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14:44
U.S. Air Force reportedly planning to buy 'thousands' of iPad...

The U.S. Air Force wants to buy thousands of iPad 2s for crews that fly cargo aircraft, according to "TabTimes" (http://macte.ch/sP9kC).

The goal: to replace the paper charts and technical manuals the crews now have to carry, the article adds. The Air Force’s Air Mobility Command’s (AMC) planned purchase could be the largest single federal order for a tablet, according to the site "NextGov" (http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/), which reported on the deal after seeing a notice at the Federal Business Opportunities website.

The notice said AMC wants to buy "a minimum of 63 and a maximum of 18,000, iPad 2, Brand Name or Equal devices” for cargo aircraft such as the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster.

"NextGov" also says that Teri Takai, the Defense Department's chief information officer, kicked off a speech at the...

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10:55
Petitions on overseas working conditions to be delivered to Apple

Two online petitions asking Apple to improve conditions in overseas manufacturing plants (such as the Foxconn facilities in China) ahead of the next iPhone will be hand delivered to a number of Apple's retail stores tomorrow, reports "CNET."

Watchdog group SumOfUs (http://sumofus.org/) says that it plans to deliver its own petition, along with one from Change.org, to a number of Apple's retail stores around the world. That includes New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, London, Sydney, and Bangalore.

Combined, the two petitions have amassed more than 250,000 signatures, the group said. SumOfUs started an online grassroots campaign last month calling on Apple to address dangerous conditions in factories manufacturing the rumored iPhone 5.

"I use an iPhone myself. I love it, but I don’t love having to support sweatshops, and neither do millions of other Apple consumers," says Taren Stinebrickner-...

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07:53
Apple to stream Paul McCartney concert

Apple is supporting Paul McCartney's new album release with a free video stream of a live concert on Thursday, Feb. 9. It will be streamed via iTunes for Macs and PCs and will also be available directly on the Apple TV; just choose iTunes Live from the Internet menu.

McCartney's new album is "Kisses on the Bottom," an "intimate exploration of the Great American Songbook." It includes two new songs and is available at the iTunes Store for US$9.99.

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07:48
Apple Premium Resellers: we're hurting from lack of inventory

Apple's network of authorized Apple Premium Resellers across Europe say they're hurting from a lack of inventory since pple began expanding its own retail locations.

The problem was profiled this week by France's "Les Echos," as noted by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com). It details a complaint filed last November by eBizcuss, the first authorized reseller of Apple France and the largest in the country, which saw its sales fall 22%in its third fiscal quarter of 2011.

The Apple Premium Reseller has seen its stock price plummet 50% over the last year. "Les Echos" says Apple's own retail stores have marginalized Apple Premium Resellers. eBizcuss has filed an injunction against Apple and threaten to file a complaint of unfair competition to the Competition Authority in France.

Apple's Premium Reseller page (...

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07:39
Sprint sells 1.8 million iPhones in fiscal fourth quarter

In announcing its fourth quarter financial results, Sprint says it sold 1.8 million iPhones. By comparison, AT&T sold 7.6 million and Verizon moved 4.3 million.

Spring also announced an US$1.3 billion net loss and an increase in its operating revenues by the largest amount in five years to $8.72 billion. With net subscribers hitting 55 million (33 million postpaid, 14.8 million prepaid and 7.2 million from wholesale), the company added an extra 1.6 million subscribers in its first quarter, helped by strong iPhone sales.

"Our strong fourth quarter performance illustrates the power of matching iconic devices like the iPhone with our simple, unlimited plans and industry-leading customer experience," says Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. "During the past year, Sprint added more than five million net new customers and grew wireless service revenue by more than 5%, including 17% for the Sprint platform. This momentum gives us confidence as we execute our Network Vision upgrade and...

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07:33
Apple releases EFI firmware updates

Apple has released EFI firmware updates for various Macs. You can obtain them via the Software Updates component of the Mac OS X Systems Preferences app.

MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.3 enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on late 2011 MacBook Air models. It also addresses an issue where the system could restart if the power button is pressed immediately after waking from deep sleep.

iMac EFI Update 1.8 enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on mid-2010 iMac models. MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.6 enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on MacBook Pro (early 2010) models.

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07:28
Apple wants basic principles established on patent licensing

"The Wall Street Journal" reports (http://macte.ch/uQAqi) that Apple has asked European Telecommunications Standards Institute, a telecommunications standards body, to set basic principles governing how member companies license their patents.

In a letter to the Institute, Apple said the telecommunications industry lacks consistent licensing schemes for the many patents necessary to make mobile devices, and offered suggestions for setting appropriate royalty rates that all members would follow. "The Times" notes that many mobile technology companies, such as Motorola and Samsung, hold patents that became part of industrywide standards. Apple is involved in ongoing legal battles with both companies over claims of patent infringement.

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07:24
Final Cut Pro X wins Editors Choice Award

Controversial or note, Apple's Final Cut Pro X has won an Editor's Choice Award (http://macte.ch/jCQu5) from "PC Magazine," which rates it 9 out of a possible 10.

Among the comments by "PC World": "Final Cut Pro X kicked off a storm in the pro video-editing community when Apple first released it. It lacked necessary capabilities they needed for their jobs—XML export and import, multicam editing, and broadcast monitor support. The third and latest update to the software brings just about everything the pros wanted, including a big one: multicam editing. Final Cut Pro X 10.0.3 ($299.99, free 30-day trial available) also brings beta support for broadcast monitors, detailed control over chroma-keying, and an XML update that enables a third-party plugin to import projects from Final Cut Pro 7. With each feature restoration, Apple has not just brought parity with earlier support, but has rethought it, making it both...

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06:00
HoverBar connects your Mac and iPad

Twelve South (http://www.twelvesouth.com) has unveiled the HoverBar, an US$79.99 adjustable arm that "floats" an iPad 2 next to an iMac or Apple display, allowing you to use iPad as a secondary, touchscreen computer.

Having an iPad floating next to your Mac allows you to, for instance, monitor your Twitter stream, stocks and local weather -- or run FaceTime on your iPad while you email, edit a file, or cut a video on your Mac.It can also be used separately to create a compact iPad workstation or an install-free kitchen mount for iPad.

The HoverBar features a black, heavy-gauge, adjustable steel arm. Simply flex the HoverBar arm to find the best position for viewing, swiping or tapping the iPad. HoverBar has a solid metal, silicone lined clamp that can be attached to any iMac or Apple display with an L-shaped stand.

The clamp leaves no marks and is secured with an included allen wrench...

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05:02
Zevrix releases Output Factory for InDesign

Zevrix Solutions has announced Output Factory 1.0, its new solution to automate output from Adobe InDesign. It's available for Mac OS X 10.5-10.7 and works with Adobe InDesign CS3-CS5.5.

Output Factory automates printing, exporting and post-processing from InDesign, and is anupgrade of the company's BatchOutput plug-in. In addition to the output of multiple files, single page export and variable file names, Output Factory offers array of new solutions, such as layer versioning, preflighting, workflow presets and processing history.

Users only need to select the files to output and adjust the settings, and Output Factory will do the rest automatically. For example, the software can be left exporting hundreds of InDesign files overnight, and the completed job can be picked up next morning.

Output Factory supports printing as well as exporting to PDF, PostScript, EPS, Flash, INX, IDML, EPUB and several image formats. In addition, it can skip files with specific...

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04:58
New ebook lets you 'Take Control of Screen Sharing in Lion'

TidBits has released "Take Control of Screen Sharing in Lion," an US$10, 103-page ebook by Glenn Fleishman.

It offers the latest advice on screen sharing with iChat, Back to My Mac, the Screen Sharing application in Mac OS X, and Skype, and describes the current versions of iTeleport and LogMeIn, iOS apps that let you run your Mac remotely by tapping and dragging. Although this new edition has "Lion" in the title, it is also the go-to Take Control ebook for questions about screen sharing with users of 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard.

Fleishman is a technology journalist based in Seattle. He's a contributing editor at TidBits. For more information about "Take Control of Screen Sharing in Lion" -- including the table of contents, author bios, and cover graphic -- go to http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9781615423965.do .

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04:33
Canon introduces three new all-in-one printers

Canon U.S.A. (http://www.usa.canon.com) has announced the addition of three Pixma Office printers to the lineup: the MX512 Wireless1 All-In-One (AIO), MX432 Wireless1 AIO and the MX372 AIO. 

Available for both new wireless models is the Canon Easy-PhotoPrint mobile app, for use with compatible Apple and Android smart phones and tablets, allowing documents  to be scanned on the printer and sent directly to a compatible device. Users can print PDFs of documents that were created with the app directly from compatible devices, whereas in the past only photos could be printed. 

