Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2006.06.09
PowerBook, iBook, iPod, and other portable computing is covered
in The 'Book Review. News about
Apple's transition to Intel CPUs and other Intel developments is
covered in The Macintel Report.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
Mac News & Opinion
iPod News & Opinion
Products
Software
Mac News & Opinion
Macs Used as Bait by Chinese Scammers
The Inquirer's Nick Farrell reports:
"Apple Macinteltoshes are being used by Chinese eBay scammers to
lure marks from their money.
"According to people who have contacted the INQ, a Chinese
criminal ring has been luring punters with fake promises of
cut-price Macinteltoshes.
"They can be spotted, we are told, because they ask for payment
using Western Union in English pounds or Euro."
- Link: Macintosh Becomes
Latest Vehicle for Chinese Scam
Mac OS 9 Users, Time to Step Up to OS X
Gene Steinberg says:
"I know that, like all folks who have embraced the Apple
Macintosh, you are an extremely smart, well-educated person with an
above-average income. Or at least you aspire to one or all of these
goals. Despite being surrounded by people who have urged you to
join the 'Dark Side,' which is our little moniker for the Windows
world, you have resisted....
"I feel your pain, but you have to understand that Mac OS 9, the
last general release of the original Mac OS, was a creaky mess,
almost collapsing under its own weight. By version 8.0, Apple
grafted a few of the surface features of Copland, its failed
project to bring the Mac into the 21st century, but it could be
slow, and buggy, although I realize some of you tamed it
sufficiently to work pretty reliably."
Editor's note: I basically agree with Gene's premise in this
article, that It's really time to make the transition to OS X
if you haven't already done so, but I do dispute the OS 9 is
"a creaky mess, almost collapsing under its own weight" bit. Last
year I got one stretch of more than three months without a reboot
(daily use, albeit not heavy-duty) on my WallStreet PowerBook running OS
9.2.2, and even on that ancient 233 MHz G3 machine, OS 9.2.2 feels
a lot livelier than Tiger for many tasks - especially Finder
response - than any of my Macs running Tiger, including a 1.33 GHz
G4 with 1.5 GB of RAM.
That said, for the reasons Gene outlines, and especially one he
didn't - OS X browser support - there is no way I would ever want
to go back to using OS 9 for production work. cm
- Link:
A Memo to Mac OS 9 Users
Switching from the Mac
Mark Pilgrim says:
"I've long been an advocate of Free Software. I've been a
card-carrying associate member of the Free Software Foundation
since 2002. I've been writing GPL software since 1993. The Mac is a
thread woven through the tapestry of my life. For many years,
Apple's combined offering has been impressive enough to keep me
paying for both their hardware and their software. But lately their
software has been getting weaker (and more restrictive), to the
point where I've found myself researching alternatives, even on Mac
OS X.
- Safari? No thanks, I choose Firefox (and later Camino).
- iChat? No thanks, Adium X
talks to everyone, not just your business partners.
- QuickTime? No thanks, VLC plays everything, and in
full-screen.
- Terminal? No thanks, iTerm has tabs.
"And so forth. In fact, I spend the vast majority of my time
using these and other open source applications (Carbon Emacs,
Colloquy, Audacity, Seashore, Python, and a variety of command-line
tools). Why keep running them on an operating system that costs
money and restricts my rights and my usage?
"(I would like to point out that it is entirely Apple's choice
that their operating system does not run on my new Lenovo
ThinkCentre. I'm not saying it was a bad business decision - they
are a hardware company, after all - but it is particularly galling
to realize that if I bought a new Mac, I would be subsidizing the
development of an operating system that contains code whose sole
purpose is to lock me into a specific hardware platform. I realize
that most people don't look at it that way, but there it is.)"
"In many ways, the tale of my switch is more of the same old
story. Mac OS X was 'free enough' to keep me using something that
was not in my long-term best interest. But as I stood in the Apple
store last weekend and drooled over the beautiful, beautiful
hardware, all I could think was how much work it would take to
twiddle with the default settings, install third-party software,
and hide all the commercial tie-ins so I could pretend I was in
control of my own computer. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,
and to my eye Apple isn't beautiful anymore. I've worked around it
or ignored it for a long time, but eventually the bough
breaks."
