1.8GHz SSD MacBook Air Drops $500Apple has quietly dropped the price of the high end MacBook Air by $500. The high end MacBook Air comes equipped with a 1.8GHz upgrade (from 1.6GHz) and a 64GB Solid State Drive (SSD). The total price for the high end laptop is $2598...» 3 Jul 2008, 10:38 am
MobileMe Retail Boxes Shipping to CustomersMeckimac.com posts a photo of the MobileMe retail box that has started shipping to some customers. The box itself is not particularly useful as it likely just contains an activation code for a year of MobileMe service. Apple...» 3 Jul 2008, 9:54 am
NVIDIA Reports GPU Failures in Significant Quantities of LaptopsNVIDIA reported that there is a problem with some older graphics chips that shipped in a "significant quantities" of laptop PCs. NVIDIA has provided no details as to which laptop models are affected, but plans to release a software driver in the nea...» 3 Jul 2008, 9:18 am
Patents Reveal Ongoing Touch and Multi-Touch ResearchThe United States Patent and Trademark Office revealed at least a dozen new patent applications from Apple this morning. The majority of the applications revealed ongoing multi-touch research by Wayne Westerman, the former cofounder of Fingerworks. ...» 3 Jul 2008, 8:04 am
Optus Announces iPhone 3G Pricing in AustraliaMobile carrier Optus has announced iPhone 3G pricing and plans in Australia. Optus is offering both pre-paid and traditional post-paid plans. The pre-paid price for the iPhone is $729 (8GB) and $849 (16GB) and allows you to sign up ...» 2 Jul 2008, 10:17 pm
Apple Sets App Store Launch Deadline for DevelopersIn typical Apple fashion, the iPhone SDK program and App Store application process has been clouded in some uncertainty about launch dates and details of the approval process. Today, Apple finally gave developers a firm deadline of July 7th ...» 2 Jul 2008, 3:35 pm
Solid State Drives (SSD) Reduce Battery Life?Tom's Hardware publishes some interesting conclusions based on their testing of Solid State Drives (SSD) in laptops. They report that contrary to popular belief, SSD drives actually reduce the battery life in laptops as compared to traditional Hard ...» 2 Jul 2008, 12:11 pm
Mac Marketshare Continues to RiseNet Applications has published their latest numbers on browser and operating system marketshare. The numbers indicate that the Mac's marketshare, as reflected by their sample population, has continued to increase to as high as 7.94% in June. ...» 2 Jul 2008, 10:48 am
iPhone 3G Launch Day Starts Early, More International PricingThe iPhone 3G will launch on July 11th in 20 countries worldwide. More details have been trickling in about launch times and pricing: - According to Macworld.co.uk, the UK's O2 stores will open at 7am on July 11th to begin selling the...» 2 Jul 2008, 10:34 am
Use the Original iPhone as a Wi-Fi iPodAppleinsider reports that an AT&T spokesperson has informed them that customers upgrading to the iPhone 3G could continue to use their original iPhone as a Wi-Fi iPod:"If the [original] device is not re-activated as a wireless phone ...» 2 Jul 2008, 7:05 am
Microsoft Releases Remote Desktop Connection Client 2Microsoft announced the release of the final version of Remote Desktop Connection Client version 2. The software has been in beta for almost a year. The final version is available for download now and allows you to remotely connect ...» 1 Jul 2008, 6:24 pm
Canada’s Bell tries to take on Rogers and iPhone 3G with iPhone wannabe Samsung InstinctThe smartphone that has been hailed as 'the iPhone killer' by online pundits is coming to Canada on Aug. 8...» 3 Jul 2008, 2:42 pm
Daniel ‘Fake Steve Jobs’ Lyons: If Steve Jobs is still running Apple at year-end, I’ll be shockedChange is the only constant' is a favorite cliché among technology types. But for an industry that loves...» 3 Jul 2008, 1:00 pm
Apple reduces SSD-based MacBook Air by $500 as component costs declineWith the price of NAND flash memory continuing its steady sequential decline, Apple Inc...» 3 Jul 2008, 12:28 pm
Developers race to get ready for Apple’s iPhone, iPod touch App Store grand openingThe great scramble among software developers to write the first iPhone killer app is coming to a head...» 3 Jul 2008, 11:31 am
Report: Apple and Best Buy to expand Mac sales beyond publicly-stated 600-store goalApple and Best Buy have internally announced plans to scale Mac sales beyond their previously stated 600-store goal, but...» 3 Jul 2008, 10:48 am
