chis ferrara's world: July 2010

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Daily Crunch: Darth Refrigerator Edition

Mock up your next Android app with this handy-dandy stencilGM to start using green refrigerant in 2013Liverpool launches firefighting motorcycle crewReview: Korg MonotronNovelty motorcycle helmets will probably get you killed by laughing drivers
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iPhone app: EGi Aquarium ? Free app of the day

Your passion has always been to take care of an aquarium? To take care of fish? Immerse yourself in a beautiful aquarium right on your iPhone. Touch the screen to draw your attention, and will follow you!
Name: EGi Aquarium | Download from: App Store | Price: Free
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Updated: iPhone Wallpapers

Our iPhone wallpaper gallery got today updated with 30 new high quality wallpapers. Download them from here.
Note: Did you know that we update all our wallpaper galleries once / day? You can find the latest wallpapers in the sidebar, so make sure to check that out every time you visit us!

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Kaboom?s Paratrooper lands on the iPhone

Kaboom?s Paratrooper is simple in theory ? tap the plane to drop the paratrooper, tilt your iPhone or iPod touch to direct them to the landing spot. And right there is where every casual gaming fan knows the addiction starts and the mayhem begins.

You want to hit the X. You need to hit that X. Things get more complicated quickly, of course. Obstacles build up. They?re paratroopers after all, not sky divers. So don?t be surprised when you start having to leap ? and land ? into the middle of a paper-art war zone. (Yeah, paper-art. Awesome.)

Kaboom?s Paratrooper originally gained its well-deserved fame on Palm webOS, and Palm has a great article up about the app and it?s transition beyond webOS. (Hard to imagine Apple doing likewise, so kudos there.) Hard hard was it to port?

?The process has been straightforward,? Rob Bredow says. ?We were able to re-use most of the code and just wrapped our webOS sprite library in a sprite library designed for the iPhone. All the logic stayed the same.?

Games have historically been among the most platform friendly of fare, with many being ported from iPhone to webOS or Android, so nice to see it can go both ways.

If you check out Kaboom?s Paratroopers for iPhone, let us know what you think.

[webOS: behind the apps, iTunes link]

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Yahoo Japan's Google Deal Godzillas Microsoft

Yahoo Japan has apparently agreed to use Google for its back-end search and advertising system, according to online reports. For Microsoft, the news must be something of an unexpected blow, considering that its 10-year search-and-advertising agreement with Yahoo is currently in the midst of implementation; although Yahoo's U.S. corporate mother ship only owns about 35 percent of Yahoo Japan (says Bloomberg), you'd think that the sheer magnitude of the agreement would be enough to sway even the most recalcitrant franchise into preemptively jumping onboard the Bing wagon, right? Right?

Wrong, I guess.

"At the present time, we feel there are quite a few areas where Microsoft is not yet ready," Yahoo Japan Chief Executive Masahiro Inoue told the media during a news conference in Tokyo, according to The New York Times. "Google is one step ahead in Japanese-language services."

For its part, Microsoft seems furious.

"This agreement is even more anti-competitive than Google's deal with Yahoo in the United States and Canada that the Department of Justice found to be illegal," Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, said in a statement currently drifting around the Web. "The 2008 deal would have locked up 90 percent of paid search advertising. This deal gives Google virtually 100 percent of all searches in Japan, both paid and unpaid."

Under the terms of the search-and-advertising agreement, Bing will power back-end search for Yahoo's online properties, while Yahoo takes over worldwide sales force duties for both companies' search advertisers. Microsoft's AdCenter platform will power search advertising for Yahoo, as well. Both the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Commission cleared the agreement in February.

Microsoft likely hopes that the deal will result in Yahoo's search-engine market share porting over to Bing with relatively little attrition. But this brouhaha with Yahoo Japan suggests two things: a.) Yahoo's global presence is too fractured, with too many other players possibly owning their own little pieces, to make such a transition uniform, and b.) Microsoft may face a very steep uphill battle as it tries to increase Bing's market presence into new international markets.

Fear Godzilla's mighty roar!
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Genius Bar Leaves Me Smarting

I'm a very patient man. It takes a lot to tick me off, and my enemies list is very short--a certain ultrasound technician and any D.J. who thinks Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" is an acceptable playlist item are all that really come to mind. But I must say that Apple's Genius Bar has me at the end of my rope.After reviewing Apple's latest 13-inch MacBook Pro models, I was impressed enough to replace my 4-year-old MacBook at the end of April. Although it was a very nice upgrade, I noticed some wonky behavior from the start. That culminated in increasingly dire problems over the past few weeks: kernel panics, freezes, and eventually a complete inability to boot. I ran the Apple Hardware Test that comes with every Mac, and immediately (and repeatedly) got an error message indicating some sort of RAM problem.My storySeeing as my MacBook Pro was not even three months old, and covered under Apple's warranty, I made an appointment at the Genius Bar at the flagship San Francisco Apple Store near Union Square (the first time I've needed to bring a Mac in for repair, as a matter of fact). This was a few days before Steve Jobs proclaimed, "We want to make all of our customers happy. And if you don't know that about Apple, you don't know Apple," in response to the iPhone 4 and the issues surrounding its antenna, but I didn't think it needed to be said by the company's CEO and was very hopeful for a speedy fix.The Genius who helped me performed a (more sophisticated and useful) hardware test that confirmed my problem and pinpointed a bad RAM module. The store was out of replacement RAM, so he went in the back, took out the bad DIMM, and sent me home with my laptop now running 2GB of RAM, promising to call when the RAM arrived.Once I got home, the computer worked briefly, but had lots of problems and soon it refused to boot at all. Two days later I went in to have them install the newly arrived RAM, and was told my MacBook Pro still wasn't working properly and required further investigation.Three days passed without a word, so I called to check up on my laptop, and was told it needed a new logic board, which would take 3-5 days to swap. Then, the next morning, the store called to say they had instead replaced both DIMMs and everything was fine. So I went in to pick it up and decided not to take any chances, testing out the MacBook Pro to make sure everything was hunky dory before leaving the store. It wouldn't even boot. I got the impression that nobody even tested it after putting in the new RAM.So another Genius checked my computer back in and said this time, for real, they were going to replace the logic board. Although it usually takes 3-5 days, he was going to put me to the top of the queue and try to get it done in 2-3. He was very apologetic and clearly wanted to take care of the problem.The very next day, I got a message--because they called my home phone rather than the iPhone number I had told them to use and that was printed on all the paperwork--that the logic board replacement was done but Apple's tests were still showing all sorts of errors, and they needed my approval to send it to an "offsite repair facility" that had all the needed parts rather than waiting for them to come to the store.I called back and the person I spoke with told me a slightly different story, that the logic board replacement failed and it needed to go out to a better-equipped repair facility. When I asked what my options were, she said I could let them send it out for repair or I could pick up my broken laptop and take it home. I politely explained that I'd been in three times, and they'd tried several different fixes to no avail, and asked if I could get a replacement MacBook Pro instead. The woman's answer was simple: "No, that's not a possibility."After nearly two weeks of misdiagnosis, incomplete repairs, mixed communications, and no laptop, is it asking too much to expect a more customer-friendly resolution to my problem? I don't think so.The takeawayNow, I'm not saying that one bad experience with the Genius Bar should tarnish its image irreparably.�I've been to many different Apple Stores on many different occasions, and have always found the staff to be friendly and helpful.But�I am disappointed at a poor level of customer service that, in my mind, isn't representative of Apple as a whole. Apple seems to hand out replacement iPhones to anyone who complains about a problem these days, but I have a laptop that never seemed to work right--I'll go so far as to call it a lemon--and it should be dealt with accordingly. Professing love for your customers and demonstrating it are two very different things.So what about you? What have your experiences been like with repairs at the Genius Bar?SMART TECHNOLOGIES SONIC AUTOMOTIVE SONUS NETWORKS