- Link:
When the Bough Breaks
G5 Quad: Still So Much Power
Hardmac's Lionel says:
"Many readers are puzzled by the future replacement of PMG5 by
Intel-based Mac (a.k.a. Mac Pro). What will happen to the current
PMG5 regarding performance. To demonstrate how powerful the
PMG5 Quad still is, we
performed an experiment: open 3 TVHD streaming requiring on-the-fly
decoding (French Tennis Open, Roland Garros)."
- Link: PM
Quad G5: Still So Much Power
Multimedia Mac mini
Macworld's Christopher Breen says:
"With the introduction of the [October 2005] iMac G5 and its accompanying remote
control and Front Row media browser software, Apple hinted that the
Macintosh was ready to add a new skill to its resume - serving as a
multimedia center. I took a look at the multimedia capabilities of
that G5-based iMac earlier this year, approaching the task with a
challenging goal in mind: Switch off the stereo, TV, TiVo, DVD
player, and radio and replace those devices and their functionality
with the iMac and a select set of third-party peripherals.
"While the iMac proved to be an adequate multimedia center, it
wasn't about to replace my dedicated media components. Its display
was too small for a large room and television pictures displayed on
its monitor lacked the clarity that you find on a real TV. Maybe
the answer wasn't in replacing my media center, but rather using
the Mac as an enhancement to my existing components. If only the
computer was smaller, cheaper, and - when plugged into my TV - free
of the redundant display.
"Apple released just such a computer in the Intel-based Mac mini. Unlike
the original mini, this Mac
supports infrared remote control, includes an updated version of
Front Row that supports playing shared media, and offers 5.1
digital audio output, four USB ports rather than two, and, of
course, a more powerful CPU. Could this Macintosh be the answer to
my multimedia needs?"
- Link:
Multimedia Mac mini
Mac mini vs. Media Center Mini Edition
machtpc.com says:
"So S1Digital introduced a Windows MCE based 'mini' computer eh?
I noticed quite a bit of buzz on this thing yesterday and wanted to
look into it.
"The first thing I noticed is that the er I'm not typing out
that long ass name every time, what should I call this thing, ok I
got it.
"the S1 MCE Mini sells for $1200 smackers, a direct comparison
to a Mac mini isn't really
possible as the base price on the better mini is $799 but for kicks
I'll add some extras to the mini to see if we can get one up that
high.
"OK let's compare the Mac mini and S1 MCE Mini...."
- Link:
Mac mini vs. Media Center Mini Edition
Mac mini Owner Gets His DVR on
MacUser's Dan Moren reports:
"I have one reason for posting a picture of this guy's DVR
setup: to make Derik envious. I know he's been in mourning ever
since Steve announced the last mini without support for recording
TV broadcasts.
"Jeff (last name withheld so that Derik won't track him down and
attempt to steal his setup), has wall mounted an Intel Mac mini
with a 1 GB of RAM, a 300 GB HD, Miglia TVMini HD tuner, and
more...."
- Link:
Mac mini Owner Gets His DVR on
Man Installs Mac mini in His DeLorean
autospies.com says:
"I had to crack open the mini to do the RAM upgrade, so I used
that opportunity to unscrew the CD-ROM and hard drive assembly from
the motherboard. Inside, I ran two wires from the modem hole area
to the boot button area. Thanks to MP3Car.com for providing me with the tiny
Y-cable. This Y-cable goes between the built-in boot button and the
motherboard, and provides a second set of wire leads, allowing you
to add a second boot button to the Mac mini. I soldered the wires
to the Boot Port, then used JB-Weld to mount the boot port jack in
the modem hole. Now I have a semi-permanent boot port in the back
of the mini that can plug and unplug with the rest of the cables
seamlessly."
- Link: Man
Installs Mac mini in His DeLorean
WD Passport USB Drives Now in Sync with
Macs
PR: Western Digital Corp. has announced that its WD
Passport Portable and WD Passport Pocket USB Drives are now
shipping with software that simplifies the synchronization of
essential personal files and Microsoft Outlook data on a Macintosh
computer or PC with the portable storage devices. The new WD Sync
software enables users to securely access, edit and share Microsoft
Word documents and Excel spreadsheets, MP3 files, e-mails,
attachments and more from anywhere - in a cybercafé, on a
friend's laptop or in a colleague's office.
