re just looking for someone to get mad at other than yourself.
Steve
Okay, this has nothing to do with Apple, but when the inventor of your favorite (and the greatest) McDonald's breakfast item dies, you do the right thing and honor him.
Rest in peace, Herb Peterson.
Symantic released Norton Antivirus for Mac OS X this week. WTF? Norton Antivirus? For Mac? Well there's a pointless piece of bloatware. I mean Norton runs like shit on a PC (yes, I said shit - screw you, it's my blog). Now it's available for a Mac? A Mac that has no viruses? Um, whatever.
Sure, having an antivirus program on the Mac will cleanse any viruses for your PC-loving friends, but there are several problems with this. First, if you associate with people that use PC's, you obviously have a problem choosing friends. Second, if your friends are stupid enough to still be using PC's, they deserve the viruses.
Damnit.
Although I didn't say Fudging. I said the queen mother of all swear words, the F dash dash dash [ing] word.
The latest Airport Extreme update enables Time Machine updates over AirDisks.
It's about fucking fudging time.
Somebody important (I forget now who) did a comparison between the MacBook and Dell XPS and the Mac comes out on top in price by $20. Add in the fact that you get iLife and other software bundled in with the Mac and it comes in way out on top. Take that, dude.
Oh yeah, it was some Bear Stearns analysts.
For a mere $120 a month, you can talk unlimited to anyone in the US. No minutes to worry about. You still only get a paltry 200 text messages tho.
Nothing particular to say here other than it's a cool pic. It's made up of all Apple Products.
Apple released details on the Apple SDK yesterday. Highlights:
Okay, with two small children (and being a clumsy oaf) I can't tell you how many times the MagSafe Connector has saved my precious MacBook Pro from disaster.
Well, if you'd rather have your non-MagSafe power connector, the MagStay Pro will help you make sure that when you trip over the cord the next time, the Mac will come crashing to the floor.
Um, okay. Whatever.
Okay, that was terrible. But Justin Long (AKA "Mac") hung out with Drew Barrymore recently on the beach.
Hey, anything for a bikini picture.
Well, maybe just crime. That's according to some dumbass (2nd time today!) "think tank" that links iPods to violent crime. What a bunch of crap. If I walk up to some punk and hit him with a two-by-four and then take his iPod, that's not crime. That's creative acquisition.
Apple's iPhone SDK announcement is tomorrow at 1pm Eastern. I could list all the other time zones, but frankly if you don't live in my time zone then forget you. Plus, Engadget has already done the work. Macrumors, Engadget, and others will have the results of the announcement. I could link to them all, but that would require some effort and frankly, you're just not worth it. I may or may not post an update regarding the announcement. It just depends on how much you piss me off.
Okay, I have a lot of respect for Steve Jobs. He is behind my favorite consumer products of all time, he turned around the mess that was Apple, he delivers the most entertaining keynote, etc., etc., etc.
But get this. He got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and waited nine months to have life-saving surgery. Jeebus.
Now during those nine months he tried a special diet and other holistic treatments. Now I respect that some of these treatments my help things like indigestion. But freakin' pancreatic cancer?
Fortune Magazine has the scoop.
If you're a fan of word games, then head over to iTunes and pick up Scrabble for iPod. For just $4.99, you too can be getting triple word scores with "QI", "QUOD" and "XI".
Too Poppy and I have been additively playing Scrabulous, another version of Scrabble for Facebook. Haven't put it down for over 2 months now.
Have fun!
If you make heavy use of keyboard shortcuts, one of the biggest challenges is learning them on the Mac. Don't throw your Mac out the window yet! Thankfully, in many cases it’s simply shifting your pinky a couple of keys to the right.
read more | digg story
HP DeskJets are 20 years old today. My first non Commodore 64 printer was an HP DeskJet. That didn't feed papers properly or consistently. But I'm not bitter. And it has nothing to do with why I've used only Epson printers for the last 10 years.
Happy 10th Deathday Newton! 10 years ago today, Apple killed the Newton.
I once had a brush with Newton greatness. I attended the Newton Developer's Conference around 1994 to learn more about the platform. My employer at the time was considering it for a mobile reservations tool. We actually had a working prototype but it never got beyond that.
Anywhooo...
iTunes recently surpassed Best Buy to become the second largest music retailer in the United States. Only Wal*Mart sells more. Congrats, iTunes!
Apple quietly released Bubble Bash, a new game for iPod (the touchless versions). Combine bubbles of like colors to clear the board to earn points. I personally like this game as I've played in countless web-based versions.
Happy Tuesday! Apple rolled out long-awaited updates to the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines today.
MacBook Pro: Multi-touch trackpad, upgraded processors (Penryn), new video card w/512MB of memory.
MacBook: Upgraded processors (Penryn).
So if you were holding off, now is the time. Or wait another 260+ days for the next revision. :-)
Here's the process for downloading the new Community Games from Microsoft XBOX 360:
We just tried downloading RocketBall and the process is totally different than you'd expect. First you have to download the XNA Launcher, which is under New Arrivals in the Marketplace blade -- but you don't need a membership, so skip that, and the XNA ad that displays points you to the wrong thing, so ignore that as well. Then head over to the Games blade and select Games Library, but don't open the Launcher, cause it'll just kick you out. Instead, press Y to view the list of games and download one. So far the "YouTube of games" seems a bit convoluted -- hopefully the next Dashboard update makes this all a bit simpler.
I'm sure you were wondering why the sudden drop in price on the iPod Shuffle. Well, there's a 2GB iPod shuffle "coming soon" at the low-low price of $69. Not bad, Apple.
Get the 1GB iPod Shuffle for just $49! The price drop appears to be permanent.
I got an iPod Shuffle originally for working out (that didn't last) and now find it's great for doing yard work and such. Places you wouldn't want to take your iPhone or iPod but where you want to hear music. And at $49, I'll be slightly less upset if I break it.
Here's what your Mac is thinking when it's booting up:
Mike Kan created the video to visualize the Mac’s “boot-up sequence, initial program loader or phantom system, memory scans, hard drive signals and etc.” He used a custom designed board to create the visualization of what your Mac is thinking when booting, all in real-time.
via Macenstein
Google sees 50% more searches from iPhones than any other mobile handset. Not too surprising since the mobile web experience on any other phone sucks zebra testicles.
Yo, this Apple TV rocks! We're currently watching I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (mmmmm...Jessica Biel). Super easy, fast, and awesome picture quality.
Wait, did I start this post with "Yo"? Jeez...
Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh owns six Macs. He is having some problems with Leopard and needs your help.
While I do tend to lean more conservative, it's more middle-right. I'm not a fan of Rush. But he is a fellow Mac user and according to the code, we have to help him.
Verdict: Better than cable, not as good as Blu-Ray, but surprisingly good. This is news from iLounge who did a direct comparison.
I personally haven't tried renting a HD movie, but will soon. What's the point of a 50" plasma if you rent standard definition movies? :-)
Apple quietly released the Apple TV Take 2 update today. This update enables movie rentals without computer syncronization. The update takes about 5 minutes to download and about 20 minutes to update (for me anyway).
I've been surprisingly pleased with my Apple TV. The main reason I bought it was for movie rentals, but I've been using it to listen to my music collection, look at photos, and watch a few flicks I downloaded from iTunes.
I'll let you know how the movie rental thing comes out soon.
Finally! This one is a whopper with over 150 fixes. A few notable include increased Airport reliability, less translucent menus, option to turn off main menu transparency - oh hell, if you're really that interested, go to the information page on Apple's site.
To install, run Software Update.
Words cannot do this justice.