With 802.11n Wi-Fi capability, the Pixma MX512 and MX432 Wireless Office AIO Printer models are capable of a high-speed network transfer rate.  Setting up a wireless network can be accomplished with the press of one button when using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS).

Canon has developed the FastFront system and an exposed...

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03:46
Timesheets for Mac OS X gets project expense tracking

Senomix Software has released Senomix Timesheets 4.1, an update to their Mac OS X and Windows time tracking system. The new version adds project expense tracking and employee expense claim entry.

With the addition of expense tracking, Senomix Timesheets can now be used to record project costs through the same networked applications provided to track employee effort hours. The software enables both in-office and off-site employees to track effort and expenses directly from their computers.

With effort hour and expense data immediately available for in-house billing or project tracking the moment a user clicks "save" on their computer screen, Senomix Timesheets can be used on its own or as a front-end for an office's QuickBooks or database billing and payroll system. For more info go to http://www.senomix.com/ .

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Feb 07
Analyst: Apple has 80% of mobile profits

In a note to clients -- as reported by "Barron's" (http://macte.ch/qVPgC) -- Morgan Keegan analyst Tavis McCourt, says that, after looking at data from all makers of phones who have reported for the quarter so far, "Apple simply dominated Q4:11 handset/mobile computing trends."

He adds that Apple now accounts for nearly 50% of the revenues of the entire industry and over 80% of the profits by his calculation. McCourt notes that global mobile computing revenue rose 34% with Apple’s results included, but sagged 0.4% in the fourth quarter when Apple is taken out of the picture.

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Feb 07
Analyst: an 'iTV' could nab 5% of the HDTV market

In a note to clients -- as reported by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com) -- Barclays Capital analyst Ben A. Reitzes says that an Apple-branded HDTV (the rumored "iTV") would bring in US$17 billion in revenue and garner 5% of the HDTV market.

Reitzes thinks the LCD market will reach about 230 million units in 2012. The forementioned $17 billion in revenue would be almost 10% of his fiscal 2013 estimate of $183.1 billion for Apple.

With assumed gross margins of around 40% on a full-fledged Apple television set, he sees the company gaining about $5.40 earnings per share, or about 11% of his fiscal 2013 earnings per share of $48.46. Reitzes thinks that an iTV could eventually become more than "just" a TV -- including gaming, video, communication, content delivery, apps, computing and all the capabilities of the current Apple TV.

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Feb 07
Siri accounts for a quarter of Wolfram Alpha queries

Apple's Siri voice technology accounts for about one-fourth of the queries fueled by the Wolfram Alpha search engine (http://www.wolframalpha.com/), according to "The New York Times" (http://macte.ch/8Li5U).

According to Apple, Siri isn’t like traditional voice recognition software that requires you to remember keywords and speak specific commands. Siri understands your natural speech, and it asks you questions if it needs more information to complete a task.

Wolfram Alpha is an engine for computing answers and getting knowledge. It works by using Wolfram Research's store of expert-
level knowledge to compute answers to questions you ask.

The new version of Wolfram Alpha arrives tomorrow. Its formal name is Wolfram Alpha Pro, notes "The Times."

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MacTech Blog

Feb 08
No keyboard-equipped iPad coming; a MacPad, perhaps?

After meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook, Citigroup analyst Richard Gardner told clients in a note -- as reported by "V3" (http://macte.ch/zf70V) -- that Apple may be redesigning the iPad. I beg to differ. It won't happen -- at least in the way Gardner hints.

The analyst thinks Apple may redesign its tablet to meet the needs of those wanting an ARM-based hybrid device with, say, a keyboard. "We have wondered whether Apple might offer an ARM-based version of the MacBook Air at some point; we walked away from this meeting with the impression that Apple feels the iPad satisfies -- or will soon satisfy -- the needs of those who might have been interested in such a product."

There's no way Apple will introduce an iPad with a keyboard other than a virtual one. It goes against the entire "post-PC' aesthetic of the tablet. Want to use a physical keyboard with your iPad? Apple expects you to spring for one of the...

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Feb 07
Apple patent is for using portable media player as a...

Apple has been granted a patent (number 8112032) by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for using a portable media player as a remote control. Could this be a hint of the rumored Apple HDTV (the "iTV") or merely affirmation of ways Apple has provided for using current iOS devices, such as with a Mac?

Per the patent, a portable multimedia player is used to wirelessly access and control a media server that is streaming digital media by way of a wireless interface to a media unit such as a stereo/speakers in the case of streaming digital audio. In one embodiment, the portable multimedia player is wirelessly synchronized to a selected one(s) of a number of digital media files stored on the media server in such a way that digital media file metadata (song title, author, etc.) associated with the selected digital media file(s) only is transferred from the media server to be stored in the portable media player. Steve Ko and Stephen O. Lemay are the inventors.

Here's...

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Feb 07
Apple eyeing ways to control power provided to an...

Apple is working on ways to control power provided to an accessory, per a patent (number 8112567) at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. A method for a portable media player to control power provided an accessory is disclosed.

The method includes requesting information about the power capabilities of the accessory by the portable media player. The method further includes providing information about the power capabilities of the accessory by the accessory to the portable media player, and utilizing the information to set the power of the accessory.

A method and system in accordance with the present invention provides a system that allows a portable media player to obtain information from an accessory concerning its power requirements. A portable media player can then utilize the power requirements information to allow for the powering of the accessory when connected to the portable media player. The inventors are Gregory T. Lydon, Scott Kureger, Donald J....

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Feb 07
Gamers not that keen on 3D consoles

So far 3D game consoles don't seem to be faring much better than 3D TVs in the U.S..

Nintendo posted an US$626 million loss for the first nine months of the fiscal year that ended March 2012, a complete reversal of its fortunes compared to the same time last year, where the console manufacturer netted $637 million in profit. An independent survey shows that gamers are against 3D gaming, perhaps providing an explanation for Nintendo’s about-turn.
 
3D-enabled consoles haven't been a hit with gaming fans, according to the results of a new study which has revealed that almost three quarters of gamers are opposed to future generation consoles having 3D capability. The independent survey by coupon website http://www.CouponCodes4U.com polled 2,291 gamers and was conducted following Nintendo’s recently announced financial losses, to delve into whether or not consumers were against 3D gaming...

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Feb 07
Patent patents involve encoding video, mode pruning,...

Apple has won several patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Following is a summary of each.

Patent number 8111751 is for encoding video. Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for encoding a video signal that is formed by a series of successive images. Each image includes several sections, and each section has a set of image values. To encode a particular section of a particular image, the method initially partitions the particular section into several sub-sections. For each of at least two particular sub-sections, the method then computes a statistical parameter regarding the image values of the particular sub-section.

The method compares the computed statistical parameters, and based on the comparison, selects an encoding technique from a set of encoding techniques to encode the particular section. In some embodiments, the set of encoding schemes includes a first scheme that encodes the selected section without reference to...

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Feb 06
LCD TV area demand to reach 116 million square meters...

If Apple is indeed planning its own branded HDTV (the rumored "iTV") it needs to think big. The LCD TV market saw a rapid shift toward sizes larger than 40 inches at the end of 2011, as consumers, particularly in North America and China, took advantage of new sizes and more affordable prices.

As larger sizes such as 46 inches, 47 inches 55 inches, 60 inches and 65 inches are being adopted by consumers, panel makers are also developing other new large size TV panels, including 43 inches, 48 inches, 50 inches, 70 inches, and even 75 inches, 80 inches and larger.

In response to the strong end-market adoption, NPD DisplaySearch (http://www.displaysearch.com) has increased its forecast for LCD TV area demand. According to the "NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Worldwide FPD Shipment and Forecast Report," LCD TV panel demand will reach 85 million square meters in 2012, nearly 2% higher than the...

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Feb 03
IWant an iDesk

I always enjoy the annual article "Mac/Life" on products Apple should/could develop. In their latest feature, I was particularly intrigued by the iDesk.

The iDesk is a conceptual re-imagining of the desk. Not the Mac OS X Desktop, but an actual, physical desktop.

Here's how "Mac/Life" describes it: "Imagine an entirely adaptable workspace that doesn’t just hold your equipment, but enhances and interacts with it. As with Microsoft’s Surface technology, the entire desk would be a touch-sensitive display capable of running several simultaneous apps, some of which--such as a calendar, phone, and digital Post-It notes—would replace their physical counterparts entirely. Notifications, to-do lists, video conferencing, Adobe tool palettes, and countless widgets such as calculators and weather reports would all appear right on the surface of your desk, literally putting your entire working world at your fingertips."

The article says that the iDesk would sync with your...

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Feb 02
Apple patent hints at touchscreen Mac

Although the late Steve Jobs dismissed talk of a Mac with a touchscreen display, an Apple patent (number 20120030626) at the U..S. Patent & Trademark Office shows that the company has considered/is considering the idea. The patent is for a computer with a touchscreen.

Per the patent, a control object including a knob element is displayed in a GUI [graphical user interface]. A first user input can be detected that indicates selection of the knob element. In response to the first user input, the knob element can be visually augmented. The visual augmentation can include displaying text labels of range limit values and a slider element with the knob element.

The slider element can include a fill bar to indicate the current value of the knob element. A second input can be a linear motion on or near the slider control. In response to the second user input, both the fill bar of the slider element and a fill portion of the knob element can be visually augmented to...

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Feb 02
Apple patent involves programmable magnets and...

A new Apple patent (number 20120028480) has appeared at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Among other things it would facilitate the assembly of Apple devices via programmable magnetic devices.

The patent involves alignment and connection for devices. relate generally to programmable magnetic devices, and more particularly to multi-part devices that may be joined or separated through programmable magnets. A plug or connector including a coded magnet and an electrical contact is disclosed.

As the plug approaches a corresponding port, the coded magnet interacts with a magnet within the port. The interaction between the plug coded magnet and the port coded magnet provides a force to connect and/or align the plug with the port. Once the plug is received within the port, if a process is completed, the coded magnets polarities are altered to eject the plug from the port.

“Correlated magnets” or “coded magnets” are magnetic structures formed of multiple...

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Feb 02
THIS is why I'd love to ditch satellite/cable TV

Here's one of the reasons why so many people want Apple (or Netflix or someone) to break the stranglehold the cable and satellite companies have on us:

My DishTV account jumped US$20 in one month. I didn't order any extra channels, but evidently some appeared anyway -- and we were billed. It seems to be part of what I consider a scam. For a short period, you're have access to some channels beyond the basic package (such as HBO and Showtime) for free. But if you don't specifically tell Dish TV that you don't want them, the channels continue past the free period, and you're billed. 

I did battle with Dish TV over this, something I hoped wouldn't occur. I switched to Dish after Comcast raised my cable TV bill about 150% in 24 months.

Currently, I subscribe to Dish TV's "America's Top 120" package. Of those 120 channels, there's maybe 20 that my family watches. I'd love to be able to pay only for those channels, not the other 100 we never tune into.

There are...

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Reviews and Kool Tools

Apple's kludge for moving iWork docs between the iPad and a Mac pretty much stinks. It's awkward, unintuitive and very Apple-ish. Enter Ecamm's PadSync (http://www.ecamm.com/mac/padsync/), which offers a better... Read more »
By Jessica Maldonado Four different Texture Toolkits are currently offered by Digital Juice (http://www.digitaljuice.com). I reviewed Texture Toolkit 1 “The Essentials” and Texture Toolkit 2 “Different Strokes.” These... Read more »
Apricorn's (http://www.apricorn.com) Aegis Netdock -- Mac Edition is making me rethink some future purchases. It actually has me considering a MacBook Air as my main Mac. As for the Apple US$79 SuperDrive, forget it.... Read more »
MeshWe has announced the Bluefin (http://meshwe.com/products.html), a device that turns your "Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Trackpad" into the ultimate wireless control device for you Mac." It connects the two Apple... Read more »

News Scanner

Wednesday February 8

14:27
How Pinterest is quietly generating revenue

Josh Davis:

If you post a pin to Pinterest, and it links to an ecommerce site that happens to have an affiliate program, Pinterest modifies the link to add their own affiliate tracking code. If someone clicks through the picture from Pinterest and makes a purchase, Pinterest gets paid. They don’t have any disclosure of this link modification on their site, and so far, while it has been written about, no major news outlet has picked up on the practice or its implications.

I use Pinterest and this is troubling. Yes, they need to make money but doing it behind the users back is a bit off putting.

∞ Permalink

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14:12
If men wrote Valentine’s cards

Cool Material:

No guy looks forward to Valentine’s Day. Here’s what it would look like if guys wrote Valentine’s Day cards.

∞ Permalink

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13:58
GigaOM buys paidContent.org

Om Malik:

First the news: Yes, the rumors are true. We are indeed buying the assets of ContentNext Media from Guardian News & Media Limited. And no, we are not disclosing the terms of the deal, except that we are buying the entire group of properties — paidContent.org, mocoNews.net, contentSutra and paidContent:UK and that a representative of Guardian News & Media will join our board of directors as an observer.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for Om and what he’s done. Good luck with this.

∞ Permalink

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13:43
Paul McCartney’s free concert stream


Paul McCartney on iTunes

Apple has announced via iTunes that a stream of McCartney’s exclusive performance at Capitol Studios will take place at 7pm PT, 10pm ET on February 9 on iTunes as well as on your Apple TV. It’s the first time a live stream has been attempted through the Apple TV. Is this a test for the future? Or just shilling for the release of McCartney’s recent album, “Kisses on the Bottom”?

∞ Permalink

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13:39
New social site Pinterest attracts enthusiasm,...

Just as it enjoys an initial surge of popularity, a new social networking site called Pinterest is also experiencing its first bout of controversy.







...

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13:38
Siri rumored to gain support for Mandarin, Japanese...

An Apple software engineer reportedly working on the Chinese-language version of the company's Siri voice assistant says support for Mandarin, Japanese and Russian will be added in March, as well as localized navigation and information services.

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13:35
Sigma drops price of SD1, adds two 46MP DP compacts

Sigma on Wednesday both remade and added to its camera lineup. First off, the company's new CEO, Kazuto Yamaki, revealed that the high-end SD1 DSLR will be renamed to SD1 Merrill and get a very significant price drop, from $9,700 to $3,300. Yamaki said the reduction is due to the lower production costs of the 46-megapixel APS-C sensor, though no performance compromises have been made....



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13:22
TuneCore: iTunes Match royalties appearing ‘out of...

In a blog post from earlier today (via Ars Technica), the CEO of online music distribution service TuneCore announced some intriguing numbers on iTunes Match royalties it has collected for its clientage. While calling the payout “magic money,” CEO Jeff Price said his company collected $10,000 for a two-month period beginning at the launch of iTunes Match. While TuneCore’s artists have included the likes of multi-million album sellers like Nine Inch Nails in the past, Price said the royalties represent money most independent artists using the service would have otherwise never received:

//

“A person has a song on her...

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13:20
Paul McCartney concert stream will test the waters...

Apple may indeed be using the Apple TV to test the live broadcasting waters, as evidenced by its recent decision to stream former Beatle Paul McCartney's live performance this Thursday. The company "announced" via a banner on iTunes that the stream would take place at 7pm PST on February 9 both on iTunes (for Mac and PC) as well as the Apple TV—the first livestream of its kind for Apple's set-top box.

This isn't the first time Apple has streamed live (usually music-related) content via iTunes, but it will be the highest-profile and the first available to Apple TV users. The company is not charging for the stream—it will be free to help boost the profile of...

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13:17
Smartr Contacts adds e-mail viewing support

Xobni has released an update to Smartr Contacts for the iPhone adding several new features and enhancements including the ability to access linked e-mail messages from directly within the app. First released last month, Smartr Contacts provides a contact management solution primarily targeted at Gmail and Outlook users that…

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13:17
Path releases update to address contact privacy issue

In response to the recent revelation that social networking app Path was uploading iOS users’ contact data to its servers, the company has apologized and released an update to the iOS app providing proper disclosure of the feature and prompting the user to either opt in or opt out.…

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13:15
Apple stock gains nearly $100 since Steve's...

Apple 2.0 editor Philip Elmer-DeWitt is back today with another fascinating Apple statistic: "[Apple] has gained nearly one Facebook in value since Steve Jobs died."

Elmer-DeWitt remarks that the share price of AAPL on October 4, 2011, the day before Jobs passed away, was US$372.50 and that the market capitalization of the company was about $347 billion. Now, just four short months later, the stock price is (as of this morning) $472.66, over $100 greater than before Jobs died. That puts the market capitalization of Apple, Inc. at about $440 billion -- over $90 billion of growth in just four months.

Those numbers are staggering. $90 billion is about nine-tenths of the value that Facebook has been given in advance of its upcoming IPO. Elmer-DeWitt notes that it's hard to argue that Apple is overvalued. He quotes Erik Savitz of Forbes noting that even after backing out Apple's $100 billion cash horde, valuation of AAPL is just 2.6 times revenues and 10 times earnings...

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13:15
USAF may buy up to 18,000 iPads for cargo plane crews

The US Air Force is looking to buy as many as 18,000 more tablets, likely iPads, reports say. On the US government's Federal Business Opportunities website, a notice indicates that the Air Force's Air Mobility Command wants "a minimum of 63 and a maximum of 18,000, iPad 2, Brand Name or Equal devices" for use by the crews of cargo planes. The tablets would replace the paper charts and manuals crews currently take with them, which can be bulky, weightier and less convenient....



