Own a piece of Apple Store history-ish
Posted on May. 30, ’08, 2:53 PM PT by Dan Pourhadi
Category | Geekery
Today’s theme seems to be Posts About Apple Retail Stores, so better continue the trend. This one comes from the “Yeah, some people are a little nuts” department: A dumpster diver in Boston found a piece of the “Green Monster” facade that was used to cover the Boylston Street store during its construction, and has put it up for auction at eBay.
Bidding (which ends on June 8th) started at $50, and currently stands at a wopping $355…for a piece of a sign found in the trash. The money earned from the auction will go to boston2portland, an annual bike ride charity to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research. The winning bidder will receive a personal invite to the boston2portland PowerRider reception, “a little wine-and cheese affair just for the select few riders who have earned over $2500, along with a personal tour of the Center for Neurological Diseases!”
Check the eBay auction for some more photos, and if you’re a fan of the right half of the Apple logo, consider placing a bid—it’s for charity.
[via ifoAppleStore, Infinite Loop]
Closed for Commercial Filming
Posted on May. 30, ’08, 2:02 PM PT by Dan Pourhadi
Category | Apple » Advertising
The Apple Store 5th Avenue is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, perfect for insomniacs like me who realize at 3 a.m. that they really, really want a new iPod and would otherwise be up the creek until the damn stores open at 9-stickin’-a.m. and in the meantime need to listen to their current stupid iPod.
Yesterday, though, Apple spit at the concept of 24/7 by closing the 5th Avenue Store until after midnight—the third time in its history it’s ever been closed (previously for the iPhone and Leopard launches). Why commit such a crime against abbreviated time schemes? Apple Store employees said they had closed the store to…film a commercial.
MacRumors’ sources claim the commercial is for the upcoming 3G iPhone, which is rumored to make its debut around June 9th at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. Timing’s perfect, so why not?
There are some photos of the hubbub, and more photos, and even more photos, if you’d like to scrutinize the commercializing yourself.
Now we just wait, eagerly, for Jobs to get on stage at WWDC, introduce the new iPhone, and cap off his demo with a grinning acknowledgement of the speculation—”We made a great TV spot for the new iPhone; I’d like to show it to you now.” Followed by cheering. Lots and lots of cheering.
Apple Stores on their way to Liverpool, Caesars Palace
Posted on May. 30, ’08, 10:17 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Stores
Our readers are a thoughtful, observant sort. So we were not even mildly shocked to have two separate ones write in mere hours apart to inform us of two new prospective Apple Stores in the US and abroad.
The first tip came from Alex in Liverpool, in that far off mythical land we call the United Kingdom (come on, if that doesn’t sound like some sort of fantasy realm, what does?). He sends us a shot of a black-veiled storefront in a recently re-opened street, with a sign that says “Coming Soon.” Liverpool is, of course, also the hometown of The Beatles—hey, we haven’t had a Beatles rumor in awhile. Maybe they’ll announce the catalog at the same time as they open the Liverpool store. Or maybe I should just repeatedly bash my head into my desk. Same difference.
Our second bit of Apple Store-related news comes from reader Edden, a denizen of Las Vegas. While Sin City already has two stores, one in the upscale Fashion Show shopping mall and another in the “Town Square,” it appears that a third outlet is destined for the Forum Shops in the Venetian Caesars Palace casino (yes, apparently I cannot keep my faux-Italian casinos straight, apologies). Edden was looking to apply to for a job at the Apple Store and was surprised to see a listing for a Forum Shops location that doesn’t exist (duh-duh-DUH!). Sounds as though it may be on the way.
Well, that’s all the news about Apple Stores that’s fit to post. Of course, you can always tip us off to more interesting (or, heck, uninteresting) developments by hitting up our email address over there on the right side of the page.
A .Mac by any other name?
Posted on May. 30, ’08, 9:06 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Speculation
Don your tinfoil hats, friends. With every new OS X update, there are those in the legion of curious Mac fans who will pore over every changed file to see if they can suss out anything about Apple’s future plans.
Skimming string files is a time-honored pastime, bringing us such great moments as Apple TV games. The latest discovery (that’s a Russian link—I’ll spare you my attempt at remembering my high school Russian), though, is somewhat more interesting. iCal received some slight changes in 10.5.3, and in the app’s Localizable.strings file (which you can find for yourself by going to your Applications folder, choosing “Show Package Contents” for iCal and navigating to Contents/Resources/English.lproj/), there are some interesting references to .Mac.
/* Label of the .Mac button in iCal’s General preferences. %@ is the new name of Apple’s online service (was .Mac) (remove -XX02) */
/* iCal could not update your .Mac synchronization settings. %@ is the new name of Apple’s online service (was .Mac) */
Et cetera. %@ is a placeholder variable; in 10.5.2 and earlier, the name of the service was hardcoded instead. Similar references have been found in Safari and Mail as well. But it seems that Apple is at least considering changing .Mac’s name (ooh, I suggest iTools. Kidding!). Over at Daring Fireball, John Gruber digs up an Apple trademark application for “Mobile Me,” suggesting that as one possibility for a re-branded .Mac.
One certainly hopes that there’s more than just a name change at stake here; .Mac as a service is woefully outdated and in need of serious love and attention from Apple. Might we see something at WWDC? If it coincides with over-the-air syncing for the iPhone, as Gruber suggests, that seems a distinct possibility. And, just to throw out my own piece of speculation, if it somehow tied in with an API to make .Mac syncing more accessible (and useful) to third-party developers, that would be a perfect fit for WWDC.
Winmail.dat files spoiling your day? TNEF’s Enough solves your woes.
Posted on May. 30, ’08, 8:10 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Tips
Though Mac users we may all be, the rest of the world doesn’t necessarily share in our enlightenment. We still live in a Windows world, and that means dealing with certain Microsoftian annoyances. Take email attachments, for example. Ever gotten a forward from a friend asking you to check out a knee-slappingly hilarious attachment? Eagerly anticipating a single bright spark to your otherwise dull existence you scroll down and find…an impenetrable “winmail.dat” file.
Winmail.dat files come to us courtesy of Microsoft Outlook and Exchange users. Encoded as rich text, these files, which have a MIME type of application/ms-tnef, are pretty much useless to anybody who doesn’t run Outlook.
Boooo. Yes, you could reach out with the power of the Force and strangle your correspondent to death, but that might just be a wee bit overreactive. Instead, try Joshua Jacob’s TNEF’s Enough. This one-trick pony application lets you open up winmail.dat files and save the attachments secreted within. Works like a charm (just used it myself yesterday) and it’s freeware (donations welcome).
