Apple’s Software Update for Windows is useless

Posted on Sep. 30, ’06, 10:37 PM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Windows

I’m sure that a few of you are groaning “who cares?”, but this is something I simply didn’t expect. Once I found out that Apple was bundling a version of Software Update with its iTunes for Windows installer, I thought that the days of manually installing new iTunes and Quicktime versions was over.

It’s not. I’ve fired up Apple Software Update on two Windows machines running iTunes 7.0.0 only to get the dialog attached to this post. I questioned myself and started iTunes to see if it was 7.0.1 only to be told that iTunes was out of date. So what’s the deal? Is Apple Software Update for Windows just there to take up space and look pretty?

Genius Bar, the TV show

Posted on Sep. 30, ’06, 4:04 PM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Apple

Ever since I read about what it’s like to be a Genius at an Apple Store, I’ve thought it was ripe for comedy. CBS agrees.

CBS has committed to shoot a comedy pilot called Genius Bar, written by two former producers of That ’70s Show.

Based on an idea by consumer-marketing expert Krishnan Menon, the project explores the interactions between people who work at a place similar to the Genius Bar at the Apple stores and the cool, hip, and beautiful employees at a nearby Abercrombie & Fitch-type store.

Wait, I thought Apple Store employees were supposed to be cool, hip, and beautiful too? I’m envisioning regular appearances by Steve Jobs, sliding into the store from the back room in Kramer-esque style.

Seriously though, I have my doubts about whether this is a good or bad thing for Apple. Think about it this way. If they go the obvious route of mocking customers with silly problems, they could possibly alienate potential customers. If they don’t, the show could really bomb. On the other hand, constant shots of Macs and iPods will ingrain the products in viewer’s minds. My only question is when will it be on.

Mystery of the mysterious pointer box solved

Posted on Sep. 30, ’06, 11:19 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Troubleshooting

Reader Manuel Chalbaud wrote in response to the 10.4.8 update:

Hi, since updating to 10.4.8 on my PowerPc, there is an anoying black box surrounding my pointer, any ideas why??

Glad you asked Manuel. Daniel Jalkut ran into the same thing. Even before reading his post, I had an intuition that it might have to do with Universal Access. Basically, the rectangle is meant to help you know what you’ll be zooming into if you use that feature. The fix is quite easy.

1. Open System Preferences
2. Go to Universal Access pane.
3. Switch to the “Seeing” tab.
4. Click the “Options” button for the Zoom section.
5. Turn off the “Show preview rectangle” checkbox.

As a bonus tidbit, you can play with scrolling just by using the scroll wheel. Hold down option control and scroll. Fun, fancy, and sure to impress your friends.

One day left to put your application into MacUser

Posted on Sep. 30, ’06, 11:03 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | MacUser

I know you’ve seen our posts asking for help. I know you’re busy. There’s only one day left to show us your stuff! Your dream to write for MacUser could slip away. Don’t let it happen.

See the original post for all the information. Let me give you a few tips. Include sample posts: this can’t be emphasized enough. Pointing to an existing blog is fine. Not having one and writing them into your email is cool too. We just need something to read.

I’m looking forward to the last few entries. Good luck.

Has Rosetta shaped up?

Posted on Sep. 30, ’06, 6:51 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Software » Updates

Scott shared a few of his favorite selections from the Mac OS X 10.4.8 update. There’s one he didn’t list, that could be key. Well, key for a few people at least.

• Improves the accuracy of Rosetta numerics and addresses Altivec translation issues on Intel-based Macs.

If you’re a faithful reader, that should remind you about when I had concerns about Rosetta’s accuracy. Basically, SPSS refused to support their products while running in Rosetta due to numerical imprecision. Reader Fletcher chimed in and pointed out that the same thing can be witnessed in InDesign CS2.

Fletch, if you’re still out there, could you confirm whether 10.4.8 fixes this issue?

Blogger down: Scott’s MacBook Pro is kernel panicking

Posted on Sep. 29, ’06, 9:15 PM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Troubleshooting

After a record five posts in a row, our own Scott ran into trouble. His MacBook Pro crashed. Now, upon trying to boot, all that happens is a kernel panic. Yes, tragedy strikes even MacUser.

The questions still remain. Did he install Mac OS X 10.4.8? Was he able to find a genius to help him? Will he back tomorrow? Only time, and Scott, will tell. It’s a nail-biter, I know.

The face-off: iPod vs. Zune

Posted on Sep. 29, ’06, 3:27 PM PT by Aaron Freedman

Category | Apple » Rivals

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the face-off between the two digital music player heavyweights! On the left, we have the favorite, the sexy, popular, and strong champion, the iPod! And on the right, we have the challenger, the bulkier, unreleased, and feature-heavy Zune! So, let’s get started! 1-2-3, ding!

Anyway, BBspot has released a comparison of the iPod and the Zune, a showdown of the two digital music players right now with the most buzz. BBspot compared everything from names of the products to Google Fight results. According to BBspot, the Zune had a better name ad would have served better in high school elections (it would have been Best Dressed, Class Clown, etc.), while the iPod had a better website (iPod.com forwards to Apple’s iPod page) and had a higher score in the Google Fight. In the end, the iPod came out on top, with a score of 3-2, with two ties. Of course, the tie breaker for the iPod was the virtual coin toss, so I’m still holding out for a full-featured comparison after the Zune is released.

[via digg]

State of OS X: alive and well

Posted on Sep. 29, ’06, 1:25 PM PT by Scott Silverman

Category | Internet

A very inflammatory article on Apple Matters poses the following question: if you were stranded on an island and could take either a PC with an internet connection or a Mac with no internet, which would you take? Expecting you to answer that you’d take the PC, the author proceeds to say that this choice proves the operating system “doesn’t matter anymore,” that the “internet is the operating system.”

Frankly, I think this is one of the silliest arguments I have heard since I started writing at MacUser. While the internet is most certainly a huge part of any operating system now-a-days, it is by no means synonymous. The operating system is how you connect to the internet. It is the interface by which the internet proves useful. Without the polished, useful, and pleasant interface of applications like Apple Mail, iChat, iTunes, iPhoto, and iWeb, the internet would not be nearly as useful (or pleasant) as it is.

