January 2008
Apple’s .Mac is a service based on a paid yearly subscription of $100. It offers users many different functions, such as calendar and mail syncing, backup, email, online storage, among others. Many users only require one portion of the service, however, and can not justify the yearly cost for things that they feel they have no use for. BusyMac look…
Odd numbered years, like Star Trek movies, suck. Here’s the
short list of what went wrong in 2007… Here are the top ten most moronic stories of 2007 as chosen by
you, our readers, by your votes and comments. This year I’m
feeling lazy, and maybe a bit hung-over, so I’m grouping several
stories together into broader categories. 10: Right-wing…
Here are URLs that were submitted to our queue on Dec. 29, 2007
but didn’t make it into actual stories… This is an automatically generated list of URLs which found
their way into our URL queue, but were not picked up by writers
due to a limited writer pool, lack of sufficient time, peril,
floods, or hangovers. It has not yet been reviewed by a…
Synium recently unveiled a beta test for Screenium, its new motion screen-capture application, and also issued a beta for iFinance 2, an update to its personal financial management software. Screenium allows users to record their activities with full internal application and external source audio, enabling them to create video-based tutorials and “…
December 2007
Skorpiostech has released a public beta of Changes, its new directory comparison and file differencing utility for Mac OS X. Changes is designed to make managing differences between files and folders fast and efficient by leveraging the power of Leopard’s new Core Animation and Quick Look technologies, providing a smooth workflow that handles compl…
Nova media has released a new update for its iSync plug-ins, bringing their version to v5.1. The software adds support for approximately 130 phones to iSync, letting users copy over their iCal and Address Book information to a phone in advance of formal support from Apple. Brands covered by the plug-ins include Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson…
Apple’s Mac OS X operating system — which the company advertises as more secure than Microsoft Windows — is coming under increased scrutiny by security specialists and underground crackers as the platform increases in market share. After repeatedly posting record quarters and announcing a growth rate well ahead of the personal computer industry i…
Music sales during the holidays have dropped by a dramatic extent in 2007, Variety magazine writes. Although a handful of titles such as Josh Groban’s Noel have fared well, the overall number of albums sold has dropped from 105.3 to 83.9 million between 2006 and 2007 for the peak holiday shopping period following US Thanksgiving — a drop of about…
More details of the highly-anticipated iTunes rental service have been leaked, according to Variety. The movie trade magazine cites “studio sources” as saying that Fox and Disney are indeed confirmed as partners, and will make some sort of appearance during the January 14th Macworld keynote by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The two may also be joined by o…
Atman Software today launched IO, a new side-scrolling game that challenges players to bring the Nautilus-114 spaceship back home. “the task isn’t easy thanks to the many robotic minions that now inhabit the ship. In order to accomplish your mission, you have to play evasively (hide in the dark, walk don’t run), avoid detection and carry out your o…
LG Phillips LCD has today revealed some of its first multi-touch displays and is targeting them at users who want to bring the technology to large rooms and public spaces. At 52 and 84 inches, the two new displays are the largest yet to allow more than one point of contact: the 52-inch is the largest contiguous LCD of its kind while the 84-inch mo…
One site claims to have acquired a pre-release version of Apple’s v1.1.3 firmware for the iPhone, revealing several features. In contrast to reports from earlier this month, the new account does not make any mention of disk modes or voice recording, but rather concentrates on improvements to Google Maps and the home screen. In the latter case use…
Details of several notebooks running the mobile version of Intel’s Penryn architecture have been leaked and point to the likely specifications for other systems as well, according to Notebook Italia. Sony is expected to have one of the most comprehensive updates with upgrades to its VAIO AR, CR, FZ (pictured), and SZ notebooks. As should be commo…
Here are URLs that were submitted to our queue on Dec. 26, 2007
but didn’t make it into actual stories… This is an automatically generated list of URLs which found
their way into our URL queue, but were not picked up by writers
due to a limited writer pool, lack of sufficient time, peril,
floods, or hangovers. It has not yet been reviewed by a…
Without getting too political, it’s sad that the most fitting representation of the current war in Iraq isn’t a tale of heroism in a daring mission, or sacrifice for a final victory, but of a soldier desperately not wanting to keep fighting.
That’s one of the many things that made me feel terrible while watching this trailer for Stop-Loss, which stars Ryan Phillippe as a young...
Guillermo del Toro has done many great things as a director, but perhaps none will have the continued resonance of the discovery he made in Pan’s Labyrinth: that it’s really fucking freaky when a creature has eyes on its limbs rather than its head, where you’d expect them. After exploiting that little revelation (above), from the looks of this trailer, it appears he’s found...
The first two shots from The Incredible Hulk have been released, revealing that Edward Norton as Bruce Banner wears Dockers and his watch on the inside of his wrist. So cool. Summary:
Edward Norton stars in this new beginning as Bruce Banner, a scientist desperately hunting for a cure to the gamma radiation that poisoned his cells and unleashes the unbridled force of rage within him - The...
