Home / tuaw.com rss archive / September-25-2007


VMware Fusion beta 1.1 available
Filed under: Universal Binary, Beta BeatLooks like the VMware team may be picking up a few pointers from the "release early, release often" cheerleaders at rival virtualization shop Parallels; the recently-released Fusion for Mac is now out in a 1.1 beta form, downloadable with registration. The beta packs a load of features, full list below -- top additions include DirectX 9.0 support, iPhone/Outlook sync, Unity and Boot Camp functional improvements, and (just in time) better compatibility with host systems running Leopard. The beta also squashes a bug that has bitten me a couple of times: the Airport process randomly ramping up to 100% CPU with Fusion installed.The beta clocks in at a hefty 170 MB, and you'll get an evaluation serial number good for 30 days when you sign up to download the software. Let us know how the beta works out for you in the comments.Thanks Joy & RMSContinue reading VMware Fusion beta 1.1 availableRead | Permalink |&nb...

In the wee small hours of the Hey! The Apple Store is down
Filed under: RetailWith Nik covering the early-morning East Coast shift from his perch on the way, way East coast, I rarely get to do this anymore... but since I already stayed up way past my bedtime, I'll share with you all that the Apple Store is down. It's almost certainly routine maintenance. Really. Almost 100% certain. Could be new laptops. No. Too close to Leopard. But maybe something.OK, sure, not much to get excited about... but it's 1 am here in NYC, and I should have been in bed two hours ago, so why not let you all know?Thanks David & Chase, you sleep-thieving rats.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple sends takedown notice to iPod hacker's ISP
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPod Family, Hacks, AppleYesterday, Erica posted in her state of the iPod touch jailbreak that a hacker named "Martyn" had obtained a broken iPod touch, and was planning to dive in and download every bit of code on it in the increasingly complicated effort to put 3rd party applications on the iPod touch. He didn't plan to release the code to the public, but he did plan to upload the code to a secured area of his site in order to let the other touch hackers have a crack at it.But even before his upload finished, we're told, his ISP showed up, with a takedown notice in hand. Apple had somehow found his site, had contacted his ISP, and let them know that it would be against copyright law for him to upload that code to the Internet. Martyn isn't interested in breaking the law (and it would be illegal to share that code), so he pulled the page off. But what's amazing here is how fast Apple moved on this-- either they've got someone listening in on...

Signal: turn your iPhone into an iTunes remote
Filed under: iPod Family, iTunes, iPhoneJust because installing third party apps voids your iPhone warranty doesn't mean you shouldn't have fun with it! Signal is a cool little app that won't void your warranty and lets you control your iTunes library right from the screen of your iPod touch or iPhone.Signal installs on your Mac, and starts up a little server that is accessible via the browser on your iPhone/iPod touch (or other device with a browser and internet access). Go to your special Signal URL and suddenly you have an iTunes remote control in your hands.It is important to note that this doesn't stream your iTunes music to a remote device, it simply allows you to control iTunes (start, stop, and skip songs) from afar.Signal costs $24.95, though a demo is available.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Determine your gaming specs with Aspyr Game Agent
Filed under: Gaming, FreewareHere's a cool freeware utility for Mac gamers (who love Aspyr especially). When you launch The Aspyr Game Agent (TAGA), it compares your machine's specs to the system requirements of their titles, and displays good matches. If you search for a game that won't run well on your machine (according to the system requirements, at least), TAGA suggests appropriate system upgrades.It's convenient and fun, though limited to a single manufacturer's catalog. It's also free (and Universal). If you're a hard core Aspyr fan, check this one out.[Via Twitter]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Western Digital makes Mac My Book
Filed under: HardwareIt was only a few days ago that our very own Mat Lu was talking up Western Digital's line of My Book external drives, and today Mac users have even more reason to check 'em out. The My Book Studio edition is aimed squarely at Mac users. The enclosure was designed to compliment Apple's hardware, and the drive is HFS+ Journaled formated. It also sports a quadruple interface (USB 2.0, FireWire 400/800 and eSATA) and backup software.Available in 320 GB to 1 TB capacities and priced from $199.99 USD to $399.99 the My Book Studio edition is worth checking out.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Secure your Mac: Eikon biometric security
Filed under: Peripherals, SecurityTUAW has lately been trying to help you Secure Your Mac, and while a few options have been available, biometric security is one area in which the Mac has seemed to lag behind the Windows side. Now UPEK has released a preview of the Mac version of their Eikon Digital Privacy Manager. The software allows you to use the Eikon scanner to login to your account, control your Keychain, switch users, or lock down your Mac. The Eikon scanner is a USB device which costs about $40 and only comes with Windows software. Once you have the scanner however, you can download the Mac Protector Suite Preview for free from UPEK. If security is a serious concern and passwords are getting tedious then a biometric solution like this one looks increasingly cost effective.[via OhGizmo]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Whitehall, Pa. Apple Store set to open
Filed under: RetailPennsylvania's fifth Apple Store will open in Whitehall this Saturday, September 29th at 10:00 AM. The store is located at 946 Lehigh Lifestyle Center in Whitehall, near J.Crew and Cucina Italiana. You can get full travel directions here.Pennsylvania's other stores are in Ardmore, King of Prussia and Pittsburgh (they've got two).As usual, we're asking any TUAW operatives who visit this weekend to send us stories and photos. Good luck, have fun and we're hoping you score a T-shirt![Via ifoAppleStore]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mark/Space to release Missing Sync for iPhone
Filed under: Software, iPhoneWhen I saw that Mark/Space was planning to release a version of Missing Sync for iPhone my first reaction was: what for? But as it happens I think they've hit upon some needed features that are actually missing from the out-of-the-box iPhone experience. First is a Migration Assistant for moving contacts, calendar entries, and photos from a Palm, Windows Mobile, or Blackberry device onto your Mac and thence to the iPhone. It also syncs your SMS messages and call log to your Mac so you don't lose information when you hit the storage limits on the iPhone. Best of all, perhaps, is Notes syncing, which will allow you to view iPhone notes in Yojimbo, Entourage, or Mark/Space's Notebook application. Unfortunately, however, it appears that it's only one-way, from the iPhone to the Mac, and not vice versa. This lack two-way Notes syncing remains a puzzling lacunae as far as I'm concerned, and I'm looking forward to somebody, whether it be Apple or Mark/Space,...