ISuppli Raises IPad Sales Forecast After Apple's Strong Q3

Market researcher iSuppli sharply increased its forecast for sales of Apple's popular iPad to 12.9 million by the end of this year, from an earlier target of 7.1 million.The new sales target came out just hours after Apple reported another record high in quarterly revenue, US$15.7 billion, for its fiscal third quarter, which ended June 26. Apple sold 3.27 million iPads during the quarter, contributing $2.17 billion to its revenue. "The iPad is shaping up to be the 'Tickle Me Elmo' of the 2010 holiday season, with product demand expected to vastly exceed available supply," said Rhoda Alexander, director of monitor research for iSuppli, in a research note. "Our latest research indicates there is much higher production than previously expected for two key components: LCD panels and NAND flash," she added.The iSuppli analyst noted that Apple will have the iPad on sale in 19 countries by the end of this year, up from 10 during its third quarter, giving it a wider audience for more potential sales. "iSuppli believes that the only limitation on iPad sales now is production -- and not demand," Alexander said in the note.QIMONDA QLOGIC . QUALCOMM

Apple Magic Trackpad review

Apple brings full-on multitouch to desktop with Magic Trackpad

Your fingers glide effortlessly along the expansive, glass-but-not-quite-glass-feeling surface. The cursor flies from edge to edge. You pause, press down, feel and hear a satisfying click, and then glide on. A double swipe sends the gallery hurtling down until it stops under the weight of its own virtualized momentum. A double twist rotates a photo. A click in the right corner brings up the contextual menu, a click in the left selects copy. A triple touch grabs the window and moves it aside, a quadruple swipe switches you to email and then another right click, another left, and the photo is pasted into the message. Your fingers pull clear of the Apple Magic Trackpad and you smile. Computing is fun again.

Apple went all-in on multitouch for the iOS-based iPhone, iPod touch, and now iPad, and they?ve been slowly extending that back to their Mac platform as well, first with MacBook trackpads, then the Magic Mouse, and now the Magic Pad.

?Wait, this is an iPhone and iPad blog, why are you talking about a Mac peripheral?? Because. That?s why. iOS comes from Mac OS and if Apple has shown us anything over the years it?s that they?re the best in the business at leveraging advances back and forth between the two. With rumors of Apple TV going iOS and my persistent fantasy that Apple will replace DashBoard and Front Row with an iOS layer, what they do with multitouch for Mac is definitely something I want to keep an eye on. Two actually, as often as I can spare them. So if this isn?t something you?re personally interested in, no worries, hit up the next post. If it is, if you think like I do that nothing Apple releases exists in a vacuum, then hang on to your pinches and swipes; the review starts after the break.

Unboxed. Literally.

Magic Trackpad doesn?t come in a fancy glass container like its magic mouse cousin. It comes in a box akin to what Apple uses for their software packages. The front shows the Magic Trackpad itself, the back describes the multitouch gestures you can do with it. Inside is the same as out, you get the trackpad and a the plain paper pamphlet that tells you about it. Yes, it includes batteries, and they?re already installed.

Hardware

Clearly designed to sit side by side with the Apple Aluminum Keyboard ? especially the newer, numeric-keypad-less version ? the Magic Trackpad has the same look, the same angulation, the same round battery housing. ?Look? being the key word because the surface of the Magic Trackpad isn?t aluminum at all, it?s glass like the MacBook Trackpad. It?s mixed and coated ? according to what Apple has previously said about said MacBook Trackpad ? to provide just the perfect feel and friction. That?s hyperbole, of course, and I find both to be usable enough if strangely desensitizing over time. Perhaps that?s just the result of to much Stoneloops on the iPhone, however?

What?s interesting is that Magic Trackpad feels cooler than my MacBook Pro trackpad, no doubt because it?s not sitting on top of a furnace-hot Intel chipset.

As with most things Apple, the fit and finish is spectacular. Every edge is clean and crisp, every line straight and every curve precise. The power button on the right clicks perfectly, the battery door on the left screws smoothly and securely.

And yes, the little rubber feet are the buttons. Push down on the Magic Trackpad and just like the MacBook trackpad (and the BlackBerry Storm, of course), you get an audible, tangible, click.

So it looks great, it feels great, but how does it work?

Setup

Setup is simple. You need the latest version of Mac OS X, 10.6.4, and the Magic Trackpad software update if you don?t have it already (MacBook and MacBook Pro users might ? so don?t worry if you don?t see it available). Once you have those, just hit ?Bluetooth set up device?, detect the Magic Trackpad, and it just works.

Preferences

If you?re familiar with current generation MacBook trackpad preferences, then you?ll feel right at home with the Magic Trackpad. If not, Apple makes it very easy. Go to Settings, chose Trackpad, and you?ll be presented with a series of speed sliders, feature checkboxes, and movie to show you what those features do.

Tracking speed, double-click speed, and scrolling speed can all be adjusted from slow to fast. Between work and home, desktop and laptop, I use enough machines that I?ve just found it simpler to stick with the defaults. They work fine to me. If you like to tweak, though, you have the option.

One finger gestures include tap to click, dragging, drag lock, and secondary click (assignable to either bottom right or bottom left corner). Two fingers let you scroll (with inertia ? I heart inertia), rotate, pinch to open and close, screen zoom (with toggle key, move preferences, and image smoothing checkbox), and secondary click. Three fingers let you swipe to navigate (think going from one picture to another in Photos) or dragging (moving windows around). Four fingers let you swipe up/down for Expos� and left/right to tab-switch between apps.

##Usage

I?ve been using an iPhone and Macbook since 2007, I currently use a 2009 Magic Mouse and a 2010 iPad and MacBook Pro. I spend 12 to 18 hours a day using some form of Apple multitouch. So, needless to say, I had zero learning curve with the Magic Trackpad. (I?m using it to write this review, right now). That?s one of the huge advantages you get if you?ve sold your soul to Apple hardware ? they?ve brought you along, trained you, and made you accustomed to their technology step-by-step, year after year.

I tried to capture the feeling of using Magic Trackpad at the beginning of the review. If I grant that I?m an anomaly, a freak, or a fanboy, however, then let me break it down into the tangibles.

The Bluetooth connection is good. I?ve experienced no lag, no loss of signal, no interruption in interactivity. The throw is excellent. A swipe from side to side sends the cursor flying from edge to edge. Gestures are quick and precise. I can tell nary a difference between my MacBook Pro?s built-in trackpad and this Bluetooth one.

The gestures, while not intuitive, work well once you get used to them. If you have an iPhone but have never used a MacBook trackpad, it will be mixed bag of hurt. Some things are similar and others different. That creates a level of mental overhead you don?t experience with the very different mouse. One finger will move you around but not select or swipe. Two fingers will scroll (like the iPhone does in frames) but everywhere. Three and four fingers you?ll just have to learn.

In my Magic Mouse review I complained Apple left a lot of gestures out. Obviously, those gestures are all here for Magic Trackpad.

Rechargeable-ish

Apple is also selling a re-charger along with a pack of 6 NiCad batteries that you can use with Magic Trackpad, Magic Mouse, Apple Aluminum Keyboard, or pretty much anything else that takes AAs.