WD Sync synchronization and encryption software secures owners'
data with 128-bit encryption plus password protection ensuring that
personal files and Outlook data remain on the WD Passport Portable
Drive or WD Passport Pocket Drive and are not copied to any
computers that owners use other than their primary ones. Owners of
WD Passport Portable and WD Passport Pocket models sold previously
without the WD Sync software now can download the software for
free from WD's website.
WD Passport Portable and WD Passport Pocket USB Drives are
powered by the USB bus with no need for a separate power supply
(for most systems). Combined with the easy-to-set-up, customizable
WD Sync software, the two devices are easy to use anywhere - simply
plug in and store.
WD Passport Portable USB Drives feature sleek rounded corners
and a black textured, non-slip rugged protective case. The drives
are outfitted with high-performance, low power-consuming, cool and
quiet-running WD Scorpio 2.5" EIDE hard drives, as well as Data
Lifeguard protection, to provide maximum safeguard from data loss.
Safety tests make WD Passport Portable USB Drives one of the few
external drives certified to meet all applicable safety
requirements.
WD Passport Portable USB Drives are offered in capacities of 60,
80 and 120 GB. Also available is an optional WD Passport carrying
case for conveniently and stylishly transporting the portable hard
drives. A
product specification sheet and photos of WD Passport Portable
USB Drives are available on the company's website.
The USB 2.0 WD Passport Pocket Drives, about the size of a
matchbox, conveniently store 6 GB of digital content and can fit
into the smallest of pockets and purses. Measuring 0.37 x 2.41 x
1.80 inches and housing a one-inch WD hard drive, the ultra-thin WD
Passport Pocket Drives feature a unique flip-out, rotating USB 2.0
connector that allows use in tight spaces and is thin enough that
two drives can be used at the same time in the tightly spaced USB
ports found on notebook computers. A
product specification sheet and photos of WD Passport Pocket
Drives are available on the company's website.
"The addition of sync and encryption software to WD Passport
Portable and WD Passport Pocket USB drives further secures and
protects users' data," said Jim Welsh, vice president and general
manager of WD's branded products group. "WD designs simplified
external storage that implements the latest technological
advancements providing users convenience and confidence in safe-
keeping and sharing their digital content, giving them complete
control of their data."
WD Passport Portable USB Drives, WD Passport carrying cases and
WD Passport Pocket Drives are available at retail stores, online
retailers and also may be purchased via the company's online
store.
Estimated pricing is $199 for the WD Passport Portable USB Drive
120 GB capacity with WD Sync; $24.99 for the WD Passport carrying
case; and $99 for the WD Passport Pocket Drive.
- Link: Western
Digital
iPod News & Opinion
Apple Introduces New U2 iPod
PR: Apple this week introduced the new iPod U2
Special Edition as part of a continued partnership between Apple,
U2, and Universal Music Group (UMG). The new U2 iPod is based on
the fifth generation 30 GB iPod and holds up to 7,500 songs, 25,000
photos or over 75 hours of video and features a distinctive,
all-black stainless steel enclosure, red Click Wheel and custom
engraving of U2 band member signatures. U2 iPod customers will also
receive 30 minutes of exclusive U2 video downloadable from the
iTunes Music Store. The new U2 iPod is available immediately for
$329.
"We're thrilled to continue working with one of the greatest
bands in the world to bring U2 fans a special edition of the
world's best digital music player," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice
president of worldwide iPod Product Marketing. "With its
distinctive new design, including an all-black stainless steel
enclosure, the new U2 iPod is sure to be a hit."
Featuring seamless integration with the iTunes Music Store and
the iTunes digital music jukebox, the new U2 iPod features Apple's
patent pending Auto-Sync technology that automatically downloads
digital music, podcasts, photos, audiobooks, home movies, music
videos and popular television shows onto the iPod and keeps them
up-to-date whenever the iPod is plugged into a Mac or Windows
computer using USB 2.0. The new U2 iPod features up to 14 hours of
battery life for music playback.*
The new 30 GB U2 iPod is available immediately for a suggested
retail price of $329 (US) through the
Apple Store, Apple's retail stores, and Apple Authorized
Resellers. The new U2 iPod includes earbud headphones, USB 2.0
cable, a case and dock insert. U2 iPod customers will also receive
a coupon for 30 minutes of exclusive U2 video content downloadable
from the iTunes Music Store.**
System requirements:
iPod requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port and Mac OS X version
10.3.9 or later and iTunes 6; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port
and Windows 2000, XP Home or Professional (SP2) and iTunes 6.
- * Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and
settings. See www.apple.com/batteries for
more information. Music capacity is based on four minutes per song
and 128-Kbps AAC encoding; video capacity is based on H.264
750-Kbps combined with 128-Kbps audio; and photo capacity is based
on iPod-viewable photos transferred from iTunes.
- ** Not available in all countries.
U2 formed in their native Dublin in 1978 and remains intact with
its four original band members: Bono, Larry Mullen, Adam Clayton,
and The Edge. The band has sold more than 130 million records
worldwide in an extraordinary career that has firmly established
them as one of the world's greatest rock n' roll bands. Along the
way, U2 has earned a phenomenal 22 Grammy Awards, eight of which
were for their last studio album, 2004's How To Dismantle An Atomic
Bomb, including their second award for Album of the Year. As
popular for their legendary live shows as for their groundbreaking
albums, U2 continue to innovate and inspire while packing football
stadiums and sweaty clubs around the world. Their record breaking
Vertigo 2005-2006 Tour played to more than three million fans in 25
countries worldwide. Universal Music Group is the world's largest
music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in
75 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music
Publishing Group, one of the industry's largest global music
publishing operations. Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi,
a global media and communications company.
iLounge Releases Free iPod Book 2.0 for
Immediate Download
PR: iLounge.com, a resource for iPod news, reviews, and
tutorials, today released The Free iPod Book 2.0, the breakthrough
second edition of its popular guide to All Things iPod and iTunes.
Weighing in at over 190 pages, The Free iPod Book 2.0 has something
for everyone: exclusive debuts of 20 new iPod accessories,
tutorials spotlighting over 200 useful ways to make the most of
Apple Computer's popular iPod and iTunes products, and ratings of
more than 900 popular accessories and iPods.
"We created the 'All Things iPod' slogan back in 2001,"
explained Jeremy Horwitz, Editor of the Book and the iLounge.com
website, "so nearly five years later, with 50 million iPods and
thousands of accessories now out there, The Free iPod Book 2.0
redefines and expands upon that phrase." To that end, the Book is
divided into three key sections - the comprehensive iPod hardware
and accessory guide All Things iPod, the 80-page software tips
section All Things iTunes, and additional pages for non-iPod
products and reader contributions - each loaded with incredible
information and photography.
Divided into 15 common sense steps that cover an iPod's life
span from birth to death and even resuscitation, the All Things
iPod Guide features more than 110 sections full of free,
budget-conscious, or premium solutions to common iPod problems.
Highlights include:
- Sneak Peeks and Reviews: See 20 new iPod accessories debuted
exclusively in the Book, including Atlantic's E Go Waterproof
Speaker, Belkin's TuneDeck and TuneStage for iPod nano, Griffin's
AirDock, Monitor Audio's i-deckcompact and i-deckplus, Oakley's O
ROKR with naviPlay Combo, Sonic Impact's K1 AV system, and v-moda's
golden NV Audio earphones. Get quick reviews of the best iPod
products we've covered, and a ratings table for the over 900 total
iPods and accessories we have reviewed.
- The All Things iPod Guide: A massive 15-step update to last
year's incredible cradle to grave and rebirth look at the iPod.
Over 110 sections include these highlights:
- The Porsche Boxster iPod Road Test: We tear apart a $50,000
2006 Porsche Boxster sports car to add a $3,000 premium iPod
customization package, and offer tips on do-it-yourself auto
integrations for budgets of all sizes.
- iPod Video: Brand-new sections on iPod videos, including how to
create iPod-ready home movies with the first-ever iPod-compatible
video cameras, plus information on converting or buying other
videos for iPod viewing, and video-friendly external battery
packs.
- Filling Your iPod: An extensive guide to filling your iPod with
music, radio shows, games, travel help, books, and other types of
content.
- iPods Everywhere: At The Gym, On Campus, Out of Town, and
More!: New sections for athletes, students, travelers, and expanded
versions of earlier sections for At Home, In The Car, and On Your
Own listening.
- iPod Shopping, Maintenance and Expansion: Expert advice on iPod
shopping, gifting, protection, customization, maintenance and
repair, as well as using accessories to expand its features.