Stock trading is becoming increasingly popular as a way for individuals to make money for large expenditures or retirement, while others make a living from the practice, either professionally or privately. As Mac systems become more popular, it is important for the platform to fit in with all aspects of someone’s life. ProSoft Engineering recently …
Apple’s online store is offering refurbished current-generation aluminum iMacs for as little as $1,049 with a standard one-year warranty and free shipping. The Cupertino-based company has listed its reconditioned aluminum iMac 20-inch 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 1GB of memory, a 250GB hard drive, an 8X SuperDrive CD/DVD burner, and an ATI Radeon H…
Apple has filed a new patent detailing a means of easily modifying desktop backgrounds as well as several patents related to podcasts and the company’s popular iPod player. Apple’s background patent, titled ‘Manipulating Desktop Backgrounds,’ describes a graphical user interface to help users change and transform a desktop pattern. Users can select…
Within days, air travellers will no longer be able hold loose lithium batteries in their luggage, the US Department of Transportation says. As of January 1st, batteries will either have to be inserted into a phone, notebook or other electronic device, or else dropped into a plastic bag, and bundled along with carry-on baggage in a limit of two bat…
All support for Netscape web browsers will stop as of February 1st, the AOL-owned company has announced. Security updates will continue to be developed until that date, but afterwards, users will only be able to download archived versions of browsers such as Navigator. The company is instead pushing users towards Mozilla’s Firefox, as the group w…
Nikon may be phasing out at least one of its starter digital SLR cameras in the near future, hints from the company and from tipsters reveal. The company has recently pulled a D40x listing from its Japanese online store, indicating that local production of the 10-megapixel camera has stopped; versions in other markets as well as the original D40 w…
Art Lebedev Studio today prototyped a keyboard design that could stand in as a completely flexible display. The Optimus Tactus would improve on the yet to be shipped Maximus keyboard with touch input; instead of an OLED screen built into a bank of traditional keys, the Tactus would use one giant touchscreen: the design would not only permit keys t…
Despite its features, the iPhone is not the most innovative development of 2007, according to PC World’s top 25 list for 2007. The magazine instead presents the top award to Google Gears, the search engine giant’s platform that allows Mac and Windows users to run web apps such as Google Reader and Zoho Writer without an active Internet connection….
Apple’s unconfirmed video rental service will debut with several companies onboard, not just one, according to the New York Times. The Financial Times recently uncovered a deal with 20th Century Fox, which should see new releases come straight to iTunes, and iPod-sized, FairPlay-encoded files carried on DVD titles. The New York Times now cites “s…
Traffic to the websites for Apple’s iTunes and Microsoft’s Zune has made major strides on Christmas day, according to new information published by stats tracker Hitwise. The Zune in particular saw major gains, with traffic nearly tripling at 299 percent compared to the Christmas before; the increase was also a 392 percent spike versus the 24th. M…
3ivx MPEG-4 5.0.2 ($7) is a video codec usable in any application QuickTime supports, such as Final Cut Pro; it is said to maintain the same quality as Apple’s MPEG-4 files, but with smaller file sizes and faster encoding. The v5.0.2 release fixes an exploit in the Filter suite, and adds compatibility with both Mac OS X 10.5 and QuickTime 7.3. Ma…
Efforts by Apple will have a slew of iPod speaker docks with HD Radio debuting at next month’s Macworld show, according to one report. The device maker is allegedly very supportive of the iTunes Tagging feature that launched along with the Polk iSonic ES2 in the fall and wants to see it widespread in the accessory market, with many AM/FM radio doc…
Apple has placed multiple times in Amazon’s Best of 2007 rankings, the latter company has announced. While no Apple product was a bestseller, the MacBook Pro has been named the “Most Loved” — highest-rated — computer, while Mac OS X Leopard has been picked as the favorite piece of software. The 4GB, third-generation iPod nano, meanwhile, was th…
LCD maker Chunghwa Picture Tubes today revealed that a new panel is in the works that could affect the designs of both desktop and notebook displays. Measuring 18.4 inches, the display will sit between 17- and 19-inch LCDs in cost but will adopt a wider, HDTV-like 1366x768 resolution versus the taller pictures of its smaller and larger models. Th…
Wal-Mart has shut down its fledgling movie service with virtually no announcement, according to user reports. Visitors to the official site are greeted with a message that the site has shut down as of December 21st and redirects users to information about the closure. Videos and other content remain playable but will still include the copy restri…
In brief: A CompUSA in Lexington, Kentucky is discounting its entire stock of Apple merchandise, Zannel has optimized its web-based multimedia sharing site for the iPhone, and MacNN has posted reviews of a website creation app called Shutterbug, and the leather Cobra iPod CoverCase. CompUSA is offering discounts of 5-percent on Apple desktops, lap…
A brief look at Ron Paul’s views and his ongoing battle against
mainstream media bias.. Earlier this summer, idle curiosity led me to check out