That?s great. I?d still like a real, rechargeable peripheral from Apple. Shove a LiOn battery inside and have the door open into a micro USB port and let me plug it in when I need and want to. That way if the battery goes dead in the middle of podcast, I?m not scrambling, I?m just plugging it in like an old fashioned peripheral.

Magic Pad vs. iOS apps, Magic Mouse, and Wacom

Does it invalidate iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad trackpad apps? Not at $69. If you already have one of those devices, and one of the trackpad simulating apps, as long as you don?t find it too cumbersome or battery draining to keep launching and using the app, you?d be trading functionality and flexibility, convergence and coolness for the convenience and independence of a dedicated device.

Does is supersede the Magic Mouse? For anyone but die-hard mousers, for anyone who doesn?t need to grip and move a physical object around, yes it does. It requires less desk space and offers more gesture support. While I was initially worried, trained perhaps by iPhone fingers, that there was no way the Magic Trackpad could be as precise, as pixel perfect, I haven?t had the slightest problem so far. (And I live in Photoshop).

Should Wacom be afraid? Yes and no. While newer Wacom devices offer multitouch support their history and tradition is in pen-based, sensitivity-based, angle-based input. If you need that pen, if you need to produce that kind of art or design, you need to stay with Wacom, much as if you need the feel of that mouse you need to stay with the mouse. If iPhone and iPad have made your fingers do the working, however, then you can safely say goodbye to Wacom and hello to Magic Trackpad. (Bamboo touch users, you have a choice ? Apple matches look and feel, Wacom offers a stylistic alternative).

Conclusion

Magic Trackpad has just launched. I?m really, truly loving it so far but like any launch-timed review I?ve only used it for a short time. For now, it?s replacing my Magic Mouse and it?s replacing my iOS apps for controlling my Mac from the couch. I think it?s going to stay that way but I?ll come back after a week, and again after a month and update to let you know.

For now Apple has done with Magic Trackpad what Apple does best ? pushed technology further and faster by wrapping it up in gorgeous form and simple-enough function.

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Friday, July 30, 2010

Genius: FridgePad Turns iPad into Giant Fridge-Magnet

The FridgePad is billed as the ?ultimate fridge magnet?. I?d say it?s probably the ultimate anything. Think about it. Even with my obviously awesome ?Waterproof, Kitchen-Proof iPad Case? (a ziploc bag), your iPad still gets in harms way in the kitchen. The FridgePad fixes this by mounting the iPad up where nature intended: on the front of the refrigerator.
Made of aluminum with a big old magnet on the back to keep it firmly stuck to the fridge, the FridgePad holds the iPad with four plastic corner clips. Once secured to the door of the smallest and coldest room in the house, you can use the iPad to play music, podcasts or audiobooks, show you recipes or, well, anything the iPad can do. The more I think about it, the more it is clear how perfect the iPad is as a kitchen computer. And if you?re really messy when you cook, you could even slip the whole rig, magnet and all, into the ziploc bag and just slap that onto the refrigerator.
The stand will cost �50 ($78) when it ships, and will be available through Amazon. There?s no word yet on a launch date, but you can sign up for email alerts on the product site. In the meantime, I have a feeling that a trip to the hardware store is in order.
FridgePad [Woodford Design via CrunchGear]
See Also:
Endo: Finally, A Useful Fridge Magnet
Vista Fridge Magnet Completely Misses the Point
How-To: Gorillapod Doubles as Awesome iPad Stand
How-To Make a Waterproof, Kitchen-Proof iPad Case and Stand ?
Follow us for real-time tech news: Charlie Sorrel and Gadget Lab on Twitter..

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Refreshed Magic Trackpad Joins New Mac Pro, iMacs

With all the fuss surrounding the iPhone 4 antenna hopefully behind us at this point, we can now focus on non iPhone 4 related news for a change. Helping things to that end, Apple earlier this week released a slew of new product upgrades alongside a completely new product as well.
First things first, the grand mama of the Mac line -- the Mac Pro -- was finally the recipient of a long awaited upgrade. The new Mac Pro offers up to 12 cores of processing power and 50% greater performance than its predecessor.
At the heart of the new Mac Pro?s performance are next generation quad-core and 6-core Intel Xeon processors running at speeds up to 3.33 GHz. These multi-core processors use a single die design so each core can share up to 12MB L3 cache to improve efficiency while increasing processing speed. These systems feature an integrated memory controller for faster memory bandwidth and reduced memory latency; Turbo Boost to dynamically boost processor speeds up to 3.6 GHz; and Hyper-Threading to create up to 24 virtual cores. The Mac Pro now comes with the ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics processor with 1GB of memory and customers can configure-to-order the even faster ATI Radeon HD 5870 with 1GB of memory.
The 12-core option starts at $4,999 if that's how you want to roll. Users, for the first time, will also have the ability to include a build-to-order 512 GB SSD if they so choose in their machine.
Also seeing an upgrade are Apple's line of iMacs. Apple maintained the 21.5-inch and 27-inch form factors, but Apple's flagship desktops now come with the latest Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors. Also on tap are dedicated graphics cards from ATI and the same IPS technology currently used on the iPad and iPhone 4 for generous viewing angles. The base model iMac starts at $1,199 and includes a 3.06 GHZ Intel Core i3, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive. And for the first time on the iMac, Apple has included support, on the 27-inch model, for dual hard drives.
Next up we have a new 27-inch 16:9 Cinema Display sporting a resolution of 2560x1440. The display offers 60% more screen real estate than its predecessor, comes with a built-in iSight camera, an integrated MagSafe charger, built-in Mini Display Port connectivity, speakers, and 3 USB 2.0 ports. Much like the iMac, and the iPhone and iPad, the new Cinema Display also comes with IPS technology which allows for an "ultra wide 178 degree viewing angle."
Apple's press release announcing the new product also mentions:
The new LED Cinema Display now includes a new ambient light sensor which automatically adjusts the display brightness based on external lighting conditions and uses only as much energy as necessary to provide an optimum viewing experience.
And finally, we have a completely new product from Apple called the Magic Trackpad. The Magic Trackpad is essentially an oversized trackpad for use on Apple desktops.
It uses the same Multi-Touch technology you love on the MacBook Pro. And it supports a full set of gestures, giving you a whole new way to control and interact with what?s on your screen. Swiping through pages online feels just like flipping through pages in a book or magazine. And inertial scrolling makes moving up and down a page more natural than ever. Magic Trackpad connects to your Mac via Bluetooth wireless technology. Use it in place of a mouse or in conjunction with one on any Mac computer ? even a notebook.
It's an interesting product, sure, but I don't really see the mass appeal for such a device. Aside from a few gestures, is this really that much of an improvement over a mouse? To be fair, I haven't had a chance to use the Magic Trackpad, so maybe it has a purpose or function that I can't grasp just yet. That said, it'll sure be interesting to see how this new product sells. (See also: "Magic Trackpad Gets Magic Teardown.")COMCAST COMMSCOPE COMPAQ