- Selling and Replacing Your iPod: Learn the value of new and
used iPods, including elaborate pricing tables with recent
Amazon.com, eBay, and used iPod retailer and parts store purchasing
prices, plus a full guide to picking the right iPod for you, with
updated information on today's iPod models.
- Beyond: Uncrate and Outblush: Our friends at shopping sites
Uncrate and Outblush highlight major new toys for girls and guys
who love iPods.
- The All Things iTunes Guide: Now with over 125 tips covering
everything from audio to video, pictures, widgets, AppleScripts and
more, All Things iTunes help you learn the best features of iTunes
without boring yourself to tears. Take one tip at a time or read a
bunch - no matter how you read, you'll learn great ways to make
iTunes perform.
- New sections on iPod videos, including how to create iPod-ready
home movies with the first-ever iPod-compatible video cameras, plus
information on converting or buying other videos for iPod viewing,
and video-friendly external battery packs.
- New sections for athletes (At The Gym), students (On Campus),
travelers (Out Of Town), and expanded versions of earlier sections
for At Home, In The Car, and On Your Own listening.
A separate guide called All Things iTunes offers over 125
useful, bite-sized tips for Apple's increasingly powerful iTunes
application, including advice on video downloads, music sharing,
and the market-leading iTunes Music Store. Winners of over $3,500
in iLounge art and photography contest prizes are announced in two
pictorial galleries inside the Book, and at the end, shopping
websites Uncrate and Outblush highlight their top non-iPod gift and
gadget picks for women and men who appreciate great design.
"Last year's Book was directly downloaded over 100,000 times in
the first week alone," said Dennis Lloyd, Publisher of iLounge and
The Free iPod Book 2.0. "This time, we've made everything better -
cooler products, a wider array of tips, and even more fun trivia
questions. Best of all, thanks to advertising support, there's no
charge: all you need to do is click on a no-hassles download page.
Save your money for a new iPod or accessories." iLounge continues
to support the responsible use of file-sharing networks by
encouraging readers to distribute and share the Book online. "Enjoy
the new Book," continued Lloyd, "please tell your friends, and feel
free to send them a copy."
Downloads of The Free iPod Book 2.0 are available today,
alongside iLounge's other publications, the Buyers' Guide and The
Free iPod Book 1.0, designed for users of older iPod models.
- Link: The Free iPod
Book 2.0
Products
Credit Card Sized USB Drive With
Aluminum Alloy Casing
PR: The latest PQI portable storage
device is available with a whopping 8 GB capacity and measures
only 3mm thin. Imagine a credit card size device that requires no
external power to function and stores any type of data you put to
it. Sporting all the functions of a USB (2.0/1.1) compatible
device, functional on Windows or Mac OS, it definitely packs more
value into your wallet.
- Retraction Connector
- Multimedia or Data Storage
- Hot swappable, USB Plug & Play compatible
- LED indicator with three model: Busy, waiting, and off
- Its small size marking it easy to carry and store
- Built-in USB Notebook Professional software
Specifications
- Interface High-speed USB 2.0 interface; backward compatible
with USB 1.1
- Capacity 1 GB/2 GB/4 GB/8 GB
- OS Supported Windows ME, 2000, XP, Mac 10.1 or above
- Power Supply DC 3.3/5V
- Power Consumption Read <100mA, Write <100mA, Standby
<70mA, Un-configuration <70mA, Suspend <0.5mA
- Dimensions 54 x 85 x 3 mm (2.13 x 3.35 x 0.12 in)
- Weight 20 g (0.04 lb)
- Link:
PQI U510
6-Port SATAStar PCI Host Adapter
Supports OS X, Windows, and Linux
PR: NitroAV.com, a developer and manufacturer of
Serial-ATA (SATA) hardware storage and RAID subsystems, announces
an update to the SATAStar series PCI Host Adapter, in stock and
ready to ship.
Another first in a large upcoming line of SATA adapters and
peripherals, the SATAStar series brings its flexible and versatile
($59.95) 6-Port Serial-ATA PCI Host Adapter SATA adapter - which
provides an easy and affordable way to add inexpensive, high-speed
storage and peripherals. With four external shielded eSATA ports
and two internal SATA ports, each offering 1.5 Gbits/sec
performance, the SATAStar 6-Port provides the high bandwidth to
meet the needs of performance-hungry applications.
