Macintosh News

The BlackBerry Bold and iPhone 3G share similar traits but ultimately apply to entirely different markets, Citigroup investment analyst Jim Suva says in a research note issued today. In a hands-on test of the Bold shortly before its launch, Suva notes that the Bold touts both 3G and a significantly improved web browser versus earlier BlackBerries ...

Better known for its audio gear, Clarion has announced the ClarionMiND, a forthcoming GPS unit. Unlike most such systems however the MiND is also designed to operate as a mobile Internet device (MID), a category currently dominated by Apple's iPhone; the MiND connects primarily through Wi-Fi, which enables web browsing as well as the use of specia...

Exit Games has announced that its multiplayer gaming service, Neutron, is now compatible with the iPhone. The new technology allows game developers to integrate online multiplayer social applications with the iPhone. Neutron also aids cross-platform development between the iPhone and other mobile platforms, PCs and gaming systems. The platform supp...

Ohanaware has announced Funtastic Photos, a non-destructive and fully reversible photo editor, featuring one-click style applications, an effects engine and sharing capabilities. The new software can offer non-destructive edits using its new default format, which tracks location, the original state of the image and the order of changes made. Photo ...

Peripheral maker Razer has announced a new headset, the Megalodon. Intended for gaming, the unit has a microphone for voice chats and commands, with sensitivity adjustable through a desk-based control module. The headset's focus however is on simulating 7.1-channel surround sound, a task handled through a decoder which Razer claims is eight times...

Although the launch of MobileMe wasn't exactly one of Apple's high points in product releases, even the most acerbic of critics grudgingly admits that its Web interface is one of the more well-designed on the market. Unfortunately, it's also one of the least secure; allowing anyone to listen in to your communications, including email and calendar updates. AppleInsider, reporting on MobileMe on 15-Aug-08, attempted to assuage concerns that the MobileMe Web interface does not use SSL encryption to protect connections from malicious sniffing or hijacking. They stated SSL was unnecessary because:…

I enjoy wine. I might easily become a wine snob but for three impediments: I have too little money, too poor a memory for names and tastes, and - well, it's difficult to hold my nose in the air while a sommelier is giggling at my French. I cannot figure out anything to do about my French, but 20 years ago I did learn how to make my want of memory compensate partially for my want of money: I buy inexpensive wines and forget where I put them. After 5 or 10 years I bump into them again and find that they have become something nice. However, they do need to be the right sort of inexpensive wine.

Apple puts a lot of effort into being opaque, especially lately. Recent software updates, such as iPhone 2.0.2, provide only "Bug fixes" as their release notes, and problems with the MobileMe launch and extended email problems were either not acknowledged or done so half-heartedly. (See "Comparing Apple's MobileMe Contrition with Google and Netflix," 2008-08-19.) Perhaps that's why it's so surprising that a helpful back-channel of communication has emerged, one which provides straight answers that Apple's spokespersons can't offer: Apple CEO Steve Jobs. A TidBITS reader shared with us today…

Keyboard Maestro 3.4 from Stairways Software adds to the macro utility a Typed String trigger that executes actions whenever you type a particular sequence of characters, optionally deleting the typed characters as part of the process. Other changes are cosmetic, minor, or fix bugs. ($36 new, free update, 6.2 MB)  Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form,…

In email sent to MobileMe users late on 18-Aug-08, Apple announced that the company will be extending all accounts in the system by 60 days. Any paid or trial account that was active as of midnight on 19-Aug-08 receives two additional months. The 60-day extension will be given to subscribers who may already have received the 30-day extension Apple previously granted (See "MobileMea Culpa: Apple Apologizes and Explains Tiger Situation," 2008-07-16, for who qualified for that extension.) The 60-day extension will be applied to accounts within a few days. The full 90 days of membership extension…

Laptopmag covers some of the announcements made at Intel's Developer's Forum. The general manager of Intel's Mobility Group Dadi Perlmutter discussed current and future Intel mobile processor technology. These products and features should find thei...

Many will remember Proximi's MagicPad [App Store] iPhone application which was the first to offer a 3rd party notepad application for the iPhone with copy and paste functionality. Of course, due to the constraints of the iPhone SDK, Promixi was onl...

Apple has issued a statement and a knowledge base article addressing two separate support issues that may require product replacement. The first issue received publicity today surrounding a Japanese report that certain iPod nanos may ...

iPhon.fr posts (via Gizmodo) screenshots of what claim to be the upcoming Nike+ running application for iPhone. Nike+ is a running accessory for the iPod Nano that allows you to track your running.With a sensor in your shoe ...

Apple has accelerated the Mac OS X 10.5.5 seeding with build 9F17 delivered to developers last night. The latest build still lists no known issues and provides fixes for iCal, Mail Sync, Back to My Mac and Core Animation. While diffi...

Speck has developed versions of its SeeThru case for the iPhone 3G -- it doubles as a stand.

Neutron, a middleware aimed at multiplayer game developers, is now available in beta form for the iPhone.

If you're a fan of Tim Hortons coffee, you'll love this new locator app for the iPhone.

CorkBoard is a data management tool with drag and drop support that the developer likens to "Time Machine for your train of thought."

MathType 6 is now available. The new version of the equation editing software features Universal binary support and works in Leopard.

MacsDesign Studio has updated its flagship service management solution, Web Help Desk (www.webhelpdesk.com/help-desk-software/web-based-helpdesk.html), to version 9.0. The upgrade adds rules-based voting and approval process for change requests, an extensible plug-in architecture for third party asset management tools, and an AJAX enhanced user interface. According to Jonathan Lew, president of MacsDesign Studio, the latest version of the Web Help Desk software delivers numerous new productivity features, including: ° [...]