Apple patent describes new multi-touch gesture languageA new patent application from Apple, called 'Gesture learning' gives a whole new meaning...» 3 Jul 2008, 10:20 am
iTunes U launches K-12 educational contentPreviously reserved just for college and university material, iTunes U is now opening its doors to content suitable...» 3 Jul 2008, 9:55 am
Japan’s DoCoMo promises flexibility in iPhone negotiations with AppleNTT DoCoMo Inc., Japan's largest mobile-phone operator, will be flexible in negotiations with Apple Inc...» 3 Jul 2008, 9:37 am
Google Talk comes to Apple iPhone and iPod touchGoogle Talk designed specifically for the iPhone and iPod touch...» 3 Jul 2008, 8:50 am
European musicians oppose pan-EU online licensingBenny Anderson, Charles Aznavour, Pedro Almodovar, James Blunt, Miguel Bose, Patrick Doyle, Bryan Ferry, Robin Gibb, David Gilmour, Julio Iglesias, Maurice Jarre, Mark Knopfler, Michel Legrand, Paco de Lucia, Sir Paul McCartney...» 3 Jul 2008, 8:38 am
Photos of Apple Store BeijingThe photos include shots of a glass staircase, windows and wall features, the current...» 3 Jul 2008, 8:30 am
Press Release-DECOCASES INTRODUCE ALU-MAGNESIUM PROTECTION CASE FOR MACBOOK AND MACBOOK PROFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DECOCASES INTRODUCE ALU-MAGNESIUM PROTECTION CASE FOR MACBOOK AND MACBOOK PRO Decocases introduce Alu-Magnesium metal case which features strong protection for MacBook and MacBook Pro and avoid the device from overheating. read more» 4 Jul 2008, 12:27 am
Syncro Soft Announces New Release of Oxygen XML Editor and Oxygen XML Author.Version 9.3 adds as main feature the support for editing and processing resources inside ZIP-based packages including Microsoft® Office 2007 (OOXML) and OpenDocument (ODF) documents. For the complete list of new features and more information please visit http://www.oxygenxml.com/index.html#new-version read more» 3 Jul 2008, 5:04 am
Mac USer Groups in the UK & Ireland, and how to find usWith Apple bringing back the personal in Personal Computing and general acceptance of Macs as THE safe and reliable computing platform there has been a surge of interest in the use of these computers. Local MUGs are here to help you find out how to get more out of your … Apple Mac, iPod, iPhone. You may have recently switched to Apple or be a long term user. Whichever, there always comes a time when you need to find some local friendly help and advice. Look no further! - there is a wide spread of MUGs (Mac User Groups) meeting both face-to-face and online with members who are always pleased to share their knowledge and experience. Indeed, there is probably a MUG in a town near you. read more» 3 Jul 2008, 4:37 am
NVIDIA's problem with defective laptop GPUsThe dead display problem I had with my MacBook Pro last month seems to be widespread. However it looks like it isn't limited to Macs. According to Engadget, "significant quantities" of NVIDIA's laptop GPUs have been failing at "higher than normal rates". Laptop makers have apparently already been given an updated GPU driver which kicks in fans sooner to reduce "thermal stress" on the GPU (I notice that the fan on my MBP seems to run more often since the motherboard was replaced).» 2 Jul 2008, 10:41 pm
Adding a Mic to a MacIf you have an old standard microphone laying around and expect it to work by plugging it in on the Audio-in port on your Mac Pro you will be disappointed to learn that it does not, as David Alison discusses in his blog post for today.» 2 Jul 2008, 9:42 am
Watermark 1.0 for ApertureIf you've posted a photo online, chances are it will be used without your permission. That's why you should always put your name & a copyright notice on every photo you post. If you use Aperture, even though it can embed a copyright notice in the metadata, there's no way to add a visible notice unless you use an external editor. Watermark from MC Development makes it easy to add a copyright notice to your photos. read more» 1 Jul 2008, 3:10 pm
AT&T Announces iPhone 3G Pricing and Tips to be iReadyAT&T Inc. today announced iPhone 3G pricing for new and existing AT&T customers, several attractive voice and data plans, and tips on how to be "iReady" when iPhone 3G goes on sale at AT&T retail stores at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, July 11. read more» 1 Jul 2008, 9:57 am