The new SATAStar series 6-Port SATA PCI host adapter gives you
the maximum ports available on one card, whether you need four
external ports or two internal ports or any combination. All other
vendors give you the option of either four external ports or
internal ports, but the six port SATA card offers you all this in
one card.
NitroAV products are sold through resellers; see website for a
list of resellers or
to become a reseller.
- Link: 6-Port
NitroAV SATAStar Series (External) SATA Professional PCI Host
Adapter
Mac Mini Colocation
PR: Internet Hosting Services company Arogo.Net upgraded
its Mac mini dedicated hosting packages that feature OS X
Tiger to include the latest Intel-based Mac minis. Hosting packages
featuring Mac Minis include 20 GB of dedicated space for backups,
free IP addresses, 24/7 monitoring, web-based reboot and bandwidth
control panel, 100 Mbit Ethernet port, and multi-homed Tier-1
bandwidth.
Mac Minis can be used for hosting websites as well as other
services like mail servers, DNS, FTP, SSH, XGrid, MySQL, and
more.
Monthly pricing starts at $74.95.95 for the 1.25 GHz G4 mini,
which includes 512 MB RAM, a 40 GB hard drive, and 800 GB of data
transfer per month. Intel-based minis start at $94.95 per month for
the Intel Core Solo Mini with 1.5 GHz processor, 60 GB SATA hard
drive, and 1 GB of DDR2 memory.
- Link: Arogo.Net
Pacific Design GrandStand for iPod
Video
PR: Pacific Design
has announced the retail availability of the GrandStand; a unique
case for protecting and styling your Apple iPod 5G Video. Pacific
Design, known for being one of the world leaders for carrying
cases, will ship the iPod Video GrandStand case to U.S. retailers
including Circuit City and Ultimate Electronics beginning June 6th,
2006.
Online retailers will include BagsForMe, eBags, LuggagePoint,
MobilePlanet, and ProVantage; preorders are being taken.
Retailing for $39.95, Pacific Design's intelligent, high quality
GrandStand offers an integrated desk stand with full product
protection for the iPod 5G Video. Pacific Design has once again
shown their ability to merge stylish, fashion-forward design with
cutting edge technology by utilizing GE LEXAN, commonly used in the
aerospace industry. This creates a sheer, see-thru view and the
ultimate in screen protection, while dramatically reducing glare so
video images are viewed with increased clarity. Furthermore, LEXAN
lies smoothly over the product, and integrates cleanly into the
case, making the GrandStand a truly original product.
The GrandStand is constructed of rich
Italian-sourced polyurethane (PU) material and full-grain leather,
giving the case a soft feel and sleek look, without sacrificing
durability. In addition, the GrandStand comes in striking color
combinations including; black with a red stripe, rich brown with a
tan stripe, leaf green with a white stripe, turquoise with a white
stripe, and hot pink with a white stripe.
Case Features:
- GE LEXAN see-thru screen with ultimate glare and scratch
protection
- Unique, integrated design that allows iPod Video to stand
upright for easier and more ergonomic vertical video viewing and
more
- Full access to headphone and sync/power port without removing
iPod Video from case
- Attaches to briefcase, belt, or backpack via a snap-closure
clip on the rear of the case
- Rich high-end PU (polyurethane) and full-grain leather
construction give case stylish looks without sacrificing
durability; and
- Five fashionable, contrasting color designs.
"The Pacific Design development team continues to
outdo itself as evident in the availability of our most remarkable
case to date," commented Donna Fox, president of Pacific Design.
"Compared to current standing cases on the market, the GrandStand
is by far the highest in quality, the most durable, the sharpest in
style and overall, the one you will want to show off to friends.
Customers can expect Pacific Design to relentlessly introduce
high-quality and fashion-forward cases throughout 2006."