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13:15
Tweetbot reaches iPad, gets 2.0 iPhone upgrade

Tapbots revamped its signature Twitter apps in large form on Wednesday, starting with the surprise release of Tweetbot for iPad ($3, App Store). The new version both adapts to the bigger canvas of the tablet and shares its support for creating multiple timelines from one account and gestures to save time. Likewise, it can save content for later through Cloudapp, Instapaper, and Read it Later....



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13:12
Supposed iPad 3 case compared to iPad 2, suggests...

(Updated with higher res image. Click to enlarge)

Repair Labs (via MacRumors) said it got ahold of an iPad 3 case that has numerous differences from an iPad 2—listed below:

A. You can see here that the mounts for the logic board are very different, which means the logic board shape will be different allowing for . . . .

B. More battery. The width of where the logic board sits on the iPad 2 appears much larger than that of the iPad 3. We have long heard that the iPad 3 was going to provide longer battery life, and this back housing seems to support that. [Ed: Actually, this could...

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13:10
Path closes contact sharing hole on iPhone,...

Smartphone app developer Path has apologized and fixed the tendency of its app to collect user's entire contact lists to its own servers when the app is first launched. The Android app was already fixed, and now, the developers have released an updated iOS app, version 2.0.6 (free, App Store) that won't upload the data without a user's permission. Dave Morin, Path's co-founder and CEO, also explained that the contacts were used only in the Add Friends features to notify users when their contacts log into the app....



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13:03
News: iPhone App Path Uploads User Contact Lists to...

Path, a unique social networking app for iOS and Android that allows users to share many aspects of their daily lives with others, has recently been revealed to be sharing even more: the user’s contacts list with Path’s servers.








...

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12:45
Daily Update for February 8, 2012

It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world.

You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here.

No Flash? Click here to listen.

Daily Update for February 8, 2012 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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12:40
Galaxy on Fire 2 HD update opens the Kaamo Club

Fishlabs has released an update to Galaxy on Fire 2 HD, the high-performance version of its popular space adventure game adding the Kaamo Club and preliminary support for the upcoming Valkyrie HD expansion pack scheduled to be released in the coming weeks. Introduced to the standard edition early last…

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12:35
Apple hoping to secure standardized royalties for 3G...

Apple is attempting to stop the use of "standards essential" patents on 3G technology as legal bludgeons against smartphone competitors. To make its case, the company has gone directly to the standards body behind 3G wireless networking, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). In a letter to ETSI dated last November (but only recently uncovered by the Wall Street Journal) Apple suggested that patents offered as part of wireless networking standards...

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12:30
iOS 5.1 beta carrier profiles hint possible March 9...

New digging in the iOS 5.1 beta has given a possible clue as to Apple's target date for the OS. About 11 new carrier profiles all have references to an Apple diagnostic web address with "09Mar2012-Update" in the timeframe, suggesting to YourDailyMac's discoverer that the date was at least being kept in mind for a launch or a milestone. It touched on all existing iOS devices and at least five countries, pointing to a simultaneous release....



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12:30
App users nearly tied viewers during Super Bowl

Flurry has tracked the amount of app users on their smart devices over the course of Super Bowl XLVI and found that nearly 98 million users accessed apps, compared to 111 million of those who watched it on the big screen. They went on to conclude that the app users, or those who turned on the "second screen," were largely overlapping, though both metrics set records. The TV numbers were borrowed from Nielsen....



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Rumor Scanner

Wednesday February 8

12:52
Photo of iPad 3 Rear Shell Suggests Minor Physical Changes...

(Click here for larger version)

RepairLabs reports that it has received a photo of what is claimed to the inside of the rear shell of the iPad 3, comparing the part to the corresponding version found on the iPad 2. The iPad 3 version demonstrates a few minor changes compared to the iPad 2, with one of the most notable being an apparently narrower logic board that could make room for an expanded battery.A. You can see here that the mounts for the logic board are very different, which means the logic board shape will be different allowing for . . . .

B. More battery. The width of where the logic board sits on the iPad 2 appears much larger than that of the iPad 3. We have long heard that the iPad 3 was going to provide longer battery life, and this back housing seems to support that....

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10:42
Siri Support for Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and Russian L...

Tech in Asia reports on an article [Google translation] from Chinese information technology website DoNews claiming that Apple is preparing to bring support for the Chinese language to Siri on the iPhone 4S next month. According to the report, Apple is also preparing to launch support for Japanese and Russian, but the initial Chinese support will only include Mandarin, with Cantonese and other dialects being left out for the time being.The Chinese tech site DoNews claims to have heard from an Apple engineer who’s working on the Chinese-language version of Siri, the clever voice assistant on the iPhone 4S. From this source it claims that Siri will launch in Chinese next month, and is already undergoing internal testing this...

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08:33
Apple Pushes for Clarification on Licensing of FRAND Paten...

Dow Jones Newswires reports that Apple filed a letter with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) last November pushing for clarification on how standards-essential patents are intended to be licensed. These standards-essential patents are currently required to be licensed under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms in order to promote competition in the marketplace, but Apple claims that there is too much confusion in the industry about how such licensing should be handled.Apple said in its letter--which was dated Nov. 11, but not previously disclosed--that the lack of clarity on what is fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory has led many companies to ask unusually high rates and sue one another claiming they infringed on one another's patents.

"It is apparent that our industry suffers from a lack of consistent adherence to Frand principles in the cellular standards...

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06:55
Sprint Sells 1.8 Million iPhones in 4Q 2011, 40% to New Su...

Sprint today became the last of the three major U.S. iPhone carriers to report earnings for the fourth quarter of 2011, disclosing that it sold a total of 1.8 million iPhones during the quarter. While well below the 7.6 million activations reported by AT&T and the 4.3 million activations reported by Verizon, Sprint's iPhone surge helped it achieve a new record high subscriber base of 55 million customers.

Notably, 40% of Sprint's iPhone purchasers were new to the carrier, highlighting the device's ability to attract customers from other carriers. That percentage is on par with AT&T's reporting during its early quarters of iPhone availability...

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Tuesday February 7

20:18
Apple to Stream Live Paul McCartney Concert to iTunes and...

Apple today announced that it will be supporting Paul McCartney's new album release with a special free video stream of a live concert on Thursday, February 9 [iTunes Store]. The concert is not only being streamed via iTunes on Mac and PC, but will also be available directly on users' Apple TVs, signaling new efforts by Apple to increase the utility of its set-top box.To celebrate the release of Paul McCartney's latest album — available now — we're streaming his exclusive performance at Capitol Studios on February 9 at 7 p.m. (PST). Watch the concert on iTunes on your computer, or stream it on your TV using your Apple TV — just choose iTunes Live from the Internet menu.The Paul McCartney promotion is not Apple's first foray into live streaming via iTunes, as the company has for the past several years hosted an annual concert festival...

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18:44
Apple Brings Lion Internet Recovery to More 2010 Macs

Apple today released a series of three EFI firmware updates bringing Lion Internet Recovery to the company's Late 2010 MacBook Air, Mid-2010 iMac, and Early 2010 MacBook Pro. Available firmware updates include:

- MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.3 (2.98 MB):This update enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on MacBook Air (Late 2010) models and addresses an issue where the system could restart if the power button is pressed immediately after waking from deep sleep.- iMac EFI Update 1.8 (3.02 MB):This update enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on iMac (Mid 2010) models.- MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.6 (3.18 MB):This update enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on MacBook Pro (Early 2010) models.Apple...

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11:40
Apple Board Has Been "Considering" Dividends and...

Much has been made of the recent comment by Apple CEO Tim Cook that the Apple board of directors has been "actively discussing" what to do with its enormous cash pile. Some see it as a sign that Apple will soon pay a dividend or initiate a share buyback program -- except Apple's board has been discussing what to do with its cash for nearly 7 years.

MacRumors went through Seeking Alpha's entire Apple earnings call transcript history to find out what Apple has been saying about the likelihood of a dividend. Between July of 2005 and October of 2010, Apple execs had very little to say about what Apple was going to do with its burgeoning cash pile -- a pile that grew from $7.5 billion to $51 billion over that time.

July 2005 was the earliest transcript, and the first time an Apple exec said that the board "from time to...

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10:28
iPad's Momentum in Restaurants Grows with Buffalo Wil...

Ever since the iPad was introduced two years ago, its potential to revolutionize the restaurant industry has been widely touted, with some restaurants already moving to replace their traditional point-of-sale devices with iPads and companies such as Square seeking to fill that need.

And while iPads in restaurants have been catching on here and there, the concept could be ripe for major expansion if a pilot program from restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings proves worthwhile. As detailed by Computerworld, Buffalo Wild Wings is expanding an initial pilot program at one of its Toronto area locations to a new location in...