To pull an example from my life, I will tell you that I used to be a Windows XP user. Comparing my times using the internet then with my times using the internet now (running OS X) is like night and day. Mac OS makes the internet a much more valuable resource. I can use it to sync my address book, calendar, bookmarks, & files, to publish my own website full of photos, to download the latest news stories from an RSS feed, to publish blogs to MacUser, to hold 4-way video chats, to get instant stock, weather, and sports updates via Dashboard…need I go on? The bottom line is none of these things are nearly as functional in Windows. Some of them don’t even exist outside the Mac OS environment. As it turns out, the Operating System is far from dead. In fact, it’s they very thing that gives the internet its life.

As for which I’d choose, the PC with internet or the Mac without? I’d choose the PC. Then I’d navigate promptly to Apple.com, have a Mac FedEx-ed to my island, plug the internet connection into my Mac, and cast the PC out to sea where it belongs.

An illegal Apple on…a beer?

Posted on Sep. 29, ’06, 12:50 PM PT by Scott Silverman

Category | Apple » Huh?

While largely incomprehensible and utterly puzzling, this picture was such an odd find I just had to post it. The picture to the right is of a beer can from the former Soviet Republic Estonia, found by a reader of Cult of Mac. As you can see it displays a nice, big Apple logo right in the middle of the can. This must surely be trademark infringement.

Oh yeah, and for some reason a MacBook shows up on the Saku website with the words “Peaauhinnaks 500 000 kr pluss iga nädal Apple MacBook.” If anyone understand this, please let us know.

Apple’s going update crazy: 10.4.8 is here!

Posted on Sep. 29, ’06, 12:06 PM PT by Scott Silverman

Category | Software » Updates

It seems that we have gotten an unprecedented number of updates from Apple recently. Just a few minutes ago Apple released 10.4.8, which seems to be tightening the last few loose bolts of Tiger (only one more update to go!). For a detailed description of the update, see Apple’s info page. Otherwise, here’s what I deem among the most important features of the 147 MB 10.4.8 update:

• Adds EAP-FAST as an authentication option for AirPort
• Improves ExpressCard support in Intel laptops
• Adds more RAW image support for cameras
• Fixes some issues with Microsoft Office
• Improves reliability of certain USB devices
• Improves responsiveness of Translation Widget (finally!)

And with the promise of Aperture 1.5 (which I’m still expecting today), I’m sure this won’t be the last update in our recent stream of bug-squashing.

Zune’s loss is Apple’s fault

Posted on Sep. 29, ’06, 11:31 AM PT by Scott Silverman

Category | Apple » Rivals

Yesterday Dan gave us an informative update on the pricing of the Zune, revealing Microsoft’s plan to lose money. But a this may not have actually been Microsoft’s plan. Instead it seems to have been induced by Apple. With Apple’s pricing of the 30GB iPod at $250, Microsoft had no choice but to price their Zune similarly, to remain competitive. As Shaw Wu writes for American Technology Research:

We believe Microsoft not pricing lower demonstrates Apple’s under-appreciated supply chain strength where Microsoft will lose money. To us, the key question is whether Zune priced in-line with a video Pod will take share with its bulkier form factor, same Windows software currently available from 15-20 vendors, and inferior battery life.

Meanwhile each Zune player sold costs MS about $50, while each iPod sold makes Apple about $150. Goodluck Microsoft, you’re gonna need it.

[via MacNN]

Find all that’s free on iTunes

Posted on Sep. 29, ’06, 11:03 AM PT by Scott Silverman

Category | iTunes » iTunes Store

Of course you know that Apple gives away free songs and movies from the iTunes Store, but the biggest challenge is actually locating the free stuff. Well, silly old Apple has actually made it very easy for you to locate all the free stuff in the iTS at any given time. How, you ask? Why, with the FREE ON iTunes page, of course!

Firefox 2.0 RC1 is here and it’s looking fine

Posted on Sep. 29, ’06, 8:31 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Software » Updates

I played with the Firefox 2.0 initial alphas and I wasn’t impressed. Because of that, I’ve ignored the subsequent non-release versions until now. I decided to give RC1 a try because as the version number suggests, it could quite possibly end up being the real thing.

I’ve missed a lot. First, it has a new default theme. It’s much more apparent on Windows (or it was to me). It’s looking a bit better. Second, the toolbar is really shaping up nicely. I’m a big fan of the new search bar. It just feels right. Third, close buttons on each tab. Good. Fourth, spell-checking in app finally. This was in the alpha, but I threw it in because it’s one of the reasons I stayed away. It still doesn’t sync bookmarks between computers, but that can be overcome. Fifth, RSS handler settings. I like it.

Anyway, when 2.0 is finally confirmed for real, I think I’ll try going a week using it instead of Safari to see if I really do want a new default browser.

How hot is the Mac Pro?

Posted on Sep. 29, ’06, 6:59 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Hardware

Oh sure, I could answer that question as if it were being asked in the context of how great the Mac Pro is. The answer would be HOT! No, this time, the question is how hot temperature is. Apple has published a knowledge base article on this subject. The answer is of course 584 BTU/h at idle and 1519 BTU/h fully loaded CPUs.

Of course, I’m interested in this particular article for another reason. It has the power usage for the stock Mac Pro. It uses 171 W at idle and 250 W running full bore. This is important because I’d like to get a good UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for my Mac Pro. It’s a big investment. I’m looking at APC (because it works without any extra software).

Any of you have any UPS recommendations?

Slingbox releases new boxes, talks up Mac support

Posted on Sep. 29, ’06, 5:23 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Video

Everytime I read Slingbox, all I can think of is Billy Bob Thorton saying “I like them French fried potaters.” Sling Media’s Slingbox is a little box you hook into your video entertainment setup. Connect it to a TV, a cable box, or even a TiVo. Then hook it up to your network. You can then watch your tv shows and other media anywhere.

I’m not just talking about in your house. You know all that downtime during your business trips? Wouldn’t it be great to catch up on your TiVo recordings? Slingbox will stream it over the internet to your PC, Mac, PDA, or cell phone. Did I say Mac? Yes I did. It talks about the Mac software all over. The Universal Binary logo is even there.