Some great add-ons for Firefox usersHaving recently moved to Firefox with the release of version 3, David Alison has created a list of some cool extensions to Firefox that you may want to add in.» 1 Jul 2008, 9:15 am
Savant Open Developer Alliance Invites Mac CommunityOsterville, MA., July 1, 2008-- Savant Systems LLC, with a visionary approach to control and home automation that emphasizes reliability and a maintenance-friendly open platform, announced its new Savant Open Developer Alliance program. The program was previewed and available to developers who attended Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Now for the first time, all Mac OS X developers can apply to join the alliance and create applicable Automator Actions that integrate with the Savant home automation and control platform based on Mac OS X. read more» 1 Jul 2008, 8:58 am
Sonnet's Fusion F2: 1TB of Storage and Even Faster PerformanceIRVINE, Calif. -- July 1, 2008 -- Sonnet Technologies, a leader in providing local storage systems for professional users of Macintosh, Windows, and UNIX systems in the film, video, and broadcast industries, today announced the 1TB version of its multiple-award-winning Fusion F2 portable two-drive RAID SATA storage system. The fastest storage solution of its kind, the enhanced Fusion F2 delivers remarkable performance with up to 134 MB/sec read and write sustained data transfer rates, and is bus-powered to enable its use when grid power is unavailable. read more» 1 Jul 2008, 8:56 am
Nikon finally releases D700 digital SLR cameraAfter months of rumors and frequent leaks, Nikon, Inc. today introduced the new D700 digital SLR camera featuring a 12.1-effective megapixel Nikon FX-format sensor that measures 23.9 x 36mm, which is nearly identical to the size of 35mm film. Benefiting from Nikon's legacy of imaging technology innovation, the D700 offers both advanced and professional photographers stunning image quality, accurate color reproduction and revolutionary low light performance. read more» 1 Jul 2008, 8:19 am
Mac Bloggers Gnash Teeth Over iPhone Pricing NumbersFor Mac-focused bloggers this week, the biggest news by far has been the upcoming 3G iPhone, the old iPhone and AT&T's iPhone pricing plans. Bloggers and readers have been poring over the details -- AT&T launched a mini site complete with FAQs -- and most everyone seems to think the $199 entry point will generate millions in new sales around the world.» 3 Jul 2008, 4:00 am
UK Entrepreneurs Eye iPod Users With New miShake PlayerTwo Birmingham, UK, businessmen are taking on the might of the iPod with a new audio and video player they hope will take the world by storm. The "miShake" was launched by 24-year-old Birmingham entrepreneurs Steve Beckford and Alex Sylvester who, after running their own online gadget shop Electro Box, saw a market opportunity.» 3 Jul 2008, 9:39 am
Surge of New Software for the iPhoneMark Cain felt like a rock star. The chief technology officer of medical imaging software company MIMvista got that sensation as he stepped onto the stage at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 9 to demonstrate a new program that delivers medical scans to an iPhone. Suddenly he was in front of an auditorium packed with thousands of Apple faithful, reporters and bloggers.» 2 Jul 2008, 4:00 am
Motion-Based Gaming on Phones: The Ticket to Public HumiliationI am an unrepentant gaming enthusiast, and there are lengths I will go for my hobby that might puzzle normal people with normal lives. I'll stand in the rain for a Nintendo Wii on launch day; I'll surf the Web at all hours for the latest gaming reviews or demos; I'll scream creative obscenities at hordes of Covenant aliens and grotesque Flood monsters who keep me from advancing to the next level of "Halo 3."» 2 Jul 2008, 4:00 am
The Devil's in the 3G iPhone DetailsYes, the new 3G iPhone will cost much less than the first generation of the groundbreaking multimedia cell phone; that is, if you're one of the lucky ones who qualify for a discount. And it's not that Apple and AT&T don't trust those of you who might want to hack or modify your new iPhone, but you will need to have it activated at the store when you buy it, under the watchful eyes of sales staff.» 1 Jul 2008, 11:58 am
Russia's Holding for the iPhoneWill VimpelCom be the first wireless operator to sell the iPhone in Russia? If Chief Executive Alexander Izosimov has his way, it will. "Nobody's struck a deal with Apple yet, but we would love to," he says. Izosimov says no negotiations are taking place, and he has no idea whether his company will win the rights to sell Apple's coveted device.» 1 Jul 2008, 4:00 am