Apple's Hardware Announcements

After Apple put the focus on Mac hardware Tuesday with updates to its Mac Pro and iMac lines, we follow suit on the Macworld Podcast with a 50-minute throw-down over this week's hardware haul.I'm joined by editorial director Jason Snell, seniors editors Dan Frakes and Roman Loyola, and Macworld Lab director James Galbraith to go over the revamped Mac Pro and iMac models. We also discuss Apple's Magic Trackpad and 27-inch LED Cinema Display. And we even find some time to talk up Apple's Battery Charger.Download Episode #203? AAC version (25.2 MB, 50 minutes)? MP3 version (24 MB, 50 minutes)Show NotesDan Frakes had a first look at the Magic Trackpad, and we also have a slideshow, offering an even more up-close-and-personal view of the new input device. Speaking of first looks, James Galbraith sizes up Apple's Cinema Display.During our discussion, Jason Snell mentions this post from developer Marco Arment that tackles the age-old "Which Mac should I buy?" question in light of Tuesday's announcements.To subscribe to the Macworld Podcast via iTunes 4.9 or later, simply click here. Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: http://rss.macworld.com/macworld/weblogs/mwpodcast/You can find previous episodes of our audio podcasts at Macworld's podcasting page.Have any feedback on this podcast? Send Christopher Breen an e-mail; audio comments in the form of an AAC or MP3 file are particularly welcome. You can also leave us a message at 415/520-9761 if you'd like to have your comments included in a future podcast.AT&T ATARI INC AUTODESK

ISuppli Raises IPad Sales Forecast After Apple's Strong Q3

iPhone app: ARSoccer ? Augmented Reality Soccer Game ? Free app of the day

Play Augmented Reality Soccer on your iPhone! Using your camera, you can now play a virtual juggling game with any iPhone. Even the older models!

Name: ARSoccer | Download from: App Store | Price: Free

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Gallery of Rephotography Shows WWII in Today?s Cities

On Monday we took a look at computational rephotography, a technique for making a new photo exactly match the point-of-view of an old photo. Today we take a look at a gallery of photos showing rephotography in action.
The pictures have been put together by Russian whizz Sergey Larenkov and posted on his Livejournal (yes, Livejournal is still around). Larenkov?s trick is to place old wartime pictures into modern settings, feathering the images to make them sit in the middle of modern life. Thus we see troops moving through a modern Vienna street, past stores and cars an tanks on the streets of Prague.
Some of Larenkov?s works are fascinating. The picture above shows Russian Red Army Marshall Georgy Zhukov on the steps of the Reichstag in Berlin. Zhukov conquered the city in the second World War, and now he stands amongst tourists. It?s pretty spooky.
Go grab a coffee and click the link. Not all of the pictures are as well executed as this one, but they are all interesting, and show that war is something that happens on our own streets, and not just in far-away places.
Sergey Larenkov?s rephotography [Livejournal via the Giz]
See Also:
Camera Software Lets You See Into the Past
Follow us for real-time tech news: Charlie Sorrel and Gadget Lab on Twitter.

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iOS4 Updated Apps: Osfoora, Agendus, Reeder, AT&T MyWireless, Pano,

As you all know by now, we?re still watching for iOS4 updates that crop up in the app store, and as always, if you guys see interesting ones, feel free to let us know.� Here?s the ones we found in the last week or so, and if you haven?t checked for updates, go check that update tab and let us know if you caught something we didn?t!

Osfoora

Osfoora has taken the place as my favorite Twitter client (for now anyways). They received an iOS4 update we covered a few weeks back, but this one is even better. It adds full retina display support for the iPhone 4 and boy is it pretty. The whole app got somewhat of a facelift as well. The text really pops and the main menus have been revamped. So if you haven?t updated, go for it, or if you are looking for a Twitter client, Osfoora is definitely one of the best around.

[iTunes Link]
Agendus

Agendus is basically an all-in-one app for all the important information on your phone. It basically intertwines your contacts, calendars, and apps into one native app. If you?ve always wanted something that would do this, Agendus is more than decent. The new version adds iOS4 support as well as a new high res icon.

[iTunes Link]
Reeder

Reeder is one of my favorite RSS clients. If you don?t have one and want a full featured one with Google Reader integration, there?s a good chance Reeder will do what you need it to, and then some. This update adds support for the iPhone 4 retina display. The icon just looks so fancy on my homescreen now, as well as all my articles being incredibly sharp. Good job on this one guys, it?s an awesome update.

[iTunes Link]
AT&T MyWireless

AT&T just pushed through an update to their MyWireless app that adds retina support for the iPhone 4. This app basically allows you to view usage, manage features, and even pay your bill via the app. I?ve been using it to pay my bill for quite a while now. Pretty convenient. If you?re an AT&T customer, go ahead and pick it up, it?s free.

[iTunes Link]
Pano

Pano is an awesome app to stitch together pics on the go. It?ll save them directly in your camera roll. The interface is dead easy to use and once you snap a pic it?ll give you guides to line up your next shot with the previous one. This update fixed several bugs and crashes. Mine was continuously crashing under iOS4 but it doesn?t anymore. If you guys noticed anything different than iOS4 compatibility in this one, let us know!

[iTunes Link]

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Apple ditched Skyhook and Google, rolled their own location database

TechCrunch went through the fine print and noticed that, with iOS 3.2 (iPhone 3.2 for iPad) Apple switched from using Skyhook and Google?s location database to using their own, home spun, solution.

When reached for comment, Skyhook wouldn?t specifically talk about their relationship with Apple, but they did say that ?everyone who has a platform wants to own as much of the location stack as possible. Location data is going the be huge and owning it is going to be the next big war in mobile.?

Indeed. Now roll Apple-acquired PlaceBase and Poly9 Map layer brain-trusts into the equation, and what will we get?

[TechCrunch]

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Thursday, July 29, 2010

Review: Marware Sport Grip for the iPhone 4

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CrunchGear Week in Review: Watermelon Squid Edition

Here are some stories from the past week on CrunchGear:
Novelty motorcycle helmets will probably get you killed by laughing driversDriverless vehicles begin trek from Italy to ChinaTake perfect panoramas with a modified egg timerOne of the most amazing physics engines I?ve ever seenPortable watermelon cooler
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iPhone live tonight, 6pm PT, 9pm ET, 2am BST

You know the drill, come 6pm PT, 9pm ET, 2am BST, we?ll be taking over the front page of http://www.tipb.com to talk everything iPhone?

?and Android Central?s Phil Nickinson will be joining us to talk about Apple?s little Droid X antennagate video. Fun. Fun.

Be here, and be ready to chat. We want to hear from you.

GOOGLE HEWLETT-PACKARD HIGH TECH COMPUTER

Windows Phone 7: DOA?

Microsoft didn't bother to send me one of the Windows Phone 7 prototypes they've been circulating to media over the past week--which is OK, because I had my hands full reviewing the Samsung Galaxy S--but I'm hoping they'll see the light over the next couple of days, if only so I can jump into the review fray.A lot of those reviews seem very polite. There's some praise for the Windows Phone 7 operating system, which attempts to aggregate Web content and applications into subject-specific Hubs, as opposed to arranging individual apps on a grid-like home screen. And then there's Galen Gruman, who basically went nuclear."Microsoft needs to kill Windows Phone 7 and avoid further embarrassing itself by shipping this throwback," Gruman wrote in a July 15 posting on InfoWorld's Mobile Edge blog. "It's not a question of whether Windows Phone 7 will fail--it will--but how long it will take Microsoft to admit the failure. For the company's sake, the earlier it fesses up, the better."According to Gruman, Windows Phone 7's sins include an "awkward and unsophisticated" UI that "recalls Microsoft's history of clunky design" and use of "inexcusably old technology" such as Internet Explorer 7. Microsoft, he says, has come up with "an imperfect copy of an old iPhone."Gruman predicts that Windows Phone 7 devices will find their way to the carriers' remainder bins by "in January 2011."I'm not so sure that's the case here. I haven't had the chance to dropkick a Windows Phone 7 device of my very own (you truly never know how well a smartphone can suit your needs until you test whether it can survive a stray boot), but I have seen it in action, in a very limited way. Based off that limited interaction, the user interface seemed intuitive, and certainly nothing like the iPhone circa 2007.The bigger question--and this will affect its rate of consumer adoption--is how versatile the UI proves in handling people's lives and apps. If it's a snap to add new apps, or update information for a particular Hub, then Windows Phone 7 could prove sticky in the marketplace. If it's a pain, then users will shy away.If anything's going to kill Windows Phone 7, it's the Windows Phone Marketplace. I've said this before: if third-party developers don't get onboard with their apps and games, then this platform will die--but that death will be gradual, certainly not the "$25 bin by President's Day" demise predicted by Gruman.At this point, the developer front seems a toss-up. On one hand, Microsoft is pushing very hard (and even offering cash, rumor has it) for developers to port their wares on Windows Phone 7. On the other, I've been hearing a lot of angry rumblings from Windows Mobile developers--who could be the natural core group for Phone 7 development--grumbling about how Microsoft's attempt at a smartphone "reset" has left them with a.) no easy upgrade path for their existing apps to the new platform, and b.) needing to adapt to the all-new requirements of building for Phone 7. And at least one of those developers is a pretty major-sized entity.So we shall see. If Microsoft mismanages the launch--I've listed some of the things they need to do to succeed, here--then they're in very big trouble. But I think they could have the platform to make it work, or at least halt their slide in smartphone market share.What do you all think?
INVENTEC IOMEGA JDA SOFTWARE GROUP