[via TwisterMC]
Download Day 2008 is all about Firefox’s ego
Posted on May. 30, ’08, 7:08 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Software
By now, all of you should know that Firefox 3 is imminent. Any day now, the finalized code of the new version will be compiled and released. Before people start using it, enjoying it, preaching it, they will be downloading it. That’s where you come in. You need to help set a Guinness book world record by doing exactly what you were going to do anyway. Well, I suppose you could also visit your parents and get them to download it as well.
I have no doubt Firefox 3 will get unprecedented downloads. For many Mac users, it’s the new Internet Explorer. They may prefer Safari, but they’ll keep it installed for compatibility reasons. Does that mean I won’t give it a real chance? Naw. I will. In fact, I like what I’ve seen in the RC. That said, it’s still not, and likely will never be, as Mac native as my refined taste dictates. Camino and Safari still rock my world, and the former has the same rendering engine.
aTV (gone in a) Flash
Posted on May. 30, ’08, 5:22 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Apple TV
Thanks to eagle eyed commenters, we’ve gotten word that aTV Flash, which we mentioned recently, is gone. Vaporware.
Due to questions arising regarding the fair use of a particular file present on the aTV Flash, and conflicting opinions as to whether or not it falls under the fair use category, we have VOLUNTARILY discontinued offering the aTV Flash at this time.
In our interpretation of the fair use doctrine, our software does not cross any lines, but since this is a grey area issue, we have taken a proactive approach and decided to seek clarifcation directly from the rights holder before we offer the product again.
I would have loved to know what file we are in question speaking about so I could take a gander at its usage statement, but alas, it’s unspecified. All orders have been cancelled and refunded. In addition, you may now feel free to scramble and try to install all these Apple TV mods on your own.
RapidWeaver 4.0 arrives, and it’s shiny!
Posted on May. 29, ’08, 3:33 PM PT by Thomas Gagnon-van Leeuwen
Category | Software
Apple’s iWeb is not for everyone, and for those people, there’s RealMac’s RapidWeaver. The theme-based website editor got a major overhaul today with the release of version 4.0.
What’s new? For starters, a brand new interface which integrates elements from Leopard’s GUI (the sidebar style, for example). Themes, a big part of RapidWeaver, are more manageable thanks to folders, better previews and searching. This release also includes one-click publishing and Google Analytics support.
It’s worth mentioning that RapidWeaver 4.0 is now Leopard-only (for Tiger users, the older 3.6 is still available). The update is free for users of version 3.6; for earlier licenses, the upgrade cost is $29. You can buy RapidWeaver for $59 now, while the price will soon increase to $79.
[via Macworld]
Sydney’s Apple Store is official
Posted on May. 29, ’08, 11:00 AM PT by Cyrus Farivar
Category | Apple » Stores
Just in case it wasn’t obvious enough before, there’s now an official welcome to Sydneysiders from Apple.
Reports The Sydney Morning Herald:Apple has leased the first three levels of the building at 77 King Street and, according to the development application, each of the levels will have a floor space of about 445 square metres [or 4,800 square ft.].
Over the store’s entrance - and behind the “drop in soon’ sign - will be a three-metre-high Apple logo.
Two other smaller Apple Stores - one in Sydney’s North Shore suburb of Chatswood and the other in Melbourne’s Chadstone shopping centre - are also under development and will probably open after the main Sydney store throws open its doors.
That is expected to happen at 6pm on Thursday, June 19.
UK (and Canada) may be on the verge of iTunes film downloads
Posted on May. 29, ’08, 10:00 AM PT by Cyrus Farivar
Category | iTunes » iTunes Store
Across the pond, we’re not exactly sure how the UK has gone on this long without being able to download flicks from iTunes, but apparently the drought is about to end.
Reports the Times of London:Apple is poised to announce it will start selling films from four major Hollywood studios for download in the UK as part of its iTunes internet service at prices on a par with DVDs.
The company intends to unveil agreements with Disney, the studio behind the Pirates of the Caribbean series and Paramount, the company behind the Indiana Jones picture.
Exact pricing details were not available last night, but studio sources said that they “would not want to undercut DVD prices”. That would imply prices ranging anywhere from £6 to £25.
Twentieth Century Fox, the studio owned by News Corporation, the parent company of The Times, and Warner Brothers, the Time Warner company that is behind the Harry Potter series and the Matrix trilogy are the other two majors to sign up.
Of course, given the dollar’s weakness right now, I’m sure the savvy, geeky film buffs have already figured out a way to take advantage of the Yankee version of iTunes—because seriously, £25? That’s like, 50 bucks, dude.
Sync your Google contacts with Address Book, no iPhone/iPod touch required
Posted on May. 29, ’08, 9:15 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Tips
Sometimes people accuse of us being totally biased in favor of Apple, but you know what? We call things like we see ‘em. You may disagree—and hey, it’s cool; that’s what freedom of speech is all about. But we’re not afraid to go up against Cupertino when we believe in it—what are they going to do, revoke our Apple Fan Club Membership?
Hence, this whole deal with syncing your Google contacts with Address Book in 10.5.3, which only appears to work for iPhone and iPod touch users. We call it lame-o, loud and clear. What kind of elitist hornswoggle is this, Apple?
Anyway, if you’re among those who want to sync your Google Contacts over, but haven’t yet shelled out for a fancy handheld device, our friends over at Lifehacker come to the rescue with this useful workaround for fighting the Man.
It involves meddling around with Property List files, so either you’ll need to have installed OS X’s Developer Tools so you can run Property List Editor, or you’ll need to pick up PlistEdit Pro. And, most importantly, you’ll want to backup the existing .plist file, just in case something goes horribly, terribly awry (we doubt it will, but better safe than sorry).
Voilà, you should now have the ability to sync your contacts with Google. I can’t try this out, as I already have the Google option in Address Book (thanks, iPhone), but please let us know if it works or doesn’t work for you.
French iTunes users to rot their brains with American television
Posted on May. 29, ’08, 8:35 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Video
Bonjour et bienvenue à L’Utilisateur de Mac…en français. Aujourd’hui, nous avons d’actualités très interessants. Il semble que le magasin d’iTunes en France a ajouté les programmes de télévision, des Etats-Unis et de la France.
D’accord, ça suffit—er, okay, that’s enough. Now, before you criticize the inevitable grammatical or diction mistakes I made above, consider this: I haven’t taken French in almost ten years. Pas mal, n’est-ce pas?
