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  • kevin_4e
    If you’ve been searching for a faster way to manage your apps than cmd+shift+A, then HimmelBar might be what you're looking for. HimmelBar is known as the “application launcher for Mac OS X” and uses a simple menu bar icon to lead you to your Applications folder or a folder of your choice... Previously known as Konfabulator, Yahoo! Widget Engine “will keep the stuff you love right at your fingertips.” Yahoo! Widget Engine allows users to choose from over the 1,000 user-submitted widgets, all of which can be used on the desktop... Thanks to the guys over at iPodWizard.net, iPod users (well, just Nano owners right now) can quit being jealous of the Zune’s customized backgrounds. By downloading their firmware and following a few steps in command prompt (yes, this is Windows only), you'll have a fully functional iPod with the background of your choice. Support for the 5th generation is said to be coming soon... In light of Steve's recent comments about Apple and the DRM, Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman had a few comments of his own... Also, it seems as though every whistle and bell must be included in order to properly sell the Zune, even if it may seem a bit ironic. I guess that's what led to Microsoft's latest advertising campaign...
  • Colonel
    After months of development, Apple appears to be finalizing the development of the next Mac OS X version, 10.5 Leopard. Along with Leopard, Apple is finishing development on the iLife '07 and iWork '07 application suites, which are supposedly going to take advantage of Leopard's Core Animation feature. Leopard, iLife, and iWork are rumored to be released sometime around late March. Think Secret has more info on Leopard and the latest iApps.


    Alongside the release of Version 10.5, code-named Leopard, will be new versions of Apple's consumer software suites, iLife '07 and iWork '07, which saw their release date pushed back due to expanded feature sets in both the applications. In addition, sources confirm that iLife '07 and iWork '07 will both contain numerous features dependent on Mac OS X 10.5, but whether Apple has made the unlikely and drastic move of completely axing support for earlier operating systems is less certain.
     
    As late as mid-2006, Apple had planned to release iLife '07 and iWork '07 in January at Macworld Expo, as the company has done in previous years. But discontent over the quality of some of the new additions to the software, including Apple's first standalone spreadsheet application, saw the release pushed back. At the same time, according to sources, Apple made the decision to wrap Leopard-specific features into the new iLife and iWork suites, originally planned for future releases of the software, possibly to further encourage sales of all three products. Anybody else ready to see Steve again?
  • Alex Oughton
    While not the full release we were expecting, Mediafour have released a Vista-compatible version of MacDrive, in Beta form.
     
    Beta 1 2 of MacDrive 7 can be downloaded free of charge from Mediafour's website, with an expiry date of March 12, 2007.
     
    The full product is due for release on March 5, 2007.
     
     
    As with all Beta software, especially software dealing directly with file systems, caution is recommended. However, my initial tests with the software have shown no problems so far, and the same level of compatibility which was provided by MacDrive 6 under Windows XP.
     
    This is sure to become one of the 'must-have' apps for users of Windows Vista on the Mac, so be sure to check out our full review of the final product in the coming months.
     
    UPDATE: Beta-2 has now been made available!
     
    Download Beta-2
  • kevin_4e
    Within the past week, Apple® Inc. and The Beatles' company Apple Corps Ltd. have entered a new agreement concerning the use of the name “Apple,” along with all Apple logos. This new agreement replaces the past agreement originating in 1991. It allows Apple Inc. to now fully own all trademarks related to “Apple,” which they will then begin licensing some of them back to Apple Corps Ltd. As a result, “Ongoing trademark lawsuits between the companies will end, with each party bearing its own legal costs.” Although the terms of the settlement are not going to be released, Steve did have one comment of his own:


    “We love the Beatles, and it has been painful being at odds with them over these trademarks. It feels great to resolve this in a positive manner, and in a way that should remove the potential of further disagreements in the future.” By removing “the potential of further disagreements in the future,” does that indicate a nearing of The Beatles' work on iTunes?
     
    Make sure and let us know what you think.
  • Swad
    Every so often there’s an app released that is so simple, but so helpful, you wonder how you lived without it. Spanning Sync may just be one of those apps, especially for those of us without .Mac accounts.
     
    I love iCal. I love Google Calendar. So far, their relationship is a one way street, which can't be much fun for either of them. Enter Spanning Sync. It spreads the calendar love both ways - iCal to GCal and vice versa. Although the concept isn’t terribly complex (click here for a video walkthrough), Spanning Sync is a simple app I can’t wait to be released in full.
     