Apple Plans to Open a Retail Store in Hong Kong

Apple intends to open a retail store in Hong Kong as part of wider expansion plans in China.In all, Apple plans to open up to 25 stores in China and Hong Kong by the end of 2011, said Jill Tan, an Apple spokeswoman. She did not offer specific dates for when the new Apple stores would open in China or where they would be located, except for Hong Kong.To meet its goal of opening 25 new shops, Apple will have to open more than one new store in China every month for the next year and a half.Apple opened its second store in China over the weekend, with employees handing out free t-shirts to the first 5,000 people who visited the shop. Located in Shanghai, the store is one of Apple's largest anywhere and joins the company's first Chinese retail outlet, which opened in Beijing in 2008.The aggressive retail expansion plan reflects the growing importance that Apple is putting on China, which has traditionally been a much smaller market for the company compared to other markets, such as the U.S., Europe and Japan.There are currently 295 Apple retail stores, including the two shops in China, Tan said.DELL XPS D-LINK DST SYSTEMS

Microsoft Offering Windows Phone 7 to Employees

July 22, 2010 12:31 PM

Microsoft employees will apparently be given free Windows Phone 7 smartphones, according to staffer Tweets escaping from Microsoft Global Exchange, the company's annual sales conference (Mary Jo Foley tweeted about it first). Gizmodo's also posted an internal e-mail purportedly from Andy Lees, senior vice president of Microsoft's Mobile Communications Business, with additional details:"I am thrilled to announce that a new Windows Phone 7 will be made available to every Microsoft employee as we launch in each market around the world. The process will vary based on your market, your carrier and your launch date so stay tuned for more information closer to launch."This is exactly what you'd expect, no? Apple employees walk around campus with the iPhone, Google employees have a tendency to whip out their Android in meetings, so it stands to reason that Microsoft staffers would follow suit.I've expended a lot of digital ink on the question of whether Windows Phone 7 will succeed. But this week's earnings numbers from both Apple and Microsoft make the stakes of that success all too clear. On the strength of its mobile devices--the iPhone and the iPad in particular--Apple posted quarterly revenues of $15.7 billion... while analysts predict that Microsoft, with much of its energies still focused on the desktop, will post revenues of $15.27 billion (the earnings call takes place at 5:30 EST).Microsoft knows it needs to diversify into the cloud and mobile--its Worldwide Partner Conference last week devoted substantial amounts of time to both. If Windows Phone 7 succeeds beyond expectations, then Microsoft will have another robust vertical to supplement Windows 7 and the other flagship software that support its current revenue model. If it fails, then Microsoft will find itself trapped in its old paradigm, at least in the short- to medium term; while the company has a number of cloud initiatives, none have translated into awe-inspiring cash flow. (So many heads would roll in the event of a Phone 7 meltdown, it would make the recent restructuring in the Entertainment & Devices Division look like a haircut by comparison.)Being trapped in the old paradigm is, frankly, unacceptable. Microsoft knows this. Giving its 88,000+ employees a Windows Phone 7 is a no-brainer; the next step is seeing whether it can convince a few million outsiders to put down cash for the privilege.

DELL INC DELL XPS D-LINK

Gameplay: Chopper 2 for iPhone and iPad

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iPhone app: Plunderland ? Review

Sail between ports plundering all the treasure you and your crew can find! Intuitive tilt controls and a familiar aiming technique work together to make Plunderland?s unique gameplay style come together. Mixing custom built physics, in-game puzzles and dynamic animation seamlessly to create a dynamic and highly interactive game that looks like an awesom cartoon.

Name: Plunderland | Download from: App Store | Price: 3$
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Daily Crunch: Road Trip Edition

Driverless vehicles begin trek from Italy to ChinaWooden USB sticks might give you splintersWorld strongest beer to be sold wrapped in dead animalsDIY Multimeter clockTiny plane lands itself on power lines to recharge
SMART TECHNOLOGIES SONIC AUTOMOTIVE SONUS NETWORKS

White iPhone 4 delays caused by light leak?

The Street is claiming that the reason Apple has delayed the white iPhone 4 until ?later this year? is due to light leaking around the edges of the glass. This according to the ever popular ?person familiar with?, in this case the manufacturing process.

As the source described it, if it were a metal or plastic material, a simple coating would fill in the gaps and block the internal light. Glass is an entirely different issue.

Take this with a white iPhone 4-sized grain of salt, of course.

[TheStreet]

NVIDIA OPENWAVE SYSTEMS OQO

Samsung?s Wi-Fi Camera Don?t Need No Stinkin? Computer

Samsung has put a Wi-Fi radio inside its latest digicam, the ST80. The camera is pedestrian in almost every regard, from its ho-hum zoom range (35-114mm equivalent), through its 3-inch screen with just 230,000 dots to the too-big 14.2-megapixel sensor. But the saving factor is that Wi-Fi, which means that you can share your pictures without a computer.
In addition to email, you can upload images to Facebook, Picasa, YouTube and Photo Bucket. The touch-screen also lets you carry out basic editing first: you can crop, for example. The ST80 will also shoot 720p video at 30fps in H.264, and comes with an Boingo account to access Wi-Fi hotspots on the go.
This is the direction that more and more cameras will take. As smart-phones get better and better cameras, their connectivity becomes much more useful. With the iPhone, you can shoot video and stills, edit them and send them out to the world. Dumb cameras don?t even come close. Samsung has bets on both sides, with digicams and phones in its lineup, but we?re certain that those lines will blur more and more.
The ST80 will be available in September for $250.
Company press page [Samsung]
Follow us for real-time tech news: Charlie Sorrel and Gadget Lab on Twitter.