Ohanaware, a new company specializing in photo software products, has released Funtastic Photos (www.ohanaware.com/funtasticphotos/), a non-destructive and fully reversible photo editor. With it , photos aren’t permanently changed; they can be changed, changed again, undone, changed and then “rewound” to their original state. Advanced controls are available in Funtastic Photos, allowing custom editing or tweaking of the photo. All the advanced controls [...]

MediaSilo (www.mediasilo.com), an online video management and collaboration leader, has eliminated browser-based upload limitations with an integrated FTP solution. The new feature allows video file upload without regard to file size, says CEO Kai Pradel. The new upload feature integrates FTP and removes the limitations of a browser upload, he adds. MediaSilo’s suite of online video tools includes its signature collaboration [...]

TeamViewer (www.teamviewer.com ), a provider of solutions for online communication and collaboration, now offers a Host Module enabling the control of unattended remote computers. It connects two computers, without manual confirmation of the unattended computer, while maintaining the highest security standards. TeamViewer solutions work via Internet, creating a secure connection between two computers located anywhere in the world. Downloading the Host Module [...]

If you use FileMaker Pro and you have an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch you can transfer that fully relational database to your iPhone or iPod. FMTouch supports multiple databases. Imagine having your contacts database, your inventory database, all with you on your iPhone. You can access your data anywhere and never have to worry about internet connections. While everyone else [...]

Filed under: Steve Jobs, iPhoneJim Dalrymple at Macworld notes that the iPhone software update from Monday was mostly to handle issues with dropped calls on new iPhone 3G handsets. According to an Associated Press article, the update "improved communication with 3G networks," said Apple spokesperson Jennifer Bowcock. However, some Macworld commenters are saying the update hasn't helped with dropped calls, even in areas with a strong signal. What's more, according to an AppleInsider rumor, another update is scheduled for September that addresses an issue where non-default applications will…

Filed under: OS, Hacks, Terminal Tips Have you been paging through a document and wished that the scroll arrows were at both ends of the scroll bar? With a simple Terminal hack, you can have it your way. Just open Terminal.app (Applications > Utilities) and type in the following command: defaults write "Apple Global Domain" AppleScrollBarVariant DoubleBoth You will need to restart your Mac to see the changes. If you want to change the scroll bars back to the normal way, just open the Appearance System Preference pane and select "Together" from the "Place scroll arrows section." For more…

Filed under: Humor, Odds and ends, Bad AppleAn Apple Premium reseller in the UK sent us these photos of an Apple recycling information mailer they received: but the mailer itself was sent in a decidedly non-green way. From photos the reseller sent, it appears the mailer consisted of two sheets of standard A4-sized paper. Those sheets of paper were placed inside a large, yellow clasp envelope. That envelope was then placed inside a corrugated cardboard box. The box was then mailed to the UK from Switzerland. While all of these materials are recyclable, it seems like a little bit of a waste to…

Filed under: iPod Family, iTS, iTunes, iPhoneBy definition, nearly all tips we receive about Apple future product intros are wrong. After all, we're not Engadget. People aren't going to risk their jobs to deliver insider information. That being said, a tip that shot into our mailbox this morning really tickled my fancy: not because I think it's accurate but because I really really want it to be true. Our anonymous tipster laid out a description for iTunes Unlimited that I thought was brilliant. Although this guy (by definition) does not work for Apple, he really ought to. He suggested that…

Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone, App StoreBoth ApolloIM and MobileChat were jailbreak applications for chatting on the go with your iPhone/iPod touch. Alex Schaefer, ApolloIM's founder, has recently joined the MobileChat development team. In a blog posting by the developer of MobileChat, he said that both applications underwent "friendly competition" and that, while there was no clear winner in the iPhone IM business, users got the benefit from the ongoing competition. Now that Alex has joined the other team, you can expect that MobileChat will only get better. The post goes on to mention…

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Freeverse has provided us with some preview videos of their upcoming titles, including Flick Sports Bowling and Big Bang Chess. Flick Sports Bowling This title is still in the early stages of development, but fulfills an earlier promise from the company that we would see a series of Flick Sports games including Baseball, Soccer, Bowling, and Golf. Big Bang Chess Big Bang Chess is just one of several board games planned for an early September release. Other titles are expected to include Chess, Checkers, Mancala, 4-In-a-Row and Tic-Tac-Toe. Freeverse expects to support Apple’s Push…

Exit Games has announced that its cross platform toolset for multiplayer online gaming is now available for the iPhone. For developers, this provides a toolset that allows them to more easily integrate online multiplayer and social gaming features to their games. Possible features include: Community – asynchronous interaction of a large community of players Multi-Platform Connectivity – mobile-to-mobile, mobile-to-PC, and PC-to-PC multiplayer gaming Asset Upload & Download – flexible download and integration of game assets into running application Tournament Management – flexible…

Brian Wurster has released Tangrams [App Store] to the App Store. The $2.99 puzzle game brings a classic Chinese puzzle to the iPhone. The game involves seven geometric shapes which you must arrange to match the silhouette shown. No pieces may overlap and all pieces must be used. Here’s a sample of one of the early puzzles. Before and after:     Tangrams offers over 400 puzzles and naturally uses the iPhone’s touch capability to drag pieces around on the screen. When all the pieces are in place, the game confirms the solution. Another Tangram game that has been in…

Game developer IUGO has been in the spotlight lately thanks to their release of Toy Bot Diaries [App Store] for the iPhone last week.  Perhaps the best example yet of a true iPhone game, Toy Bot Diaries with its natural control system delivers highly enjoyable gameplay that’s hard to put down. iPwnGames recently interviewed Sarah Thomson, IUGO’s Business Development executive regarding the company’s thoughts on the iPhone, the recently released Toy Bot Diaries, and the company’s upcoming titles Re-Volt and Shaky Summit. When asked how IUGO has liked working on the…

Reporting from GCDC 2008, PocketGamer.co.uk was demoed a new iPhone racing game called Real Racing. Australian developer Firemint shows off what appears to be a very promising accelerometer-based iPhone game: PocketGamer.co.uk had a hands on and described the graphics as “spiffing” and claims the tilt controls “knock spots off other iPhone racing games so far.” Head-to-head multiplayer over network or Wi-Fi is also available. What most impressed them, however, was the community features which allow you to upload you best times to a central website. This lap data can…

Apple is replacing certain MagSafe Adapters that have proven not to be all that safe after all. If yours has frayed, you might want to consider taking it in for a replacement.Read More...