Anyway, for our Francophonically-challenged readers, allow me to translate the above: the French iTunes Store now features television content from both France and the United States, making it the fifth country to add TV content after the US, UK, Canada, and Germany. The offerings include US shows like Lost (man, they don’t even bother calling it “Perdu”? Come on, France; have some respect), Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, and South Park—all of which are dubbed in French. Super!
In addition, there are plenty of French-language shows, like Cœur Océan and La main blanche and La Maître du Zodiaque—damn, Master of the Zodiac? I need to watch more French TV, clearly.
And as has been more and more the case of late, the French store features shows as two distinct price points: South Park and the ABC shows mentioned above go for €2,49 ($3.85), while the rest of the shows goes for €1,99 ($3.08). No doubt, the disparity in pricing is already prompting French consumers to prepare a strike.
[via Infinite Loop]
It’s rainin’ software updates
Posted on May. 29, ’08, 5:11 AM PT by Aayush Arya
Category | Software » Updates
We alerted you to the availability of Mac OS X v10.5.3 yesterday, expecting that Apple would be done for a while after seeding that monolithic 420MB giant of an update. It seems, however, that they had a lot more up their sleeves.
Server Admin Tools 10.5.3: These are tools, documentation, and utilities for remote server administration for users of Mac OS X server. You require Mac OS X Leopard on the client computer to install this 65MB package. Check out the company’s website to know about it in excruciating detail.
Logic Express Update 8.0.2: This update “addresses specific customer and compatibility issues of Logic Express 8.0”, weighs in at around 75MB, and is recommended for all Logic Express 8.0 users.
Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 2.1: This tiny little update extends RAW file compatibility for both iPhoto ‘08 and Aperture 2 to include the following cameras:
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/Kiss Digital x2/450D
- Epson R-D1
- Leaf AFi 7
- Leaf AFi 6
- Leaf AFi 5
- Pentax K200D
- Pentax K20D
Security Update 2008-003 (now in various flavors): Any major Mac OS X point update is followed by a generous helping of security updates—it’s routine, and this one is no exception (not that we’re complaining). This update comes in four versions, catering to the needs of Mac OS X desktop and server users on both Intel and PPC based Macs. For detailed information about it, feel free to stop by Apple.com.
All of the above are free of cost, as surprising as that may sound, and are available both through Software Update and the company’s support website. Join in on the fun, I say, everyone is invited to the party.
Coming soon: Mike Dell’s Punch-Out?
Posted on May. 28, ’08, 3:14 PM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Rivals
To be a fly on the wall at the All Things Digital conference currently going on in Carlsbad. I mean, it’s a bastion of hard-hitting journalism. We heard from Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates this morning, this afternoon, WSJ tech god Walt Mossberg talked to Dell Computer CEO Michael Dell. I’m not sure whether or not the ruling we reported on this morning came up, but according to Engadget, when given a chance to ask questions, one audience member threw out the question that millions of tech geeks all over the world have been wondering.
Could Michael Dell beat Steve Jobs in a fight?
Dell flatly replied, “Yeah, I could take him.”
Oh, it is on. Now we admit: Michael’s a pretty big dude; he’s probably got Steve on mass alone. But Steve is lithe and quick, which might even it out a bit. Still, I guess we have to give it to Mr. Dell.
Unless, of course, it’s a Googlefight:
Sorry, Mike. I think that’s a TKO. What say you, readers? Who’s your money on in the rumble between Michael “The Madman” Dell and “Savage” Steve Jobs?
[Top image via Greenpeace, of all places]
Address Book, now with Google contact syncing
Posted on May. 28, ’08, 2:34 PM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Internet
Update: Apparently, this requires that you’ve got an iPhone or iPod touch which you sync to that computer. WTF, mate? Here’s a workaround.
It may not be the holy grail of calendar syncing that our own Aaron Freedman has been looking for, but if you maintain both a Gmail account and an OS X Address Book, then today is your lucky day. The 10.5.3 update that rolled out earlier today lets you sync your contacts between your Google account and your Address Book.
Mike Morton of the Google Mac Team lays out the details over at the official Google Mac Blog, explains how to use the feature, which is as easy as going into the Address Book’s General Preference pane, checking a box, and entering your Google account crednetials. Mike also recommends backing up both your Google contacts and your Address Book database before running the sync—otherwise, you risk creating a temporal vortex that could engulf the entire station—whoops, sorry. Too much Deep Space Nine.
If you’ve got questions about the new feature, you can check out the in-depth FAQ on Contact Sync, as Google’s dubbed the technology. And, yes, this does mean you can now get contacts from your Google account onto your iPhone. Hurrah!
10.5.3 arrives on the scene
Posted on May. 28, ’08, 10:21 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Software » Updates
Welcome, my friends, to the future. Just moments ago we found that Apple’s latest OS X release, 10.5.3, has begun to hit Software Update around the globe (while it’s not available on Apple’s support download site at the time that I’m writing this, I imagine it should appear there soon). Weighing in at a hefty 420 MB, the latest update is—naturally—recommended for all users running 10.5 and is chock full of updates.
Apple’s support notes detail the changes in the third major point release. Below, enjoy some of our favorites fixes and new features, along with our take on what makes them great.
Fixes a font issue that could result in Helvetica Narrow being used in applications instead of Helvetica. (Somewhere, we imagine John Gruber has just averted a heart attack).
Improves the accuracy of the Software Update progress bar indicator. (For those of you that check Software Update multiple times a day—i.e., Mac bloggers).
iCal: Addresses potential privacy issues by allowing events to be marked as private. (Never ruin Susie’s surprise party again!)
Mail: Resolves an issue in which attaching an alias to an email message may not send the actual file. (John in accounting will stop getting murderous every time you send him a useless 4KB attachment).
Resolves an issue in which Parental Controls may prevent forced sleep. (Especially recommended for those with six month olds).
Spaces: Resolves an issue in which switching to a different space and returning back to the original space may reorder the application windows with a different active window. (Turns out, not so much a bug as an undocumented game Apple devs like to prank each other with).
VoiceOver: Addresses an issue with Braille dot 7 and 8 underlining. (Which could unfortunately result in misreading “The attached report outlines our Q1 figures…” as “Your mother smelled of elderberries.” Awkward).
Of course, that’s hardly all you’ll find in 10.5.3; there are plenty more new features to discover. Consider it your own personal Indiana Jones-like adventures. Preferably with fewer crystal skulls.