- Model Numbers Carbon Black: PD0470
- Rich Brown: PD0471
- Precious Pink: PD0463
- Leaf Green: PD0477
- Turquoise: PD0478
Material:
- Genuine leathers and faux leathers - material varies with
model
- Genuine LEXAN screen protection built-in
Features
- Slim design fits your iPod 5G/Video like a glove
- Case folds out to create stable tripod stand
- Full access to all buttons and ports in the case including the
sync port on the bottom of the player
- Flip case style protects screen both in use and in idle
- Multi-use soft clip on back snaps onto belt, backpack strap, or
purse
- Fits 30 GB 5G/Video iPod; 60 GB 5G/Video iPod
- Link: GrandStand
Software
OmniDazzle Beta Released
PR: Lost your cursor? Hey, it happens - especially when
you're navigating across the four-million-pixels-and-counting
landscape of a 30" Cinema Display.
Even if you don't suffer from the dreaded Lost Cursor Syndrome
(symptoms include batting wildly at your monitor and cursing under
your breath), there are always times when it would be convenient to
call attention to something on your screen ("...as you can all see,
line 37 in this spreadsheet lists my proposed new salary: eleventy
hojillion dollars. Any questions?").
Fret no more, friends, for we have a solution just for you.
Introducing OmniDazzle, a set of fun and useful enhancements that
help you track the location of your mouse pointer and provide
options for highlighting certain areas of your screen.
OmniDazzle is designed to be both playful and practical; you can
use a plugin to professionally emphasize a section of your screen,
or you can turn your mouse movement into an area of focus that
trails pixie dust (or footprints!) across your desktop. You can
configure each plugin to suit your own particular preferences:
change colors, make objects bigger or smaller, or change the way
you activate the OmniDazzle plugin of your choice.
Call out your cursor or part of your screen real estate - or
just add some visual bling to your display; either way, we think
OmniDazzle's collection of tools and toys will put a smile on your
face.
OmniDazzle Plugins (see Web page for screen shots)
Pixie
Dust - We have to be honest, this one might just eat your
productivity for the entire day as you stare mesmerized at the,
ahem, dazzling pixie dust cascading down your screen. Pixie Dust
turns your mouse pointer into a virtual magic wand creating a spray
of colorful sparkles wherever it goes. You can change your pixie
dust to include only a few tiny sprinkles, or turn it into a giant
firehose of awesomeness. The color range is up to you, too. Go
forth and pixiefy!
Flashlight - Illuminate your screen with a virtual flashlight
that follows your mouse pointer wherever you want it to go. When
triggered, Flashlight dims your background and turns your pointer
into a helpful, shining beacon that lights your way. You control
the size and quality of the light, the color, and the
background.
Cutout - This allows you to highlight areas of your screen using
different shapes. Pick a shape (circle, ellipse, rectangle, or
window border) to start, then move your mouse to control the size
of the shape. Watch and be captivated as everything outside your
selection dims. This one's great for guiding an audience during a
presentation, or creating an awesomely instructive screen shot
("then click THIS button RIGHT HERE"). You can customize borders,
dimness, and fill.
Sonar - "Y'know, I seen me a mermaid once. I even seen me a
shark eat an octopus. But I ain't never seen no phantom Russian
submarine." Ah, a great line from Hunt for Red October, and a
fabulous segue into our description of the Sonar plugin! Sonar
turns your monitor into a, um, radar screen, which sweeps on a Hunt
for Your Mouse Pointer, almost like we got mixed up about the
difference between sonar and radar when we created this plugin.
(*cough*) You may not find a Russian sub, but your cursor location
will show up loud and clear. You can change the ring radius, ping
size, and speed of the sweep. Dive, dive, DIVE! Into the sky!
Focal Point - This one's similar to Cutout in that it helps you
highlight part of your screen and dim everything else, but rather
than drawing a shape around a window, Focal Point automatically
selects whatever window you have active. If you set the plugin to
"Focus Under Mouse" mode, Focal Point highlights individual user
interface elements - very handy for doing software demos or
presenting very specific areas of your screen.
Scribble - So you don't want to draw on your Cinema Display with
crayons - this is the next best thing. Trigger the Scribble plugin
to circle important thingies, draw arrows toward interesting
doohickeys, or just satisfy your vandalistic tendencies. The
configuration view allows you to change all kinds of settings like
pen colors, outlines, and width.
Bullseye - Ready . . . aim . . . click! When
you activate this plugin, a bullseye will follow your mouse pointer
around the screen. You control the size, number of rings, and
colors. Target your cursor, or vent your frustration on Bob's email
by taking precise aim on that delete button.