Unfortunately though, the download itself is MIA. The user manual is there though (figure that one out). I really, really, really want one of the newly released models (probably the high end Pro version). I need the software first though. Otherwise, it’ll be a pretty box not doing much for me.

Apple preps for Aperture 1.5

Posted on Sep. 28, ’06, 2:33 PM PT by Scott Silverman

Category | Software » Updates

Here comes Aperture 1.5! If you run software update, you will find seven new available downloads, provided you have iLife and iWork 06 installed on your Mac. All of the updates having the following description:

This update addresses compatibility for accessing Aperture 1.5 content.

The iMovie HD update also “improves stability” and the iPhoto update also adds some new holiday calendar and card themes. While the Aperture 1.5 update is not available yet, with the release of these updates this afternoon I bet we’ll be seeing it show up tomorrow!

External MacBook battery options

Posted on Sep. 28, ’06, 2:06 PM PT by Scott Silverman

Category | Hardware » Intel Macs

I own two batteries for my MacBook Pro, which cost me quite a pretty penny to only double my battery life. Not to mention the batteries Apple makes are fragile, awkward (and sometimes difficult) to replace, and interrupt your workflow. That’s why I was excited when I learned that Battery Geek has started shipping external batteries for the MacBook/Pro as of today.

The external battery is a Li-ion 140 watt/hr “Portable Power Station” which can be used with an optional MagSafe connector for your Intel Mac laptop. The device also powers iBooks, PowerBooks, Windows laptops, cell phones and iPods. According to Battery Geek the MacBook Pro can last up to 6 additional hours when running on the external battery, which currently costs $350. It’s nice to finally have some power options!

[via Electronista]

Everything old is new again: meet the iTV’s Mark I, the AITB

Posted on Sep. 28, ’06, 1:53 PM PT by Dan Moren

Category | Hardware

When I went looking for a picture of the Pippin, Apple’s ill-fated game console, for my rebuttal to Aaron Ruby’s recent piece of the iTV and games, I came across an Apple product that I’d never heard of. A product that looks strangely familiar.

Meet the Apple Interactive Television Box. Let’s take a look at its specs: composite video and audio, S-video, two coaxial RF jacks, two SCART jacks, an Ethernet jack, a serial port, a SCSI port, and an infrared receiver. The idea behind the Apple Interactive Television Device was that you’d hook it up to your TV, and receive content from a subscription service, including the ability to fast-forward, rewind, and pause said content.

What struck me about this device was that it’s essentially an iTV, but with the then cutting edge technology that was available in 1994-95. S-video and composite video have been succeeded by the one-two punch of component and HDMI and USB has replaced serial/SCSI, but the Ethernet jack and infrared receiver are still present on the iTV. Instead of iTunes, you have a service that Apple was pitching to a variety of cable providers, including British Telecom. The device even looks similar: a flat silver box, albeit with the multi-colored Apple logo on the front.

Of course, the “iTB” was never mass-produced, and all the existing models are merely test versions—plus, without the service, none of them work anyway. You can, however, read the device’s instruction manual, which is quite a trip. To 1995 (I wasn’t a huge fan the first time round, but I think it’s growing on me).

It got me thinking: how many times has Apple tried to get themselves into the living room market? Besides the “iTB,” you’ve also got the Pippin, and then, of course, the Macintosh TV, a black version of the Mac LC550 that could also function as a TV (good lord, I coveted one of those things when they were out). Will the iTV succeed where these devices failed? It’s got at least one factor behind it that all those other projects lacked: Steve Jobs. And, as we all know, that’s no small thing.

Intel multiplies their ad power

Posted on Sep. 28, ’06, 1:17 PM PT by Scott Silverman

Category | Hardware » Intel Macs

Intel has introduced a few new television ads entitled “Multiply” and “Ice Cream.” The ads are actually rather boring (in my humble opinion). They feature models dancing around a set with different phrasings flashing on the screen involving the word multiply—which represents the multiple cores of the Core 2 Duo processor.

One cool thing about the ad, though, is that it was made on Apple hardware and software. You can see a “making of the ad” video here.

Ihnatko: Harsh Words for Windows

Posted on Sep. 28, ’06, 10:00 AM PT by Andy Ihnatko

Category | Ihnatko

Recently, Steve Jobs announced the resumption of the great Cold War between Windows and Mac OS. When Steve previewed the next rev of the Mac OS, it was an explicit attack upon everything Windows is and everything that it promises to be in 2007. Where once, those clever “I’m a Mac… I’m a PC” commercials demonstrated a relationship based on mutual compatibility and respect, the latest one shows the PC speaking with quiet pride to the viewer about its infrastructure for enterprise database development, oblivious to the fact that off in the background, the Mac is making shameless, ambitious love to the PC’s wife right on the studio floor.

Indeed: ouch. But personally, this shift couldn’t have come at a better time, for I have never been more ready to reclaim the sword and shield of Windows hatred.

Normally, I use Macs for 75% of my day-to-day stuff and only dip into Windows when I’m learning about a new bit of software or hardware, or need to do something that can’t be done on a Mac…or if a Windows machine is simply the handiest keyboard. But for the past few months, Windows has had to be a 50-50 partner. My next book, due out in November (iPod: Fully Loaded; oh, aren’t you a dear for asking) is as much about PCs as it is about Macs.

Yes, on a daily basis, I had cause to remember that the word for the act of throwing something through a window is “defenestrate,” and that the ten-syllable obscene compound gerund that describes a male offspring of a female dog who, in turn, engages in coitus with her own mother and has been forsaken by the Lord Himself is… well, decorum prevents me.

“When you get past the schoolyard mentality and the stupid, ignorant prejudices,” you have heard people say, “what we have are two different operating systems that each work very, very well. Really, it’s not a matter of good or bad. It’s just a matter of personal preference.”

Those are very wise words. I have said much the same thing. But what I’ve endured over the past few months is the equivalent of a weeklong road trip with someone whose company you’ve always enjoyed, but never really known as a true friend. Windows has propped its bare smelly feet up on my dashboard and told me the story about how he was so hung over during his aunt’s funeral that he threw up into the coffin a little. His greasy hair has left smears on the inside of the window that no solvent can shift. He just sort of assumed that he could use my iPod, and during the one time he took a turn at the wheel, the battery was completely flat and I had to listen the story about the funeral a second time.

So I’m not saying that my fond regards won’t return in time. But I’m going to have to spend a few weeks alone first.

In the meantime, how do I hate Windows? Let me count the ways:

Want to write for MacUser? Only four days left.

Posted on Sep. 28, ’06, 9:12 AM PT by Dan Moren

Category | MacUser

Just a reminder for you, readers: if you’re interested in contributing to the award-winning* coverage of MacUser, then, well, we’re interested in you. We’re currently taking applications to our elite corps of bloggers and will continue to do so through midnight ET this Sunday (October 1st). If you haven’t yet submitted an application, go ahead—you know you want to.

Derik and I will be poring over submissions next week to select la crème de la crème (you see, we’ve got some crazy multi-lingual action here) to help us help you…with the best of Mac news.

If you think you’ve got what it takes, you can find full details in this very post. Submissions written on the back of twenty dollar bills will be given extra consideration. Oh, and people who find ‘Til Death funny need not apply. Thank you.

* My mom printed my first post out and put it on her fridge. I assumed that counted as an award.

Once in a full Zune…

Posted on Sep. 28, ’06, 8:50 AM PT by Dan Moren

Category | Apple » Rivals

We know you’ve just been dying for more on the Zune, Microsoft’s forthcoming iPod-maimer, so who are we to disappoint? Microsoft dropped some official specs on the music player today, including a price and a release date.

But first, a message from Microsoft. They want you to know that they’re so committed to selling the Zune, so crazy about it, that they’re going to sell it at a loss. That’s right, Microsoft’s going to take one for you guys. So you better buy a Zune. Or Microsoft will be very, very unhappy with you.

The 30GB music player will go on sale November 14th for a low, low iPod-beating price of $249.99…wait a second. That’s the same exact price that the 30GB iPod costs. Huh. Spooky.

If you want to buy songs from Mirosoft’s online service, they’ll cost you $0.99 a track…sort of. Microsoft has decided to eschew these “dollars” that all the kids are using, in favor of a currency they cleverly call “points.” The twist is that a point = 1.25 cents; Microsoft’s charging 79 points for a song, so if you do the math, you’ll see it works out to 98.75 cents…or 99 cents. Still, as Ars Technica points out, it’s a great way of obscuring the actual cost of things.

Also, Gizmodo has a full list of all the content that will come preloaded on the Zune, pretty much none of which I’ve ever heard of. But I’m hardly “hip to the jive” of kids nowadays.

More crazy iPhone rumors

Posted on Sep. 28, ’06, 8:09 AM PT by Dan Moren

Category | iPhone

Will this iPhone nonsense ever cease? I’m guessing not until Apple actually comes out with a mobile phone. At which point, iPhone rumors will be supplanted, at the same level of intensity, with iFridge rumors. Did you hear it will make Apple logo-shaped iCeCubes? It’s going to be totally chill.

Not only do we hardly report every instance of an iPhone rumor, but I’m still on the skeptical side, along with David Pogue (who I am now contractually obligated to refer to as “Sir David Pogue, Knight of the King’s Realm”).

Still, we did report on the iTunes Phone Driver in the iTunes 7 installer (it’s still there in 7.0.1, though now it’s listed as “Disabled”). I maintain that it’s merely an updated driver for the iTunes phones that Motorola’s been making.

That doesn’t quite explain these strings that MacRumors dug out of iTunes 7, though, some of which make allusions to TV shows and videos on mobile phones—a feature that iTunes-compatible phones don’t support…yet. While some have taken this as tacit confirmation that Apple’s developing a phone, I’m adopting more of a wait-and-see approach. These could merely be for updates to existing iTunes-compatible phones, though Apple hasn’t seemed very excited about them so far. And really, if Apple was going to release a mobile phone, it seems to me that they’d keep it under the iPod branding.

[via Gizmodo]

Multiple personality disorder and Ou

Posted on Sep. 28, ’06, 7:43 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Security

Warning: This is yet another episode of the MacBook hack saga. If that doesn’t stop you, you’re in for a real gem of an update. While I may have wondered about George Ou’s tinfoil hat last time, I think we may have discovered a real psychological disorder. Rather than leave Apple’s completely unambiguous response to his questions alone, George has brought in the painfully thorough David Burke, whom we haven’t seen since his Gruber “analysis”.

Is David Burke really a person with legal training or simply George Ou’s alter ego? You decide! Personally, I think it’s a great strategy. Look forward to upcoming posts in which my friend Delik Derong will deconstruct bulletproof prose in a completely broken way. Don’t forget that because it’s not me, if you see the logical fallacies in all the arguments, it doesn’t reflect poorly on me.

FastScripts 2.3 makes AppleScript fun again

Posted on Sep. 28, ’06, 6:34 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Software

Daniel Jalkut of the famous Red Sweater blog and Massachusetts native (geographical favoritism is certainly called for as 3/4 of MacUser lives in MA) has finished FastScripts 2.3. Truth is that I don’t use AppleScripts nearly as much as I could because it’s plain inconvenient. FastScipts gives you a global menu, keyboard shortcuts, and much more. The new version has the following changes:

• A refined grayscale menu bar icon
• Support for unmodified keys as script shortcuts (10.3 and later only)
• New preference for toggling “Launch at Login” feature
• Reorganized Preferences dialogs
• Improved AppleScript access to FastScripts script hierarchies
• Miscellaneous bug fixes

There’s even a terrific Lite version that contains much of the functionality (save unlimited keyboard shortcuts among other things). Go get your script on.

Important IM information

Posted on Sep. 28, ’06, 5:55 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Internet

Almost as if it was kismet, Microsoft’s MSN Messenger 6.0 was released today. You guessed it. Still no video conferencing. The good news is that the MacBU is on top of it and only waiting for the protocols that will be used to be finalized. This comes hot on the heels of the Yahoo and MSN IM networks merging.

What do consumers think of interoperability? Thanks to Dan Frakes (and market research from OutCast Communications), we know.

• 24% of respondents said that connecting IM services is the best thing to happen since the cell phone
• 57% of respondents had friends or family that used an IM service different than their own
• 35% of students over 18 years old use more than one IM service, and

That’s good and well. People are frustrated with not being able to communicate easily with MSN and Yahoo users using iChat (without using Jabber transports). The real question is what will they give up?

• 29% said they’d be willing to give up watching American Idol
• 16% said they’d give up ice cream for one month
• 15% are willing to give up their morning cup of coffee
• 15% said they’d give up their morning paper

I don’t know about the last three, but I’d certainly agree with the first group.

Photokina in 3D

Posted on Sep. 28, ’06, 5:05 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Apple » Events

For most of us, the recent Photokina trade fair was simply the place that Apple introduced the new and improved Aperture 1.5. It’s more than that. People actually have booths and the whole nine. The even show off cool stuff with cameras.

Perhaps the coolest thing I’ve seen come out of the fair was a series of Quicktime VR scenes. Outside of Apple’s product pages, I’ll admit I’ve seen Quicktime VR used perhaps three times since its introduction. These scenes make me wish it was done more. Here’s the freaky thing about these, look for what the camera was standing on.

[Thanks Jason]

Where’s that mouse pointer?

Posted on Sep. 27, ’06, 2:12 PM PT by Scott Silverman

Category | Software

If you give presentations to audiences using a projector, then this may be the post that changes how you work. Boinx Software has introduced Mouseposé 2, an application which makes it much easier for audiences to follow your stream of input while working on the computer.

A couple of key features Mouseposé are keystroke visualization (which will put the keystrokes you are pressing onto the screen), cursor illumination (which will dim your screen except for the area surrounding your mouse cursor), and mouse click visualization (which will help your audience tell how many times you clicked—ie: single click, double click).

A special introductory price of $9.95 is in effect until November 15th. Then the price will increase to $14.95. If this looks like something you might use, then grab it now while it’s cheap!

[via Applelinks]

Software update goes haywire

Posted on Sep. 27, ’06, 1:18 PM PT by Scott Silverman

Category | Software » Updates

It’s rather ironic when the mechanism meant to help fix bugs goes buggy itself. With all the updates spurting out today, I figured now would be a great time to run Software Update, and so I proceeded.

Upon telling Software Update to “Install” the four updates it found, things went as normal. It began downloading, decompressing, and installing my updates. Meanwhile, I continued to read a few RSS feeds in Safari. A minute later I was greeted by the not-so-happy message pictured above (click image for a full version).

I quit Software Update, restarted my computer, and re-ran Software Update. This time the process repeated, but instead of coming up with an error, I was greeted by the message “The application Software Update quit unexpectedly.” Great. The application which is meant to fix bugs on my system has self-destructed.

I tried a restart and re-run one last time. To my surprise this time the three Pro Apps updates installed successfully, but the iTunes update continued to fail. iTunes 7 just seems to be chock full of bugs. Has anyone else ever encountered problems similar to these with Software Update? What might I try to fix it? I suppose I could also always go download the iTunes 7.0.1 update directly from Apple.com, but it still bothers me that there’s problems within Software Update.

Apple releases iTunes 7.0.1, but are sighs of relief premature?

Posted on Sep. 27, ’06, 11:31 AM PT by Dan Moren

Category | iTunes

The release of iTunes 7.0.1 really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody. The web’s been overflowing with complaints about bugs in the software since its release just over two weeks ago. While Apple presented fixes for many of the problems in support documents last week, a patch has been anticipated.

Unfortunately, Apple’s been less than forthcoming about the contents of version 7.0.1. Here’s the description they offer:

iTunes 7.0.1 addresses stability and performance issues with Cover Flow, CD importing, iPod syncing, and more.

Wow, don’t blind us with your confidences there. One hopes this will fix the more egregious problems, most of which seem to be with the Windows version of the software.

How about it, MacUsers: anybody install 7.0.1 and find that it magically fixed their problems? Hit us up in the comments below with your experiences.

Greenpeace sets up fake Apple site

Posted on Sep. 27, ’06, 9:36 AM PT by Dan Moren

Category | Apple » News

Man, Greenpeace just won’t let up. With the same ferocious determination they’ve showed in driving their little dinghies in front of whaling ships, the environmental activist organization is now plowing straight into Apple. We previously covered their reports on toxicity in Apple products, but now Greenpeace has taken it to the extreme by setting up a faux Apple website.

We love Apple. Apple knows more about “clean” design than anybody, right? So why do Macs, iPods, iBooks and the rest of their product range contain hazardous substances that other companies have abandoned? A cutting edge company shouldn’t be cutting lives short by exposing children in China and India to dangerous chemicals. That’s why we Apple fans need to demand a new, cool product: a greener Apple.

It’s hurting the children, you see?

So why pick on Apple? There’re a number of reasons, including Greenpeace’s claim that Apple lags behind HP, Dell, Nokia and Sony for environmental practices. But they also know that Apple is a hugely public company, and one that the industry will take note of. Can you imagine Greenpeace putting up a fake HP site? How much press do you think that will get?

I think we can all agree that environmental conservation is an important issue, and if Steve Jobs gets up there and talks about reducing toxic chemicals in their products, people will applaud him for it. Sure, it might seem like they’re being picked on, but it comes with the territory of being arguably the most visible and innovative computer company around. Makes us proud, Steve.

MLB is going…going…gone from iTunes podcasts

Posted on Sep. 27, ’06, 9:22 AM PT by Dan Moren

Category | iTunes » iTunes Store

Looks like Major League Baseball is ready to play a little hardball. MLB has removed its content from the iTunes Store, specifically game clips in the podcasting section. The report came from the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), which has said that the chief dispute was that Apple was uncooperative about promotion.

MLB wanted greater control over how its media was promoted, a request which Apple refused. Reportedly, the league was upset that ads for its content was put up squarely next to ads for individual baseball podcasts.

Oh no, democratization! Heaven forbid. Perhaps they didn’t understand the idea of “podcasting.”

MLB’s decided to move all of their audio content back to MLB.com, from which they reputedly distribute around 30,000 podcasts every day (about 75% of their total distribution, prior to dropping iTunes).

“We respect Apple and iTunes — we all carry iPods ourselves — but we think, in the long run, our fans will be better served on MLB.com,” [MLB Advanced Media exec Bob] Bowman said.

MLB will be adding other content, including free videos for iPod owners, to its site.

What does this mean for Apple? Not a lot. It’s, after all, one vendor, though a sizeable one, who was already doing most of their business elsewhere. It does reinforce questions about the podcasting section of iTS, which many see as a “free for all” bazaar of content. No need for panic, though. At least, not yet (cue ominous music).

[via iPodNN and blogs.MarketWatch]

Time for Apple to think different about music

Posted on Sep. 27, ’06, 8:31 AM PT by Dan Moren

Category | iTunes » iTunes Store

If you ever get a chance, go check out the classic Alec Guinness movie The Man in the White Suit It’s about an inventor who comes up with a cloth that never gets dirty and the garment industry that tries to suppress his ingenuity. It’s not only a great film, but it’s one that speaks to the controversy of technological developments in general and perhaps Apple’s iTunes Store specifically.

I like the iTunes Store, I really do. But at the moment, it seems to me to be nothing more than an electronic equivalent of a brick-and-mortar store. You browse through titles, pick the one you want, hand over your cash, and then you’re free to enjoy your media. But isn’t it time that it stop merely mimicking the stores we’ve had since time immemorial and start venturing into things that only an electronic, internet-based store can do?

Case in point: the freedom of your media. I first started thinking about this a while ago, but a couple of recent incidents helped me to crystalize my ideas. One was Gabe of Penny Arcade complaining that he couldn’t sync songs that he’d purchased from iTunes on two separate computers with the same account. While iTunes 7 introduced a feature that lets you transfer purchases from one machine to another, it only works in one direction—you can only sync an iPod with one computer at a time.

Then Wil Wheaton ran into a problem where he was upgrading to iTunes 7, and he lost a bunch of his purchased music. Apple let him redownload his songs, and before you cry out that this reeks of the velvet rope of celebrity, I’ll point out that this has verifiably been Apple’s policy for a while now.

This raises a simple question for me: why not allow people to redownload their music? As many times as they want? Let’s go deeper.

Intel is going core crazy

Posted on Sep. 27, ’06, 7:49 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Hardware

No sooner do I get a machine with two dual core processors and Intel announces quad-core chips (coming in November). Sure, we know it’s possible to slap them into a Mac Pro, but I don’t want to do that yet. It’s scary.

Adding extra cores to a chip allows the PC to split up heavy workloads. In a demonstration at the San Francisco show, Otellini showed “Alan Wake,” a planned video game from Remedy that devotes an entire CPU core to the physics simulation of action scenes like explosions and tornadoes. The new quad-core gaming chip will deliver a 70 percent performance boost compared to Intel’s own current dual-core gaming processor, the company said.

I seem to remember some time ago when the important thing for gaming was pure clock speed. Now it’s all about more cores. Maybe Apple was on to something way back when they first started making multiprocessor computers.

In fact, Intel likes cores so much that they’ve promised 80 core processors in five years. That’s a huge amount of computing power. What I find particularly compelling about it is that computer processors are beginning to resemble the human brain more and more. I take it back. Changing processors isn’t scary. CPUs being just like the human brain is.

Apple updates pro apps

Posted on Sep. 27, ’06, 6:34 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Software » Updates

Aperture 1.5 got its own special Apple event. Apple’s other professional software packages felt a little out in the cold, so a ton of them got touched.

• Final Cut Pro 5.1.1 fixes bugs and adds compatibility with new cameras.
• Pro Applications Update 2006-02 fixes underlying frameworks and shared components for Final Cut Studio 5.1, Final Cut Pro 5.1, Motion 2.1, Soundtrack Pro 1.1, DVD Studio Pro 4.1, LiveType 2.1, Compressor 2.1, Apple Qmaster 2.1, and Final Cut Express HD 3.5.

I need to take a breath. That’s a lot of touched applications. Unfortunately, the fixes don’t seem particularly action packed.

Apple is finally improving its .Mac webmail

Posted on Sep. 27, ’06, 5:25 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Internet

I am so excited I don’t know what to do with myself. I use .Mac’s webmail interface regularly. However, Apple hasn’t updated it since its introduction. It’s web 1.0. Gmail, Yahoo, and even Hotmail feature slick new interfaces, complete with the ability to drag and drop mail in the case of the latter two. All three are loaded with AJAX to make the experience not just tolerable, but preferable for some (who have dropped traditional POP and IMAP accounts for Gmail).

We are finally getting a major overhaul. That $99 (or less if you buy through Amazon) hasn’t totally gone to waste. The features look really great (and it even sports a Mail.app look).

• Drag and drop
• Message pane
• Smart refreshes (AJAX)
• Quick reply
• Address book autocomplete
• Message previews (aka Gmail snippets)
• Flagging
• Keyboard shortcuts

It’s like a laundry list of everything I’ve been wishing for. Now, if only they’d bump up the disk space, I might be totally satisfied.

[via TUAW]

DRM, RIAA, LimeWire, & the gavel

Posted on Sep. 26, ’06, 2:49 PM PT by Scott Silverman

Category | Music

DRM legal issues just seem to be flying through the news today, as here’s another edition of Under the Gavel. (Do non-Europe related legal stories even count, Dan?) In any case, LimeWire yesterday filed a lawsuit against 13 of America’s biggest record companies, including Warner Bros., Virgin, Sony BMG, and Atlantic. According to IDG, LimeWire alleges that these companies have “unfair business practices for the specific purpose of eliminating sources of decentralized peer-to-peer file sharing and acquiring a monopoly over digital distribution of commercially valuable copyrighted music and movie content.” Whew. There are also accusations from LimeWire that the RIAA hasn’t allowed them to use the filtering software which was developed to help prevent illegal downloads. Therefore, says LimeWire, it’s not our fault.

This LimeWire-filed suit comes in response to another suit which was filed by the same 13 companies against LimeWire. That suit charges that LimeWire encourages piracy and subsequently demands $476 million in damages. It will certainly be interesting to see where this whole thing ends up.

The first 3rd-party API plugin for Aperture

Posted on Sep. 26, ’06, 2:22 PM PT by Scott Silverman

Category | Software » Updates

It’s barely been 24 hours since Aperture 1.5 was announced, and the update won’t be available for download until later this week, but that hasn’t stopped iStockphoto from going to it! They have already released their 3rd-party plugin for Aperture 1.5, which allows you to directly upload stock images to their site, without ever exporting a single image! Now your stock images can be uploaded and ready for others to buy in record time. This is the kind of functionality I’m excited about, now that Aperture supports API. I’m sure we’ll be seeing similar things with Flickr and other imaging sites soon.

Under formannsklubben: Norway and Apple engage in talks

Posted on Sep. 26, ’06, 1:53 PM PT by Dan Moren

Category | Legal

It’s been a while since we had an installment in our “Under the Gavel” series, so we bring you this specially localized Norwegian episode. When last we left our Scandinavian friends, they were unhappy with Apple’s responses to their demands, primarily that content from the iTunes Store should be interoperable on all media players.

Apple, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Dernmark have had their first day of talks today. I’m pleased to say that the discussions are being overseen by our old friend, director of the Norwegian consumer ombudsman office, Bjørn “The Norwegian Hammer” Erik Thon (that’s him at right—isn’t he dreamy?).

“Our meeting was much more constructive than I expected it would be,” said [Mr. Thon]…”We argued and did not agree on a lot, but we discussed all issues.”

“It would be inappropriate to discuss the exact areas where progress was made, but it was a positive and good dialogue,” Mr. Thon said. Fines were still a possibility, he added: “We prefer to find a solution through discussions, but we still have the possibility of bringing the case before the market council.”

It’s good to see all these parties sitting down and talking, but I’m not sure what kind of progress they’re going to make with Apple holding a hard line. Unless the fees are really outrageous, I’m guessing Apple would prefer to pay them and get on with business.

Ever wonder what that little flag was for?

Posted on Sep. 26, ’06, 1:09 PM PT by Scott Silverman

Category | Tips

Have you ever seen this little flag at the top of your or a friend’s computer? Have you maybe wondered what it might be good for, because there aren’t many people who need to switch between two input languages frequently? Well now it has a cool and useful function that you probably didn’t know about, thanks to a tip from Apple’s Pro site.

The international input menu (a.k.a. the little flag in your menu bar) can actually call up a character palette which will let you insert all sorts of symbols③ψ⠾, pictures☃☢✼, and charactersØŰß into any text-input-based application. Here’s what to do to get this feature working:

1. Open System Preferences and click on the International option.
2. Select “Input Menu” on the top bar.
3. Turn the “Character Palette” on by selecting the checkbox next to its name.
4. Close System Preferences and then click the flag icon.
5. Choose “Show Character Palette” from the drop down menu, and now simply find an icon you like and click Insert. Couldn’t be easier!

You can also view your keyboard on screen through this same method, by checking the “Keyboard Viewer” checkbox in the same System Preferences menu. Have fun!

Virgin’s laptop battery stance relaxed, not rescinded

Posted on Sep. 26, ’06, 9:41 AM PT by Dan Moren

Category | Hardware

Do we have Sir Richard Branson to thank? Virgin Atlantic has opted to relax its ban on laptop batteries. As we reported previously, the airline had been banning use of all iBook, PowerBook, MacBook, and MacBook Pro batteries, despite the fact that only certain batteries had been recalled.

The new language reads as follows:

Customers wishing to use an Apple or Dell laptop on board can only do so once the laptop battery serial number has been checked by a member of the Cabin Crew.

- If the battery is permitted for use, the laptop may be used as normal on board, with no further restrictions.

If it doesn’t make the cut, it must be removed, wrapped, and placed in carry-on luggage. Unfortunately, this may be a losing battle, as Virgin specifies nothing about Toshiba batteries (which are now also the subject of a recall, though Toshiba maintains there’s no fire hazard) and Lenovo ThinkPad batteries also manufactured by Sony (which have been catching on fire left and right). In unrelated news, it looks as though the TSA has said that you’ll now be able to take beverages purchased after the security check onto the plane. So at least you won’t be thirsty and on fire.

[via SpyMac]

The Mac Pro’s singing some Bluetooth blues

Posted on Sep. 26, ’06, 8:39 AM PT by Dan Moren

Category | Hardware

You may know Kirk McElhearn from his many Mac books; or possibly from his frequent Macworld contributions; perhaps even from his stint as guest editor on Mac OS X Hints. But did you know that Kirk lives in rural southern France? Bet you didn’t.

Besides having the effect of making me exceptionally jealous, it also means that it can be on the somewhat difficult side to get repair service for your Mac. Amazingly, Apple Care will apparently make house calls for desktop macs in Kirk’s area, despite the nearest repair center being several hundred kilometers away. Now, that’s service.

Kirk was having a problem with the Bluetooth in his new Mac Pro; his wireless Mighty Mouse would skip. Having absolved all the other components of guilt with the help of tech support, he eventually settled upon the Bluetooth module as the culprit. Bluetooth, as you may recall, is not in the standard Mac configuration—it has to be added in as a build-to-order option. Only, it turns out that on at least some Mac Pros, the wire that is marked for Bluetooth has been mislabeled. There’s some question as to what that wire does, but it certainly doesn’t seem to be the right one for Bluetooth. With the help of an Apple discussion thread and a little sleight-of-wire, Kirk disconnected the wrong wire and connected the correct one.

According to Kirk, the biggest problem in diagnosing this problem appears to be that the wrong wire still works well enough that Bluetooth connectivity is fine in short range, but it won’t work as well long range, and users that do notice the problem may attribute it to another factor. Apple, get on this one, quick—if nothing else, to determine how many units have been affected and identify them, so that good folk like Kirk don’t have to waste their time on hold with tech support.

Getting to know your ThaiPod

Posted on Sep. 26, ’06, 8:00 AM PT by Dan Moren

Category | iPod

Despite undergoing a recent military coup, the stability of Thailand is clearly not a question. For example, all the important things are still in place: like the 9,999 iPod nanos made by IT City and Apple Thailand as a celebration of the 60th anniversary of King Bhumibol’s reign. The iPods come in a commemorative box, adorned with the royal seal of the King, and are each engraved with a message…which is in Thai, so I can’t read it. They’re 4GB 1G nanos, for those curious about such things.