Online gadget retailer Brando offers some inexpensive options for iPhone shutterbugs. Telephoto, wide angle, and other creative lens filters can be had for under $20.Read More...

According to PacificCrest Securities analyst Andy Hargreaves, the fact that Mobile Safari's browser share has almost doubled since the launch of the iPhone 3G could signal that an unexpectedly high number of units have been sold too.Read More...

There is a new framework in town, and it will allow developers to implement copy and paste in their iPhone applications. Perhaps Apple will take note and step up its game.Read More...

After Apple filed its copyright infringement suit against Psystar, the maker of the OpenComputer, the company has been given multiple filing extensions, and will now have to respond by August 28.Read More...

Daniel Eran Dilger Today’s broad array of smartphone operating system contenders are offering lots of potential answers to a problem that only requires one. It appears the market has two options ahead: either pool generic hardware makers behind a single operating system and deliver a smartphone marketplace that resembles the Windows PC market, or watch them fall to a dominant leader and have a smartphone market that resembles Apple’s iPod ecosystem. This decision isn’t going to be made by a class of intellectual elite, or by government mandate. it’s going to be made by…

The Internet is running out of addresses. To get around this problem and a host of others not addressed in the existing Internet Protocol (IPv4), a new revision has been in development for years, called IPv6. Uptake has been slow; it requires upgrading all the routers and devices that make up the Internet. Apple has a few tricks up its sleeve for pushing IPv6 adoption, and many Mac users are already chin deep in the technology without even knowing it. Here’s why, and what it means for users on every platform. Continues: Apple’s secret “Back to My Mac” push behind IPv6

Apple has offered an additional two month free extension for all MobileMe subscribers with active accounts as of August 19, 2008, on top of the original 30-day extension granted a month ago, shortly after the MobileMe launch. Continues: Apple gives another 60-day free extension for MobileMe

Apple’s Enterprise Sales Group has been quietly installing thousands of iMacs, Mac minis, Mac Pros, and Xserves in hotels and cruise ships in a new push to bring the media rich experience of Apple’s retail stores to the hospitality industry, where hoteliers are seeking to deliver personalized, unique experiences that will impress guests and bring them back for more. Continues: Apple Enterprise sending thousands of Macs into hotels, cruise ships

Experts and analysts of all stripes are trying to explain what’s wrong with the iPhone 3G, but their answers are frequently supported by bad science, outlandish claims, and pure speculation. Here’s what’s wrong in the reports, and why a simple firmware update is likely to solve the current issues. Continues: Inside the iPhone 3G dropped call complaints

While Apple's iSync and MobileMe syncing services work fine for many users, others have experienced a plethora of problems ranging from data not syncing to inability to access services such as the Calendar on the MobileMe website.

Some users are experiencing an issue in which iChat refuses to connect when attempting to video chat with other users, and the program generates the message "Error 8".

Depending on how your Mac has been used, especially if users have multiple operating systems installed or if they've just freshly installed their system software, the computer may boot and display a different symbol than the default apple symbol.

iSync users who keep their contacts and calendars synchronized between their computers and mobile phones may run into a problem where iCal no longer syncs properly, and instead gives an error indicating the lack of an available and ready calendar.

Apple has begun offering another free extension for MobileMe users; this time 60 days

According to MacDailyNews,”an anonymous tipster says Apple will hold a special media event in late September and cover some amazing things including, iTunes Unlimited digital music subscription service. Wow this is some interesting news! To get ALL the info check it out at MacDailyNews!

Dice from MotionX is a fun little App that makes rolling dice a lot more interesting! You can choose different dice ,the amount of dice and it vibrates when you roll (shake the iPhone). The best part - It’s FREE! Get it HERE!

Is posterous the way to go? It sure seems simple enough. Very handy! Let’s see after a few days of testing. Posted by email from ageekspot’s posterous

I never thought I would be excited about commercials but I do and I did, check em’ out for yourself. (you know you want to) Here Or from the YouTubes: My favorite is Free Pizza!

FaceYourManga and Yearbook Yourself has taken the internets by storm! I have spent way too much time playing around with yearbook Yourself but did have a few laughs. The avatar I created with FaceYourMagna is now proudly used for my twitter account. So why do we love to see ourselves as cartoons or in old pictures? Is it a digital form of dress up? Who knows…… What’s your favorite Avatar creator or Face in old pic website? have you tried FaceinHole yet?

Like its says. Not the best but will get the job done for now.

Some upgraders are actually reporting just the opposite, though -- for these lucky few, 2.0.2 seems to be making reception somehow worse than it already was, and what's more, there are intermittent reports cropping up of broken third-party apps, too.

The Internet is running out of addresses.To get around this problem and a host of others not addressed in the existing Internet Protocol (IPv4),a new revision has been in development for years,called IPv6.Apple has a few tricks up its sleeve for pushing IPv6 adoption,and many Mac users are already chin deep in the technology without even knowing it

We've known that Nike+ has long been in development for the iPhone. Now we're finally getting a peek at the first shots of the interface. From what we can skim, Nike+ users will get all of the nifty performance graphs right on the phone (before this stuff was available on the web only). But the biggest improvement may be Goggle Maps support

Privacy advocates' concern over what Apple will do with iPhone user data may be overblown, industry experts say.

The proliferation of Macs throughout the world has its high points and its low points. The U.S., for example, is a bastion of Mac life while India is arguably on the other end of the spectrum. But apparently no place is the Mac revolution going better than in Australia. According to data by research firm Gartner, Mac sales during the second quarter of the year grew 52% in the land down under, almost six times more than the PC industry as a whole. The market share in the quarter jumped to 5.3% from 3.8% in the same quarter last year. Such outstanding growth tops dear old America where the…

Remember that that snazzy USB snap bracelet? Man, have I got something ten times better, several times larger, and possibly, a few times pricier: the USB heated shawl! This blue blanket of unknown material (please be the same kind of material that Batman's suit is made out of) attaches to a computer's USB port to provide warmth to the wearer. For whatever reason. Ironically, as I'm typing this, I am cold because the humidity broke last night but my air conditioning didn't get the memo. For $28.95 (gift wrap is $3.75 extra), do I want to clog Darth Vader's USB port* with something that looks…

So for the past several months, I’ve been using a Levenger tote bag to, well, tote my laptop around (30-percent-off-sale, whoo!) But now I see this handmade case and suddenly, I want a laptop bag that looks like an Etch A Sketch too! Designer Betz White recently made this iBook cozy for her brother’s birthday, dubbing it the “Rog-A-Sketch.” The bag is 100 percent wool felt and features Velcro closures, button knobs that turn (but sadly don’t etch any sketches) and black thread stitched onto silver felt to simulate the original Etch A Sketch’s famous screen.

There are many interesting things that developers can do with MacFUSE. SSH accounts can be represented as disks. VMware Fusion uses it for its Unity integration features. NTFS disks can be used on Macs thanks to it. While those uses are very functional and useful, there are fun things that can be done with it too. I immediately liked GrabFS when it came out. As you browse through a filesystem representation of your applications, you can open them and get an up to the moment screenshot of that application. While one can clearly use that for functional reasons (as I thought about doing),…

Stephen Malinowski at kk.org made the astute observation that as the per-pixel price of flat screen computer displays continues to drop, the price discrepancies between different sized models of large displays are becoming smaller as well. So he took the plunge and bought a 30" Apple display for his home office on eBay for $1,500. Since then, he's realized that there's more to gain from having a massive display than pure geek cred. After using his 30" display for a few weeks he begin to notice that he was using considerably less paper while working; whereas he used to print out diagrams and…

Of course it happens. Right when I show how to jailbreak and hack a firmware, they come out with another firmware AND method. For those of you familiar with ZiPhone and how easy it is to use, this method of jailbreaking is for you. It is called QuickPwn, and is pretty easy. It is still in beta testing stages, so I do not recommend using it yet and I will not post a link until I am sure it has the bugs worked out. Stay tuned for a video and a “Detailed Instructions” in the near future. Also, firmware 2.0.2 has been released. Upgrading to this firmware will DELETE EVERYTHING that…

Looks like Zibri, the creator of ZiPhone, is finally announcing that he will be releasing an updated version of his program. This is what he wrote on his site’s blog: Next generation of ZiPhone is in the works. It will be as simple as Apple would have done it. A simple one click program. A 5 seconds run. Stay tuned. Personally, ZiPhone is my favorite way to jailbreak. It is a true hack, and I thank him greatly for making his personal works public for others (especially me) to use with ease. All you have to do is click one button and it does all the work. Because of this, I waited so…

Ok. Here it is.To waatch the video tutorial, go to www.youtube.com/iPodTouchHacksSite to watch. 1. Download a bunch of stuff. Download WinPwn Download the firmware. iPhone 3G firmware 2.0.1 here and iPhone first gen here. The iPod Touch firmware must be purchased legally using iTunes, but wouldn’t it be convenient if you could download it from here at your own risk? Download the latest version of iTunes here 2. Get everything ready Get your iPod/iPhone running firmware 2.0.1. Plug your device in and hold shift and click restore in iTunes and click your firmware Before instaalling…

So the new WinPwn is out. I am going to test it a few times before I release a “Detailed Instructions” and YouTube video. Expect a release within a day or two. Be patient and be prepared to have a jailbroken 2.0 with the AppStore. Share This

According to the official WinPwn site (http://winpwn.com/index.php/Main_Page), there will be a new release of the WinPwn FREE software that will jailbreak 2.0. The site says “soon”, so there is no really set date. Hopefully, within a few days this program will be completed and ready to operate. When that time comes, I will of course be there to write a “Detailed Instructions” and make a YouTube video. This jailbreak will supposedly let Installer coexist with the AppStore, which could prove to be interesting. Also, to those who will wait on 1.1.4 until the jailbreak…

Engadget.com has launched a beta version of Engadget for Apple iPhone and iPod touch users...

Access to Apple's online iTunes Store has been blocked in China after it emerged that Olympic athletes...

A series of images making the rounds on the Internet this week as 'leaked' screenshots of an upcoming...

Apple acknowledged Tuesday that a software update for the iPhone partly fixes the connection snags...

Australians are switching to Macs at a faster rate than almost anywhere else in the world...