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08:03
Smart Audio Sues Apple with Delco Electronics Patent

Texas based Smart Audio Technologies has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple in the Delaware District Court. The patent infringement lawsuit concerns Apple's media players in respect to their ability to "modify a play list of a random access player." Oddly Smart Audio only identifies the iPod nano by name. Yet the most interesting aspect of this case, if there is one, is that Smart Audio's key exhibit is that of patent assigned to Delco Electronics.

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06:57
Apple Faces Potential $38 Million Fine in China as $1.6 Bi...

iSmashPhone summarizes a pair of reports from China claiming that Apple is facing a potential 240 million yuan ($38 million) fine from governmental authorities over alleged trademark infringement involving the "iPad" name. The fine pales, however, in comparison to the $1.6 billion Proview Technology, which claims to own the name, is seeking to win in a series of lawsuits filed against Apple. Proview is also said to be seeking an apology from Apple and an injunction preventing the company from using the iPad name in China.

Proview first accused Apple of trademark infringement back in 2010, claiming that it had owned the mark in China since 2000 and seeking a settlement from Apple in the range of $800 million. Apple fired back with its own lawsuit claiming that it did...

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06:52
Apple Wins Patents for the MacBook Pro, Trickle Sync Proto...

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of sixteen newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. This morning's report covers patents ranging from Apple's MacBook Pro to their trickle sync protocol to their iTunes prepaid cards and finally to an iPod design that credits the late, great Steve Jobs.

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Monday February 6

17:49
Rogers and BCE Already Have the Apple iTV in Their Labs, C...

The Globe and Mail reports that Apple is actively seeking launch partnerships with Canada's Rogers Communications and BCE Inc. to offer their upcoming Apple TV. “They’re not closed to doing it with one [company] or doing it with two,” said one source who is familiar with the talks. “They’re looking for a partner. They’re looking for someone with wireless and broadband capabilities.”According to the newspaper, these companies already have the Apple iTV in their labs.

Siri voice control is reportedly integrated into Apple's new television to help viewers make programming choices. Viewers can then control the TV with voice or hand gestures. Even an on-screen keyboard can be invoked without any special hardware (emphasis ours):An on-screen keyboard, meanwhile, can also be activated in a similar manner, allowing viewers to surf the web, conduct video chats...

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17:35
Apple Warns Developers Not to Manipulate App Store Ranking...

Yesterday, a TouchArcade thread was posted that warned about fraudulent App promotion services that guarantee Top 25 rankings for a modest fee. According to the poster, these services utilize automated scripts or bots to artificially boost free app rankings into the Top charts. At least one company denied the claims in the thread.

PocketGamer picked up on the story based on the forum thread:For $5,000, said company will allegedly utilise bots that will download a developer's app over and over again until it has broken into the top 25 charts. At this point, the developer's app will have received sufficient customer exposure to attract downloads from real people.In an apparent response, Apple has just posted a reminder (via...

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16:57
Apple Adds High-DPI Versions of Pointers in OS X 10.7.3

Screenshot from FinerThingsIn.com

DaringFireball notes several changes in some of the icons found in OS X 10.7.3. Several of our readers had also noticed the small changes in pointer icons in the latest version. It seems the changes run a bit deeper than on first glance. The new icons apparently come in high DPI versions that allow them to scale at high resolutions. Have you noticed that Safari’s hovering-over-a-link pointing-finger cursor looks a little different in Mac OS X 10.7.3? It’s not just that the finger is at a slightly different angle — it’s a new UI resource that scales gracefully to larger sizes. That’s not the only new high-DPI image resource in 10.7.3: the grabby hand in Mail, the camera cursor for selecting an individual window to take a screenshot of, and a few...

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13:30
Apple Compensates Victim of iMessage Bug for Breach of Pri...

In December, an apparent bug appeared in Apple's iMessage service that allowed iMessages to be sent to a stolen iPhone. The messages can, apparently, continue to be sent and received from the stolen phone after a remote wipe and a SIM card deactivation. This is obviously an unintended action, and though Apple explains the solution to be "toggle iMessage on and off" in the Settings app, that is an impossible act to perform remotely on a stolen phone.

The Next Web today reports of the case of an anonymous Apple customer who had her iPhone stolen and the lengthy discussions she had with...

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13:15
Apple's 'Macroscalar' Trademark Application...

Patently Apple reports that Apple last week filed a curious new trademark application for the term "macroscalar". The company has typically quietly registered trademarks in countries such as Trinidad & Tobago, only to later apply for the marks in the United States and other major markets once the new products and features have been announced. While an application for "macroscalar" was indeed filed in Trinidad & Tobago last August, the new U.S. application and a similar one in Hong Kong are sparking speculation that Apple may have jumped the gun in announcing some new processor technology.Apple's "Macroscalar" isn't just a new marketing line; it's a processor architecture that's been in the works at Apple since 2004. In fact, Apple owns at least four granted patents on the technology that has yet to come to light. We first covered it in...

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10:45
Audience's 'earSmart' Technology Explains S...

CNET reports on a new research note from analyst Linley Gwennap, who believes that custom circuitry in Apple's A5 system-on-a-chip including "earSmart" noise cancellation technology from Audience is the reason why Siri is currently an iPhone 4S-only feature. Gwennap cites Audience's S-1 filing made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last month in advance of the company's initial public offering in backing up his analysis.Audience revealed details of its Apple partnership in January, when it filed paperwork for an initial public offering (IPO) of stock. Teardown work from iFixit and Chipworks revealed a dedicated Audience chip in the iPhone 4, but the iPhone 4S integrates Audience's "EarSmart" technology directly into the A5 processor, the company's S-1 filing said...

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09:05
Apple's Grand Central Neighbor Seeing 7% Increase In...

New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s sweetheart deal for Apple's just-opened Grand Central Terminal retail store seems to be paying dividends for the MTA and neighboring stores. One restaurant is reporting a 7 percent increase in sales since the store opened in December.

Michael Jordan's The Steak House is located across the terminal from the new Apple Store, Grand Central and co-owner Peter Glazier says the restaurant has seen a 7 percent jump in sales in the seven weeks that the Apple Store has been open,...

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07:31
Apple's Macroscalar Architecture: Will it Take iOS to...

The general consensus in the market today is that Apple's upcoming A6 quad core processor is to bring more performance to the 2012 iPad and iPhone. It's said that it will also preserve battery life due to a shift from a 40-nanometer to a 28-nanometer process. Joel Hruska, writing for Extreme Tech, goes one step further with his belief that Apple's upcoming A6 processor could in fact introduce 3D transistors. Yet the one twist that no one even considered as a remote possibility was whether or not Apple's secretive ...

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07:01
Best Buy Dreams Up a $1499 42-Inch 'Apple HDTV'...

The Verge reports that Best Buy has been surveying some of its customers on proposed products and services, with the company including a description of a 42-inch "Apple HDTV" priced at $1499. The listing is undoubtedly simply a concept dreamed up by Best Buy to help gauge interest in such an offering, but provides an interesting perspective on what the major electronics retailer might be hoping for and what it thinks its customers would want in an Apple television set.Be one of the first to get the all new 42" Apple HDTV at Best Buy for $1499. Apple finally reinvents what a TV can do:

- 42" 1080p LED flat panel display

- Incorporates Apple's operating system (iOS) found in its current Apple TV set top box which allows you to purchase and stream movies and other entertainment from the Internet

- Download and use apps from the App Store. Can you imagine playing...

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Sunday February 5

19:31
Samsung Continues to Poke Fun at Apple Fans in Super Bowl...

Samsung aired another of its series of Apple-mocking commercials during the 2012 Super Bowl tonight. In this ad, Samsung is pushing the new Samsung Galaxy Note.

Like the previous ads in the series, Samsung depicts iPhone fans standing in line for the new iPhone, while promoting their own products as the "next big thing".

Samsung's head of marketing has acknowledged she is directly targeting Apple and shooting to reach a more emotional connection with their consumers. “Especially in U.S., people...

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Documentation Scanner

Wednesday February 8

11:31
Aperture: Compatible versions for OS X Lion

Specific versions of Aperture are compatible with OS X Lion.

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11:22
Restarting PresSTORE Services

A number of PresSTORE backup servers also provide other services in the environments they are installed in. Therefore, restarting PresSTORE services without restarting the host that runs the PresSTORE services can be done via the command line so that you don’t have to restart the server that is doing backups.

To stop the PresSTORE server agent, use the stop-server command stored in /usr/local/aw:

sudo /usr/local/aw/stop-server

To the restart the server, use the start-server command, stored in the same location:

/usr/local/aw/start-server

The restart can also be done as a different user by invoking the -u operator followed by (and therefore defining) a user. The server occasionally stops itself for internal housecleaning, so this isn’t doing anything that isn’t already automated…Similar Articles:

  • ...
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07:30
10.7: Update to a workaround for a Boot Camp x64...