QIMONDA QLOGIC . QUALCOMM

Apple?s First ?Magic? Trackpad from 1997

It turns out that the Magic Trackpad, released yesterday, isn?t the first external trackpad from Apple. Way back in 1997 the $7,500 Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh came with a detachable trackpad in its keyboard. It wasn?t a Bluetooth pad, of course, but instead popped out and remained tethered by a wire. And once it was removed, according to Wikipedia, a classy patch of leather was left underneath lest you have to look at an extra square of desk instead.
What are the other differences? Well, apart from not using the fancy new capacitive touch of all Apple?s glass-paneled trackpads and touch-screens, there are surprisingly few changes: The size and the color, and that?s about it. But what about the buttons, you ask? Well, the new Magic pad actually has buttons. With typical Apple style, these are secreted in the little rubber feet under the pad?s front edge. Press down on the whole pad, just as you would with those on the MacBooks, and they?ll click.
So there you have it. Nothing is ever really new, if you look hard enough. And Apple doesn?t really hate buttons. It just hates the ones you can see.
New Magic Trackpad: not so new [Simon OS via ?]
Apple Magic Trackpad [Macworld]
See Also:
Apple's Magic Trackpad Brings Multi-Touch to the Desktop
Apple Files for 'Magic Trackpad' Trademark
Rumor: Apple Multi-Touch Tablet Photos Leaked
Follow us for real-time tech news: Charlie Sorrel and Gadget Lab on Twitter.

ZENITH ZINOX TECHNOLOGIES ABBCORE TECHNOLOGIES

HP Quashes Rumors of Slate Demise

Hewlett-Packard on Wednesday quashed rumors of HP Slate's demise, saying the tablet with the Windows 7 OS may still be sold to customers."We are in customer evaluations now and will make a determination soon on the next steps," said HP spokeswoman Marlene Somsak in an e-mail.HP in January announced plans to offer HP Slate with Microsoft's Windows 7 OS, and a prototype was displayed during Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show that month. HP then announced in April that it was buying Palm for US$1.2 billion and said it would put Palm's WebOS mobile OS on a range of devices including tablets. That fueled speculation about HP scuttling its Slate plans, as power-hungry Windows 7 is not ideal for handheld tablet devices."We hadn't anticipated the Palm acquisition when we first shared our plans for that product," Somsak said.HP has openly said it wants to put WebOS in tablets, but Somsak declined comment on the company's plans. Events from earlier this week point to HP possibly launching Windows and WebOS tablets.The company listed the HP Slate 500 on its website, a hint that the product is still alive. According to product details, the Slate includes an 8.9-inch touchscreen and runs on Windows 7 Premium. It has two cameras -- video and still -- and accepts pen and touch input. It is listed as Energy Star-qualified, and the Energy Star website says the Slate has a 1.6GHz processor and 1GB of memory.HP's plans to launch a WebOS tablet also may have taken a step forward with the company's application to trademark the term Palmpad with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The trademark is related to goods and services for a range of hardware including "handheld and mobile computers, PDAs, electronic notepads, mobile digital electronic devices," according to the USPTO document. The Palmpad trademark filing was first reported by Engadget.HP's Somsak declined to comment on the Palmpad trademark filing. HP has a long history of partnering with Microsoft and offers the Windows Mobile operating system on its iPaq smartphones for consumers and businesses. The company also offers Windows 7 on low-cost netbooks.If released, it's a toss-up whether the HP Slate would be targeted at consumers or enterprises, said John Spooner, an analyst at Technology Business Research."Based on hardware specifications, it could go either way," Spooner said, adding that he couldn't predict if a Slate tablet will be released.Having Windows and pen-input capabilities lends the Slate well to corporate customers, but that doesn't mean consumers wouldn't purchase the device, Spooner said. The target audience will also largely depend on pricing, Spooner said. No one will buy a device that's over US$1,000, and if it does come to market, it has to be priced closer to Apple's iPad tablet models. HP's Slate 500 is closer in hardware specifications to Cisco's Cius business tablet, which was launched late last month. Cius has a 7-inch touchscreen, uses an Intel Atom processor and is designed to conduct multiparty videoconferencing with a front-facing camera and a rear-facing camera. The Slate 500 may be based on an Atom x86 processor with its capability to run Windows 7. The Slate's multiple cameras are designed for "web conferencing," according to HP's website.Tablets could find a use in the enterprise, Spooner said. Beyond videoconferencing, they could be used on the road instead of laptops to take notes or write e-mails. They could also be used by field workers for tasks like recording inventory.ABBCORE TECHNOLOGIES ACER ADAPTEC

Belkin Max Sleeve for iPad ? accessory review

YouTube Link

The Belkin Max Sleeve for iPad not only does a great job of protecting your iPad, but it gives you a little extra room to stick some of your accessories in as well. The case is made of a fabric material that is pleated on the front. This is what allows you to have a zipper compartment in the front to stick your other gadgets in.

The inside of the case is a foamy white mesh material. It?s extremely soft so you don?t have to worry about it scratching your iPad. It?s also a loose fit, which means you won?t damage your iPad while taking it out and putting it back in the case. There?s always a down side to a case not fitting snugly though, and that?s if you forget to zip it and pick up the case by the wrong end, it?s very likely your iPad could go crashing to the floor. We didn?t have this happen with this case, but I could see that being a problem as the material on the inside doesn?t offer any grip.

The way we cast that fear aside was to put a silicon case on the iPad and then put it in the Belkin Max Sleeve. The silicon provides the grip and solves the issue. I know a lot of people wouldn?t want to buy 2 cases so it isn?t an ideal situation. My advice? It?s a great case worth the money, just be careful how you pick it up, or make sure you always zip it up.

Other than the sliding out of the case issue, this is a great case and well worth the money. It offers superior protection in an unobtrusive form factor. Even though it?s small, it still lets you stow away other objects, which is nice. If there?s any girls out there like me that hate carrying around a laptop/iPad bag and a purse, this is awesome. Simply throw your phone, credit cards, etc in the front pouch and you?re good to go.� You can purchase the Belkin Max Sleeve for iPad from the TiPb Accessory Store.

Pros

Allows for extra storage room in the front pocket
Material on the outside is easy to grip on to
Material on inside won?t scratch your iPad
Cons
Inside material is a little slick so forgetting to zip up could cause an iPad to fall out
Zipper on front pocket is sometimes a bit hard to pull

XEROX XILINX YAHOO

Yahoo Japan's Google Deal Godzillas Microsoft

Daily Crunch: Road Trip Edition

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

HP Quashes Rumors of Slate Demise

Verizon to Microsoft: Here Are Your Kins

July 19, 2010 1:43 PM

If anyone's still in the market for a Kin phone, you're officially out of luck: Verizon Wireless will no longer carry the devices, 19 days after Microsoft decided to pull the plug due to anemic sales. Dustbin of history (or at least dead tech), here they come."Verizon Wireless will no longer sell the Kin One or Kin Two in our company-owned stores," Verizon spokesperson Brenda Raney told the blog Phone Scoop on July 19. "Existing customers should not be impacted. There are no current plans to change any of the services associated with either the phone or the customers' services."Right before the end, Verizon had slashed the price of the stubby Kin One from $49.99 to $29.99 with a two-year plan; the more rectangular Kin Two was also given a price-tag haircut, from $99.99 to $49.99. But the carrier did nothing to lower the price of the devices' calling/data plan, which many pundits found excessive.The Kin devices had one cool feature, and that was their ability to seamlessly port users' photos and other content to a cloud repository--I'm testing a number of upcoming smartphones right now, for a set of reviews, and I sorely wish (with some of them) that it was easier to lift photos and video from the device and into the digital stratosphere. But everything else about Kin was pretty much half-baked, from the social-network updates to the conspicuous absence of games and third-party applications.Given the phones' narrow target demographic (teenagers and young adults), and lack of true smartphone functionality, I'm not sure there are many lessons that Microsoft can draw from this fiasco, except maybe don't try it again.