It's no surprise that this weak display of utter iPhone news hackery turned out to be an elaborate hoax served up on a baguette with stinky cheese. The so called 'leaked screenshots' of an upcoming Nike+ application for the iPhone was generated by a French website called iPhon.fr. What the hell is an "iPhon"? It's friggin bad inglish, that's what! "While Apple and Nike are indeed working to bring the Nike+ experience to Apple's touch-based handhelds sometime in the future, it may be some time before that application sees the light of day," AppleInsider reports. Every tech…

Early testing is under way for Apple's new "gauged ear" bluetooth headset, designed exclusively for cult of iPhone faithful who really think different. Sources report that product testers are raving about the noise-suppressing DSP technology. Some complained at first about the innovative stretch-to-fit design, but later confirmed; "You have to expect some painful adjustments as an early adopter, you get used to it after awhile". Nice! I'm sticking with my boring handheld option for now.  The unnamed iPhone headset is rumored for release in two sizes, finished in black…

Apple has agreed to replace smoking first-generation iPod Nano units after admitting today that some nanos were overheating due to battery problems. What also helped to push things along was word that Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry was investigating similar reports of nanos overheating there. In all, reports tell of 14 such incidents occurring in the country. You should know, this iPod battery issue is not new. Remember Danny Williams from Georgia who reported his first-gen iPod Nano spontaneously caught fire in his pocket back in October 2007? It turns out he wasn't so crazy…

Special Report by Fay Stoker CHICAGO, IL - Dozens of middle school children from a small Chicago suburb near Arlington Heights, Illinois were being closely monitored on Tuesday morning by area parents after one pre-teen caused complete mayhem on Monday by grossly overreacting to a five day old broadcast by TV show personality, Stephen Colbert, aimed at spoofing Apple's iPhone. Stephen Colbert hosts the wildly popular Comedy Central news show, "The Colbert Report". Colbert jokingly reported news on his August 14th show claiming; "Your iPhone's kill switch doesn't remove…

With the size of iPhone 3G changing only slightly in proportion and curvature from the original, the commonly accepted drawback of "iPhone bulge" remains a challenge for most of us accustomed to shoving our hunk of innovation into our front pockets. Anyone who chooses an iPhone case, sleeve or pocket pouch for protection, no matter how thin, will notice that iPhone bulge only becomes more obvious. Some actually believe that's a good thing. Is that an iPhone in your pocket?  Unless your a card carrying metro-sexual, like Robert Downey Jr. who endorses the dreaded…

podcast sponsor link:Click Here to check out Blogflux Groups! Today’s Show: Android vs. iPhone, Macbook Groceries and more! You can subscribe via iTunes, or by RSS feed, or… you can listen to the episode right here: In addition to that, you can also download the Apple Gazette Daily Widget and listen to every episode of the show right on your Dashboard. Click Here to download.

Hey guys I just wanted to drop in a quick post to tell you about a small addition to the site. Some of you may be already be familiar with Yahoo! Buzz. If you’re not, its essentially a Yahoo! Digg-clone, but in a lot of ways, I like it better. The topics are very diverse, and there are some really interesting stories coming in from all over the place. Plus, there are no comments under the stories filled with people bickering back and forth about their favorite computer maker, political candidate, or what have you. You can just go there, read news, and vote on stories that you like.

The iPhone’s share of the browser market is showing a steady stream of growth according to the latest charts from MarketShare. The browser share actually took a bit of a dip in weeks just before the launch of the iPhone 3G, going as low as 0.13% - but since the release of the iPhone 3G percentages have shot up to as high as 0.45%. The most interesting part of the graph, however, are the spikes in usage. It should come as no surprise, really, that people use their iPhones more on the weekend than they do during the week when they’re in the office. Still the weekend spikes of usage…

So last night we went grocery shopping. Normal trip, nothing out of the ordinary…and then I walked past the photo booth. They have recently started selling notebook computers but, like every other place in the world, they’re always Windows-based - so I don’t care. Then I saw this… And I did a double take. Look at that! A Macbook on sale in a GROCERY STORE! If that doesn’t say something about Apple’s market growth - I don’t know what will. For those curious, the grocery chain is H-E-B. They’re one of the better grocery chains here in Texas. They…

Last night saw this video on Digg. That was an Apple commercial about the Internet, and how it was changing the world. All very true (if the Internet hadn’t changed the world, then I certainly wouldn’t be doing this!) The video above, however, isn’t that video. I found this video looking at the recommendations of the previous video. So what is this video? This video is a look at the future from 1969 - and it is pretty darn close to accurate. Just take a look at it, and I think you’ll be amazed. Obviously its not 100% accurate, but after seeing it, I really thought you…

On Tuesday, Apple acknowledge that part of its recent iPhone OS 2.0.2 firmware update partly fixed 3G network connection errors. According to Yahoo News, Apple spokeswoman Jennifer Bowcock said on Tuesday that "the software update improves communication with 3G...

During Intel's Tuesday presentation at this year's Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, the company outlined its road map for an upcoming line of solid-state drives that will used flash-based solid-state memory to store data and replace conventional hard...

Following instances where Apple's first-generation iPod Nano player devices triggered minor but device-killing fires, the company has released a statement both confirming the issue and solution while attempting to minimize the scope of the problem: "Apple has determined that...

Per an article on Bloomberg News, Apple may be close to an agreement with providers OAO VimpelCom and OAO MegaFon, Russia's second and third largest wireless carrier to officially bring the iPhone 3G handset to Russia. Current rumors have...

On Tueday, Intel representatives stated that the company's next-generation platform for notebooks will provide more visually stunning graphics as well as better power management features. According to Macworld UK, company officials laid out details regarding a project code-named "Calpella",...

Wednesday, August 20, 2008 -- 9 a.m. -- on my couch We've talked so much about the iPhone's problems, I always enjoy talking about something good ... and the first thing that came to mind last night as I was...

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 -- 11:46 p.m. -- at my desk All the Mac sites are abuzz over a comment that was sent to an AppleInsider poster regarding the Iphone problems. "This is a known iPhone bug that is being...

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 -- 6 p.m. -- at my desk I'll tell you what ... I really like to write things that are positive. I do. And I waited 24 hours before posting anything new about 2.0.2 just to...

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 -- 1:21 a.m. -- at my desk As I prepare to head home, I wanted to just mention that I am going to stick with iTunes 7.7 While looking for something else, I came across the...

Monday, August 18, 2008 -- 10 p.m. -- at my desk Thanks for all the great updates on 2.0.2, everyone. While everyone always seems to have different positives and negatives about every software update, I thought I'd give you my...

Section: iPhone + Communications, iPhoneAccording to the latest NetApplications figures, the iPhone’s browsing marketshare has increased significantly since the release of the iPhone 3G. “The release of the iPhone 3G has brought large gains in web browsing share. Prior to the launch, iPhone usage share had leveled off, but has since resumed its upward trend,” NetApplications explains. The figures also show some interesting trends. For example, iPhone users are more likely to be browsing on weekends rather than weekdays, where there is a 50-70% spike in usage. Last year,…

Section: Apple News, Updates, iPod + iTunes, iTunes, iPhone + Communications, iPhone, iPhone SDK & AppsApple CEO Steve Jobs has promised a fix for a common bug in the iPhone’s latest software. Many people are experiencing iPhone applications not launching properly; Apple is aware of this and are hoping to fix it in an update that will be released in September. “This is a known iPhone bug that is being fixed in the next software update in September,” says the short note from Steve. Only third-party applications are affected by this bug, so your game of Super Monkey Ball may…

Section: iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone + Communications, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps, OriginalsWe’ve all asked for it. Time and time again. We’re sick of writing things that can just be copied. It’s all about ease of use, why shouldn’t iPhone copy and paste be part of the big picture too? Remember the app by Proximi called MagicPad? It was the first app on the App Store to allow copy and paste functionality. But realistically, it wasn’t that useful when you consider that the ability can only be used inside of MagicPad. Zac White, a student developer, has taken…

Section: Apple News, Retail & Apple Store, Mac + Computers, Laptops, MacBook, MacBook Pro, PeripheralsIt seems that enough people have complained, and Apple has decided it’s willing to lower its profit margins by a few cents and give away replacement MagSafe Power Adapters should yours fray and fall apart. Many MacBook and MacBook Pro owners have reported their MagSafe Power Adapters fraying just below the head and, at times, shorting. These reports have been coming in since the introduction of MagSafe into the notebook line, but Apple has done nothing about it until this week. A new…

Section: iPod + iTunes, iPod touch, iPhone + Communications, iPhone, iPhone SDK & Apps Microsoft, maker of the evil Windows, Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, has not made an iPhone application of any sort, but faithful fans and users have taken the task into their own hands and created a few apps of their own. Microsoft is apparently not offended by the apps’ presence in the iTunes store, but they will not stand idly by while 3rd party developers reap the benefits of their service. The Redmond Giant has demanded iPhone Xbox Live apps be available at no cost. It is becoming clear that the Xbox…

It's that time again... Time for our recap of the news and rumors this week.

It's strange to be judging applications on whether they're overpriced at $ .99. So it goes with so many App Store applications. Today's 99cent app is UEI Pong. Is networked play enough to make it worth it? Let's see:

As we reported last night, Apple has given Mobile Me users another credit, this time for 60 days. This brings the total credited days to 90, or three months.First, kudos again to Apple for doing the right thing. They know the experience has been less than perfect, and they've been surprisingly pro-active in addressing the situation. Let's hope this signals a new direction for the company in dealing with issues.It also makes you wonder just how important the revenue stream from MobileMe is to Apple. Apple probably makes more on the iTunes store in a day/week than a year of MobileMe…

Apache Lander was the first helicopter-based game for the iPod. But, it isn't always best to be first. The app has room for improvements, as you'll see:

Check your email .mac/MobileMe users. Just minutes ago, (and ironically in the junk folder) we just received an email from Apple indicating MobileMe users will receive 60-days free.From the email:We have already made many improvements to MobileMe, but we still have many more to make. To recognize our users' patience, we are giving every MobileMe subscriber as of today a free 60 day extension. This is in addition to the one month extension most subscribers have already received. We are working very hard to make MobileMe a great service we can all be proud of. We know that MobileMe's launch has…

Statistics at Test My iPhone show that speeds for iPhones tested in the past 24 hours are significantly lower than the averages indicated in tests done prior to the release of the 2.0.2 firmware upgrade. Over nearly 600,000 total speed tests made at the site, the average download speed registered is 2227.93 kbps, while in tests made over the past 24 hours the average is just 1429.31 kbps. That’s a decrease of nearly 36%, which has to be seen as significant.  The site’s reporting of discrepancies on the upload tests is less clear, because the average of 268.94kbps reported for the…

Next time you’re running out for some organic produce or fresh-grilled unagi, if you’re in Texas, you might want to swing by H-E-B, where you can pick up a MacBook while you’re at it. Who said Apple’s distribution model is restrictive? Via AppleGazette

China has apparently shut off access to iTunes after discovering some Olympic athletes downloaded and have been playing Songs for Tibet, an album produced by The Art of Peace Foundation to raise funds to support “peace-related projects that are dear to the Dalai Lama”, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader whom China regards as subversive. The group made the album available as a free download just prior to the start of the Olympics in Beijing on August 8 and encouraged Olympic athletes to download and play it on their iPods as a subtle protest during the games. Via SMH, Australia

First generation iPod nano customers who have experienced their battery overheating should contact AppleCare for a replacement, the company said today, after scattered reports of some devices with battery problems that cause them to give off smoke or sparks. Apple’s statement put the number of affected units at less than 0.001 percent of the devices, which were first released in September 2005. The problem units have been traced back to a single battery supplier. There have been no reports of serious injuries or property damage, and no reports of incidents for any other iPod nano model.