Yesterday I finally got around to dual-booting my MacBook, with a nice fresh copy of Windows 7. Everything was great, except for a laggy download of the Windows Support Software. So, earlier today, I got around to installing the drivers. It turns out, my old MacBook didn't support BootCampx64. I then did a quick search on how to fix this issue.



I came up with a number of answers, but this is an answer aimed at people who were in my situation which is:

  • I could not right click on the BootCampx64.msi file, because of the missing drivers.
  • Or if I could right click, then changing the properties of BootCampx64.msi resulted in not having the required elevated access privileges.

My solution (done from within Windows, obviously):

  • Without the drivers installed, you can still right click on the BootCampx64.msi file by click it with 'Shift-F10' which apparently acts as an alternate right click.
  • ...
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Tuesday February 7

17:00
Engaging Users with Local and Push Notifications

Local and push notifications are great for keeping users engaged around timely and relevant content, like score updates on their favorite team or breaking news stories. However, it’s important to adhere to the App Store Review Guidelines and avoid sending users unsolicited messages or spam as notifications. Doing so not only takes away from the user experience, but may cause your app to be removed from the App Store. Read our tips and best practices for using local and push notifications in your app. Learn more.

| Read more »
17:00
Engaging Users with Local and Push Notifications

Local and push notifications are great for keeping users engaged around timely and relevant content, like score updates on their favorite team or breaking news stories. However, it’s important to adhere to the App Store Review Guidelines and avoid sending users unsolicited messages or spam as notifications. Doing so not only takes away from the user experience, but may cause your app to be removed from the App Store. Read our tips and best practices for using local and push notifications in your app. Learn more.

| Read more »
17:00
Engaging Users with Local and Push Notifications

Local and push notifications are great for keeping users engaged around timely and relevant content, like score updates on their favorite team or breaking news stories. However, it’s important to adhere to the App Store Review Guidelines and avoid sending users unsolicited messages or spam as notifications. Doing so not only takes away from the user experience, but may cause your app to be removed from the App Store. Read our tips and best practices for using local and push notifications in your app. Learn more.

| Read more »
14:22
Logic Pro 9.1.6, MainStage 2.2: Basic Content may...

If you open MainStage 2.2 or Logic Pro 9.1.6 from a volume other than the startup disk (such as an external hard drive), you may be asked to download additional content. That content may download but not install. This can occur if you purchased these applications from the Mac App Store.

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14:18
Logic Pro 9: Training resources

Learn more about Logic Pro 9 with these resources.

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14:14
Logic Pro 9: Support resources

Use the resources below to help get support and find answers to your Logic Pro 9 questions.

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07:30
Airport Utility 6.0

Airport Utility 6.0 was released a few days ago.



You may want to keep both 5.6 and 6.0 versions. I used Pacifist, and manually reinstalled the 5.6 version side by side. Lots of missing features in the new utility. No way to tweak wireless options for Mode, Frequency, Multicast Rate or Transmit Power, and such a tiny window for port mapping list. An elegant interface, but at a price.



For a thorough review and pointers to stand alone updates, read here.



[crarko adds: Consider this a public service announcement. It also appears that AirPort Utility 6.0 only functions with the 802.11(n) compatible base stations, so that old AirPort Express you may have (like I do) is not supported. I've actually saved many older versions of the utility, even for the original Graphite (flying...

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07:30
10.7: See Exposé view of an app in the background

This is a feature that allows you to see the Exposé of an app that is in the background. You'll need a Trackpad.



In OS X 10.7, the four-finger swipe down toggles app Exposé for the app in the foreground. Except if you place the cursor on the icon of a running app in the Dock, in which case the four-finger down swipe toggles the app exposé of THAT app, not the application that is in the foreground.



If you swipe down again without selecting a window from the Exposé view, you are taken back to the app you were in before toggling Exposé.



[crarko adds: I'd love to test this, but my Lion system is still trying to finish installing the 10.7.3 update, which has already taken considerably longer than anticipated.]



...

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Monday February 6

13:00
Adhering to Guidelines on Third-Party Marketing...

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership. Get helpful tips and resources on marketing your apps the right way from the App Store Resource Center.

| Read more »
13:00
Adhering to Guidelines on Third-Party Marketing...

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership. Get helpful tips and resources on marketing your apps the right way from the App Store Resource Center.

| Read more »
13:00
Adhering to Guidelines on Third-Party Marketing...

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership. Get helpful tips and resources on marketing your apps the right way from the App Store Resource Center.

| Read more »
07:30
Make the computer sing happy birthday

Here's a way to use AppleScript and the 'say' command to have the computer sing happy birthday to you. Enjoy!

set currentUser to long user name of (get system info)
set firstName to first word of currentUser
set lastName to last word of currentUser

set noteValues to {56, 56, 58, 56, 61, 60, 50, 56, 56, 58, 56, 63, 61, 50, 56, 56, 68, 65, 61, 60, 58, 50, 66, 66, 65, 61, 63, 61} -- F
-- set noteValues to {65, 65, 67, 65, 70, 69, 60, 65, 65, 67, 65, 72, 70, 60, 65, 65, 77, 74, 70, 69, 67, 60, 75, 75, 74, 70, 72, 70} -- D
-- set noteValues to {55, 55, 57, 55, 60, 59, 50, 55, 55, 57, 55, 62, 60, 50, 55, 55, 67, 64, 60, 59, 57, 50, 65, 65, 64, 60, 62, 60} -- E

set syllables to {"hap", "p", "birth", "day", "to", "you", "[[slnc 500]]", "hap", "p", "birth", "day", "to", "you", "[[slnc 500]]", "hap", "p", "birth ...



...

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07:30
10.7: Updating Lion Server if using CalDAV and...

If you plan to update your OS X Server to 10.7.2 be sure to restart your machine and stop all server services, especially iCal Server and Address book server before applying the update.



It happened to me yesterday that I applied the OS X 10.7.2 update to my Mac mini server without closing any apps. I just ran it. After the update it turned out, this was a big mistake. All calendar entries of the past three weeks and many contacts were lost.



I was not able to recover anything from time machine. Lion server keeps the CalDAV and CardDAV data in a PostgreSQL database which is apparently not backed up by TimeMachine. Also, the PostgreSQL uses transactions which need to be 'closed' before they end up being permanently written into the DB tables.



What I found from reviewing the postgres log file (/Library/Logs/PostgreSQL.log) is that the 10.7.2 server update will apply a whole bunch of database...

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Friday February 3

14:16
Final Cut Pro X trial: FAQ

Learn more about the Final Cut Pro X trial with these frequently asked questions.

| Read more »
13:49
Shape shifting Office objects

What? No egg shape? If you want to fine-tune a shape in Office for Mac 2011, or even create a different shape altogether, you can edit its points.

For example, turn a circle into an egg shape. Or rearrange the points in a freeform shape that you created with the drawing tool.

To see the points on the shape, right-click (or hold down CONTROL and click) the shape, and then click Edit Points. Then drag a point wherever you want.

Tips Zoom in 200% or 400% for more precision. To move the object with finer control, hold down COMMAND and press any arrow key.

For more information about changing shapes, read the following Office for Mac Help topic:...

| Read more »
09:17
OS X Lion: Fonts list

Learn about the fonts included with OS X Lion.

| Read more »
09:14
Time Machine: How to transfer backups from the...

If you want to switch to a different backup drive, use this article to learn how to transfer your existing Time Machine backups to the new backup drive, and then use it for regular Time Machine backups.

| Read more »

Documentation Scanner

Wednesday February 8

11:31
Aperture: Compatible versions for OS X Lion

Specific versions of Aperture are compatible with OS X Lion.

| Read more »
11:22
Restarting PresSTORE Services

A number of PresSTORE backup servers also provide other services in the environments they are installed in. Therefore, restarting PresSTORE services without restarting the host that runs the PresSTORE services can be done via the command line so that you don’t have to restart the server that is doing backups.

To stop the PresSTORE server agent, use the stop-server command stored in /usr/local/aw:

sudo /usr/local/aw/stop-server

To the restart the server, use the start-server command, stored in the same location:

/usr/local/aw/start-server

The restart can also be done as a different user by invoking the -u operator followed by (and therefore defining) a user. The server occasionally stops itself for internal housecleaning, so this isn’t doing anything that isn’t already automated…Similar Articles:

  • ...
| Read more »
07:30
10.7: Update to a workaround for a Boot Camp x64...

Yesterday I finally got around to dual-booting my MacBook, with a nice fresh copy of Windows 7. Everything was great, except for a laggy download of the Windows Support Software. So, earlier today, I got around to installing the drivers. It turns out, my old MacBook didn't support BootCampx64. I then did a quick search on how to fix this issue.