iTunes U Graduates Across the AtlanticThe Open University is making course material available on Apple's download site. Apple's iTunes Store has built its reputation on music downloads, but it could be about to usher in a new era of learning on the move. In the not-too-distant future, when you see someone transfixed to their iPod, they may be enjoying a quick burst of environmental studies or English literature.» 1 Jul 2008, 10:43 am
Software Firms Ally to Bridge Mac Enterprise GapA group of five enterprise software companies on Monday announced the creation of the Enterprise Desktop Alliance to facilitate the acceptance of Macintosh computers in organizational environments managed with Microsoft Windows. The alliance was created by Atempo, Centrify, Group Logic, LANrev and Parallels.» 30 Jun 2008, 2:32 pm
Rhapsody Tries to Drown Out iTunesRealNetworks' Rhapsody thinks it knows how to end Apple's dominance of the online music distribution scene: remove the digital locks on its songs; make key deals with A-list names in media, wireless providers and social networks; and let consumers preview entire songs, not just 30-second snippets.» 30 Jun 2008, 11:27 am
PC Tools Offers Sentry for Mac SecuritySecurity software vendor PC Tools has watched the rise of two cause-and-effect security factors in the Mac OS X world -- first, the growing popularity of Macs along with increasing market share, and second, the accompanying attention of malware that's targeted directly at Mac users. Consequently, PC Tools has launched a beta edition of iAntiVirus, a new antivirus and antispyware tool designed specifically for Mac.» 30 Jun 2008, 8:43 am
How Drunk Are You? Just Ask Your iPodSince the release of the iPod, the market has flooded with accessories ranging from the mundane to the radical. All are meant to further incorporate the tiny device into another aspect of daily life. Many of these add-ons are innovative solutions for common problems. Others are just gimmicks targeting consumers with a taste for silly novelty items.» 30 Jun 2008, 4:00 am
Sharity 3.4 improves compatibility, stabilityObjective Development on Thursday unveiled Sharity 3.4, an update to its UNIX platform SMB file system that adds several bug fixes and improved compatibility with NAS devices. Sharity allows users to mount shared volumes from Windows, Samba, and other SMB/CIFS servers onto UNIX-based systems such as Mac OS X, Sun Solaris, and Linux, among others. S...» 3 Jul 2008, 9:50 pm
Marware Sportfolio for MacBook AirMarware on Thursday unveiled the Sportfolio sleeve for the MacBook Air, offering users a padded neoprene protection solution for their ultraportables. The handle-bearing sleeve has plastic inserts to protect against impact, and includes stretchy exterior pockets, while the interior is concealed with dual, lined zippers. The Sportfolio also comes wi...» 3 Jul 2008, 9:15 pm
HighPoint offers 15K RPM RAID solution for gamersPower Mac G5 and Mac Pro gamers have a new high-performance disk system available to them, through HighPoint Technologies' RocketRAID 2640x4, a 4x PCI-E SAS hard drive RAID system. The system offers users 56-percent increased performance over 10,000 RPM SATA drives, with 128MB per-second transfer speeds, offering users lower average latency and low...» 3 Jul 2008, 7:25 pm
Past Helio/Sidekick designer reworking PalmOne of the most prominent phone interface designers is now working for Palm for its next operating system, Engadget confirms in a hunt for new information. Matias Duarte, who designed much of the interface behind the Danger Sidekick and later moved on to Helio's custom interface, is now known through checks with sources and Palm itself to be a Sen...» 3 Jul 2008, 5:55 pm
Maverick Software games set for App StoreMaverick Software on Thursday announced four new native iPhone applications ñ Comet Cowboy, Yulan Mahjong Solitaire, Snowglobe, and Blip Solitaire ñ all of which will be available at the launch of the App Store later this month. Comet Cowboy allows players to explore space in order to mine comets with their virtual lasso. The game boasts sharp grap...» 3 Jul 2008, 5:10 pm
