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  • Swad
    Our iAnnoyance competition has been garnering some attention across the Mac web and, as expected, several of the Mac faithful are upset with our first competition. “The Mac method of dealing with windows is vastly superior to Windows. Stop trying to change OS X into XP.”
     
    No where are these sentiments more apparent than in Ars Technica’s blog entry on the subject. First, it's an honor to be mentioned on a site for which I have a great deal of respect. A few of the comments, however, merit a rebuttal...

    $500? Anyone with enough talent to do this will feel like there are far more lucrative ways to fill their time.
    First, let me say that InsanelyMac does not exist to make money. We have some ads to help cover hosting costs and to do cool contests like this. One of the things I’m committed to with this site is ensuring that building revenue is never annoying. We could offer more if we compromised and made money the driving force behind this community. It's not, however, and we'd like to keep it that way.
     
    Secondly, this is the reason for taking donations. If the community wants this app, they can also assist in its development.
     
    Third, $500 is a great haul for a few hours worth of work.
     
    Finally, the money isn’t the point of the contest. It’s incentive, but the main reasons for this challenge are to allow programmers to show off their coding prowess and have some fun while giving something to the Mac community.
    Switchers need to get over it. Mac OS IS NOT Windows. I can live with close button closing something like the Calculator or Network Utility (apps with only 1 window), but I don't want to see this expanded to all multi-window apps. It just would NOT be "Mac-like".
    Thus the option for a per application setting. If you only want to change the characteristics of one app, you can.

    Most of these "annoyances" are just behaviors of OS X that are different than Windows. The term "fix" generally implies something is broken. Really, a contest like this appearing on a pro Mac website seems a little awkward. This author is forgetting that all apps don’t follow the Apple HIG (as noted in my original post). When inconstancies, like the misuse of the green Zoom button, abound in a user interface, the user suffers.
    But that doesn't change the fact that this competition is useless. The buttons work as designed. The thing is, a few apps are not truly following the proper rules (the Finder of course..) There are plenty of other OS X things that are far more annoying.
    Useless? I think not. One of the best examples is Activity Monitor. I would love the ability to quit that app when I use the red Close button. What’s wrong with giving me the freedom to do that? Also, we’ll be getting to other annoying (and less controversial) things later on in the contest series.
     
    The point of this challenge is to have fun and give the user more freedom. In the end, is that really a bad thing?
  • Swad

    Tales of a lost iPod

    By Swad, in OSx86,

    I lost my iPod this week.
     
    I’d gone to a concert on my college campus and, being the typically absent minded person I tend to be, left my backpack (with iPod inside) under my seat. I’d like to think that my forgetfulness is due to the fact that I’m on crutches right now after having surgery on my foot (moped accident in Greece 2 years ago... long story...) - crutches seem to make you think about everything but what’s needed. Who knows.
     
    Anyway, I’m realizing that iPod withdrawal is a painful experience. How is it that a tiny little collection of circuits and digits can become such an extension of me? Those of you with an iPod know the feeling. How attached have you become to your Apple revenue generator?
     
    For me, iPod withdrawl is caused by the way my mind is set up. I’m known as the guy who “has a song for everything.” A lot of times it’s a member of the Rat Pack. Sometimes it’s more obscure. Give me a situation and I can probably find a song in the vast analog iTunes library in my head, which sadly does not work with Spotlight. (I'm awaiting a firmware upgrade)
     
    I know there are many of you like me. We’ve got the percussion lines of most songs memorized. Beat by beat. 12 bar set by 12 bar set. We relish in the knowledge that at any given moment we can fly around our mental orchestra and isolate the brass section in the 1812 Overture.
     
    Music is a part of me. A chunk of who I am. The reason, I think, that the iPod is such an integral part of my daily life is that it takes the “a song for every situation” phenomenon to its completion. I’m not stuck with the Victrola in my head any longer - I’ve now got instant access to the real thing via an intuitive, simple clickwheel.
     