I came up with a number of answers, but this is an answer aimed at people who were in my situation which is:

  • I could not right click on the BootCampx64.msi file, because of the missing drivers.
  • Or if I could right click, then changing the properties of BootCampx64.msi resulted in not having the required elevated access privileges.

My solution (done from within Windows, obviously):

  • Without the drivers installed, you can still right click on the BootCampx64.msi file by click it with 'Shift-F10' which apparently acts as an alternate right click.
  • ...
| Read more »

Tuesday February 7

17:00
Engaging Users with Local and Push Notifications

Local and push notifications are great for keeping users engaged around timely and relevant content, like score updates on their favorite team or breaking news stories. However, it’s important to adhere to the App Store Review Guidelines and avoid sending users unsolicited messages or spam as notifications. Doing so not only takes away from the user experience, but may cause your app to be removed from the App Store. Read our tips and best practices for using local and push notifications in your app. Learn more.

| Read more »
17:00
Engaging Users with Local and Push Notifications

Local and push notifications are great for keeping users engaged around timely and relevant content, like score updates on their favorite team or breaking news stories. However, it’s important to adhere to the App Store Review Guidelines and avoid sending users unsolicited messages or spam as notifications. Doing so not only takes away from the user experience, but may cause your app to be removed from the App Store. Read our tips and best practices for using local and push notifications in your app. Learn more.

| Read more »
17:00
Engaging Users with Local and Push Notifications

Local and push notifications are great for keeping users engaged around timely and relevant content, like score updates on their favorite team or breaking news stories. However, it’s important to adhere to the App Store Review Guidelines and avoid sending users unsolicited messages or spam as notifications. Doing so not only takes away from the user experience, but may cause your app to be removed from the App Store. Read our tips and best practices for using local and push notifications in your app. Learn more.

| Read more »
14:22
Logic Pro 9.1.6, MainStage 2.2: Basic Content may...

If you open MainStage 2.2 or Logic Pro 9.1.6 from a volume other than the startup disk (such as an external hard drive), you may be asked to download additional content. That content may download but not install. This can occur if you purchased these applications from the Mac App Store.

| Read more »
14:18
Logic Pro 9: Training resources

Learn more about Logic Pro 9 with these resources.

| Read more »
14:14
Logic Pro 9: Support resources

Use the resources below to help get support and find answers to your Logic Pro 9 questions.

| Read more »
07:30
Airport Utility 6.0

Airport Utility 6.0 was released a few days ago.



You may want to keep both 5.6 and 6.0 versions. I used Pacifist, and manually reinstalled the 5.6 version side by side. Lots of missing features in the new utility. No way to tweak wireless options for Mode, Frequency, Multicast Rate or Transmit Power, and such a tiny window for port mapping list. An elegant interface, but at a price.



For a thorough review and pointers to stand alone updates, read here.



[crarko adds: Consider this a public service announcement. It also appears that AirPort Utility 6.0 only functions with the 802.11(n) compatible base stations, so that old AirPort Express you may have (like I do) is not supported. I've actually saved many older versions of the utility, even for the original Graphite (flying...

| Read more »
07:30
10.7: See Exposé view of an app in the background

This is a feature that allows you to see the Exposé of an app that is in the background. You'll need a Trackpad.



In OS X 10.7, the four-finger swipe down toggles app Exposé for the app in the foreground. Except if you place the cursor on the icon of a running app in the Dock, in which case the four-finger down swipe toggles the app exposé of THAT app, not the application that is in the foreground.



If you swipe down again without selecting a window from the Exposé view, you are taken back to the app you were in before toggling Exposé.



[crarko adds: I'd love to test this, but my Lion system is still trying to finish installing the 10.7.3 update, which has already taken considerably longer than anticipated.]



...

| Read more »

Monday February 6

13:00
Adhering to Guidelines on Third-Party Marketing...

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership. Get helpful tips and resources on marketing your apps the right way from the App Store Resource Center.

| Read more »
13:00
Adhering to Guidelines on Third-Party Marketing...

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership. Get helpful tips and resources on marketing your apps the right way from the App Store Resource Center.

| Read more »
13:00
Adhering to Guidelines on Third-Party Marketing...

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership. Get helpful tips and resources on marketing your apps the right way from the App Store Resource Center.

| Read more »
07:30
Make the computer sing happy birthday

Here's a way to use AppleScript and the 'say' command to have the computer sing happy birthday to you. Enjoy!

set currentUser to long user name of (get system info)
set firstName to first word of currentUser
set lastName to last word of currentUser

set noteValues to {56, 56, 58, 56, 61, 60, 50, 56, 56, 58, 56, 63, 61, 50, 56, 56, 68, 65, 61, 60, 58, 50, 66, 66, 65, 61, 63, 61} -- F
-- set noteValues to {65, 65, 67, 65, 70, 69, 60, 65, 65, 67, 65, 72, 70, 60, 65, 65, 77, 74, 70, 69, 67, 60, 75, 75, 74, 70, 72, 70} -- D
-- set noteValues to {55, 55, 57, 55, 60, 59, 50, 55, 55, 57, 55, 62, 60, 50, 55, 55, 67, 64, 60, 59, 57, 50, 65, 65, 64, 60, 62, 60} -- E

set syllables to {"hap", "p", "birth", "day", "to", "you", "[[slnc 500]]", "hap", "p", "birth", "day", "to", "you", "[[slnc 500]]", "hap", "p", "birth ...



...

| Read more »
07:30
10.7: Updating Lion Server if using CalDAV and...

If you plan to update your OS X Server to 10.7.2 be sure to restart your machine and stop all server services, especially iCal Server and Address book server before applying the update.



It happened to me yesterday that I applied the OS X 10.7.2 update to my Mac mini server without closing any apps. I just ran it. After the update it turned out, this was a big mistake. All calendar entries of the past three weeks and many contacts were lost.



I was not able to recover anything from time machine. Lion server keeps the CalDAV and CardDAV data in a PostgreSQL database which is apparently not backed up by TimeMachine. Also, the PostgreSQL uses transactions which need to be 'closed' before they end up being permanently written into the DB tables.



What I found from reviewing the postgres log file (/Library/Logs/PostgreSQL.log) is that the 10.7.2 server update will apply a whole bunch of database...

| Read more »

Friday February 3

14:16
Final Cut Pro X trial: FAQ

Learn more about the Final Cut Pro X trial with these frequently asked questions.

| Read more »
13:49
Shape shifting Office objects

What? No egg shape? If you want to fine-tune a shape in Office for Mac 2011, or even create a different shape altogether, you can edit its points.

For example, turn a circle into an egg shape. Or rearrange the points in a freeform shape that you created with the drawing tool.

To see the points on the shape, right-click (or hold down CONTROL and click) the shape, and then click Edit Points. Then drag a point wherever you want.

Tips Zoom in 200% or 400% for more precision. To move the object with finer control, hold down COMMAND and press any arrow key.

For more information about changing shapes, read the following Office for Mac Help topic:...

| Read more »
09:17
OS X Lion: Fonts list

Learn about the fonts included with OS X Lion.

| Read more »
09:14
Time Machine: How to transfer backups from the...

If you want to switch to a different backup drive, use this article to learn how to transfer your existing Time Machine backups to the new backup drive, and then use it for regular Time Machine backups.

| Read more »

Technology Showcase

Dec 16
Appcelerator offers '4 Steps to creating a mobile...

Appcelerator has published a white paper on "4 Steps to creating a mobile development strategy."

"Companies now have a window of opportunity to think about how mobile can transform their business as radically as the web did," says AppCelerator. "By making mobile a part of their overall digital strategy, companies can transform their relationships with their customers in even greater ways than they did with the web."

The white paper tells you how this can be accomplished. Appcelerator (http://www.appcelerator.com/) is a company that helps web developers create mobile, tablet and desktop applications.

| Read more »
Sep 19
InterMapper publishes white papers on network...

InterMapper has published four white papers on network monitoring, mapping and alerting and InterMapper. You can find them all at
http://www.intermapper.com/resources/whitepapers.aspx .

The papers look at "Top 8 reasons SMBs need to monitor their networks," "top 8 considerations for selecting SMB network monitoring software," "10 steps to streamline the deployment of network monitoring software for SMBs," and "6 ways to calculate returns from your networking monitoring investment."

InterMapper is Mac OS X compatible network monitoring software. It uses SNMP to monitor the network infrastructure, and has probes for monitoring many kinds of servers, including web, mail, LDAP, FTP, etc. More information and a free 30-day demo are available at the product Web site (...

| Read more »
Aug 11
Video tour of new Data Rescue Center headquarters...

The Data Rescue Center, a a data recovery company founded in 2009 and a division of Prosoft Engineering, recently opened a new state-of-the-art headquarters in Livermore, California. You can get a video tour of it at http://www.thedatarescuecenter.com/company_background.html .