    There’s a new (free) public beta out for the testing, available from the SS Blog. If you try it out (and you know you want to), make sure you let us know what you think!
  • Colonel
    Today, the popular virtualization software Parallels hit its Release Candidate 2 Milestone. RC2 contains a ton of long-awaited features, such as the ability to burn CDs and DVDs (from inside Parallels) and “Drag and Drop” support. Parallels gives us an idea of what the newest build contains.
    NEW! USB 2.0 support - “Plug and play” popular USB devices like external hard drives, printers, scanners and web cameras including iSight at full native speed. NEW! Full-feature virtual CD/DVD drive - Burn CDs and DVDs directly in virtual machines, and play any copy-protected CD or DVD just like you would on a real PC NEW! Coherence - The groundbreaking feature that lets you run Windows applications without seeing Windows just got better! NEW! Better Boot Camp support - Using your Boot Camp partition in Parallels Desktop is now easier than ever. RC2’s Boot Camp support includes:
    Full support for FAT32 and NTFS partitions
    Easy offline configuration. Simply tell Parallels Desktop that you want to create a virtual machine from a Boot Camp Partition and click start. No complicated set up required!
    No need to re-activate Windows each time you switch between Boot Camp and Parallels. Activate Windows only once inside Parallels and work in both environments NEW! For advanced users: configurating the layout of Boot Camp partitions by manual editing of Virtual Machine's .pvs configuration file.
    IMPORTANT! It is not possible to suspend a Virtual Machine that is connected to Boot Camp as it could result in an unstable system.
    VERY IMPORTANT! Beta1 (build 3036) users must boot natively into Boot Camp and uninstall Parallels Tools for Boot Camp prior to running it in RC2 (build 3150). NEW! Transporter RC2 bundled - migrate your real Windows PC, or existing VMware or Virtual PC VMs to Parallels virtual machines!
    IMPORTANT! Previous Beta users MUST upgrade their Transporter package on their Windows source machine before using Transporter in RC2. Failing to do so may result in a system crash and loss of data NEW! Added keyboard remapping configuration
    New Look and Feel - completely redesigned windows and easier to follow dialogues to make Desktop for Mac more user-friendly than ever NEW! True “Drag and Drop” functionality - a long awaited feature that lets you seamlessly drag and drop files and folders from Windows to Mac OS X and vice versa. Parallels Desktop now shares the entire Mac file structure between OS X and Windows - no more worrying about which copy of the file is the most recently updated!Read/Write Boot Camp partition - use your Apple Boot Camp Partition as a virtual HDD for Parallels Desktop for Mac Virtual Machine Catalogue - now all of your virtual machines are available through a centralized VM catalogue which appears on each Parallels Desktop for Mac instance One-click Virtual Machine Aliases - automatically create a desktop shortcut for your virtual machine with the OS Installation Assistant, by dragging-and-dropping from title bar, or by pressing Command-Option keys combination. Clicking on Alias automatically starts the Virtual Machine Resizable Main Window - resize the Parallels Desktop for Mac main window as you do with any other Mac application Auto-Adjusting Screen Resolution - Windows auto-adjusts its screen resolution to the actual main window size Improved graphic performance - up to 50% faster! Connect/disconnect USB devices schema improved - no more annoying “wait 5-10 seconds” message on USB device connecting to Parallels Desktop for Mac! Up to 5 Virtual NICs - now each Virtual Machine can have up to five virtual network interfaces Enhanced Shared Networking Mode - run Cisco VPN and many other complex networking applications in conjunction with Connection Sharing Mode NEW! Lots of various fixes
    Still no full DirectX support, so gamers will have to reboot into Windows to for their fragging fix. The Release Candidate can be downloaded from Parallels’ beta testing page and more information can be found in the Parallels forum.
  • REVENGE

    The Week in Mac News

    By REVENGE, in OSx86,

    For this Monday, here's a recap of last week's most important Mac news stories:
     
    -We've learned that in choosing a cellular network and provider for the upcoming iPhone, Apple's first choice was not Cingular, but rather Verizon Wireless. Two years ago, Apple approached Verizon with the offer of making Verizon the exclusive provider for the iPhone upon initial release. Well, it seems that Apple's deal was a little too "exclusive" for Verizon's liking. USA Today reports that in the proposed deal, Apple wanted Verizon to accept terms such as collecting a portion of the monthly fees charged for iPhone users, having complete control over where and how iPhones could be distributed to end-users, and be the only party who decides what to do in the case an iPhone malfunctions. Verizon's response? "We said no. We have nothing bad to say about the Apple iPhone. We just couldn't reach a deal that was mutually beneficial." Yes, so it seems that Steve Job's has a partial conception of what "mutually beneficial" is...
     
    -In a victory for Mac journalists everywhere, Apple will not be appealing the 2006 Apple v. Does ruling, a ruling which stated that that sites like AppleInsider do not have to disclose the sources from which they acquired unreleased information regarding future Apple products. Whilst Apple argued that "amateurs" from sites like AppleInsider don't have the same 1st amendment protections as "professional" journalists, the court appropriately dismissed Apple's reasoning as nonsense, stating that "'We can think of no workable test or principle that would distinguish 'legitimate' from 'illegitimate' news,' and that the the rumor sites appear 'conceptually indistinguishable from publishing a newspaper, and we see no theoretical basis for treating it differently.'" So now that Apple has decided to accept the court's decision, they'll be compelled to pay up a sum of $700,000 for the opposite party's legal fees. It seems that a good precedent has been set, which may in the future, help protect InsanelyMac in unexpected ways as well ...
     