Apple has doubled its share of the mobile web browser market since launching iPhone 3G six weeks ago, according to Pacific Crest technology analyst Andy Hargreaves. Still quite a small pebble in a large pond, at 0.31% of the total mobile browser market, iPhone’s “accelerating web usage highlights…key long-term advantages” for Apple and the company’s investors, Hargreaves says. Coupled with the recent announcement that iPhones will be carried at Best Buy outlets beginning in September, he predicts Apple will easily sell more than the 3.5 million iPhones Wall…

If you’ve had any problems with your MagSafe power adapter, Apple has good news for you: They’ll replace it for free.  You just need to bring it in to an Apple-Authorized Service Provider or an Apple store for evaluation.  If you’re out of warranty, you’re still in luck-they’ll take it back if it’s defective. The replacement program comes on the heels of another extension of MobileMe customer subscriptions due to performance problems earlier this week.  It’s a hassle when expensive things don’t work right.  It’s nice when a big brand…

Possibly the most innovative iPhone App in my opinion, Dynolicous is an application for the iPhone which uses the iPhone’s built-in accelerometer to provide several statistics regarding vehicle performance.  The $12.99 app measures many of the same performance statistics that high-cost competing solutions measure. Currently, the G-Tech Pro is considered to be a cutting edge solution in the industry.  You can pick up a G-Tech Pro for around $199 (I’m sure you can do better than that if you poke around).  If you’ve got an iPhone and track your car, is investing $12.99 in…

Problems with MobileMe lead Apple to extend all MobileMe subscriptions by a month in July.  Today, in response to continued hiccups with MobileMe, Apple ponied up an additional two months of membership.  Here’s the details from the email sent to MobileMe members: MobileMe Update We have already made many improvements to MobileMe, but we still have many more to make. To recognize our users’ patience, we are giving every MobileMe subscriber as of today a free 60 day extension. This is in addition to the one month extension most subscribers have already received. We are working…

You like blogs? Guy Kawasaki (this is an Apple crowd, right?  I’m assuming there’s no need to say more) let the world know about Alltop this past March.  On Guy Kawasaki’s blog Chris Shipley, the chairman of Guidewire Group describes Alltop: Alltop is deceptively simple. The site gathers up the best suggestions from the most active social web users and compiles links into a simple, clean discovery space. For many, Alltop will replace their RSS readers. Whether it replaces your RSS reader or not, you should make yourself aware of the site. It’s a see-it-to-get-it…

Have an extra iPod or iPhone laying around gathering dust?  If you want to sell it without too much of a hassle there’s a site called flipswap that will take it off your hands.  You don’t get cash, you get the online version of the next-best-thing: an Amazon.com Gift Card. A friend of mine just retired an old iPod and feels like he got a pretty good shake.  In his case, it was $40. It’s not just for Apple products either.  They accept all cell phones, regardless of their condition. Time to empty out that technology junk drawer…Hardware, Sell iPhone, Sell iPod Share…

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has upped his estimate of the number of iPhones he expects Apple to sell in its 4th quarter, from 4.1 million to 4.47 million, according to a report to clients issued early Wednesday. In the same period last year, Apple (AAPL) sold 1.12 million first-generation iPhones. Munster’s new estimate is based 1) on Apple’s report that it sold 1 million iPhone 3Gs in the three days following the device’s July 11 launch and 2) on 25 hours of in-store checks across the United States conducted over the past two weeks. His team counted sales in both…

In a move that will significantly expand its retail presence in time for the holiday season, Apple has agreed to let retailing giant Best Buy sell the new iPhone 3G through its nationwide chain of Best Buy Mobile outlets starting early next month. Best Buy markets cell phones in the United States through 970 full-size stores and 16 stand-alone Best Buy Mobile shops. All U.S. Best Buy stores will carry the iPhone except for a handful of outlets located in areas where AT&T does not provide cell phone coverage. The deal, first reported on Tuesday by Apple Insider and confirmed by Best Buy…

It’s been a month since the iPhone 3G and the App Store made their debut, and Steve Jobs used the occasion to offer up some selected facts and figures: Users have now downloaded more than 60 million programs for the iPhone and iPod touch, or roughly 2 million per day. Revenue from those applications came to about $30 million. 70% went to the developers; Apple kept 30%. (Free apps apparently accounted for the vast majority of the downloads, since average revenue per download is 50 cents.) If sales continue at the current pace, Apple stands to clear at least $360 million a year.

It’s been a confusing week for both sellers and buyers at the App Store — the venue for third party software that is the best thing to happen to the iPhone (except maybe the price cuts) since it arrived more than a year ago. The iPhone 3G is OK, if you manage battery consumption very carefully. And Mobile Me is slowly getting up to speed (see here). But the App Store — with 1,574 programs as of Saturday morning, from Abacus to Zxilophone — is a runaway hit, a software candy store that offers iPhone and iPod touch owners a fresh tray of tasty treats nearly every day. So…

Is Steve Jobs preparing to launch a smaller, cheaper version of the iPhone in time for Christmas? That’s the rumor — based on a brief item in London’s Daily Mail — that had Apple watchers buzzing over the weekend. “Report: iPhone nano to ring in the holidays” read the headline on Crave, CNet’s gadget blog. “iPhone Nano Rumor Brings Hope Alive,” wrote iPhone Savior. “Holy rumor, Batman,” shouted Crunch Gear, “iPhone nano to be released by Christmas.” The idea that Apple (AAPL) might eventually introduce a family of…