OPENWAVE SYSTEMS OQO ORACLE

Genius Bar Leaves Me Smarting

iPhone app: Apache Killer 2 ? Free app of the day

Apache Killer is a type of horizontal shooting game, the player control a helicopter to attack the enemy. There are kinds of tanks, cars in the ground, and other plane in the space, the enemy can fire the bullet and missile, so you should control the helicopter avoid collision with the enemy, in the same time, you should collect the supply package fall down from the space to extend your life.
Name: Apache Killer 2 | Download from: App Store | Price: Free
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Five Ways to Access a Remote Mac

According to a recent study, two-thirds of the U.S. households that own Macs have more than one computer. Nearly three quarters of those households have laptops as well as desktops. A significant number of those Mac households also own iPhones, iPads, or other iOS devices.Combine those numbers, and you have a lot of Mac owners who need to connect from one computer (or iOS device) to another--whether that other computer is down the hall or across the country.They need not only access to files on other machines, but also the ability to control the remote machine and run apps on it. They might want search through an e-mail archive, start a backup, or use a database that's stored only on that other machine. In the home, they might want to control a Mac mini-based home-entertainment server that has no monitor of its own.(If you all you really need is access to files on other computers, you might need only a file-synchronization service such as Dropbox and SugarSync; see Four ways to access files from afar for more.)Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to make such remote connections. They divide themselves roughly into five categories: * Tools built into OS X itself, including Screen Sharing and Back to My Mac; * Chat services such as iChat and Skype; * Dedicated online services including LogMeIn and GoToMyPC; * Timbuktu Pro; and * VNC.(For the purposes of these articles, we're looking at remote graphical control, and not Remote Login (using SSH). If you need that kind of access, chances are you already know all about it.)Unfortunately, it's not always easy to figure out which one of those options will best meet your specific needs. And even if you've settled on a solution, it's not always easy to get it to work.Why it's hardRemotely controlling one Mac from another within the same local network isn't especially difficult; Bonjour and other networking tools do a good job of that. Controlling a machine on a remote network is trickier; much of the networking hardware and software between the two is set up specifically to keep that from happening.Home networks typically use a combination of two technologies--Network Address Translation (NAT) and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)--to provide Internet access to multiple computers through a single Internet address and to provide a light (not robust) buffer to keep strangers out of the network. They can keep you out, too.DHCP assigns private network addresses to the local computers. NAT then rewrites those addresses at the router, so that, to the rest of the Internet, all the traffic from those multiple computers seems to be coming to and from just one publicly accessible address. On business networks, firewalls and other filters further complicate any efforts to gain access.Some remote-access tools (particularly dedicated remote-access services such as Back to My Mac, GoToMyPC, and LogMeIn) take care of this problem by talking directly to a router's NAT software and then mapping specific pathways into the network.Other solutions (including OS X's built-in Screen Sharing software and VNC) require you to set up port mapping. (If IP addresses are like street numbers for apartment buildings, ports are like individual apartments at those addresses. A port is assigned to a particular service, such as file sharing or outgoing e-mail.) That means establishing persistent connections between ports on the router's Internet-facing IP address and specific computers inside the network.If you're lucky, NAT-PMP (NAT Port Mapping Protocol, favored by Apple) or UPnP (Universal Plug and Play, common on non-Apple hardware) on your router can take care of the port mapping for you. Third-party software such as Port Map or Lighthouse can also do the trick. (Another program, ShareTool, can create persistent connections between local networks, allowing for standard Bonjour hook-ups.)Port mapping manually is also doable, but it means learning the arcana of which ports are used for which services, how to assign persistent addresses or identities to computers on the network, and how to find your external public IP address (if your ISP you assigned one).There is another workaround for gaining remote access: Dynamic DNS lets you map a human-readable domain name, like remote.mymachine.com to your router's public IP address. For more on that, see Setting up dynamic DNS.The right routeTo figure out which remote access alternative is right for you, you need to consider a few different features:Security All of the options listed above except for VNC strongly encrypt remote-access connections by default. If you opt for VNC, you need to make sure you take extra precautions if you use public networks, like Wi-Fi hotspots.Cost The most reliable options cost the most. LogMeIn and GoToMyPC have hefty per-machine fees, while Timbuktu Pro has a high, one-time per-computer price tag. Back to My Mac is less expensive (the cost of a MobileMe subscription), but it doesn't work for everyone.Multiple monitors Different remote control packages vary in their support for multiple monitors, on both the local machine you're using and the one you're viewing remotely. Certain flavors of VNC can share just the primary screen on a system; screen sharing over iChat squeezes multiple remote screens into a single local display.Bandwidth control Some programs automatically ratchet the quality of the remote display up and down based on how fast data is moving back and forth. Others can be or must be set manually to a lower bit-depth (meaning fewer distinct colors) or lower image fidelity to keep the connection speed reasonable.File sharing Remote control may be all you're after, but remote access to files is often just as important. Many of the remote control packages lack integrated or well-designed ways to move files from one machine to another.iOS support It is possible to connect to a Mac from an iPhone or iPad using LogMeIn, GoToMyPC, and VNC apps.In a series of articles that will follow this one, I'll talk you through the ins and outs of each remote access option. Note that in some cases, depending on the features you need, you may actually have to adopt more than one. First up: the remote control tools built into OS X itself.Glenn Fleishman has written about Mac networking for a decade, and is the author of Take Control of Screen Sharing in Snow Leopard (TidBITS Publishing, 2010).SHARP SIEMENS SILICON LABORATORIES

Apple brings multitouch to desktops with Magic Trackpad

The Apple Online Store is back up and with it comes the Magic Trackpad, bringing full on MacBook-style multitouch goodness to Apple?s desktop line.

It?s got click, scroll, swipe, and rotate, so if the Magic Mouse just wasn?t enough for you, here?s the escalation you?ve been waiting for. Oh, and there?s an Apple battery re-charger to go with it.

And while it?s not the iPhone or iPod touch ?Magic Trackpad? app I?ve been waiting for ? can you please get on that Apple? ? it does show Apple is continuing to leverage their technologies across their various platforms, devices, and machines, creating a virtuous cycle iOS is sure to benefit from as well.

(And no, there?s no info on whether or not it will work as a companion to the BT Keyboard for iPad ? we?ll have to try it when it arrives).

$69. Anyone besides me picking one up?

[Apple.com]

CYBERPOWER DELL DELL INC

Laptop Tips: Add RAM, Recycle a Hard Drive, Tweak Power Settings

It's been almost a year since I served up some nice, hot laptop tips (see "Laptop Q&A: Power Off Quickly, Fix Sticky Keys")--and that's inexcusable. I'll make it up to you this week with some useful advice on adding memory to a laptop, turning an old laptop hard disc into an external drive, and using your laptop's power settings effectively.

Add RAM to a Laptop

So my dad was griping that his Acer Aspire 9300 laptop takes forever to boot. I inspected it for spyware, excessive startup programs, and the other usual suspects, but everything checked out.

Then I remembered that the machine is about three years old and wasn't a powerhouse to begin with. So I checked the RAM. Bingo: It has only 1GB. Windows Vista needs at least 2GB to run smoothly. (So does Windows 7, but I've seen it run reasonably well on less.)

Upgrading a laptop's RAM may sound like a big deal, but it's actually the single easiest upgrade there is. The only challenge lies in determining how many RAM modules your system currently has and what kind they are.

To find out, turn off your system, unplug it, remove the battery, and flip it over. You should see at least one panel that can be removed with a small screwdriver. Consult your manual if you can't find the one covering the RAM sockets--or just open them all. Here's what you're looking for:

Most laptops have two sockets. If only one is occupied, just buy a module that exactly matches the existing one and drop it in. That'll effectively double your RAM.