    -Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, is a tad dissapointed by the first generation iPhone. Wozniak is reportedly puzzled as to why the iPhone will be network bound to Cingular, and looks forward to seeing improvements in future generations of the product, including highly welcomed support for 3G. Meanwhile, Apple is trying its hardest to resolve the trademark issue with Cisco, which has reportedly reinstated and extended out-of-court talks before the nasty legal battle ensues.
     
    -And the legal troubles don't stop there: the US government has asked Apple to turn over more information and documents regarding the options fiasco uncovered earlier this year. Apple has stated that it intends to fully cooperate with the federal investigation, but that in doing so there will be detrimental effects upon it's business and management. We can only hope that Jobs hasn't tangled enough rope for Apple to shoot itself in its own foot.
     
    -In an absolutely unforeseen turn of events, Sony has done the unthinkable and released a docking station for Apple's iPods. It seems that if you can't beat 'em, you can make accessories for them.
     
    -And finally during the week, Microsoft launched their long-awaited operating system Windows Vista alongside their revamped Office 2007, both of which have received mixed ratings everywhere. PC World, CNET, and Paul Thurrott offer in-depth reviews and testing results, while The Inquirer shows how Microsoft's list of 7 Vista high points is actually quite "low". In the end, behind all the smoke and Aero Glass™, it seems that the only clarity brought to our world is how costly migrating to Vista will be for many people. Apple seems to agree with this point in a new
    that compares uprgrading PCs to run Vista as "major surgery". Well, it seems Mr. Gates is taking offense from the constant "Dull PC v. Sexy Mac" campaign, and responded with the following statements:

    "I don't think the over 90 percent of the [population] who use Windows PCs think of themselves as dullards, or the kind of klutzes that somebody is trying to say they are...And I don't know why [Apple is] acting like it's superior. I don't even get it. What are they trying to say? Does honesty matter in these things, or if you're really cool, that means you get to be a lying person whenever you feel like it? There's not even the slightest shred of truth to it." Putting aside the fanboy arguments flowing forth from both sides of the line, neither Jobs nor Gates should be making such self-superior statements about the other. True that Apple computers have unique and positive features better than PCs, but to characterize all PC users as boring and conformist is a rhetorical and arguably, hypocritical argument that adds no value in promoting Apple's products. And to, in response to inaccurate statements, write-off the other side as total liars is a shallow, sweeping generalization that makes you no better than the "liars" you're condemning.
     
    Here's to another week of great Mac happenings.
  • Swad

    Adium 1.0 Released

    By Swad, in OSx86,

    Adium, every Mac user's favorite dock duck, has been updated to the long awaited version 1.0. As someone who's tested many different versions of Adium, I can tell you that this one is the best... which, for me, makes it one of the best IM programs (free or unfree) for any platform.
     
    Anyway, here's what you can expect with the update:
     
    * Added global user profile and buddy icon settings. (Personal Preferences)
    * General Account improvements. Accounts can now be disabled when not in in use, and friends can now sign on from your Adium without saving their information.
    * Added an Xtras manager for better browsing and removing of Xtras.
    * Major improvements in privacy settings.
    * Improvements to the default look and feel of Adium.
    * iTunes integration is much faster, and updates as soon as the song changes.
    * Redesigned Chat Transcript (Log) Viewer Optional dock-like hiding of the contact list
    * Requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later (Universal Binary)
     
    This update comes highly recommended for current Adium users. It's a free download available from MacUpdate.
  • Colonel

    iPod Shuffle: Now in Colors!

    By Colonel, in OSx86,

    Today, Apple released four new colors to the iPod shuffle collection. These colors include pink, green, blue, as well as a new orange version. The new shuffles are identical to their silver counterpart, and also sell for the same price. The folks over at AppleInsider have some high quality pictures of the new orange iPod Shuffle. The iPod goes for the standard $79, and contains 1GB of music storage space (About 240 songs).
  • kevin_4e
    If you’re looking for an easy to use application to eject virtually anything, give Jeb-Soft’s Ejector menubar app a spin. The Universal Binary is fully capable of safely ejecting iPod’s, CD’s, USB’s, and even .dmg’s... Get the most out of MacFuse by bringing together SpotLight and MacFuse. Begin creating “genuine” smart folders today with Google’s free SpotlightFS download... Ever wished you could snag a peak at Steve’s Keynote notes? Well, now you can if you head on over to SpyMac’s close up snapshots... Will UK laws begin to interfere with Apple’s new AirPort Extreme? Due to Apple’s decision to use both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bandwidth on the new 802.11n technology, things just might get tougher on Apple in 'ole Britannia... And if you ever thought you had the ultimate Mac collection, you may want to think again. Soyurger’s Flickr photostream make us wonder how Steve’s collection compares...
     
    Got a rare promotional iPod you’ve been wanting to show off? Indulge yourself in the custom iPod thread... When determination meets curiosity, you get someone crazy enough to tear apart their expensive purchase just for the simple knowledge of knowing what’s inside... And finally, can anyone make any sense of this bizarre photo?
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