Telia reworks iPhone plans with unlimited optionAfter hitting a steep wall of customer resistance, Telia Sweden is buckling to pressure and is offering an unlimited data plan for the iPhone, as well as allowing customers to choose between its existing voice plans. iLounge reveals that the company received an overwhelming amount of complaints after initially offering customers 100, 250, and 1000 ...» 3 Jul 2008, 2:50 pm
DataMind ports Jade photo tool to ApertureDataMind Srl says it has released Jade Plugin 1.0, the first Aperture add-on version of its stand-alone Jade tool. The software is used to provide automatic enhancements to image batches that normally require fine tuning, whether in Aperture or elsewhere; users simply click the Enhance button, and Jade will make a variety of tweaks to improve colo...» 3 Jul 2008, 1:50 pm
Apple files for 34 multi-touch patentsThe US Patent and Trademark Office today published approximately 34 applications from Apple, all of which relate to multi-touch technology. Among these are a means of covering necessary hardware from view, to make devices more visually appealing; a means of distinguishing whether a screen is being touched by flesh or other forms of input, such as ...» 3 Jul 2008, 1:10 pm
Telus gets Touch Diamond first in North AmericaTelus today made a surprise announcement that it will be the first North American provider to carry the Touch Diamond, HTC's new flagship touchscreen phone. The news jumps Telus ahead of expected announcements from Sprint and Verizon and makes the Canadian firm the first known to get the CDMA version of the Diamond, which should have advanced 3G a...» 3 Jul 2008, 12:30 pm
Early photos of Beijing Apple Store emergeSome of the first photos of the Beijing Apple Store have made their way online, according to a French site. MacPlus says it has obtained a number of photos of the location, which is on Sanlitun street within the Chaoyang district; the site specifically notes that the store is inside a commercial complex called The Village, also home to companies l...» 3 Jul 2008, 12:30 pm
fmSpark pulls mailing info from FileMakerSeedCode has released fmSpark, an add-on for the FileMaker Pro database suite. When combined with FileMaker databases, fmSpark lets users create various forms of correspondence based on extracted information, such as labels, letters, and "rich" HTML e-mails. Critically, users do not have to leave FileMaker, or enter into its layout mode....» 3 Jul 2008, 11:40 am
Jobs 2.0: Pity whoever has to follow Steve Jobs at Apple. Not every great company stumbles into oblivion after»
Hello: Macs Are About to Get Interesting Again»
Apple, On Huge Order, Breaks NAND Flash Supply»
DoCoMo Will Be Flexible in IPhone Talks, Yamada Says»
Apple sued again over options»
Jobs, Apple directors face new stock-options lawsuit»
Excerpt: Learn GarageBand tips and tricksIt’s no secret that GarageBand is entry-level music editing software. But at the same time, GarageBand can perform feats that aren’t immediately obvious. In this excerpt from Take Control of Recording with GarageBand, Jeff Tolbert shares some tips and tricks for the music-creation software.» 4 Jul 2008, 12:36 am
Review: Sunbird 0.8 calendar programIf you use Mozilla's Thunderbird e-mail client, or if you need to access a calendar on a server from different computers running different operating systems, or if you need a bit more help than iCal provides for managing your tasks, Sunbird is definitely worth a look. And Sunbird is free.» 3 Jul 2008, 2:30 pm
Free music from the Rhapsody MP3 StoreBefore you dash off to that barbeque, take the time to get a free album from the newly opened Rhapsody MP3 Store.» 3 Jul 2008, 1:58 pm
Google blurs faces to protect privacy in French StreetViewGoogle has chosen to blur the faces of people caught on camera by the French edition of its StreetView service.» 3 Jul 2008, 12:15 pm
Will higher data plan costs hurt iPhone 3G sales?Service plan rates for the iPhone 3G are higher than existing iPhone plans, and that’s causing some people to reconsider whether they’ll buy a new phone when it’s released next week. A pair of Macworld editors share their points of view.» 3 Jul 2008, 11:53 am
Expect iPhone, Fourth of July scams, security firm saysApple's launch of its new iPhone 3G will produce a flurry of spam and scams, a security company warned Thursday.» 3 Jul 2008, 11:35 am
Gain quick access to log files in 10.5Use a new feature in OS X 10.5’s Console program for fast access to certain log files.» 3 Jul 2008, 11:19 am