Court rules on Dell: Dude, you’re getting ripped off
Posted on May. 28, ’08, 9:55 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Legal
Apparently Dell has some splainin’ to do. Judge Joseph Teresi of the New York State Supreme Court has ruled that Dell has misled its customers by offering them sweet financial and warranty deals as an incentive to buy their computers, then refusing to honor those deals—the classic bait ‘n switch. The suit was brought by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo of New York, where Dell had six million transactions between the years of 2003 and 2006.
What punishment Dell will undergo is not yet certain; while the 26-page ruling (PDF link) says that “many customers are entitled to restitution,” the exact number of customers and amount of restitution has yet to be determined, and will be the subject of further proceedings. But, if it pleases the court, let me make a suggestion: why don’t we shut the company down and return the money to the shareholders?
Oh, man. That never gets old.
In related news, I have decided that I want to be a judge, just so I can conclude all of my articles and correspondence with a legally-binding “SO ORDERED!”
Ballmer: Apple is “fantastically successful”
Posted on May. 28, ’08, 9:03 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Rivals
Derik already mentioned to you that Bill Gates and Stevie Ballmer pimped Windows 7, the successor to Vista, at last night’s D: All Things Digital conference. But the pair also made some comments about their relationship with Apple, prompted in part by the demo of Windows multi-touch features that are rather reminiscent of the iPhone.
Here’s John Markoff of the New York Times:
Fencing over the issue of whether Apple will get to market first with desktop multi-touch features, Mr. Ballmer implied that the two companies don’t compete directly.
“We’ll sell 290 million PCs, and Apple will sell 10 million PCs,” he said. “They’re fantastically successful and so are we and our partners. But it’s a different job. Steve can flip his hand and sell a few models and I don’t take a thing away from him.”
I kid you not; this may be the smartest thing Steve Ballmer has ever said—so smart, I don’t think he realizes it. Ballmer may be trying to put down Apple by tossing out the huge disparity in their sales numbers (never mind that Microsoft itself doesn’t directly sell those PCs), but put it in the context of how much profit they each manage to take home on the amount of computers they sell and it’s clear that both companies are pretty profitable. So, despite the fact that, yes, Apple and Microsoft both make operating systems, they aren’t really in direct competition any more.
Or, to put it another way, while Vista’s lackluster performance can certainly help Apple, Microsoft doesn’t have to lose in order for Apple to win. Remember that piece a couple of weeks ago about Apple’s share of over-$1,000 computers in retail?
Honestly, I think about the only place the two are really competing directly is in the music player market—and given the latest on the Zune, you can’t even really call that “competition,” can you?
In other news, Ballmer also demonstrated the patented “Swooping Eagle” Kung Fu move (above) that he has used before to great effect.
[Image by Asa Mathat]
New Apple Store is flush with lavatories
Posted on May. 28, ’08, 8:18 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Stores
Some people argue that blogs aren’t journalism. To them I say “Pshaw!” You need look no further than hard-hitting pieces like this post on the UK site PC Advisor to see what blogs are bringing to each and every one of us.
That piece? “Inside an Apple Store toilet.”
Sure, we’ve all seen countless numbers of Apple Stores, with their long shelves of product display, simple stark counters, and surly pleasant Geniuses. But what of their bathrooms? Would Apple suffer sub-par facilities for their valued workers and customers? Or will they meet the same rigorous standards imposed on the rest of their outlets.
Unfortunately, the above post really only makes the briefest mention of the Apple Store’s bathrooms, informing us that the new Boylston Street store in Boston contains:
“…three water closets, one kitchen sink and four lavatories in the basement” (what’s the difference between a WC and a lavatory?), plus one water heater, slop sink, one urinal, one drinking fountain and two boilers.
Ah, the eternal battle between water closets and lavatories. It has raged for centuries beneath the surface of our earth: Only one will emerge victorious.
Despite its lack of focus on facilities, the rest of the article is an interesting read, overflowing—if you’ll pardon the term—with details on the store’s power consumption and overall cost of building the store.
Windows 7 coming in a year and a half
Posted on May. 28, ’08, 7:02 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Apple » Rivals
I like to keep tabs on the competition, so you’re all going to suffer through an update on Windows. Windows 7 was shown for the first time last night. What are the big compelling features? As Gizmodo lists them, they are:
- There will be a OSX-like dock, though how OS X-like is yet to be seen.
- Multi-touch gestures in photogalleries like two-finger zoom, flicking, and panning. Think of the photo app on the Microsoft Surface table.
- Multi-touch paint program where you can draw with 10 fingers (again, think of what you’ve already seen in Surface)
- Multi-touch piano app
- In-depth mapping application that pulls from Microsoft’s Live Maps and Microsoft Virtual Earth
So… something OS X has, some multi-touch, and what seems to be a version of Google Earth. Yeah. Not impressive in the least. I’m not just being a fanboy here. This is just a really sad showing. There was one other tidbit of information. We can expect Windows 7 in 18 months. We’ll likely have moved on to the next version of OS X by then.
Easy Apple TV hacking
Posted on May. 28, ’08, 5:19 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Apple TV
Have you wanted to expand the types of media your Apple TV can play without opening up the box? aTV Flash is the product for you. It’s a $60 flash drive you can plug into the “maintenance” USB port on the Apple TV that immediately gives you a menu offering various software installs. Installable software includes:
- ATVFiles
- nitoTV
- MediaCloud
- Sapphire
- Couch Surfer
- Jaman Movies
- Various video codecs (Perian, A52, Flip4Mac, Mplayer etc…)
Those video codecs get all those videos of various origin to play on your TV. It really makes the Apple TV quite versatile. You can indeed install this software on your own for free, but when it comes to being non-invasive and easy, aTV Flash seems to be the right solution.
Stay updated, even with a screen saver
Posted on May. 27, ’08, 1:59 PM PT by Dan Pourhadi
Category | Software
Here’s a nifty little app for the ten people in the world who still use screen savers: Status Screen Saver is a plug-in for OS X that places a bar at the bottom of your screen saver with badges for the icons in your dock that display the red status indicators (like Mail, NetNewsWire, or iChat, etc). To the right of the badges are numbers that reflect the status—so you can see how many new emails you have, for example, without needing to turn the screen saver off to check your dock.
You can pick which apps are displayed, the colors of the indicators, how high you want the status bar, as well as how often you want the numbers updated.
Kind of defeats the “burn-in” protection aspect of screen savers, since there are now static images at the bottom of your display—but, really, who uses screen savers for that anymore anyway?