Waves - Your screen gets liquefied with Waves, which creates a
rippling radius around your cursor. Drop a rock in to watch your
screen undulate and shimmer, without any nasty chemical
aftereffects. You can rock the boat just a little, or hang ten
until you're seasick with the wavelength options.
Comic - Turn your
screen into vintage comic book pages with this admittedly silly
plugin. When active, Comic creates visual sound effects that Pow!
Biff! and Zot! their way onto your mouse pointer. Comic has a
default list of onomatopoeias, but you can add your own zany words
(such as Bleem! or Snuh!), and configure the shapes' sizes and
shadows . . . for JUSTICE.
Footprints - Leave a trail wherever your mouse pointer goes with
Footprints; this plugin generates footprints that follow your
cursor, then fade away automatically. You can choose from several
varieties of feet, or come up with your own bizarre combinations
(dog foot/pegleg, anyone?). Change the size, color, and footstep
audio in the configuration view.
Zoom - The Zoom plugin allows you to marquee around an area of
your screen, then click to magnify that selection to the size of
your screen. You can zoom in on documents, specific UI elements,
text - whatever you'd like to see up close and personal. Great for
presentations, screen shots, or just to help out that nosy coworker
trying to read over your shoulder.
1.0 Beta 3:
General
- Improved Pixie Dust description.
- Cleaned up action type interfaces a bit.
- Sounds now get positioned relative to all displays, as
originally intended.
- Creating a hojillion footprints should not cut out older
sounds.
- Mouse shake should no longer get stuck on with delay set to
"now" in Bullseye (this may still be a problem in other plugins,
but will be fixed soon).
- Fixed some issues with the disk image packaging.
Stability
- Fixed crash in toggling between field and window focus in Focal
Point.
- Fixed crash in configuring mouse button event source.
Plugins
- Pixie Dust now works on the Intel GMA 950 (MacBooks & Mac
minis).
- Pixie Dust now works on the top row of the screen.
- Focal Point no longer turns off immediately when using
'Highlight Under Pointer' with two displays.
- Focal Point region is now correct when using 'Highlight Under
Pointer' on non-main displays.
- Focal Point works around an accessibility bug in WebKit/Safari
that prevented it from noticing some focus changes in Safari.
- Fixed slowness/hang when adding/editing strings in Comic.
- Focal Point is vastly faster when focusing on large
windows.
- Zoom sizing is more predictable.
System requirements:
Mac OS X 10.4.6 or later.
System support:
PPC/Intel
$14.95 Shareware
Beta license expires on June 23rd, 2006. Without a license
you'll be limited to one hour of use at a time.
Guest PC 1.9.3 Released
PR: Lismore Software Systems has announced the release
and immediate availability of an updated version of Guest PC
1.9
Guest PC is another computer inside your Mac. That computer is
an emulated x86 PC.
It is virtual, it has no separate monitor, mouse, keyboard or
hard drive. It is just a Mac OS X program that allows you to
install the Microsoft Windows operating system on your Mac and use
the software developed only for Windows compatible computers.
Guest PC works just like a usual application and you can easily
switch between Windows and Mac OS X desktops at will.
New in new in Guest PC 1.9.3?
The MMX instruction set has been added for better compatibility
which has also resulted in Guest PC performance increase. FPU
emulation bugs fixed and now Nokia PC Suite can be used fully. The
support for Mac OS X printers has been greatly improved.
Bug Fixes
- Crash in Nokia PC Suite
- After Hibernate crash in Windows XP
- Sound cripple/distortion in some applications
- Some FPU emulation errors
Enhancements
- MMX instruction set added
- Up to 15% performance boost
- Improved printing to Mac printers
- Better stability and compatibility
Guest PC 1.9.3 is available immediately at $69.99 The price
includes Family License and free support. Family License allows you
to install Guest PC on all computers in your family.
All current customers get a new Guest PC 1.9.3 version at no
charge.
For all registered users of any previous Blue Label
PowerEmulator version, Guest PC is available at $34.99
System requirements
- Hardware: Apple Macintosh with G3, G4 or G5 processor, upgrade
card are also supported
- Operating system: Mac OS X 10.3 or later
System support: PPC
Universal Binaries: The Universal Binaries are being developed.
The release date has not been scheduled yet.
To learn more about Guest PC, visit Lismore Software Systems
website.
- Link: Guest
PC
Desktop Mac
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