If both sockets are filled, you'll have to replace both modules. In the case of Dad's Aspire, for example, it had a pair of 512MB modules for a total of 1GB of RAM. We elected to replace them with a pair of 1GB modules for 2GB total. (What to do with the displaced RAM? EBay, of course!)

Not sure what kind of memory your laptop takes? Head to a site like Crucial, which can identify nearly every make and model. (Of course, once you know what you need, you can shop around to find the best price.)

Recycle an Old Laptop Hard Drive

Inexpensive hard drive enclosures are ideal for recycling old laptop drives that have been replaced by higher-capacity models.

An enclosure is essentially an external case for that internal drive, one that lends it a USB interface. When all is said and done, you'll have a compact USB hard drive you can use for backups, extra storage, transporting files, and so on.

More immediately, an enclosure lets you easily restore your data onto the new drive--a simple drag-and-drop operation. With that done, you'll have to decide if you want to wipe the drive or keep it intact (you know, "just in case").

When shopping for an enclosure, make sure to choose one that offers the proper kind of interface for your old drive. Again, if it's more than a few years old, it's probably IDE. Any newer and it's more likely to be SATA. In either case, you should be able to find one for just $10-15. I recommend hitting sites like Meritline and Newegg.

Learn Your Laptop's Power Settings

My aunt recently told me about a problem with her new laptop: Whenever she'd step away from it for more than a few minutes, she'd close the lid. Upon returning, she'd open the lid, only to be faced with a blank screen and no response from the mouse or keyboard.

Want to know why? The default lid-closing action for most laptops is to put the system in Sleep mode, and Windows is notoriously bad at waking up properly. I advise most laptop users to use Hibernate mode instead, as it's much more reliable when it comes to waking up.

You see, Sleep (aka Standby) puts your system into a low-power state, allowing you to pick up where you left off (in theory, anyway) after just a few seconds. However, a PC in Sleep mode continues to consume battery power, so it's not uncommon to return to a "sleeping" PC to find that it's just plain dead. Or, in my aunt's case, unresponsive.

Hibernate, however, saves your machine's current state to a temporary hard-drive file, then shuts down completely (much like Off). When you start it up again, it loads that file and returns you to where you left off--no booting required.

Both ends of the Hibernate process take a little longer than sleep mode (usually 10-20 seconds, in my experience), but you avoid any of the issues that can arise when Windows suddenly loses power.

And as noted, sleep mode is notoriously flaky. If your system refuses to wake up properly, you'll end up losing whatever documents and/or Web pages you had open. Consequently, I recommend using hibernate most of the time.

If you've got a hassle that needs solving, send it my way. I can't promise a response, but I'll definitely read every e-mail I get--and do my best to address at least some of them in
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iPhone app: Apache Killer 2 ? Free app of the day

Monday, July 26, 2010

Library of Congress: Its not illegal to Jailbreak or rooting your phone

It looks like we will be able to legally unlock and jailbreak our devices according to library of congress! Check out the entire Press Release after the break!
Computer programs that enable wireless telephone handsets to execute software applications, where circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of such applications, when they have been lawfully obtained, with computer programs on the telephone handset.

Section 1201(a)(1) of the copyright law requires that every three years I am to determine whether there are any classes of works that will be subject to exemptions from the statute?s prohibition against circumvention of technology that effectively controls access to a copyrighted work. I make that determination at the conclusion of a rulemaking proceeding conducted by the Register of Copyrights, who makes a recommendation to me. Based on that proceeding and the Register?s recommendation, I am to determine whether the prohibition on circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works is causing or is likely to cause adverse effects on the ability of users of any particular classes of copyrighted works to make noninfringing uses of those works. The classes of works that I designated in the previous proceeding expire at the end of the current proceeding unless proponents of a class prove their case once again.
This is the fourth time that I have made such a determination. Today I have designated six classes of works. Persons who circumvent access controls in order to engage in noninfringing uses of works in these six classes will not be subject to the statutory prohibition against circumvention.
As I have noted at the conclusion of past proceedings, it is important to understand the purposes of this rulemaking, as stated in the law, and the role I have in it. This is not a broad evaluation of the successes or failures of the DMCA. The purpose of the proceeding is to determine whether current technologies that control access to copyrighted works are diminishing the ability of individuals to use works in lawful, noninfringing ways. The DMCA does not forbid the act of circumventing copy controls, and therefore this rulemaking proceeding is not about technologies that control copying. Nor is this rulemaking about the ability to make or distribute products or services used for purposes of circumventing access controls, which are governed by a different part of section 1201.
In this rulemaking, the Register of Copyrights received 19 initial submissions proposing 25 classes of works, many of them duplicative in subject matter, which the Register organized into 11 groups and published in a notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comments on the proposed classes. Fifty-six comments were submitted. Thirty-seven witnesses appeared during the four days of public hearings in Washington and in Palo Alto, California. Transcripts of the hearings, copies of all of the comments, and copies of other information received by the Register have been posted on the Copyright Office?s website.
The six classes of works are:
(1) Motion pictures on DVDs that are lawfully made and acquired and that are protected by the Content Scrambling System when circumvention is accomplished solely in order to accomplish the incorporation of short portions of motion pictures into new works for the purpose of criticism or comment, and where the person engaging in circumvention believes and has reasonable grounds for believing that circumvention is necessary to fulfill the purpose of the use in the following instances:
(i) Educational uses by college and university professors and by college and university film and media studies students;
(ii) Documentary filmmaking;
(iii) Noncommercial videos
(2) Computer programs that enable wireless telephone handsets to execute software applications, where circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of such applications, when they have been lawfully obtained, with computer programs on the telephone handset.
(3) Computer programs, in the form of firmware or software, that enable used wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telecommunications network, when circumvention is initiated by the owner of the copy of the computer program solely in order to connect to a wireless telecommunications network and access to the network is authorized by the operator of the network.
(4) Video games accessible on personal computers and protected by technological protection measures that control access to lawfully obtained works, when circumvention is accomplished solely for the purpose of good faith testing for, investigating, or correcting security flaws or vulnerabilities, if:
(i) The information derived from the security testing is used primarily to promote the security of the owner or operator of a computer, computer system, or computer network; and
(ii) The information derived from the security testing is used or maintained in a manner that does not facilitate copyright infringement or a violation of applicable law.
(5) Computer programs protected by dongles that prevent access due to malfunction or damage and which are obsolete. A dongle shall be considered obsolete if it is no longer manufactured or if a replacement or repair is no longer reasonably available in the commercial marketplace; and
(6) Literary works distributed in ebook format when all existing ebook editions of the work (including digital text editions made available by authorized entities) contain access controls that prevent the enabling either of the book?s read-aloud function or of screen readers that render the text into a specialized format.
All of these classes of works find their origins in classes that I designated at the conclusion of the previous rulemaking proceeding, but some of the classes have changed due to differences in the facts and arguments presented in the current proceeding. For example, in the previous proceeding I designated a class that enable film and media studies professors to engage in the noninfringing activity of making compilations of film clips for classroom instruction. In the current proceeding, the record supported an expansion of that class to enable the incorporation of short portions of motion pictures into documentary films and noncommercial videos for the purpose of criticism or comment, when the person engaging in circumvention reasonably believes that it is necessary to fulfill that purpose. I agree with the Register that the record demonstrates that it is sometimes necessary to circumvent access controls on DVDs in order to make these kinds of fair uses of short portions of motion pictures.
[Thx Radical]
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