    Frankly being this attached to technology is frightening. As a few minutes on any subway will reveal, the iPod allows us to stay within ourselves a little longer. Focus on our mind a little more. With the iMind, communication with others takes a backseat to communication with our senses. Is this really where we want our species to go?
     
    I'm patiently waiting on my iPod to be returned. Supposedly a friend of a friend knows someone who picked up the backpack. We'll see. In the meantime, I think I'll just enjoy the silence.
  • REVENGE

    iTunes 6 DRM has been cracked

    By REVENGE, in OSx86,

    In an interesting turn of events, Apple's DRM system for iTunes 6 has also just been cracked. The crack was supplied by hymn forum member igorsk and is an update to the QTFairUse DRM remover, which itself uses the pydbg package from Pedram Amini. For those who haven't heard, Microsoft WMA 11 DRM system was also cracked earlier this week using a program called FairUse4WM. Microsoft has since said that this is no big deal since they can update/patch their DRM format at any time. Curiously, WMA 10 DRM has been cracked since last year, yet Microsoft has only now addressed the issue. In the end, I think it's fair to say that fairuse for all is indeed good news for everyone [except Apple and Microsoft].
     
    Expect both programs to be updated continuously as long as Apple and Microsoft update their technologies or until they're shut down. To find updated versions, use google or keep watching the forums I've linked to above.
     
    EDIT: Sorry, but it's probably not a good idea to link to DRM-circumventing apps! Google is your friend in these situations.
  • Swad

    23" Merom iMac on the way?

    By Swad, in OSx86,

    AppleInsider, those purveyors of all things rumorical (yes, that's a neologism), are telling us to expect a 23" iMac (!) in September... possibly at the product announcement we mentioned yesterday.
     
    I quoteth:


    People familiar with the Mac maker's plans say it will sidestep Intel Corp's Core 2 Duo desktop processors, formerly code-named Conroe, in favor of adopting the mobile variant of chips, previously known as Merom, throughout the entire line. The company will also add a new member to the iMac family, a stunning 23-inch model, those same people say.
     
    Apple's decision to forgo the use of Conroe in both its iMac and Mac Pro desktops suggests the chips are unlikely to find their way into the company's Mac computer line this year. It also explains why the Mac maker has yet to introduce new iMac models despite widespread availability of Conroe for several weeks. By contrast, Intel has only begun to ship Merom in production quantities within the last few days. I'll hopefully be buying one as soon as it comes out (although my budget will likely require a smaller screen model, depending on pricing) so we'll hopefully have a review shortly after they're shipped.
     
    Anyone else planning to buy one?
  • Swad
    Earlier this week we announced the iAnnoyance Challenge, a series of challenges in which we give you the weekend to code up a fix to something annoying in OS X. Oh yeah, there's cash involved too. While we initially said we'd give $100 to the winner (plus all donations sent in by others), we decided that, to kick things off, we wanted something special. That means that before donations, the prize money stands at an awesome...

    $500
    And now, introducing the world's first iAnnoyance challenge... (drumroll)
     

    Red means Stop, Green means Go How many times have you thought the red "Close" button was going to quit your application when it was actually still running? Ever looked at your dock to find all of your applications still open? How many times have you clicked the green "zoom" button in anxious anticipation, having no idea whether the window would get a little bigger or go full screen? Ever shaken a fist at a developer who didn't read the Human Interface Guidelines? It's happened to us all. But no longer.
     
    We're looking for an app we're calling Red means Stop, Green means Go that will allow any Mac user to...
     
    - Make the red x always quit an app
    - Make the red x always hide an app (as in, close all windows but keep the app open)
    - Make the green Zoom button always go full screen.
    - Change these setting on a per application basis, so that the features can be disabled or enabled for specific apps. There should also be a universal setting.
    - Use one or all features
     
    There are several obvious benefits that this app presents. First, it'll mean one UI action where there are currently thousands, making the OS easier for children and seniors to understand. Secondly, it will save RAM, processor usage, battery life by closing unused apps in one click. Finally, if you're a stickler for Apple's HIG rules, you can tweak to your heart's delight.
     
    You have until Sunday night (Midnight CST, 6 am GMT) to email me (mashugly [at] gmail.com), PM me, or IM me your solution. It should be in good enough shape to release at that point, but if it's still in a beta stage (as in, still has a few bugs) that's fine too. Since we'll be open sourcing this app, the cleaner the code, the better.
     
    Best of luck!
     
    Rules:
    1. All applications must be universal.
    2. All applications must have a cool name (we'll stick with ours, unless you have a cooler one).
    3. Every application must be easy and fun to use.
    4. If a solution is not found within the 3 day challenge, the prize money drops to $300 for the week after the challenge and $400 for the weeks after that. Just a little extra incentive to beat everyone to a solution. Donated funds will stay the same. (Props to DiegoMax for ideas on the prizes)
     
    Donation List (Click here to donate) :
    None so far.
     
    To share this contest with the world (which will result in a better pool of applicants), digg it!
  • Swad

    Apple updates Leopard Preview

    By Swad, in OSx86,

    As noted by viriiman in our Leopard Forum, Apple has passed along an update for its Leopard Developer Preview to those using the pre-release of Leopard, bringing the build number to 9A241e. While we're not clear on what exactly the update... well... updates, it does hold changes for several OS X apps, including Time Machine, Mail, and Spaces.
     
    For a full list of the updated changes, join the ongoing discussion in the thread!
  • Swad
    I wish that we could somehow harness the collective energy of the various Apple Rumor Mills™. That's some serious wheat grinding power.
     
    iLounge and HardMac, among others, are talking about an Apple event which seems to be happening on September 12 in an "undisclosed location" in California. No word if {censored} Cheney, known to frequent other "undisclosed locations," will be in attendance. (HardMac actually claims it'll be Cupertino)
     
    What shall we see there? Well, a new iPod is a safe bet with Zune on the way. HardMac also claims that iMacs are becoming scarce in Europe and that MacBook Pros might be up for revision as well. These revisions make a great deal of sense considering the latest offerings from Intel.
     
    In any event (pun intended), I'd hold off on that new Apple purchase just a few more days...
  • Alex Oughton
    Yesterday brought news that Google’s Chief Executive Officer, Eric Schmidt, has been appointed to Apple’s board.
     
    Steve Jobs has been quoted as saying “We look forward to his contributions as a member of Apple’s board of directors. Like Apple, Google is very focused on innovation and we think Eric’s insights and experience will be very valuable in helping to guide Apple in the years ahead.”
     
    The move suggests a growing alliance between the two companies, as Schmidt joins Apple- a company he describes as “one of the companies in the world I most admire”.
     
    Schmidt became Google CEO in 2001, after previously working for both Novell and Sun.
  • cavemonkey50
    While Leopard has been stealing the show lately, it might be time to start thinking about Tiger again. Mac Rumors is reporting that 10.4.8 has been seeded to developers. The most interesting news regarding the upcoming update is the size.


    The build weighs in at 305 MB for intel and 147 MB for PPC. If left as-is, the updates would be some of the largest in history (Mac OS 10.4.7, released in June, was only 133 MB intel and 64 MB PPC). However, many of Apple's early builds are significantly larger than when they are released to the public. With all of those changes, there are bound to be some notable bug fixes. Personally, I'm hoping for a fix for the MacBook's colored lines on boot issue that appeared around 10.4.7. What fixes are you hoping for in 10.4.8?
  • Swad
    While I'm sure the DRM Team at Apple probably can't see the beauty in this hack, a user over at AVS Forum has created DVD Assist, a "little Applescript applet I put together to allow Front Row to seemlessly play VIDEO_TS folders from inside of Front Row."
     
    It's free and enables you to watch all of those legitimately backed-up DVD's you have lying around your 4 external hard drives.
     
    Since I don't have any VIDEO_TS files handy I couldn't test this, but when you try it let us know what you think!
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