Unfortunately, my knowledge of Thailand is derived primarily from two sources: its cuisine, which is delicious, and the musical The King and I, which I was in a sixth grade production of. I played a priest and had just one line, which I’m not prepared to discuss here.

There was a bit of contention about this story, as it was initially reported that the iPods were made at the order of the King himself. A number of Thai citizens stepped forward to explain that many commemorative items were made to celebrate the King’s reign, such as this Asus Core Duo Notebook, emblazoned with the royal seal. They also said that these iPods were not likely to be used, but rather to be kept as souvenirs. And no, as far as I know, they didn’t come pre-loaded with The King and I soundtrack. More’s the pity.

[via Infinite Loop]

Justin Long is tough

Posted on Sep. 26, ’06, 7:52 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Apple » People

While the recent Mac ads certainly use Justin Long to make the Mac look cooler, it doesn’t exactly make Mac users a model of masculinity. All that is about to change. Justin Long is going to be in “Live Free or Die Hard”, the fourth “Die Hard” movie. Hopefully he got some pointers from Bruce Willis.

Long will play a smart, younger guy who assists McClane.

Very… specific? Well, at least you’ll know to look out for him. Then, when he appears on screen, you can point him out to your date. She’ll turn to you with soft eyes and say “Who?” Naturally, at this juncture, you can sink back into your chair and hope she forgets.

Boom

Posted on Sep. 26, ’06, 6:41 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Apple » Humor

I think this video pretty much speaks for itself.

Thanks Jim!

“In Search of the Valley” released

Posted on Sep. 26, ’06, 5:57 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Video

We previously mentioned “In Search of the Valley” in the context of a neat teaser clip that involved Steve Wozniak, Woz to those that find more than one syllable redundant, showing us why it’s called Firewire.

That documentary was released today on DVD for $19.99 a copy (region-free!). Here’s a summary in their words.

In Search of the Valley tells the story of three friends’ personal journey into the psyche of Silicon Valley, when in September of 2004 they swapped London for California, spending one month visiting and talking to many of the valley’s heavyweights and biggest personalities.

In case that wasn’t enough Steve Wozniak, John Warnock, Marc Canter, Craig Newmark, Tim O’Reilly, Brian Behlendorf, Bruce Damer, Al Lundell, Andy Hertzfeld, Brenda Laurel, Lee Felsenstein, and many others all appear in the film. It sounds fascinating.

Oh, Ou

Posted on Sep. 26, ’06, 5:07 AM PT by Derik DeLong

Category | Security

I have a love/hate relationship with the MacBook hack saga. Despite the fact that I just wrote about it just two days ago, there’s been enough action today that it warrants yet another post. What could break me out of the time out from coverage I promised myself?

George Ou has gotten a smackdown from Apple. It’s long, so I’ll copy it verbatim into the extended section of this post. Now that Ou is sufficiently convinced that Apple hasn’t used any weasel words, he feels that Apple and the mute duo Maynor and Ellch are “on a collision course” that will end at Toorcon 2006.

Could it be that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel? Will it put it to rest? I have my fingers crossed.

Here’s my favorite exchange, but keep reading for more goodness. Also, don’t forget to check out the Macalope’s response for more laughs.

Ou: Little did I know at the time that I had actually stumbled upon the truth and that the Apple Wi-Fi flaw was EXACTLY like the FreeBSD flaw because it’s all the same code.

Apple: The code flaws we addressed with the Wi-Fi security updates we released on September 21 are not based on the same code as the FreeBSD flaw.

Is the iTV a Trojan Apple, designed for gaming?

Posted on Sep. 25, ’06, 2:37 PM PT by Dan Moren

Category | Games

Author Aaron Ruby has a theory: he thinks that one of the iTV’s features could be the ability to play Mac games on your TV. The ingredients, Ruby argues, are all there: high-speed wireless networking (possibly of the delicious 802.11n flavor); high-definition output in the form of HDMI and component connector; and the ability to send graphics data to a network port instead of a monitor port. Add in a wireless controller, and the iTV becomes a game console.

Ruby suggests both World of Warcraft and casual games as potential media for Apple to feature on the iTV. The former, to my mind, is far too involved and demanding to work well in such an environment; the latter is more believable, especially given that the iPod games already exist in the iTunes Store.

It’s an interesting idea, except it doesn’t really make any sense. Despite introducing casual games to the iPod platform, I still don’t think Apple really has any interest in gaming (as I wrote last week). Their last serious push into gaming was the failed Pippin console (pictured above) in the mid-90s. And though, as Ruby mentions, Steve Jobs worked at Atari and helped create Breakout, I don’t think Jobs really gets today’s gaming market—at least, not the way that he seems to get music. And in a market that is as fiercely competitive as the gaming market, that’s no small thing.

A bigger problem is that targeting the iTV for gaming would need, well, games. Such a venture would require a serious gaming push on Apple’s part—bigger than the release of iPod games. And it would probably be helpful for the Mac game-makers (whom Apple has shunned on the iPod platform) to be in on the plan, unless Apple has a clever plan up its sleeve. Is it possible? Probably. Likely? I don’t think so.

It’s true, Macs have gotten cheaper

Posted on Sep. 25, ’06, 1:45 PM PT by Aaron Freedman

Category | Money

Silly PC-users. When will you ever be right? The Macs-being-more-expensive-than-PCs myth was already busted at WWDC, and now another similar myth, that Macs are overall just plain expensive is being busted also, thanks to Apple Matters. Apple Matters has posted an article and two graphs showing the price of Apple’s high and low end desktops and laptops from 1984 to 2006. It seems that Apple’s high-end computers have had the most fluctuation in price over the years, while the low-end models have gone down slower and steadier in price. Another thing to note is that Apple’s high-end desktop prices soared soon after Jobs was kicked out of Apple, and then plummeted after he came back. Also, ever since Jobs’ return to Apple, the prices of all Macs have been slowly going down after the huge initial drop.

Ha, ignorant PC users, see, I so told you so!

[via