In June of 2010, the Data Rescue Center and Prosoft Engineering finalized the purchase of a building in Livermore near the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Work immediately began on the design and construction of the new recovery lab facility.

In late January of 2011, both The Data Rescue Center and Prosoft Engineering moved all operations to this new facility. It boasts a Class 2 UL-Listed Vault and extensive security features.

The ISO 5 / Class 100 Cleanroom exceeds all manufacturers specifications for cleanroom recovery environments, according to...

| Read more »
Mar 11
Video looks at 'Fixing Flat Color in Final Cut...

Future Media Concepts has posted a video on "Fixing Flat Color in Final Cut Pro." It teaches you how to make your colors "pop" in footage in Final Cut Pro. You can find it at
http://www.fmctraining.com/fmc.asp?w=blip_AYHdkS4C .

Future Media Concepts is a digital media training center representing the leading software manufacturers, including Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Boris FX, Digidesign, NewTek and Softimage. Headquartered in New York City, FMC now operates 5 additional digital media training facilities located in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Orlando and Chicago.

| Read more »
Oct 04
Video showcases Zco's services

Zco Corp. (http://www.zco.com) has posted an overview video for their technology showcase. You can view it here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzE89z-jexA .

Zco can help you build custom software, as well as market it. The company developsb oth industrial strength backend applications using .NET, PHP and Java as well as apps for all major mobile platforms, including the iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone 7, WebOS and Symbian.

Zco can also help you promote your products and services using search engine optimization and social media optimization techniques, HD video, stunning graphics, 3D animation and video effects, press releases, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Google, Yahoo and Bing.

| Read more »
Aug 26
Video looks at digital storytelling features of...

A new online video (http://www.memoryminer.com) shows some of the best ways for using MemoryMiner, a digital storytelling application for Mac OS X. Designed an an complement the iLife suite, the software is all about capturing and exploring your life memories.

MemoryMiner allows anyone to zero in on the stories depicted in their photos by linking them to each other based on people, places and time. While photos are used as the starting point, the goal is always uncovering the backstory.

With MemoryMiner, you can directly record audio or video to capture the backstory of a photo. You can attach documents, web URL's, or other media to add depth and context. Each photo becomes a frame in a storyboard that can be browsed by periods in a person's life, where people overlap, by place, by time, or any combination.

MemoryMiner requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher. It's Universal Binary so runs...

| Read more »
Jul 30
Ergonis posts video on using Typinator

Ergonis Software has posted a video (http://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/movie.html) on Typinator (http://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/), its tool for auto-typing text and auto-correcting typos system-wide across all Mac OS X applications.

With thousands of predefined corrections for common typos and misspelled words for US and British English, German and French, Typinator is not only just a typing assistant that speeds repetitive typing tasks, but also a system-wide auto-correction tool that automatically fixes typing errors and misspelled words. You just define an abbreviation along with its replacement text or picture. Whenever you type one of your abbreviations in any application, Typinator inserts the corresponding...

| Read more »
Jul 19
Seagate introduces GoFlex Home for centralized storage

Seagate (http://www.seagate.com) has unveiled the newest addition to its GoFlex family of hard drives -- the GoFlex Home network storage system. When it's connected to a wireless router, an entire household can centrally store, easily access and continuously back up files wirelessly from Mac and Windows systems on the home  network.

The new centralized storage system simplifies the backup process by being compatible with the Apple Time Machine, as well as including a version of the backup application for both Mac OS X and Windows operating systems, says Darcy Clarkson, Seagate vice president of Retail Sales and Marketing. With the GoFlex Home storage system, families can also wirelessly stream photos, movies and music to most network connected DLNA devices, such as game consoles or a GoFlex TV HD media player, from any room in the house.

The GoFlex Home is available in 1TB and 2TB capacities at...

| Read more »
 
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Tweetbot Reaches Version 2.0
Here at 148apps, we’re big fans of Tweetbot. Offering pretty much everything anyone could ever want from a Twitter client, it’s no wonder that we feel that way. I know I’m quietly hopeful that one day a desktop client as good as it will come along... | Read more »
Demolicious Review
Demolicious Review By Rob Rich on February 8th, 2012 Our Rating: :: ORDINANCE & CHAOSiPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad Nothing says “Circus” like firing cannon balls at explosives.   | Read more »
Settle in for a Serious Read with Longfo...
It may seem anathema in the early 21st century, but some people still prefer their news in-depth, thorough and well-written. But in a twitterpated sound-bite culture it’s difficult to find comprehensive news reporting much less an app that serves it... | Read more »
Elf Defense Review
Elf Defense Review By Rob Rich on February 8th, 2012 Our Rating: :: HABIT-FORMINGUniversal App - Designed for iPhone and iPad Call it a fluke or call it careful planning, but Elf Defense is a TD game that hits all the right notes.   | Read more »
Social And Location Aware News With Arou...
Regardless of the location, there’s bound to be something interesting going on somewhere. AroundNow seeks to provide an easy way of seeing exactly what’s going on locally at any time. | Read more »
Royal Trouble: Hidden Adventures Review
Royal Trouble: Hidden Adventures Review By Jennifer Allen on February 8th, 2012 Our Rating: :: CASUAL MYSTERYiPad Only App - Designed for the iPad A lighthearted casual adventure gaming experience that’s a small step up in... | Read more »
Favorite Four Apps For Valentine’s Day
Ah, Valentine’s day. That wonderful day where those in relationships set huge expectations for perfect romantic escapades that can seldom be met by their partner and singles wish they could share in the homage to Hallmark and Cupid. Finding the... | Read more »

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

Apple refurbished iMacs available starting at $999
The Apple Store has Apple Certified Refurbished iMacs available for up to $340 off the price of new models. An Apple one-year warranty is included with each model, and shipping is free: - 27″ 3.1GHz... Read more
MacBooks up to $200 off at Apple Store for Educati...
Purchase a new MacBook Pro or MacBook Air at The Apple Store for Education and take up to $200 off MSRP. All teachers, students, and staff of any educational institution qualify for the discount.... Read more
13″ 2.4GHz White MacBook (refurbished) available f...
The Apple Store has restocked Apple Certified Refurbished 13″ 2.4GHz White MacBooks for $849 including free shipping. Their price is $150 off original MSRP for new models and includes Apple’s one-... Read more
Mac mini Server on sale for $942, $57 off MSRP
B&H Photo has Mac mini Servers on sale for $942.95 including free shipping plus NY sales tax only. Their price is $57 off MSRP, and it’s the lowest price we’ve seen for this model from any Apple... Read more
Apple drops prices on refurbished iPod nanos to $9...
The Apple Store has Apple Certified Refurbished iPod nanos available starting at $99 – a $10 price drop. Each nano comes with an Apple one-year warranty, and shipping is free: - 16GB iPod nano (all... Read more
Open-box special: 13″ MacBook Air for $230 off MSR...
MacMall has open-box return 13″ 128GB MacBook Airs available for $1069.21 including free FedEx overnight shipping. That’s $230 off the cost of new models. Apple’s one-year warranty and all materials... Read more
Apple now offering refurbished Oct ’11 13″ MacBook...
 The Apple Store is now offering Apple Certified Refurbished October 2011 13″ MacBook Pros for up to $230 off the cost of new models, including free shipping. Apple’s one-year warranty is standard... Read more
MacBook Airs on sale for up to $101 off MSRP
B&H Photo has 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Airs on sale for up to $101 (6%) off MSRP including free shipping plus NY sales tax only: - 11″ 64GB MacBook Air (MSRP $999): $939 - 11″ 128GB MacBook... Read more

Jobs Board

MAC Service Desk Technician at Technisou...
Available Ref ID: 1001703119 Visit Us www.technisource.com MAC Service Desk Technician JOB DESCRIPTION MAC Service Desk ... Apple Mac OS 10.X operating systems Strong knowledge of Mac hardware... Read more
iPhone App Developer at Elance.com (Gads...
I need an iPhone app developer to update and existing application with a new design and a few feature changes. You will ... the new design PSD, feature request details, existing app files and API... Read more
Help Desk / Windows & MAC Support Te...
Superior Technical Resources is looking for a Help Desk / Windows & MAC Support Technician to work for a very successful ... Candidate will have experience working in a Microsoft and Apple... Read more
iPad and iPhone App Developer at Boxee (...
This position will be involved throughout the entire application development lifecycle. You must be confident, take ownership of your projects, work efficiently without management, be personable, and... Read more
Apple/MAC Technology Consultant at Human...
Role: Apple / Mac Technology Consultant Assignment: Technical Services Location: Louisville, KY Are you a fit? Are you ... at an enterprise scale? Assignment Capsule: The Apple / Mac Consultant in... Read more
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