Adobe Photoshop Elements delayed until 2008
Filed under: Software, Universal BinarySometimes it seems like you can always count on Adobe to disappoint. Today they released Photoshop Elements 6 for Windows, but according to Macworld the Mac version will have to wait until "early 2008." This is because the two versions are on "different development schedules." The Mac version of Elements has long been missing some features from the Windows side (particularly in image management), so perhaps this is not surprising. Nonetheless, it's sad to note that as long as we were waiting for a Universal version of Photoshop, this means that Elements will end up taking nearly a year longer still! Fortunately, I suppose, you could just give the newly released Pixelmator a try instead and not worry about it.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

iPod touch 101: Free Tuesday selections on the wireless store
Filed under: iPod Family, iTSThe secret to using the iTunes wireless store resides on your personal computer. Log into your iTunes account before you sync your iPod touch. The mobile music store then uses your account information from iTunes to facilitate your purchases.To take advantage of the iTunes weekly freebies, point Mobile Safari to the most recent TUAW freebies post. Tap on any of the links. Your iPod touch launches the mobile music store and loads a page containing the free selection.Tap the "free" button next to the item you wish to purchase. The button turns green and the label updates to read "Buy Now". Tap it. Using an adorable animation, the song "jumps" into your downloads folder. The touch prompts you for your password. When you enter it, the download begins.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gruber hacks iPhone Notes with Helvetica
Filed under: Hacks, iPhoneRegular readers of Daring Fireball know John Gruber has an almost unhealthy fascination with the Helvetica font, but sometimes fanaticism pays positive results. Today he posted a hack to make the iPhone Notes application use Helvetica rather than the much despised Marker Felt font. The hack involves actually modifying the MobileNotes.app binary with a hex editor on your Mac and is thus probably not for the faint of heart. Needless to say you'll also need to have already hacked the iPhone enough to get access to the MobileNotes.app binary in the first place, but if you just can't stand Marker Felt here's a way to fix it. Gruber also warns, however, that there's no telling how long this hack will work, particularly with the forthcoming firmware update.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Amazon MP3: a quick review
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Audio, iTS, Internet ToolsBeing the intrepid blogger that I am, I thought I would go ahead and give Amazon's new MP3 store a whirl, since it works with iTunes and offers up high quality DRM-free MP3 files. What better way to compare and contrast the Amazon experience to the iTunes Store experience than purchasing the same song? The song in question is Rehab by Amy Winehouse (mostly because it was the first song that caught my eye on Amazon's page, and I enjoy it whenever I hear it).Continue reading Amazon MP3: a quick reviewPermalink | Email this | Comments