Status Screen Saver is free and can be downloaded from the Logan Rockmore Design website.
[via Life Hacker]
Safari, Windows 95 Firefox users have high IQs
Posted on May. 27, ’08, 1:08 PM PT by Dan Pourhadi
Category | Geekery
I took an IQ test once. I got over 100—which, if you’re unfamiliar with grading systems, is a perfect score with extra credit.
The fact that I’m a genius is no surprise to my friends and loyal readers, who often end sentences directed at me with “genius,” “Einstein,” and “smart ass,” and explains why I was put into the special ed classes in middle school and high school—regular ed classes just weren’t good enough for me.
My geniusness has been further vindicated by the “Smartest Browser and OS” list at IQ League, which ranks by average IQ the users of various browsers. Safari on UNIX ranks the highest, with a score of 103.54, followed by Firefox on Windows 95 (??) with a 103.13, and Firefox on PPC Macs with a 102.34.
Users take the IQ League IQ test, and are able to join the group that matches their OS/browser—the score is then added to the group’s average.
I don’t know what, exactly, “Safari on UNIX” means—since there’s a separate PPC Mac group, I’m guessing it means Safari on Intel Macs—but since it’s the highest-ranked I imagine I’m included in that group. And I use Firefox on Windows 95, too…or I would, obviously, if I had Windows 95.
I did the IQ League test and got a 109.33 (111.16 without penalty), and was ranked 12,773 smartest in the world. And really: out of six billion people, that ain’t too shabby.
Take the test, and let us know your browser/OS and what you scored. If you’re a Safari user, you probably already know you’re super smart, but it’s worth taking the test anyway…you know, to vindicate that fact. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go do cool genius things, once I figure out what they are.
GameStop pulls the plug on the Zune
Posted on May. 27, ’08, 11:00 AM PT by Cyrus Farivar
Category | Apple » Rivals
Just in case there was any doubt at all, the Zune is well on its way out the door.
Reports TheStreet.com:“We have decided to exit the Zune category because it just did not have the appeal we had anticipated,” said a GameStop spokesperson. “It (also) did not fit with our product mix.” GameStop made the decision about a month ago. GameStop said it will sell Zune players online until it clears out its inventory.
GameStop has hundreds of stores across the country and losing that distribution channel could hurt Zune sales. Many of GameStop’s customers are avid users of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console and could have presented a cross-selling opportunity for Microsoft.
And by “the appeal we anticipated,” we’re going to assume they meant basically no appeal at all.
How-To: Play non-.mp4/.m4v videos in iTunes
Posted on May. 27, ’08, 10:15 AM PT by Cyrus Farivar
Category | iTunes
Our pals over at Ars Technica have just discovered a new way to play back other movie file types (.avi, for instance) in iTunes without going through that pesky step of converting. It’s an AppleScript called Movie2iTunes. Not only that, but this new AppleScript also provides other features, “like that all-important ability to remember the playback position.”
Ars took ‘er for a spin:It then creates the reference movies and imports those into iTunes, taking about 10 seconds per .avi file on my system. The program will also autodetect file names that appear to contain season and episode numbers and put those files in the TV section of iTunes—good to know when ripping DVDs of your favorite TV shows.
New CS4 betas weave dreams, work fires, and, er, booth sounds
Posted on May. 27, ’08, 9:37 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Software
Looking for a chance to try your hand at the new versions of Adobe apps like Soundbooth, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks? Get thee over to Adobe Labs, where beta versions of all three are now publicly available for you to download and peruse.
Of course, there are catches: while existing CS3 users can continue to use the programs until CS4 is released, new users are limited to just 48 hours of usage after the initial launch. Which means you better finish up your project within two days, or you, my friend, are right out of luck.
Dreamweaver adds a Related Files Toolbar and a Code Navigator that lets users update several parts of a document at once; Adobe’s also changed the rendering engine to WebKit, the same engine used by Safari. Meanwhile, Fireworks can now export designs as high-fidelity, interactive, secure PDF documents, and Soundbooth now sports multiple track support, the ability to match volume levels across files, and preview MP3 compression settings.
Our big brothers and sisters at Macworld will be taking a first look at all of these betas; the Soundbooth article is already up, with Fireworks and Dreamweaver to follow.
You’ll need at least 10.4.11 to run any of the Betas, and as with its previous incarnation, Soundbooth requires an Intel-based processor. There is sitll no shipping date or pricing information available on CS4.
[via Macworld]
Coz every girl crazy about a sharp-dressed laptop
Posted on May. 27, ’08, 8:57 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Humor
Hey man, that is a sharp MacBook Air you’ve got there. No, seriously: I mean sharp. Like, sharp-enough-to-cut-flesh sharp. Or so say some Apple forum members in Germany, who claim that their MacBooks Airs are dangerously sharp. One user even says he sliced his arm open on the edge of his MBA MacBook (warning: the link above contains a bloody elbow pic).
Due to the machine translation from German, it’s hard to tell whether or not this is an exaggeration (it appears that this picture, which shows someone trying to cut a loaf of delicious French bread using a MacBook Air is merely a “dramatization”). Oh, that nutty German sense of humor!
Though, you know, maybe Steve and co. should run with this idea. “The MacBook Air! It slices! It dices! It gets you on wireless Internet! The only laptop you’ll ever need!” If they were clever, maybe they could ramp up the heat output and let you make grilled sandwiches inside it. All sorts of culinary usages await.
Update: According to a German-comprehending commenter below, the original post says that the fellow in question sliced his arm on a MacBook (wait, how?) prompting the joking around that led to the bread-slicing picture. We remain confident that Steve Jobs will release a bread-slicing laptop sometime in the next year. Maybe.
[via Engadget]
A drawn out TAM unboxing
Posted on May. 27, ’08, 6:56 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Hardware
We barely knew the Twentieth Anniversary Mac. We knew that they were unbelievably expensive and that Seinfeld had one. Have you ever wanted to see one unboxed? Now is your chance. Be prepared to sit through at least seven minutes of excruciating lead up (that’s all I could sit through).
[via Engadget]
Delicious Library 2 is unleashed
Posted on May. 27, ’08, 5:12 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Software » Updates
One of my favorite things to do with my iSight is to fire up Delicious Library, scan its UPC, and watch it magically appear in my catalog. I actually even show it to friends. You’d be surprised how easily that alone can sway a person from a life long Windows using habit to the right side of the force. Fans of the application have gone a long time without an update to the application, but it’s first major upgrade has finally been released, Delicious Library 2.