Google releases instant messaging web client for iPhoneGoogle's released a web-based version of Google Talk, its instant messaging client, designed specifically for the iPhone.» 3 Jul 2008, 10:15 am
Flipping for the Flip VideoChris Breen has missed way to many magical moments in his kids’ lives because he didn’t have a video camera handy. In this episode of the Macworld Video he shows off his new favorite device for creating such video documentation—Pure Digital’s Flip Ultra pocket camcorder.» 3 Jul 2008, 9:45 am
Telia Sonera revisits iPhone 3G plans in SwedenAfter an outpouring of complaints from Swedish iPhone buyers, Telia Sonera has revised its iPhone plan offerings.» 3 Jul 2008, 9:11 am
Jade image processing plug-in released for ApertureJade is a plug-in for Aperture that lets users correct color, contrast and other image values.» 3 Jul 2008, 9:06 am
AT&T Waking Up Early Friday for iPhone SalesAT&T revealed this week that the iPhone 3G, announced at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference last month, will go on sale at Apple and AT&T retail stores in the United States at 8am local time on Friday, 11-Jul-08. This is a change from last summer's original iPhone roll-out, for which stores closed early and then reopened at 6pm. We suspect the early morning start time is a realistic nod to the likelihood that most transactions this time around won't be quite as quick as last year's iPhone sales. Since customers will need to activate each iPhone in the store, rather than taking the box home to activate the phone in iTunes, we're sure the process will take more than a couple of minutes per person. As Glenn reported (see "Current iPh» 3 Jul 2008, 2:33 pm
Current iPhones Keep Cheaper Plan on ReactivationYou won't pay a 3G rate for a 2G iPhone with a new service plan, AT&T confirmed for me today. This should be good news to anyone looking to either sell their so-called 2G iPhone when they upgrade to an iPhone 3G, or for those looking to buy (or beg) the older iPhone model without paying a fee for bandwidth they can't use. This stems from AT&T's clear policy that the firm will allow current subscribers with 2G iPhones - the ones that use EDGE as their fastest connection method over the cell network - to trade up to the iPhone 3G, exiting their current contract with no cancellation fee. You get to keep the 2G iPhone as well; that wasn't entirely clear a few weeks ago, but is now quite certain. (Since every U.S. customer paid full freight f» 1 Jul 2008, 9:17 pm
Mac OS X 10.5.4 and Security Update 2008-004 Fix BugsApple released Mac OS X 10.5.4 today, a bug-fix update that touches on several areas. Recent security updates are included (though the recent ARDAgent vulnerability has not yet been addressed; see "How to Protect Yourself from the New Mac OS X Trojans," 2008-06-25). If you want to take advantage of the security updates without installing the operating system update, you can download Security Update 2008-004 for Intel (128 MB) and PowerPC (80 MB); security updates for Mac OS X 10.5 Server are also available for Intel (165 MB) and PowerPC (127 MB). Designers will be relieved to discover that a problem with saving and reopening Adobe Creative Suite 3 files located on remote servers has been resolved. A pair of AirPort fixes deal with relia» 30 Jun 2008, 3:12 pm
Bonus Stories for 30-Jun-08Microsoft Needs to Empty Windows Trash, Reboot -- Mr. Ballmer, tear down this operating system! Seriously: you have virtualization software. Vista is bloated, but not bad. Don't make Windows 7 continue to carry the water for 15 years of old, sometimes bad decisions. Just a suggestion. (Glenn Fleishman, 2008-06-29) Discovering Sparse Bundle Disk Images -- A new disk image format introduced in Leopard is backup-friendly, because it doesn't require huge files to be backed up when only a small change has occurred. Now we just need more developers to catch on. (Joe Kissell, 2008-06-27) Print Custom Text & Photo M&M's -- Who knew you could now print photos on custom M&M's? Well, you do now, but good luck getting a photo to print well in hal» 30 Jun 2008, 1:40 pm
TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 30-Jun-08Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro updates Adobe's PDF manipulation software with improved creation and management of forms, support for Flash, document reviewing, and security. A new PDF Portfolio feature enables combining of several PDF files into one file using templates for displaying the information. This version also provides the capability to remove redacted information from files instead of just covering it up (a problem companies and government agencies have run into recently when such redacted information has become public). Unsurprisingly, the Mac version lags behind the Windows version. Microsoft Office integration has been removed, and Mac users can purchase only the $449 Pro version whereas Windows users can also choose Acrobat 9 Pro Extend» 30 Jun 2008, 11:05 am
Critical Updates for Microsoft Office 2008 and 2004We've been waiting for these! The just-released Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.1.1 Update fixes a variety of troublesome bugs, some introduced in the previous update. And, the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.0 Update fixes some crashing bugs, improves compatibility with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, and includes all the updates previously released for Office 2004, so new installations of Office 2004 don't have to be updated 19 times to be brought up to date. Office 2008 Changes -- Most notably (from my perspective, anyway), Word and Excel documents downloaded from the Web or attached to email messages will now open when double-clicked. Yay! This has been driving me bonkers whenever I tried to open a Word file attached to an email message i» 30 Jun 2008, 8:51 am
TidBITS Issue Hiatus for 07-Jul-08Although the other hard-working members of the TidBITS staff will continue to be writing and editing articles over the next few weeks, Tonya and I will be taking some time for - gasp! - a summer vacation. We've heard that these "vacations" are all the rage, and we've been curious to see what they're like, so we'll be wrapping up this week and then spending the next few weeks peregrinating around in the UK. We'll mostly be visiting castles in Wales, since Tristan is a major Welsh castle buff and has planned much of our itinerary around his favorites, with a few days in Portsmouth to see Admiral Nelson's ship HMS Victory. (Several years ago, when he was engrossed in naval history, Tristan dressed as Admiral Nelson for Halloween, a costume th» 30 Jun 2008, 8:09 am
The Hole in My Backup PlanA couple of weeks ago, my 17-inch MacBook Pro, which has been my primary computer for the last year, stopped working. I know a thing or two about troubleshooting, and I tried all the tricks I could think of, but the problem appeared not to involve the hard disk, RAM, NVRAM, PMU, or any other component my ministrations could affect. My Mac was showing the signs of having a logic board defect, and since I couldn't even boot from a CD without a kernel panic, it was necessary to put my Mac in the hands of professionals for repair. The timing couldn't have been worse, as I was simultaneously pushing to meet several major writing deadlines, trying to spend time with family visiting from out of town, and preparing to move to a new apartment! An» 30 Jun 2008, 2:53 am
Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/30-Jun-08Car Bluetooth Hands Free Units -- Readers provide suggestions for Bluetooth in-car speakers for talking on the phone hands-free while driving. (5 messages) Making AppleCare Worthwhile: MacBook Pro Battery Replacement -- Jeff Carlson's experience getting a replacement battery is echoed by some readers, while others debate the merits of AppleCare. (19 messages) Firefox feature sought -- Firefox's add-on capability opens the door for features that aren't included in the program itself. (11 messages) How to Protect Yourself From The New Mac OS X Trojans -- Readers discuss possible workarounds for the latest security vulnerabilities. (14 messages) Firefox 3 Bounds Forward -- People are reporting mixed experiences running the newest v» 30 Jun 2008, 12:54 am
Microsoft Needs to Empty Windows Trash, RebootApple has pulled the tablecloth off the table stirring just a few knives and nearly tottering a glass three times since the early 1990s. They moved from 680x0 chips to PowerPC, from homegrown Mac OS 9 to Unix-standard Mac OS X, and from IBM/Freescale PowerPC to Intel Core, Xeon, and other CPUs. Microsoft has been piling up dishes on top of its table during the same period of time - since about 1993 when it introduced Windows NT, which evolved into 2000, XP, and later releases. Every time the pile gets too smelly, dirty, or unwieldy, they dig a hole beneath the table, lower it into the ground, and spread a clean tablecloth that's got holes all through on top of the mess. This may sound like a knock on Microsoft. But it's actually a com» 29 Jun 2008, 8:02 pm