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. I read up on his
views concerning foreign policy, the economy, education, taxes,
national sovereignty, racism, etc. I also learned that Ron Paul
is…
Here are URLs that were submitted to our queue on Dec. 25, 2007
but didn’t make it into actual stories… This is an automatically generated list of URLs which found
their way into our URL queue, but were not picked up by writers
due to a limited writer pool, lack of sufficient time, peril,
floods, or hangovers. It has not yet been reviewed by a…
JAVOedge recently unveiled some new leather cases for the iPod nano 3G, Touch and Classic [80GB|160GB], while iSkin released a new incarnation of its eVo3 lineup for the iPod classic. The JAVOedge cases are made from hand-stitched, designer-grade leather that provides a soft, but durable case for the iPod. The cases feature a color-coordinated pull…
The Taiwan-based A-Data is the latest company to release a 64GB solid-state flash drive (SSD). In particular the company has actually released four drives with the capacity, in 1.8- or 2.5-inch sizes, and with a choice of SATA or PATA (parallel ATA) interfaces. Each is said to have special anti-shock protection, and use multi-level cell technolog…
Apple’s stock price repeatedly rose this week to finally break the $200 mark yesterday in afternoon trading, but one financial analyst expects the Cupertino-based company to reach $600 within 18 months. “There’s so much growth to look forward to for the iPhone,” said Stephen Coleman, chief investment officer at Daedalus Capital. Coleman said Apple …
A Yahoo patent application, currently making its way through the US Patent and Trademark Office, is facing serious scrutiny as part of a new public review process. Peer to Patent is co-sponsored by the USPTO and the New York Law School, and as a pilot project is using over 1,000 public participants to review roughly 250 technology patents. The ai…
Digital Foci this afternoon previewed several updates to its Image Moments digital photo frames that promise better image quality and features than most displays of their type. The Image Moments 6 (pictured) and 8 are some of the first frames to include an LED backlight in place of the typical cold-cathode fluorescent (CCFL) version. The technolo…
A little girl in Maryland this Christmas opened a box that was supposed to contain an iPod classic, only to discover a book and a strange note in place of the portable player she thought she had received, according to myfoxdc. The box, which her father purchased at a local Wal-Mart store, contained “Awakening Loving-Kindness” by Pema Chodron accomp…
Dell’s recently-launched XPS One computer may pose a serious threat to Apple’s iMac, says popular columnist Walt Mossberg. Like the iMac or the Gateway One, the XPS One combines the internals of a computer with an LCD monitor, making for an extremely compact system. Mossberg notes, however, that the XPS comes with features even the iMac does not,…
Apple may have tipped off its plans to introduce a notebook at Macworld through its staff holiday celebrations, claims a rumor from BGR. The news cites rap artist and website ally Just Blaze as having received word of a company-sponsored music event for Apple’s employees which had several major artists perform without their usual compensation; ins…
No less than 10 Apple inventions surfaced today at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, with three new applications filed alongside seven documents that were officially granted to the Cupertino-based company. Apple’s latest inventions include ‘Pulldown correction for progressive display of audiovisual recordings,’ as well as two patents related to i…
A number of patents proposed by Apple, or already awarded to the company, were this week published by the US Patent and Trademark Office. Two of these revolve around correcting video images; these include Pulldown correction for progressive display of audiovisual recordings, and Color correction of digital video images using a programmable graphic…
Panel designers should have notebook-sized touchscreens that are virtually indistinguishable from their view-only counterparts in the second half of next year, say tips from Taiwan firms. Local business AU Optronics is reportedly developing a 12.1-inch LCD that would use in-cell touch input, escaping the need for a separate layer just to sense con…
A new location has been suggested for Apple’s long-rumored retail store in Brooklyn, New York City. Added to the list of possible sites is 345 Adams Street, a formerly city-owned plot bought for the creation of upper-class shops and restaurants. Sources in the real estate industry claim that Apple is one of several retailers considering a portion…
Amazon today landed a coup by announcing the availability of Warner Music Group albums on Amazon MP3. The store becomes the first to offer music from the label in a universal format withoutdigital rights management (DRM), permitting buyers to copy tracks an unlimited number of times and to play them on most any device, including those with limited…
Shipments of touchscreen panels may indicate the timing of Apple’s planned 3G iPhone. The Taiwanese newspaper Economic Daily News cites unspecified sources in the display industry, who say that local company Innolux will begin shipping touchscreens to Apple in the second quarter of 2008. If true, this would be just in time to build new iPhones fo…
Gearing up for the Consumer Electronics Show, Sony today provided an early look at the Cyber-shot S730. The 7.2-megapixel compact is considered a new baseline for Sony’s camera line and is designed for first-time photographers who may not have the experience to set camera settings. The mode dial includes a high sensitivity preset that automatical…