I’ll admit it. I completely forgot that a new version was imminent. It was oh-so-long ago that the MacHeist bundle was being sold and the new version was being talked up. It even seemed to be, dare I say, vaporware. That’s why I’m pleased to be surprised this morning with this news. The new version sports a spiffy new UI, an always welcome addition. I’m personally drawn to the automatic iTunes library importation, exportable HTML version of your library, and AppleScripts you can put in any menu.
That last feature is something I’d like to see added to every application. It’s largely psychological, but being able to stick an AppleScript into an appropriate place makes a big difference. Suddenly that functionality fits in that much better. If you’re sold, you can take advantage of a $10 discount off a new license that costs $40 or $5 discount of an upgrade license that’s $20 normally. If you’re back in the boonies of Tiger, the normal Delicious Library 1 price is now $20.
Gone barbecuing
Posted on May. 26, ’08, 7:56 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | MacUser
Sorry folks, we’re not in today. Despite our international appeal, we’re still a US-based blog, and so we’re taking today off to observe Memorial Day. If you’re in the United States, have an enjoyable and safe holiday; if you’re elsewhere in the world, don’t fret: we’ll be back tomorrow with the same great content you know and love.
See Facebook birthdays in iCal: it’s easy!
Posted on May. 24, ’08, 5:42 PM PT by Thomas Gagnon-van Leeuwen
Category | Tips
I was in a highly organizational mood today, which prompted me — among other things — to enter various events in iCal. As I did, I noticed my Birthdays calendar, automatically generated by Address Book (if you didn’t know, you can enable it in iCal’s Preferences). Specifically, I noticed how incomplete it was and remembered how much of a pain it is to enter dates of birth in Address Book.
The answer? Facebook.
For those of you with Facebook accounts, it’s easy to add your buddies’ birthdays to iCal, Google Calendar or any application that supports the .ics format. A five-second Google search revealed fbCal. This simple Facebook application will painlessly create two calendar links, one for birthdays and the other for events, which you can either subscribe to or download directly. To subscribe, simply copy the desired link and choose “Subscribe…” from iCal’s Calendar menu. Get started via the app’s website.
For more fluff, Birthday Calendar has an extensive list of features, including calendar exporting; it’s not for me though, as it puts a big box on Facebook profiles and I like to keep mine clean and tidy. That’s why I haven’t tested it, but 150,000 people have and seem to be satisfied.
Can I finally say farewell to my Apple-provided Birthdays calendar? Right now, I’ll keep it around for the birthdays of non-Facebookified friends and family.
Friday Fun: Jokes, ‘cuz there ain’t nothin’ else to write about
Posted on May. 23, ’08, 1:52 PM PT by Dan Pourhadi
Category | Apple » Humor
It’s Friday, and in tech journalism that means that there is absolutely nothing to write about. No company wants to make announcements on Friday—people are exhausted and want to relax; no one reads the news on the weekend; and when Monday comes around, their announcement, which barely had a news cycle to begin with, becomes “last week’s news.”
That leaves us tech writers with nothing. Nada. Hugely selfish on the part of the industry, I think.
So I figure what better way to fill our post queue for the day than with computer jokes—and not my jokes, either, so they’re actually funny.
I spent some time compiling jokes (some old, some new) from around the web. Check them out—and links to where they’re from—after the jump, and post your own in the comments. Let’s show the stupid tech industry that we don’t need them to have fun.
Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep
Posted on May. 23, ’08, 10:14 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Tips
Due to the amount of time I spend traveling or, well, outside of my living room, I end up watching a lot of video on my laptop. And there’s nothing more annoying than having your display dim or screensaver activate when you’re trying to watch a TV show. While apps like DVD Player and QuickTime are smart enough to disable those features, the same isn’t true for watching Flash video on the web (say, when I’m watching things on Hulu).
While you can use the Exposé & Spaces preference pane in Leopard to set up a “Disable Screen Saver” hot corner, you can’t do the same for screen dimming. Yes, you could go into the Energy Saver preference pane and drag the display sleep slider to “never,” but that’s going to get old quick.
A clever Mac OS X Hints reader, RickoKid, came up with an AppleScript that lets you disable both Energy Saver and the screen saver whenever you like. I haven’t had a chance to give it a thorough workout yet, but it sounds like just what the doctor ordered.
WWDC sked, meet iCal
Posted on May. 23, ’08, 9:25 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Events
If you’re attending WWDC, you’ve probably had a chance to peruse the full calendar of sessions by now. Unfortunately, while the schedule is up on the web, Apple doesn’t let you download it for use in, say, iCal.
Fortunately, developer Adrian Kosmaczewski swung to the rescue of developers everywhere by setting up a page that allows you to generate a WWDC schedule to your specifications and transform it into an ICS file that you can download and input into your calendar. You can grab the pre-generated files for the iPhone, Mac, or IT tracks, or tweak the schedule as you see fit.
Pretty slick; now if only there weren’t so many sessions! Thanks, Adrian.
iTunes UK tunes in to Sony shows
Posted on May. 23, ’08, 8:41 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | iTunes » iTunes Store
The United Kingdom iTunes Store still lags behind its American counterpart in terms of television content, but that gap is narrowing ever so slowly. This week, Apple added content from Sony Pictures Television International (iTunes link) to the UK store, in the form of five shows: Damages, News Radio, The Jackie Chan Adventures, Spider-Man (the 2003 animated series featuring the legendary Neil Patrick Harris), and The Larry Sanders Show.
The quintet joins the recent additions of content from Universal and, like those shows, features variable pricing. While three of the shows go for the £1.19 standard price, Damages and The Larry Sanders Show cost £1.49, making that the third distinct price point offered on the UK store (several of the Universal shows cost £1.89 apiece).
A weird choice, given how much insistence Apple has had on level pricing. Could these be the first cracks in the facade?
[via Macworld UK]
Line forms outside 5th Avenue store
Posted on May. 23, ’08, 7:56 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Apple » Huh?
Engadget brings us photos of a line that formed yesterday mysteriously. Weighing in at approximately 60 people deep, the line formed suddenly. I immediately searched for some kind of product announcement, but there was none.
Some of the people don’t know what they’re in line for (they just like being in line). Some think there’s a 3G iPhone. According to Apple reps, they’re trying to keep iPhone buyers controlled. You won’t like iPhone buyers when angry.
I’m thinking about starting a line at a local Apple store and telling people I’m in line for that mythical xMac that so many people seem in love with. Then again, it seems like a cruel way to answer the question “how do you keep an idiot in suspense?” By starting a line of course.
(Photo courtesy of Engadget.)
Airfoil 3.2 adds 802.11n Airport Express, remote control support
Posted on May. 23, ’08, 6:52 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Software » Updates
The guys with the inflatable single celled organism, Rogue Amoeba, have released an update to their Airport Express audio application, Airfoil. Now at 3.2, it supports the recently released 802.11n variety of the Airport Express. If you’re one of those that jumped at the new hardware only to be disappointed that you could no longer send audio from Quicktime Player, RealPlayer, etc., you can now get that working again.
As a bonus, you can also use your remote control on an Apple TV or a Keyspan remote control on an Airport Express while playing media in iTunes or Quicktime Player. Very cool. It is, of course, a free update for existing users. And make sure you email Paul to tell him he’s doing a good job. He needs positive reinforcement.
AirPort taking off in WiFi market share
Posted on May. 22, ’08, 2:59 PM PT by Dan Pourhadi
Category | Business
Wow: Not only is Apple dominating (or growing in) a bunch of tech markets, it seems to be dominating the market share market too (if that makes any sense). The Mac’s share is rising, the iPhone’s share is rising, the iPod’s share is already King—and now Apple’s AirPort products are making some dramatic inroads to the WiFi market.
An analyst for market share maven NPD Group told AppleInsider that Apple’s AirPort gizmos took 10.6% of the WiFi market in unit volume, and that the AirPort Extreme “has been the top seeling 802.11n router for five of the last nine months.” AppleInsider also points to a story at the Mothership from earlier this month with more data from NPD that says Time Capsule is the top-selling Network Attached Stored (NAS) product—and it’s augmenting AirPort sales, not cannibalizing them.
Combined with sales of the compact AirPort Express, which was upgraded to support the faster 802.11n standard in March, Apple took fourth place in overall 802.11n base station sales, behind Cisco’s Linksys brand, D-Link, and Netgear.
This is all well and good, sure. But does anyone else get the feeling that Apple is turning into the goody-goody over-achieving better-than-everyone-else perfectionist of the tech industry? Like that smart-ass kid all the “average” students always wanted beat up in middle school because he was such a little prissy brat constantly sucking up to the teachers making everyone else look bad with his stupid grades who cried like a baby when someone hit him which got me suspended even though he totally deserved it.
Apple’s doing so well in almost all of its markets. Yay. Good for it. Someone give it a cookie.
I’m going to the store to buy a Linksys.
(Note: Before the Language Nazis rip me a new one in the comments, let me say it: Yes, I know the headline is a mixed metaphor. But it’s the best I could do, okay? Cut me some slack.)
Penny Arcade game with really long title now available
Posted on May. 22, ’08, 2:14 PM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Games
Our dedicated MacUser readers know that I’ve long been awaiting the appearance of the first episode of the Penny Arcade Adventures, the game from the creative team behind the long-running web comic. It was back at the Penny Arcade Expo in August 2006 that I first heard tell of the team’s foray into the interactive media space, and since then I have bided my sweet, sweet time until the game’s unveiling. And lo, yesterday the diabolical concoction made its debut for Windows, Linux, Xbox Live Arcade, and—yes—OS X.
The game, which is rated M for mature, sees you playing the part of a poor innocent soul whose house is crushed by a giant robot (how very Arthur Dent). Armed with your trusty rake, you team up with two agents of the Startling Developments Detective Agency (namely: Tycho Brahe and Jonathan “Gabe” Gabriel) to track down the robot and its mechanical henchmen. Along the way, you’ll encounter more characters who can help you in your task, acquire new items and powers, and perhaps even uncover the true identity of the Disembodied Voice.
The full version of the game will run $20, but you can download a free demo from Penny Arcade’s new online game venture, the Greenhouse to try out first. System requirements are a fairly modest G4, G5, or Intel processor, 512MB of RAM, and 10.4 or 10.5. Graphics cards require ATI RadeonTM 9500 or better, NVIDIA GeForceTM FX 5200 or better, Intel® GMA 950 or better with 64 MB of video memory (shared or dedicated)*—I loaded the demo up on my first generation MacBook, and it seemed to play fine, even with the “resomolution” cranked to maximum.
Now, off to dispatch some more mechanical mayhem makers!
Transmission 1.21 released
Posted on May. 22, ’08, 1:29 PM PT by David Dahlquist
Category | Software » Updates
Everybody’s favorite BitTorrent client has received a new update today. Core changes include a rare crash-on-startup bug fix, a minor memory leak when closing torrents fix, and a “handle corrupt announce URLs in torrent files more gracefully” fix.
There’s a few more minor changes, so check out a full list here, then download it here. Enjoy your updated Transmission, but remember kids, keep it legal.
Western Digital launches new line of Mac-ready portable hard drives
Posted on May. 22, ’08, 12:43 PM PT by Aayush Arya
Category | Hardware » Accessories
When you’re a notebook user and run out of space on your paltry 120GB built-in hard drive, a portable external hard drive is pretty much the only option you’re left with. Keeping the storage-space-deprived Mac notebook user in mind, Western Digital introduced a new line of portable HDDs yesterday, which come pre-formatted in the HFS+ Journaled format, ready to go as soon as you plug it into a USB 2.0 or FireWire 400 port.
The My Passport drives ship in capacities of 320GB, 250GB, and 160GB at prices of $219.99, $159.99, and $129.99 respectively. At dimensions of 0.71 x 4.99 x 3.189 inches and weighing in at only 0.40 pounds, these are tiny devices that you can pocket and carry anywhere with ease.
The drives are bus-powered—needing no external source of power—have a capacity gauge, are fully compatible with Time Machine, and come with a limited warranty of five years. If that wasn’t enough to convince you to throw in the cash, the fact that they ship with their own drawstring bags should definitely tilt the scales in their favor.
[Via The Mac Observer]
Forrester predicts Apple products in 2013
Posted on May. 22, ’08, 11:30 AM PT by Cyrus Farivar
Category | Apple » Speculation
I’ve stopped trying to predict what Apple will do long ago, seeing as how I’m inevitably and awesomely wrong, but that hasn’t stopped many others from predicting and prognosticating. Those others include folks who predict and prognosticate for a living, like Forrester Research, who apparently have put out a study examining what Apple will release in 2013, as the Wall Street Journal reports:Among the new products Forrester predicts Apple will create are wall-mountable digital picture frames with small high-definition screens and speakers that wirelessly play media, including photos, videos and music, stored on a computer elsewhere in the home. Such products already exist, but Apple could put its own twist on them — for example, by adding its design panache and a touch-sensitive screen that lets viewers flip from image to image with a finger swipe, a la the iPhone.