USA Today’s Ed Baig: Apple acknowledged Tuesday that a software update for the iPhone partly fixes the connection snags that have caused a global firestorm for the new iPhone 3G. Though mum on details, Apple spokeswoman Jennifer Bowcock said on Tuesday, “The software update improves communication with 3G networks.”  ★ 

Including a brief look at a fourth SSH client in the App Store, the plainly-named “SSH”.  ★ 

Pretty good list from Merlin Mann.  ★ 

Nedra Pickler, reporting for the AP on McCain’s vice presidential selection (emphasis added): His top contenders are said to include Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Less traditional choices mentioned include former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, an abortion-rights supporter, and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democratic vice presidential prick in 2000 who now is an independent. (Via Atrios.)  ★ 

Cultured Code’s $10 iPhone task manager now syncs with the Mac version of Things via Wi-Fi.  ★ 

Ed Baig over at USA Today (via Daring Fireball) is reporting that: Apple (AAPL) acknowledged Tuesday that a software update for the iPhone partly fixes the connection snags that have caused a global firestorm for the new iPhone 3G. Though mum on details, Apple spokeswoman Jennifer Bowcock said on Tuesday, “The software update improves communication with 3G networks.” Really? As I mentioned previously, yesterday in Downtown Montreal, it looked like I was unable to connect to the 3G network at all. Last night in the suburbs of Montreal, however, I was able to connect (though it took…

Good news on the Facebook front: their native application is due to get an upgrade in September. The upgrade should actually make the app reach some sort of feature parity with the web-app version of Facebook, which right now is far superior to the native app. New features include a revamped profiles view, viewing all notifications in the home tab, friend search and approval, the ability to view your full inbox, and more. Joy! Read: for iPhone’s Notes the iPhone Blog feed sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store. Facebook App for iPhone to Actually Reach Feature Parity with Web Version

So, this weekend I had a lot of problems connecting to the 3G network. Bars showed full. 3G icon was lit up. But email and web browsing — any type of network activity really — either took forever to resolve or timed out completely. Today was even worse. Couldn’t get on for most of the day. Zip. Zero. Zilch. And this was AFTER installing yesterday’s hot new 2.0.2 firmware (once I got it to download...). So what’s going on? Are there carrier issues resulting from less mature 3G networks? Is there an Infineon 3G chipset hardware problem? Is Infineon dragging their…

We always see (almost entirely incorrect) ‘outlines’ of keynotes in the runup to any Apple event, now we’re getting them before the runup starts. It’s a pretty safe be that Apple will be doing something in late September or October, they always try to have new iPod announcements before the holiday season. So go grab your salt shaker, pour out a few grains (actually, you might want to use them all), and take a gander at what Anonymous has told to expect in a “late September event,” after the break. Our take on the list you’re about to read: real iPhone…

Running out of things to say about the ongoing (and ongoing, and ongoing, and ongoing) TomTom and general turn-by-turn GPS on the iPhone saga? Lucky for us, MSNBC’s Suzanne Choney (via MacDailyNews) found out the big industry players certainly aren’t. Says TomTom: “We have made our navigation system run on the iPhone; it looks good and works very well. We will have to look more closely to Apple’s strategy before we can say more about what kind of opportunities this will bring us.” Says Garmin: “We’re always looking at new phone platforms to expand into for…

I’ve done web design and development for over 10 years. In the past, it was done in the typical way: I design and develop the site for a client, and deliver and launch the site. Then, typically, every time an addition or change is needed, the client must come back to me because they don’t want to invest the time into learning DreamWeaver, CSS, XHTML, PHP, etc. This was expensive for the client, and not very interesting work for me once the original site was complete. So I’ve been working on a new model of site design for small businesses which uses opensource (free) software…

A new survey conducted by Yankee Group Research Inc. of more than 700 senior IT administrators and C-level executives revealed that nearly 80% of businesses have Macs in-house. This number is up from the last survey in 2006 which indicated that 47% of businesses had in-house Macs. Two interesting details of this survey are: 21% of the firms surveyed reported having delpoyed more than 50 Macs (some ranged into the thousands) 28% of the firms reported running Windows in a virtual machine on the Macs Clearly, virtualization software has helped catalyze this trend towards Mac delpoyment. The two…

I usually refrain from posting “theoretical” OS X exploits since they rarely pose any real threat to Mac users. However, several sources are now reporting multiple Mac Trojan horses in the wild. These Trojans exploit a root vulnerability in Apple Remote Desktop Agent in Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5. This exploit has been rated as “critical”, but it does require that a user download and open the Trojan file. Pay attention, folks. We knew that Macs would come more and more into hackers focus as market-share grew. See more information at the SecureMac site. ShareThis

Apple announced OS X 10.6 named Snow Leopard as more of a performance release rather than a feature release. Some of the announced changes include a smaller footprint (giving back some hard drive space), Microsoft Exchange support, extended 64-bit support to allow a theoretical 16TB of RAM, faster clock speeds with the multicore “Grand Central” technology, and QuickTime X which includes optimized support for the latest codecs. It’s not known yet whether Snow Leopard is the beginning of dropped support for PowerPC by Apple. Several developers are reporting that their…

It’s been around for awhile now, but I don’t see much mention of it. GOOG-411 is a great 411 service that is free and convenient. From any phone you dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411), when you connect to the system you say out loud the city and state. Then you say the name of the business or the business type. The system quickly returns the top listings, letting you choose one. Then it automatically dials the number for you. Like most of Google’s services, it’s simple, elegant and very useful. GOOG-411 is on my iPhone’s favorites and is a service I use often.