Discovering Sparse Bundle Disk ImagesIn the latest releases of both my ebooks on backups ("Take Control of Mac OS X Backups" and "Take Control of Easy Backups in Leopard"), I include sidebars titled "(Sparse) Bundles of Joy," in which I describe Leopard's new sparse bundle disk image format, used by Time Machine for network backups. Because this format is quite interesting, has potentially broad application, and hasn't received much attention, I'd like to say a bit more about it here. Managing Your Image -- By way of review, a disk image is a special file that can also behave like a disk - that is, if you double-click the image, a new volume appears in the Finder; this volume can contain any number of files and folders, and you can open or copy them just as you would do wit» 27 Jun 2008, 8:46 am
Apple Drops Price Of MacBook Air (TechWeb)TechWeb - InformationWeek - The price reduction appears to be the result of a drop in the price of the 1.8-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a reduction in the price of the 64-GB solid-state drive.» 3 Jul 2008, 3:25 pm
Coreflood, More Microsoft-Yahoo, IPhone Plans (PC World)PC World - A Trojan horse program that has been around for about six years is now being used to steal system-administrator passwords...» 3 Jul 2008, 12:20 pm
Google Talk Revamped For Apple's iPhone (TechWeb)TechWeb - InformationWeek - In order to accommodate the restrictions that Apple placed on iPhone apps to conserve system resources, this version of Google Talk shuts down if you launch another application.» 3 Jul 2008, 11:00 am
Netcom details iPhone 3G plans in Norway (Macworld.com)Macworld.com - Norway is known for many things: Norse gods, the work of Henrik Ibsen, and a second place spot on the United Nations's Human Development Index (unseated just this past year from the top spot by rival Iceland).» 3 Jul 2008, 6:15 am
Cumulus fixes Backup Manager issue (Macworld.com)Macworld.com - Canto on Thursday announced the release of Cumulus 7.5.4, an update to its Digital Asset Management (DAM) software. This is the last planned update to 7.5, according to Canto.» 3 Jul 2008, 12:30 am
Pricing for iPhone 3G Reflects a New Value Proposition (NewsFactor)NewsFactor - Last month, Apple announced that its new iPhone 3G would cost just $199 for the 8GB version and $299 for the 16GB version. AT&T confirmed that pricing Tuesday, but clarified that those prices are only for certain users -- buyers of any iPhone before the iPhone 3G goes on sale July 11, new AT&T customers, or subscribers eligible for an upgrade discount.» 2 Jul 2008, 1:49 pm
Correction: AT&T-iPhone (AP)AP - In a July 1 story about the new version of the iPhone, The Associated Press, relying on information from an AT&T spokesman, erroneously reported that the carrier is working on creating a prepaid plan for the phone. Spokesman Michael Coe later said he miscommunicated, and that there will be no prepaid plan for the iPhone 3G.» 2 Jul 2008, 11:00 am
Mac OS X Market Share Nears 8% (TechWeb)TechWeb - InformationWeek - The global market share for Linux jumped in the past 10 months, while Microsoft's Windows lost a few points, says Net Applications.» 2 Jul 2008, 10:30 am
56% Smartphone Buyers Want iPhone 3G (TechWeb)TechWeb - InformationWeek - Consumers are drawn to the price point, 3G capabilities, and the integrated GPS, a study from RBC Capital said.» 2 Jul 2008, 10:15 am
Independent Games Festival opens 2009 submissions (Macworld.com)Macworld.com - The Independent Games Festival (IGF) is now accepting submissions for its 2009 competition. The deadline for submissions is November 2008, with finalists to be announced January 5, 2009. The prizes will be awarded at the Independent Games Festival Awards, which takes place next March as part of the 2009 Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, Calif.» 2 Jul 2008, 4:30 am
Apple, Steve Jobs, Executives, Board, Sued For Securities Fraud (TechWeb)TechWeb - InformationWeek - The 105-page complaint seeks to recoup billions in lost share value after Apple's admission of executive compensation though the backdating of stock option grants.» 1 Jul 2008, 3:30 pm
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