For the bedroom, Forrester envisions an Apple “clock radio” that pipes in music and other media across a home network. Possible, too, is an “AppleSound” universal remote control, also with a touch-sensitive screen, that lets users browse their music collections and change the songs playing through their stereo as they stroll around the house. This latter technology is already available in primitive form through an application called Signal (www.alloysoft.com) that turns the iPod touch and the iPhone into remote controls for Apple’s iTunes program.
My guess is that even if any of these guesses are right, Apple will make them that much better and unpredictably amazing.
Dennis Liu seeks next Apple viral video project
Posted on May. 22, ’08, 10:44 AM PT by Cyrus Farivar
Category | Apple » Advertising
Remember that gee-whiz OS X music video that Dennis Liu made about 10 days ago?
As you might expect, it caused quite a stir in the advertising world. Leander Kahney checked in with Mr. Liu, and here were the highlights of the “crazy week” that followed:- Ranked #1 viral video at www.viralvideochart.com for 1 week.
- Head nods from several known Hollywood producers and directors.
- Talks to getting a manager/agent at a major talent representation agency
- NYU, USC, and Berkeley requesting the video to show their film/new media students.
- E-mails from major corporations, including marketing directors and employees of Yahoo, Microsoft, HBO, Pixar, Disney, and of course Apple.
- Invited to screen at film festivals world wide, from the UK to Australia
- Bird & the Bee enjoyed the video, going to their NYC concert in June 2nd.
- An apple store manager in IL showed all her employees the video as an example to artfully show the power of the macs to customers.
So what’s next?“I have another really cool idea, very different from this one - but still with enormous viral potential for Apple. Would take probably twice as long to make, but could be very cool. But am trying to decide whether it’s worth the amount of work… especially when it’s all by myself. If there is a next time, I could appreciate a hand….”
University of California joins iTunes U
Posted on May. 22, ’08, 10:07 AM PT by Aayush Arya
Category | iTunes » iTunes Store
If quality education is what you seek, make sure you stop by the iTunes Store. The newest addition to iTunes U, the section of the iTunes Store dedicated to free educational content, is University of California Television (iTunes link).
With subjects ranging from arts and business to spirituality and technology, they seem to have a wide variety of content to choose from. Some of the more notable programs are “Babies by Design”, “Tribute to Miles Davis”, “Health Matters”, and “San Diego Opera Talk”. Go check it out, you might find something worth the trip.
On a completely unrelated note, Apple has spruced up the Hot News section of their website. They’ve divided it into various categories and improved the layout. Word on the street is that it’s a revolutionary upgrade that’s five years ahead of any other website on the planet.
Will 2009 be the year Apples gets the LED in?
Posted on May. 22, ’08, 9:56 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Speculation
According to a report in the the Chinese-language Economic Daily News, Apple’s MacBook line will transition entirely to LED-based backlighting in 2009. EDN’s info supposedly comes from Kenmos Technologies, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of LED backlights, who already supplies Apple most of their backlighting units.
While we’re politely skeptical about the source of the information (component manufacturers say a lot of things that don’t turn out to be, shall we, say, completely truthy), this isn’t too farfetched. When Steve Jobs laid out Apple’s environmental plan last year, he said that Apple would change to LED backlighting for all its products when “technically and economically feasible.”
We plan to introduce our first Macs with LED backlight technology in 2007. Our ability to completely eliminate fluorescent lamps in all of our displays depends on how fast the LCD industry can transition to LED backlighting for larger displays.
At present, Apple’s rolled out only LED-backlit displays only in the MacBook Pro range (standard on the 15”, optional on the 17”) and the MacBook Air. That still leaves the MacBook and iMac lines as well as Apple’s languishing Cinema Displays. As manufacturing continues to ramp up and prices continue to drop, it’s totally possible that Apple will make this shift in the next year or so.
The end result for us users will be brighter, more even displays, and the potential for lower power consumption, not to mention more environmentally friendly components. But we’ll believe it when we see the new laptops in a Jobsnote.
MacMinute closes its doors
Posted on May. 22, ’08, 9:08 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Internet
A month after the passing of MacMinute founder Stan Flack, his sister Julie McKenna has posted a note about the future of the site. Unfortunately, due to reasons beyond the control of Julie and the Flack family, the site will have to be shut down. The exact reason behind the decision hasn’t been revealed, Julie did say that every possible avenue has been explored in order to try and find a way to keep the site online.
As a longtime MacMinute reader, I’m bummed to hear that the site is shutting down: it was an excellent, reliable source of Mac news for many years. I’ll miss site’s contribution to the Mac news sphere.
Traffic to the site will be redirected in the days to come, with details on where and when to be released at a future point. We wish the entire Flack clan the best.
Deja vu: NYC retirement backdating suit denied a second time
Posted on May. 22, ’08, 8:09 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Legal
Some say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. I’m not sure if that would hold up in court—but wait! Remember back in November, when U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel dismissed a case brought by the New York City Employees’ Retirement System over the issue of options backdating? And then how, the next month, NYCERS decided to file a new suit with different claims? Well, guess what?
Judge Fogel (yes, the same Judge Fogel, poor guy) said that the city couldn’t magically add new claims at this point, after having filed a suit for other claims two years ago. Or, in other words: if at first you don’t succeed, then by all means continue to bog down the legal system.
Among the problems in the filed suit is the issue of damages: despite the backdating issue, Apple’s stock has consistently risen over the past several years, meaning that the pension fund has actually been making money.
Anyway, that ought to be the end of tha—
“We’re considering an appeal and believe that our claims are still strong,” the deputy chief of the pension’s division for the city’s Law Department, Carolyn Wolpert, said.
Great. See you in three months when your appeal gets rejected. Again.
iCal exploitable bugs identified
Posted on May. 22, ’08, 5:34 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Security
One of the strongest features of the latest iCal is its ability to utilize calendars hosted at some online source. Collaboration is a great feature. Unfortunately, several bugs leave you vulnerable to exploit. According to eWeek, three bugs can be used to crash iCal in two cases or run arbitrary code in the third.
If you don’t use a network calendar server or regularly import ICS files, you’re safe. There’s nothing to worry about. However, if you do, you need to be careful that the source of your calendar data isn’t likely to be compromi