Pixelmator hits 1.0
Filed under: iLife, Multimedia, Software digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/Pixelmator_Hits_1_0'; Long-fabled image editor Pixelmator (arguably one of the hottest, and most discussed Mac applications of the year) has finally left beta testing, and version 1 is available to download and buy. Compatibility with layered Photoshop PSD files (and over 100 other file formats too), Core Image-driven editing, Automator actions, iSight and iLife integration and a heck of a lot more await, and it's certainly a compelling option given that a licence costs just $59.If you're wanting to get a quick look at the features in Pixelmator (and our very own screencast didn't whet your appetite enough), then in conjunction with the launch of the app, well-known screencast producer Don McAllister of ScreenCasts Online has produced a brief screencast that takes a look at the basics of the application.Pixelmator requires OS X 10.4 Tiger, with a Core Image-compatible graphics card recommended.Read&nbs...

iTunes: Free Tuesday
Filed under: iTS, Features, iTunes, DealsOnce again, it's Tuesday and TUAW is pleased to present you with a selection of free songs and videos from around the world. Many of these iTMS items won't be free for long--so grab your copies before the week is up.Continue reading iTunes: Free TuesdayRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments

NBC's Chuck is very Mac-heavy
Filed under: Video, Odds and endsI'm not sure what happened to the memo from top NBC brass, after the iTunes negotiations broke down, saying that Apple was firma non grata... but it clearly didn't make it to the production offices of Chuck in time to excise all the Mac gear from the geek-themed spy comedy's pilot episode. The corporate rage may have found some outlet, however, in the sheer destructive energy expended on the show's poor, defenseless Macs. Even the presence of a nasty Windows virus (the kind that causes laptops to emit smoke and sparks!) as a plot point doesn't make up for the carnage.There's the protagonist's doomed home machine, a G5 tower with a convenient sticker over the side logo -- which a) must be a lot lighter than a production model, seeing how it got tossed about; and b) suffers a grim fate as a gravity-test victim/close-combat weapon -- and earlier, there's another Mac that makes a key appearance in the opening sequence before getting blown to smithereens....

Amazon MP3: DRM free downloads from Amazon
Filed under: Audio, iTSAmazon today unveiled Amazon MP3 Beta (because if it isn't in beta, it isn't cool), a music download service that offers up music as it was meant to be: DRM free. EMI is onboard, as well as iTunes hating Universal, and a host of smaller record labels. Prices for single tracks vary but most are between $.89 and $.99 with most of the top 100 tracks going for $.89. Album prices are also variable ranging from $5.99 to $9.99.Thanks to the lack of DRM, and the fact that these files are MP3s (encoded at 256 kilobits per second which is the same encoding as iTunes Plus but for less money) you can save money (in most circumstances) and enjoy this music in iTunes and on your iPhone and iPod.I hope Apple is ready for some healthy competition in the digital downloads market.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

"iPhone Dev Team" issues statement
Filed under: iPhone var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/apple/iPhone_dev_team_disputes_Apple_FUD_with_bold_statement_about_unlocking'; A spokesman for the iPhone Dev Team, the group that developed the iPhone unlock has issued a statement condemning Apple and promising a tool in the next week which will restore your iPhone to a factory-fresh state. The unlock, he writes, made the iPhone free and useful world-wide, not just in certain countries. The text of the statement, with modifications for grammar and spelling, follows after the break.Continue reading "iPhone Dev Team" issues statementPermalink | Email this | Comments

MacBook, MacBook Pro Software Update 1.0
Filed under: Software Update, Apple, Macbook Pro, MacBookIf you have recently bought a MacBook or MacBook Pro you should check Software Update posthaste. Apple has just released MacBook, MacBook Pro Software Update 1.0 which corrects an issue with Journaling on those machines. It would seem that a number of MacBook and MacBook Pros left the factory without Journal turned on. This update simply enables Journaling on your Startup volume.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

MainStage 1.0.1
Filed under: Audio, Software UpdateHey, Logic Studio users: there is an update for the newest member of that suite, MainStage. MainStage 1.0.1 which includes, to quote Apple: Improved stability Fixes for minor usability issues Added options for saving parameter values when switching patchesApple recommends that update for all MainStage users.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments