The rumors of Adobe being bought by Apple come up every so often. Apple could easily afford such a purchase and the results would be interesting. I would love to see Adobe restructured by a company like Apple. Adobe has many applications that are the gold standard but it seems to lack focus. These are [...]

A year after the launch of FileMaker Pro 10, the Apple-owned database company is back to debut the latest version of its franchise product. FileMaker Pro 11 introduces long-awaited features and builds on the interface and engine improvements to create new capabilities. I have been taking the product through its paces for the last few [...]

Via Apple 2.0, Oppenheimer analyst Yair Reiner asserts in a research note that Apple’s lawsuit with HTC over the iPhone interface was the culmination of “blunt talks” with other phone manufacturers. According to Reiner, starting in January Apple began closed-door discussions with OEMs regarding the company’s “growing displeasure” with the theft of Apple’s intellectual property. That displeasure was first noted a year earlier at a conference call. Apple COO Tim Cook responded to a question about the Palm Pre by stating that “we will not stand for having our IP ripped off,” though Cook wasn’t necessarily talking about Palm, or just Palm, anyway. Earlier this month, Steve Jobs publicly accused HTC of theft in a press release associated with the iPhone lawsuit. Unfortunately, that lawsuit may not ultimately protect the iPhone the way Steve Jobs thinks. However, in the short term tough talk and legal action has, according to “industry checks” by Reiner, resulted in hardware manufacturers reassessing their positions regarding Google’s Android operating system. Rival software and hardware teams are going back to the drawing board to look for work-arounds. Lawyers are redoubling efforts to gauge potential defensive and offensive responses. And strategy teams are working to chart OS strategies that are better hedged. Ignoring the negative impact on consumers from stifling innovation in the name of intellectual property rights, the real-world implications of driving hardware manufacturers away from Google is that they will be going towards Microsoft. With Windows Mobile as good as dead, and Windows Phone Series 7 not to be released until the end of the year, it could have been argued that Microsoft was close to being pushed out of the mobile market entirely. Don’t count on that now. Microsoft has been quick to sniff out this burgeoning opportunity and has begun to aggressively promote the strength of its own IP portfolio, as well as its willingness to join battle with customers that come under IP attack. It’s one thing to threaten a relatively small company like HTC, but quite another to go after Microsoft, as Apple found out once before. While temporarily disrupting Android through lawsuits isn’t going to make that problem go away, it might just help Microsoft get back in the mobile business.

Via Apple 2.0, Oppenheimer analyst Yair Reiner asserts in a research note that Apple’s lawsuit with HTC over the iPhone interface was the culmination of “blunt talks” with other phone manufacturers. According to Reiner, starting in January Apple began closed-door discussions with OEMs regarding the company’s “growing displeasure” with the theft of Apple’s intellectual property. That displeasure [...]

Like the iPhone, the iPad will have a default set of applications, but it won't necessarily include all the familiar apps you know and possibly love. Apparently, Cupertino couldn't come up with iPad-complementary large-format designs for the user interfaces on many apps.

When it was first unveiled, Apple?s new iTunes LP format -? codenamed ?Cocktail? and introduced at a ?rock and roll event? in San Francisco -? promised to give consumers a new reason to buy albums instead of individual songs. Offering expanded cover art, lyrics, videos, animation and other digital goodies, iTunes LP was intended to evoke the feeling of spinning an LP record and holding the jacket in your hands. Especially when paired with a tablet computer (then rumored, now real) that would provide a new way to view large-format art, consumers were promised a digital experience that mimicked a physical one. Six months later, however, iTunes LP doesn?t prompt much consumer recognition, and none of the industry sources with whom I spoke said they viewed it as being anywhere close to game-changing from a format perspective. Rather, it?s considered more of a curiosity. Read the full article on GigaOM ?

There was lots of buzz not too long ago about Apple trying to get into the streaming music service, and moving that content to the cloud to compete with services like Pandora and others who seem to be taking some of the wind out of iTunes’ sails. Now, it seems like music wasn’t the only thing the Mac maker’s been planning on moving to the cloud. According to CNET’s sources, Apple has been in talks with major film studios about allowing iTunes customers to store their movie purchases in the cloud using the company’s servers. Add that to its possible plans to stream television and music, and you’ve got a very attractive combo for users who are getting tired of having to clear off hard drive space every few weeks. Not only would the plan see the reduction of used HD space, which isn’t a problem for people who just want to watch something once and then delete it, but it will also allow any authorized Internet connected device to access and stream the content automatically, without the need to transfer or convert it first. In theory, then, any device with iTunes on it should be able to access the movies, including Apple’s upcoming iPad. As details of these talks continue to emerge, it’s clear where Apple thinks the future of personal electronic devices is headed, and the popularity of streaming services like Internet radio and the Xbox’s 1080p streaming HD movie rentals suggest that Cupertino is right on the money. CNET’s source said of Apple, “[b]asically, they want to eliminate the hard drive.” The barriers in the way of getting studios to buy in are fairly steep, at least by Apple’s standards. Reportedly, Hollywood won’t sign any deals that could see the content purchased by iTunes users limited in terms of playback to Apple devices and software. That means that for film studios to feel comfortable authorizing cloud storage, the media would have to be able to be viewed on whatever device the customer chooses, say, for instance, on a Microsoft phone and/or media player. It’s not a deal I see Apple making, although I’m still not entirely sure that Hollywood will actually force things to go that way. For one thing, the movie studios currently allow Apple to distribute their films in Apple’s proprietary format, which makes it at least incredibly inconvenient to play it on other devices. A switch to streaming might temporarily make it impossible instead of just difficult, but I honestly don’t think iTunes customers are all that interested in playing content purchased in the iTunes store on their Nokia devices, or they’d buy from somewhere else, like Amazon. Apple must be getting some positive indicators from these media companies, or it wouldn’t continue going around and trying to sweet-talk others into getting in on the deal. I’d say it’s a good bet that everyone’s waiting for one of the others to jump before following suit. Or for the iPad to launch so that they can gauge the consumer reach of Apple’s new wonder device. I’m still someone who likes the option of storing my media locally, since I can’t shake the admittedly paranoid thought that one day any media I only have streaming access to could go offline forever, leaving me with nothing to show for all the money I’ve spent over the years. Still, the idea of having remote access to any movie or music all the time via any device with a network connection is definitely an attractive one. But even if that does come to pass, the question of Apple’s server reliability will inevitably come up. MobileMe took well over a year to reach a level of stability I’m comfortable with. How long would all-media streaming take to adjust? Related GigaOM Pro Research: Do Consumers Care Where Their Content Is Stored?

Over at Patently Apple, Jack Burcher Purcher reports that Apple is applying for a trademark called “Joint Venture.” The trademark application indicates that this will most likely be some kind of new service offering by Apple. Might Apple start providing on-site service just like Best Buy’s Geek Squad? The key clauses in the patent application seem to indicate this just might be the case: “International Class 037: Maintenance, installation and repair of computer hardware, computer peripherals, computer networks, and consumer electronic devices; information, advisory and consultancy services relating to all the aforesaid.” “International Class 042: Technical support and consulting services pertaining to computer hardware, computer peripherals, computer software and consumer electronics; troubleshooting and computer diagnostic services for computer hardware, computer peripherals, computer software and consumer electronic devices; consulting services in the field of selection, implementation and use of computer hardware and software systems for others.” Would this be a good thing for Apple customers? Certainly being able to purchase additional on-site services directly from an Apple Store would be convenient. The Geniuses stay locked behind the bar (pun intended) and Apple relies on independent third-party sources who are often part of the Apple Consultants Network (ACN) or Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASP) to provide on-site service to Apple’s customers. For many of them, paying Apple directly to set up their Xserve or Airport Extreme may be a great idea and would be consistent with the offerings of big PC companies that provide end-to-end support for larger installations. Joint Venture members would be people trained by Apple, and specializing in Macs (unlike Best Buy’s on-site squad). It’s always possible that Apple could decide to have Joint Venture members be existing members of the ACN and AASP programs and the trademark could all be about branding. If Apple opts for its own on-site “Genius Squad,” it would likely be biased towards Apple-approved solutions, utilizing equipment that Cupertino sells. This may limit the choice of customers and marginalize third-party vendors that don’t sell items in the Apple Store or web site. Currently AASPs and ACNs don’t work for Apple and don’t always recommend pure Apple solutions for their customers. If Apple entered into this territory, it could put some of these smaller independent companies out of business just as the Apple Stores did for independent Apple resellers. Which is better? Independent support by non-Apple employees or on-site consultants who work for Apple? My vote, of course, is for independent solutions, but that’s because I’m a member of the ACN. Then again, Apple may just be covering its bases should it ever decided to compete with, or limit, the AASP or ACN program. Apple’s silent on what it intends to do; the trademark filing is the only clue. Of course, I’m not sure which color shirt a potential “Genius Squad” would wear, either. Black turtlenecks would be too obvious.

This morning, Apple finally announced the release date for its anticipated iPad, detailing that the tablet device will be available starting Saturday, April 3. The early April weekend launch will see only the Wi-Fi model of the touch-screen device being made available, starting at $499, with the 3G model being introduced later that month. Apple detailed that these dates only apply to the U.S., with international releases in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom to come towards the end of April. Sadly no specific dates or pricing for the international launch have been confirmed as of yet, however Macworld UK has been speculating about the price for British customers. In the lead up to the official launch, Apple will be running a pre-order scheme, which starts March 12. Then on April 3, customers based in the U.S. will have their Wi-Fi iPad delivered to their doorstep or to their local Apple Store for pickup, whichever they choose. No word yet on the official launch or delivery date for the 3G model. Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who revealed the iPad back in January, said the following about the upcoming launch: ?We?re excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.? Reports popped up early this week hinting that the iPad would launch on March 26, with further rumors suggesting that iPad’s would be arriving in stores for staff training as early as March 10. Of course word from Apple regarding the launch has now set the record straight, confirming the speculated delay until April. So with the iPad launch details now laid bare, will you be picking one up at launch? If so are you opting for the Wi-Fi or 3G model? Let us know in the comments. Related GigaOM Pro Research: ? How AT&T Will Deal with iPad Data Traffic ? With The iPad, Apple Takes Google To the Mat ? Web Tablet Survey: Apple?s iPad Hits Right Notes

Watching the iPad?s first television spot on the Oscars Sunday night, I got giddy all over again in anticipation of getting my hands on this hot new product. Though it?s still a few weeks away, I?m even more excited for the applications that will be coming to the platform. Here?s my top 10 list of apps that I want to see developed for the iPad. Coda As a graphic designer and web developer, Coda is a staple in my workflow. It features a built-in FTP system, which could be problematic to port to a mobile device, considering there isn?t a traditional file structure to store data. However, perhaps the iPad?s new file storage system will provide an adequate solution. Regardless, as someone who codes, it would be awesome to sit next to a client and modify code and push changes to a site all from my iPad while they load and test the revisions on their own desktop. Photoshop Before you laugh, remember that Adobe has already released Photoshop Mobile for the iPhone, and all things considered, it?s not such a bad application. A larger iPad version could allow support for opening and manipulating native Photoshop files as well as working between multiple files. CS4 introduced a new tabbed approach to viewing multiple documents at once. A similar setup could easily be implemented on the iPad. Katamari Damacy What?s a fun touchscreen device without a fun game? Katamari already exists as an iPhone app so it?ll scale up decently on the iPad. But given the advanced graphics of the iPad and the larger screen, a native iPad version is a must. If you?ve never played Katamari, check out this clip below. iMovie Call me crazy (it doesn?t hurt to be wishful) but the feasibility of an iMovie-like app is certainly within the realm of possibility. I would have never expected Apple to introduce video editing on the iPhone. Nevertheless, along with a video camera, the iPhone 3GS allows for simple video edits. Why couldn?t we have a larger implementation of this on the iPad, provided it gains a video camera at some point? With the larger screen, there?s plenty of room to view a larger timeline, add transitions or effects and with one tap, upload your masterpiece to YouTube. iChat I?m actually quite surprised this app still hasn?t made it to the iPhone yet, but as a platform that?s designed to be ?the best way to experience the web, email, photos and video,? the iPad seems like the perfect device for iChat, especially if a future model gains a video camera. Screen Sharing or Remote Desktop There have been a number of third-party developers that have created similar apps for the iPhone, but I?m honestly shocked to see that Apple hasn?t implemented its own solution yet. With a larger screen and almost full-size keyboard, remotely accessing and interacting with other Macs on my network would be a breeze on the iPad. Preview While the iBooks application will open books that are in EPUB format, I?d love to see a more robust implementation of Preview available on the iPad (and iPhone). Specifically, an app that is capable of annotating PDF files and provides support for links within PDFs. Since I?m also an academic, some of the journals I read (as PDFs) contain bookmarks to other articles or chapters and currently, none of the built-in applications on the iPhone support interacting with them. Hulu I don?t care how it has to happen or if it involves Flash or not. Who doesn?t want Hulu on the iPad? Even if it required a small subscription, I would love to be able to access my Hulu queue on the go. Better yet, since the iPad is a closed system, the app could download and cache content so it wouldn?t necessarily have to be streamed in real time. This could be a great solution to save AT&T?s crowded bandwidth for 3G models and allow WiFi-only models to still play even if a network isn?t around. I?d pay for that; would you? Bento/Filemaker Now that we have iWork, how about a real implementation of Bento (or FileMaker if that?s not too much to ask)? The current iPhone version is pretty pathetic and really hard to use to manipulate larger databases. While FileMaker may be a stretch, I?d put serious money on seeing an iPad version of Bento before the year is out. An Improved iTunes App It looks as though the new iTunes app represents a step ahead of the current iPhone version, but there are still some missing features that would make this app a rock star on the iPad. Adding support for Internet radio, browsing my other libraries by Home Sharing or support for iTunes Extras and LPs would be amazing. Honestly, why hasn?t Apple announced support of iTunes Extras and LPs? The specs call for a viewing area of 1280×720 (the 720p high definition standard). They also call for building your iTunes Extras with what?s called a bleed graphic, or a graphic that can ?fill in the extra space? if you?re viewing it at a size greater than 1280×720. Now given that as a way to compensate for a difference in aspect ratios, if you were to scale down an iTunes Extra for the 1024×768 display, wouldn?t it just make sense? Come on, if the Apple TV can do it (and we all know how excited Apple gets about that product), shouldn?t the iPad as well? What are your thoughts on apps you?d like to see? Share your thoughts in the comments below. The great thing about Apple?s developer community is that they keep up with what?s discussed in the blogosphere. You never know; a developer might see your suggestions. So, share what you?d like to see on the iPad!

It may be a little early to say this, but to me it seems like Microsoft took all the disappointment and fear resulting from Apple’s dominance of the mobile devices category over its own products through the years and used that energy to create the Courier. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen another company’s [...]

Swapping turtleneck for tuxedo, Steve Jobs made a rare public appearance when he took to the red carpet at the Academy Awards last night, spotted first by eagle-eyed social media maven Wayne Sutton who posted to his blog; OMG it’s Steve Jobs! I’m the only one yelling at him! #oscars #kodakredcarpet Sutton doesn?t mention whether his yells [...]

So here we are, just past the six month mark since Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard was sprung last August 28, and I’m still using OS 10.5 Leopard. I have lots of company. The NetApplications HitsLink Market Share data for February 2010 shows that Leopard is still the most widely-used OS X version, with a 2.21 percent global market share compared to 1.8 percent for Snow Leopard, and good old OS 10.4 Tiger still hanging in at 0.72 percent. Why the Procrastination? So, why the procrastination about upgrading? It’s certainly not the cost holding me back. Snow Leopard is the cheapest Mac OS version upgrade in history, other than complete freebies. Well, for one thing, Leopard works so darned well, and making a major OS upgrade always involves time investment and the hassle of upgrading at least some of your software and utilities (more about that in a moment), and I’ve been short of spare time the last several months. I also tend to be of the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” persuasion, and haven’t been convinced there’s anything Snow Leopard has to offer that’s a genuine must-have for me. Some of the improvements — things like a more responsive Finder rewritten from scratch in Cocoa, faster Time Machine backups, a more powerful version of the Preview application — sound like welcome tweaks, but nothing I find compelling. Stuff like enhanced Microsoft Exchange Server support for Mail, iCal, and Address Book have zero appeal for me since I don’t use that service or any of those features, preferring third-party alternatives. Nor do Snow Leopard’s Safari upgrades fizz me much since I favor other browsers with Safari being my fourth or fifth choice, if that. Bitten Once… There is also the bitten once; twice shy factor. I ordered OS 10.5 Leopard from Amazon.com a day or two after it was released on October 26, 2007, and immediately installed it on my then main production machine, a 1.33 GHz PowerBook G4. I’m not by nature or temperament an enthusiastic early adopter, but Leopard, hyped by Apple as being “the largest update of Mac OS X” yet, incorporating more than 300 new features, had so much cool stuff I really wanted to check out. Especially the Spaces and QuickLook features, which were every bit as good or even better than I had anticipated, and what I miss most on the two old G4 upgraded Pismo PowerBooks I still have in daily service running OS 10.4. However, there was pain associated with my early move to Leopard, notwithstanding all the good stuff. I’m a windowshading junkie, and I simply can’t abide not having that feature, for which no function built into any version of OS X comes remotely close to being a satisfactory substitute. Windowshading’s been integrated into my work habits for more than a decade. Typically I may have two dozen or so windows open, scattered amongst nine Spaces views, mostly windowshaded, conveniently identifiable by their full title bars being visible. Unfortunately, OS 10.5 upgrade broke third-party WindowShade X, and I was obliged to struggle along for several months without windowshading until its developer, Unsanity Software, got a Leopard-compatible version of its proprietary and required system add-on Application Enhancer (APE) out the door in February 2008, mercifully restoring WindowShade X support to Leopard. Withdrawal too Painful to Repeat Snow Leopard broke Windowshade X and Application Enhancer redux, and I’m not willing to go through that form of addiction withdrawal again. Unsanity say they’re busily rewriting their more popular “haxie” add-ons to support Snow Leopard, the latest word being that WindowShade X is largely redone, its MIP system rewritten from scratch, and currently at internal beta status, a new build seeded to testers on February 13. A public beta should be released any day now. Until it is, I’m sticking with Leopard. How about you? If you’re among the plurality of Mac users still running Leopard, and not because you’re on a PowerPC Mac, is something else in particular holding you back?

So here we are, just past the six month mark since Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard was sprung last August 28, and I’m still using OS 10.5 Leopard. I have lots of company. The NetApplications HitsLink Market Share data for February 2010 shows that Leopard is still the most widely-used OS X version, with a 2.21 [...]

This past Thursday Apple announced sweeping changes to the Developer Program. The old Select and Premiere programs have been replaced by a $99/year Mac Developer Program that is similar to the iPhone Developer Program. The old ADC programs were substantially more expensive ($499 and $3,499) and the program benefits have been simplified to match the [...]

Mac users are missing out on cheap (read: free), social customer relationship management. Windows users have xobni, a simple tool that integrates with Outlook, and Microsoft will also be releasing a solution in Office 2010 called Outlook Social Connector. But what if you have a Mac? Xobni doesn’t support Entourage or Mail.app, and who knows [...]

Yesterday Apple announced the arrival date of its much-ballyhooed tablet, the iPad. It will have a staggered release throughout April, beginning on the 3rd in the U.S. Once it does arrive, we’ll see what effect it has on the mobile landscape. But right now, Apple has other things to worry about if it wants to [...]

Woo hoo! Now we know when we get to buy the iPad. However, we haven’t been told where we get to buy it. Of course the Apple Stores (both online and off) will carry it, but the end of the press release has a cryptic statement that the iPad will be sold at [...]

This morning, Apple finally announced the release date for its anticipated iPad, detailing that the tablet device will be available starting Saturday, April 3. The early April weekend launch will see only the Wi-Fi model of the touch-screen device being made available, starting at $499, with the 3G model being introduced later that month. Apple detailed [...]

If you’ve ever Control-clicked (also known as ‘right click’) a file, you’ve seen a listing of actions presented to you that can be carried out on that file. This menu is called a contextual menu, but that’s not the point of this exercise. What is the point, is the item called ‘Get Info’. Today, I’d [...]

Over at Patently Apple, Jack Burcher Purcher reports that Apple is applying for a trademark called “Joint Venture.” The trademark application indicates that this will most likely be some kind of new service offering by Apple. Might Apple start providing on-site service just like Best Buy’s Geek Squad? The key clauses in the patent application [...]

Penguin doesn’t want to just continue releasing your standard, garden-variety e-books on a new platform with the iPad. CEO John Makinson showed off what his company had in mind for the platform at a presentation earlier this week, as reported by paidContent. Penguin is apparently looking to sidestep the iBookstore altogether and sell content through the regular [...]

Us Mac gamers are a much abused, much maligned lot. We get titles late, and most never at all. By the time most titles do come to the Mac, we’ve probably already broken down and played them using Boot Camp or that gaming PC we hide in the closet that we bought specifically for the [...]

You know what?s a bummer? Being tied to an office answering to the man. After all, getting work done on a beach, at a café or at home is still getting work done. That?s why LogMeIn Free is perfect for the remote or flex-time worker. It provides free remote control to your Mac or PC from [...]

I love Time Machine for its simplicity and the fact that it’s free. Apple did the right thing in creating a backup utility that was integrated into the OS and was actually useful. Anyone who has fought with Windows Backup can tell you, this has been needed for a long time. Apple created a beautiful backup [...]

It’s probably not the first site to eschew Flash in favor of greater compatibility with Apple’s portable devices, but it’s one that’s definitely big enough to make waves. Virgin America has launched a new, Flash-free website with the stated intent of reaching more customers on Apple’s devices, where Adobe’s rich web content application is not [...]

There was lots of buzz not too long ago about Apple trying to get into the streaming music service, and moving that content to the cloud to compete with services like Pandora and others who seem to be taking some of the wind out of iTunes’ sails. Now, it seems like music wasn’t the only [...]

When our community went live for AT&T U-Verse, we jumped right on the opportunity to get a service with advanced voice, data and TV on the same line. Unfortunately, we found out that U-Verse requires you use to use their router. So we had to replace our beloved Airport Extreme, right? Not quite. Our [...]

Software bundle web site MacHeist has unveiled its latest offer. The ‘nanoBundle2‘ was made public as midnight struck on Wednesday, revealing a range of seven Mac OS X applications. For those unaware, a typical MacHeist promotion sees a number of Mac applications being made available at a discount rate (sometimes even for free), but only for [...]

Sources from within Apple are claiming that the iPad will be in stores starting March 10, if a recent Examiner post is to be believed. Examiner’s report claims that the tablet devices will be hitting Apple retail stores early in order to give employees and employees only, plenty of time to get up-to-speed with using the new tablet device, ahead of its official launch. The iPad is expected to arrive before the month is out, with many blogs increasingly hinting at a March 26 launch date. Examiner sources, which allegedly include an anonymous “Apple Store manager in Southern California,” also claimed that the iPad’s advertisement campaign will kick off around the 15th of this month. The advertisement campaign is said to be focusing heavily on the iBookstore and e-book capabilities of the upcoming device, no doubt with an intent to take some steam out of the Kindle’s successes. Finally, the Examiner report also hinted that individuals who set up camp ahead of the launch, in order to become one of the first to get their hands on an iPad, will be rewarded. Just what this Apple related reward may be is unknown. However, despite all the detailed dates, rumors of possible production problems could negate the planned launch. Let’s just hope it doesn’t.

After the rumor-fest surrounding Apple?s mystery device was stanched the moment Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad, a new trend has emerged; SDK Mining. This is the art of digging through the iPad?s operating system to uncover clues about hitherto-undisclosed functionality. Since the iPad and iPhone SDKs are so very close in core functionality, SDK Miners have been trying to unearth something (anything!) we didn?t already know about the iPad. I suspect most people simply glance over these reports, shrug, and move on without comment. After all, we?re a bit tired of tablet rumors by now, right? But looking at some of the comments in the articles (linked below), there are some people who take it all very seriously indeed. And that?s probably a mistake, as I?ll explain shortly. Before I do, here?s a quick rundown of what we think we know so far from the SDK Mining that has happened in the last five weeks. January 29 Engadget confirmed that the OS SDK contained support for Video Calling, File Downloads, SMS and even Handwriting input; We’re told that there are hooks to accept and decline a video conference, flip a video feed (which suggests a front-facing camera) and — most importantly — run the video call in either full screen mode or in just a portion of the screen. That means you’ll be able to chat and do other things at the same time, which could mean there’s at least some type of multitasking going on here. Engadget?s Nilay Patel adds in an update; ?there’s a spell checker with multiple dictionaries and user-added entries (huzzah!), much richer text support for apps, the ability to selectively draw to external displays (using the VGA or component adapters, we’d imagine), location-aware ads in Maps and possibly other programs that use the Maps API, file upload ability in Safari, a modifiable cut / copy / paste menu, and, most interestingly, prototype support for a “handwriting keyboard.” Maybe we’ll see some stylus action on this thing after all. In all, Patel lists no fewer than 18 new discoveries, though many of them are pretty dry and technical. After that, things fell quiet for a while, until just this week. February 20 9to5Mac reported discovering a set of icons in the 3.2 SDK it believes are ?pretty definitive evidence? for video calling functionality in a future iPhone or iPad device. Image by 9to5Mac It also found strings of code that refer to iChat, too, but didn?t speculate further. It did say; While it is possible that Apple brought code over from its Mac telephony products, it is unlikely that they also built icons and compressed them into the iPad SDK for such a product if it weren’t being built for future release. February 23 MacRumor?s Arnold Kim added to the fresh wave of SDK Mining reports with this graphic of the icons used in the video chat functionality; Image by MacRumors Kim writes; It seems Apple built in API support to test to see if your iPad had a Front Facing Camera, Zoom and a Camera Flash. The front facing camera would, of course, be used for video chat, while Zoom and Camera Flash are often requested features for the iPhone’s camera. Given the size of these buttons, they were intended for use on the the iPad’s screen rather than the iPhone. We’re not sure why these features were dropped? And finally, just today, MacNN brings us news of (wait for it) advanced wallpaper options. Image by MacNN Well. Be still my beating heart. From MacNN; In the current iPad simulator, users can now set separate lock- and homescreen wallpapers, reflecting the iPad’s ability to keep wallpaper active while navigating icons. In case the difference doesn’t matter, another button applies the same wallpaper to both screens. The Disappointment of SDK Mining While it?s fun to poke-around in the code (in the absence of an actual iPad to play with, it?s the next best thing!), SDK Mining often leads to disappointment. An operating system — even a ?small? OS like the one found on the iPhone or iPad — is hugely complex. It?s the end-product of years of development. In that time, as hardware and software prototypes came-and-went, functionality was added and removed, supported and dropped, many times over. This is common to any OS development process. We need to be careful when reading breathless reports of ?hidden? functionality in the iPad (or iPhone) SDKs. In the reports above, the code references camera features, proving that, at some point, Apple?s developers seriously explored that functionality. That doesn?t mean a camera is guaranteed to appear on the iPad. (For instance, just because I once learned how to ride a bike, it doesn?t guarantee I?ll become an avid cyclist.) So let?s enjoy the speculation — but not get too worked-up over what it might mean. After all, it might never happen.

Using a Mac is a treat for many, and after years of living on Window machines, I appreciate the little things OS X provides. There’s no point preaching to the choir here about how OS X is better…most of us already feel that way. But what I’ve realized while working in IT, is that I have to be adaptable since not everybody can run OS X. Perhaps they are scared of the change or have an application that doesn’t have an Mac counterpart. Whatever the reason, not everyone will jump on the bandwagon. This is especially true in a more corporate environment. So as an IT support technician, I have to be flexible. As much as I hate spending hours removing spyware from users machines using tools like AdAware, HijackThis & Malwarebytes; this is my trade and I need to be proficient in every aspect of it. This is why I need to live in both the Apple and Microsoft world at once. There are many options out there such as VMWare Fusion or Parallels, but Oracle’s VirtualBox offering is different in that it’s free. Free is always good, especially if you only need to access Windows once in a while. VirtualBox can run all flavors of Windows, Linux, Solaris, OS/2 & BSD. If you need to support some random piece of software that only runs in Windows 3.1, VirtualBox will do it. For my example below, I will run through installing Windows 7 in VirtualBox. Download VirtualBox from Oracle’s site. Run throughout the Install. Launch VirtualBox for the first time and it will ask if you want to register. It is not required. Once the Virtual Machine list comes up, we need to make a new VM. This will start the New Virtual Machine wizard. Enter your machine’s name and select the OS you will be installing. Set the amount of RAM you want to be available to your VM. I chose 1GB since this will be Windows 7 and I have 4GB to spare. We also have to create a new Virtual Hard Disk for the install to run off of. Choose whether it’ll be a dynamic or static disk. Dynamic is the default since it saves space until it’s needed. Choose your size, save location and your new virtual disk is done. Now we can launch our VM and start our OS install. The First Run Wizard will start and we need to insert our Windows 7 media so it can be installed. The Windows 7 setup process begins. To switch your mouse out of the VM and back to OS X, hit Control + Command. The Virtual Hard Disk we created earlier is available for Windows to install to. Go grab a bite to eat or a few drinks while you let Windows install. When it’s done, all should be well. Now we need to install the VirtualBox Guest Additions. Click on Devices in the VirtualBox menu bar and select Install Guest Additions… The install will finish and then let the VM reboot at the end. You no longer need to type Control + Command to switch mouse controls. You can also resize the VM window and the desktop resolution will adapt. Having VM’s available to you in the support environment is a godsend. I still use Snow Leopard on my iMac, but I have the ability to launch a VM with whatever OS the troubled co-worker is using. People seem to think you must know everything about Microsoft Office since you’re IT. I am constantly reminding people, this is not the case. But I can launch Outlook on my end and walk them through the process. If there is a Windows app that your job requires you to run then it’s time to use Seamless Mode. This allows you to have a Windows Start Bar on the bottom of your screen and Window applications will float on top of OS X. We also have used VMware Fusion in the past. But so far, VirtualBox does everything Fusion does in our environment. If you haven’t dabbled in VMs before, give VirtualBox a try.

Billions and billions. It?s a theme that has accompanied me all week. In fact, I imagine I know a little how Carl Sagan must have felt. After writing about Apple?s billions just a few days ago, here I am again — but this time it?s not data centers and custom silicon — it?s music. We reported here back in early February that Apple was running its 10 Billion Song Countdown Contest. Yesterday afternoon, as Steve Jobs was (probably not) blowing out the fifty five candles on his birthday cake, the odometer stopped when, according to The Loop, Louie Sulcer of Woodstock, Georgia, downloaded Guess Things Happen That Way by Johnny Cash. The download likely earned Johnny Cash the usual pittance in royalties, while Sulcer became the lucky recipient of a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card from Apple. Naturally, I?m insanely jealous. Milestone Apple is understandably keen to celebrate the milestone. The iTunes Store first opened for business in April 2003 with a little over 200,000 items available for sale. Almost seven years later, the iTunes Store boasts more than 12 million songs, 55,000 TV episodes and 8,500 movies. In April 2008, it ranked as the number one (legal) online music seller in the United States. 10 billion songs in seven years is really something — in fact, my calculator tells me it?s a touch more than one song downloaded every second of every minute, day and night, since the store was launched. People with better math skills than me can (and most certainly will) take great pleasure correcting me in the comments below. The point is, my clumsy calculations notwithstanding, the iTunes Store is big business. In fact, it must be a big, fat, cash cow for Apple, right? True Purpose Well, as it happens, no, it?s not a big, fat, cash cow. It?s more like a well-fed, contented heifer. It certainly makes a good deal of money; according to one analyst it generated revenue of $520 million in the last quarter alone. However, Apple?s CFO Peter Oppenheimer told analysts during an earnings call last month that the store wasn?t ?a real money maker.? Our own Darrell Etherington wrote here about declining music sales which have undoubtedly had an affect on Apple?s earnings recently. And as far back as May last year I wrote about the problem of variable pricing in the iTunes Store. Only a few weeks ago Warner Music Group announced the news (already completely obvious to everyone except music industry executives) that iTunes music sales had slowed since higher prices were introduced. (Honestly, when will the old-school music industry just shut up and admit defeat?) So the iTunes Store might be pushing huge numbers in digital downloads (10 billion songs, three billion apps and counting) but the revenue it generates is decidedly small-frys. So why run it? Well, it?s not a loss-maker by any means, and besides, Apple claims profit isn?t the purpose for the iTunes Store. Oppenheimer said during his earnings call: Regarding the App Store and the iTunes stores, we are running those a bit over break even and that hasn?t changed. We are very excited to be providing our developers with a fabulous opportunity and we think that is helping us a lot with the iPhone and the iPod touch platform. As far as Apple is concerned, the iTunes Store exists as a mechanism for selling its hardware. iPods enjoy seamless integration with iTunes. As a relatively inexpensive software publishing and delivery platform for iPhones and iPod touches, third-party app developers (almost) couldn?t ask for more. Defense Tactic The whole ?a bit over break even? business is probably preferable over a service that is wildly profitable. Think about it; Apple?s super-success with the iPod, the iPhone & iPod touch and, presumably, with the upcoming iPad, translates into an awful lot of people around the world using iTunes (and the iTunes Store) all the time, every single day. My own clunky math above tells me this already happens, but we’re talking about this intense activity steadily increasing as the iPhone continues to dominate and the iPad begins to make waves. As Apple?s hardware sales soar, and as more and more of its hardware ships with, or depends upon, iTunes software and services in some shape or form, the bitter cries of ?anti-competitive? and ?monopoly? from major competitors will grow louder. That the iTunes Store is not a means to print its own money gives Apple the ability to play its ?But It?s Not Very Profitable For Us? card when the threat of antitrust inquiries looms (and oh boy will it loom). It might not be strong enough a defense to save it from unsavory intervention by the law courts (particularly those in Europe, which can?t help but interfere with successful businesses) but it certainly can?t do it any harm. It’s ironic, really; when the iTunes Store launched it was lambasted by critics certain it had no chance at success. Of course, those criticisms have since proved unfounded, yet today it seems Apple is in an awkward place, and paying a price for its success.

Yesterday Apple held its annual shareholder?s meeting at its Cupertino headquarters. All the top brass were there to answer questions from the men and women to whom, let?s face it, they must eventually answer. Of course, that didn?t stop Steve Jobs from being his usual tactless self, quipping during a lengthy comment from one shareholder, ?Do you have a question?? There?s a lot of information to digest, so I?ve condensed the juiciest morsels into what I hope is a more accessible short-form. Here goes! All seven board members were re-elected; there was an advisory vote on executive compensation and Apple?s public accounting firm was chosen (it?s Ernst & Young, by the way.) Votes also were cast on two shareholder proposals. The first called for a published ?sustainability report? detailing the company?s environmental policies and its contingency planning in the face of climate change. The second proposal was for the creation of a second board of directors, tasked with overseeing Apple?s environmental policies and business strategy in the face of climate change. The board felt they were already doing a fine job in both these areas, and recommended voting against the new proposals. Votes were counted and, unsurprisingly, neither proposal was successful. Green According to Macworld, Jobs claimed that Apple is the first company to work directly with suppliers on issues ranging from environmental impact to worker protection and education. Macworld?s Dan Frakes writes; Taking a jab at other companies, as well as organizations such as Greenpeace, [Jobs] noted that ?other companies just make promises? and attend conferences and events to ?schmooze with [environmental groups], but the work ain?t getting done,? whereas Apple is actually taking steps to improve the company?s real-world green credentials and treatment of workers. Jobs also noted that the smaller packaging used across Apple?s product line has reduced the number of annual cargo flights ?by the hundreds?; ?It?s the right thing to do from an environmental point of view; it?s the right thing to do from a business point of view.? Money In its first quarter 2010 investor conference call, Apple announced it had $39.8 billion in the bank at the end of December 2009. The question now is, what on earth should it do with it? Spend it? Save it for the next recession? Perhaps pay dividends to shareholders — something BusinessWeek says the company has not done since 1995? Jobs said; We know if we need to acquire something ? a piece of the puzzle to make something big and bold ? we can write a check for it and not borrow a lot of money and put our whole company at risk. The cash in the bank gives us tremendous security and flexibility. You never know what opportunities are going to be around the next corner. We are a large enough business now that, in order to really move the needle, we have to be thinking pretty bold ? pretty large. New Role On the matter of Apple?s new role as a ?mobile devices? company (first announced by Jobs in January and reiterated by Tim Cook in last month?s earnings call) Jobs said; This is not something that we?re ordaining from the top. This is something our customers are saying with their dollars, if you just look at the products that we?re selling. They?re telling us what they think is important and we?re reflecting that. But specifically, what does this mean about the future of Apple?s desktop Macs, the iMac and Mac Pro? ?We love desktop computers,? El Jobso assured the shareholders, ?And plan to continue making them.” So, that’s alright then. Asia When asked about Apple?s efforts to increase international sales, Jobs turned to (VP of Retail) Ron Johnson, who announced that Apple is looking to open 24 more stores in China to join the existing store in Beijing. This is to be expected, given how important (and lucrative) China is to Apple. DigitalDaily?s John Paczkowski writes, “Mac sales in China increased nearly 100 percent year over year in the first financial quarter of 2010… while iPhone sales [are] ramping up.” Apple's Beijing Store Beyond the Mac, Paczkowski quotes Tim Cook on Apple’s overall revenue in that market; ??if you look at greater China last quarter, which is China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, our revenues tripled year-over-year? We have a tremendous focus on it.? I guess it?s only right China should get a little Apple-love? after all, they make most of Apple?s gear in the first place! Stability Finally, there was a moment of fun, Jobs-style; a shareholder wanted to know of Jobs, ?What keeps you up at night?? ?Shareholder meetings,? Jobs immediately shot back, before getting very serious and adding, thoughtfully; ?Apple requires stability in the world. People aren?t going to worry about which laptop to buy if they can?t afford dinner, can?t afford to send their kids to school, can?t afford textbooks. There are things much bigger than us that are out of our control. So we try to just do the best we can.? Bravo, Steve. And bravo, Apple.

Writing in the Huffington Post, Larry Magid raises the point that PC netbooks are hot sellers for very good reasons — namely that these small laptops, which typically cost between $300 and $400, can do most things a large portion of users want to do with a laptop computer, and do them much more cheaply, as well as being handily smaller and lighter than traditional laptops. Small Laptop Price Premium Dynamic Turned On Its Head I agree, and along with Magid note the irony of a changing dynamic where, reversing erstwhile conventional wisdom that computer consumers would be obliged to pay extra for the required engineering of miniaturization, with smaller laptops often costing more than larger siblings of the same brand (think PowerBook Duo vs. PowerBook or MacBook Air and MacBook), netbooks have turned the cost/weight equation on its head. Mainstream netbooks, particularly ones equipped with the latest Intel Atom N270 processors running at 1.60 GHz, with a GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive, are perfectly adequate for most common tasks people use computers for such as Web surfing and e-mail, and even for watching web video. At least for non-touch typists, their usually undersized keyboards are also considered tolerable. Downward Pressure On All Laptop Pricing Then there’s the netbook phenomenon’s collateral effect of exerting strong downward pressure on standard sized notebook computer prices, to which even Apple has not been immune, as exemplified by the 13″ MacBook Pro being cheaper than its aluminum unibody MacBook predecessor, and the debut of a lower entry level 15″ MacBook Pro stripped of its ExpressCard Slot and discrete graphics processor/VRAM. A prima facie topical example is Lenovo’s new ThinkPad Edge, which has a 13-inch display, a typically excellent Lenovo full-size keyboard, an AMD Athlon dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB 5400 RPM hard drive, three USB ports, runs Windows 7, offers five-hour real world battery runtime, and is priced starting at an easy-on-the-wallet $599. Move up to a 1.3GHz Core Duo Intel processor and 4GB of memory and you’re still at $799. That’s of course only $200 less than Apple’s entry-level MacBook, which at $999 has a much more powerful 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo processor and Nvidia 9600M integrated graphics, but only 2GB of RAM, a measly two USB ports, and a 250GB hard drive. To get the same 4GB of memory and 320GB of storage specs as the $799 Lenovo or even a $399 Dell Inspiron 15, you’re up to $1,149, while a comparable spec MacBook Pro will set you back a whopping (by comparison) $1,399 — a thousand dollars greater than your typical netbook. Mac Still Greater Value, But Gap Narrowing Now personally, I still think greater value is found in the Macs, especially due to their OS X-clusivity, and projected durability over the longer haul, or if you need the extra processing and graphics power they offer. But, with PC competition stiffening, and consensus building that Windows 7 is actually a pretty decent operating system, the OS X advantage is diminishing. That base AMD-powered Lenovo ThinkPad Edge for $600 bucks looks particularly enticing for cash-strapped or value-oriented users whose computing power needs are typically modest, especially in this challenging economy That’s why I continue to stubbornly contend that the forthcoming iPad notwithstanding, Apple still needs a conventional clamshell notebook contender in the $600 – $700 price category. Related GigaOM Pro Research: Report: The Future of Netbooks!

Recently, I’ve been migrating the functionality of my old Ubuntu Linux server to my wife’s old iMac. Since a big part of the reason to decommission my old Linux PC was to reduce my total power consumption, I wanted to fully utilize Snow Leopard’s Wake On Demand functionality with as many services as possible. Wake On Demand is a relatively new feature that arrived with Snow Leopard. It allows your Mac to be put into sleep mode and then be woken up on demand when one of its services is required. This feature requires a compatible Apple AirPort Base Station (or Time Capsule) and OS X 10.6 running on the Mac. Most of the standard system services (File Sharing, Screen Sharing, Scanner & Printer Sharing etc.) will work automagically with this setup, but custom services such a my subversion and the built-in web sharing do not. However it’s not hard to make these services compatible with Wake On Demand with only a little bit of work to set it up. Here’s how I did it. Bonjour For the Wake On Demand functionality to work properly, any service being hosted by a Mac must be registered with Bonjour, Apple’s zero config service discovery protocol. This is how the Airport Base Station knows when its appropriate to wake up a sleeping Mac. To assist with getting a complete picture, I’d recommend downloading a great free utility called Bonjour Browser. This application will show you all the services currently being broadcast by Bonjour on your network. Any service displayed here will be automatically enabled to use Wake On Demand by your AirPort base station. Most of the server software components such as File Sharing will register with Bonjour itself, however for the ones that don’t, we need to do it on their behalf. Luckily this is easy, as OS X comes with a command line utility called dns-sd, the DNS Service Discovery tool. This ties directly in with the Bonjour system and with it we can register services with Bonjour. Lets use subversion as our example. Subversion’s TCP port is usually 3690, so assuming you have a standard setup, we can register subversion with Bonjour with: dns-sd -R "SVN" _svn._tcp. . 3690 pdl=application/svnserve If we run this command manually in Terminal.app, we can quickly verify that our Bonjour broadcast was successful by using Bonjour Browser. The service will remain registered with Bonjour for as long as the dns-sd command is still running; as soon as we press Control+C to kill the command, we can see in Bonjour Browser that our service disappears. Of course it’s not terribly useful if we need to manually run a command every time our computer reboots (even if Macs don’t need to be rebooted that often). To make the Bonjour registration occur automatically at system startup we need to launch our command using the launchd subsystem, which OS X uses for automatically starting background services. The easiest way to configure this to run automatically via launchd is by using Lingon. You can grab the latest version from Sourceforge. For more details on using Lingon see this previous article I put together, but for this task we just need to add a new User Daemon. Run Lingon, click the New button and select User Daemons. Fill out the dialog as follows: Name: org.subversion.bonjour What: dns-sd -R "SVN" _svn._tcp. . 3690 pdl=application/svnserve Be sure to tick the “Keep it running all the time” and “Run it when it is loaded by the system” checkboxes. Click the save button and restart your Mac. If everything has been done right, you should be able to see this instance of dns-sd in Activity Monitor when viewing All Processes. Rinse and Repeat The process described above can also be used for any other service, such as for the Web Sharing service (port 80) or any other custom service that you’ve setup. Simply replace the references to the application protocol (ie. svn) and the applicable port number and create a new launchd item for each one. This isn’t the most ideal solution, as each new instance of dns-sd takes about 380KB of memory, however if you’re running a number of these extra services I would assume that you have at least 2GB of ram and the impact of 380KB is negligible. Each instance of dns-sd also uses a negligible amount of CPU processing time so it won’t get in the way of other processes. Of course the perfect ideal solution would be that the server software you’re running registers itself with Bonjour, but if that was the case you wouldn’t need to be reading this article. Final Result With everything set up correctly, you should now be able to replicate the following test: Put your Mac to sleep From another device on your network access your custom service(s) Rejoice with a warm fuzzy feeling as you realize your electricity bill will be lower and your carbon footprint is a smaller than it was yesterday. I hope this has helped someone else achieve on-demand server bliss, with the peace of mind of minimal power consumption like it has for me. Do you have an even better way of doing it?

Without a doubt, among the most interesting announcements to come out of Apple's iPad unveiling were the wireless plans. A close look at the mobile data plans reveals that they may be major competitive advantages.

As someone who?s followed the wireless industry closely for years, one of the most interesting announcements to come out of the iPad keynote were the wireless plans. The wireless industry in the U.S. has been one of the least consumer-friendly industries for years (just consider the fact that consumers regularly pay as much as $1,000 per megabyte for text messages). There has been a slow change in how the wireless industry prices data, however, and the iPad?s data plans with AT&T highlight this. This change first drew my attention when the Kindle was originally released with unlimited data access built into the price. This was a sea change in how cellular data is sold, as the cost basically became transparent for the customer. That?s not to say the customer isn?t paying for it, you are, but there?s no monthly line item that you are aware of. Now, the Kindle, and other e-book readers that offer similar services, are something of an extreme example because of the very small amount of data that?s actually used to send a book to the device. The iPad, however, shows that this isn?t an isolated incident. Let?s take a close look at the iPad?s mobile data plans. For $15 per month you get 250MB of data transfer and free usage of AT&T?s Wi-Fi hotspot network. For twice that amount you get ?unlimited? data (read 5GB per month as is standard in the wireless industry) plus access to AT&T?s WiFi network. Despite what many are saying, that $15 plan is actually a pretty good deal for many people. For example, I?m a heavy iPhone user, so the first thing I do every morning is pull out my iPhone and check my RSS feeds. I have it in my hand and am usually accessing the Internet for hours every day. Despite that, I regularly use less than 200MB of data each month. This is possible because I, like most people, have access to high-speed WiFi networks at home and work, where I spend most of my time. Throw in the free access to AT&T Wi-Fi networks and I imagine that most users can get away with that 250MB of use per month without too much trouble. That means that for the first time people can get everywhere access to almost the entire Internet for the same price that dial-up cost a few years ago. Of course for tech geeks like us we?re going to be afraid that we?ll blow past that 250MB pretty quick and probably spring for the $30 per month plan. Even here, however, we?re getting a pretty great deal compared to the $60 per month that cellular companies regularly charge for unlimited data for your computer, even dinky little computers like netbooks. Perhaps even more important, however, is the fact that these data plans are available on a prepaid basis and can be cancelled at any time. Up until now, in order to get the privilege of paying $60 per month for 5GB of data for your netbook you would have to pay a couple hundred dollars for a modem. If you want that modem for free you?re stuck signing a contract for two years. The fact that I can get an iPad with 3G capabilities, and then buy service on a month-to-month basis as necessary is pretty great. The iPad?s data plans are in fact a major competitive advantage for the device. For other companies to compete effectively in this space they?re going to not only have to put together a device that matches the iPad?s hardware and software experience, but that also matches its connectivity experience. This isn?t going to be easy in the short term, and it?s a clear example of how Apple has been able to leverage its relationship with AT&T to get a pretty great deal for consumers (as long as you don?t live in New York or San Francisco). In the long term you can bet that companies like Verizon, Sprint, HTC and Asus are going to be forced to match or beat the pricing and structure of these plans, and that?s going to be a win for all of us, no matter what device we use. Related GigaOM Pro Research: ? How AT&T Will Deal with iPad Data Traffic ? With The iPad, Apple Takes Google To the Mat ? Web Tablet Survey: Apple?s iPad Hits Right Notes

When Apple does eventually get around to shipping the iPad, which may not be as soon as many of us had hoped, we’ll at least have some good quality, familiar content to enjoy on the platform according to an internal announcement by Condé Nast as reported by the New York Times. Five well known magazine [...]

While Tuesdays are known for Apple product launches, today the company announced not a new Mac but a lawsuit over patent infringement related to the iPhone. The target was mobile phone maker HTC, and none other than Steve Jobs was making the accusations. ?We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we [...]

Climbing at 14,000 feet? Sailing in Sydney Harbour? Sitting in the emergency room at 3 a.m.? You never know when access to your home or work computer will come in handy? Some people say the iPhone isn?t for business. But in fact, a recent survey of 400 LogMeIn Ignition for iPhone users found that more than [...]

The 27-inch iMac has not been Apple’s proudest moment. The pricier version of the company’s all-in-one desktop has had more than its share of problems since its launch in October of 2009. Apple has released a number of fixes aimed at getting things back on track, but until recently the Mac maker hadn’t addressed the [...]

Apple has been criticized in the past for not doing enough to ensure that labor conditions in its supplier factories were up to international humanitarian standards. Today, it released its 2010 Supplier Responsibility report (PDF), in which it provides the details of audits it conducts at those supplier facilities, in order to gauge the degree [...]

At the moment I’ve got 1,303 items in the trash bin in my OS X Dock — not that much compared to the usual pile that accumulates there when my normal maintenance has me only cleaning it out once every couple of months. Usually, it’s not a problem. Occasionally, though, I’ll throw something away by [...]

I saw some great products at the recent Macworld expo. Here are a few items that grabbed my attention. Navigon for iPhone: The latest release of Navigon MobileNavigator for iPhone has added a new panorama 3D view that uses terrain elevation data from NASA. The feature is available via in-app purchase. I also got a [...]

I was thrilled to hear that current apps will be compatible with the iPad, but I’m more excited for apps that haven’t been written yet. Apps for the iPhone and iPod touch are designed for use while being held. There’s an exciting new use case that comes with the iPad — when it’s sitting in [...]

Yesterday Apple held its annual shareholder?s meeting at its Cupertino headquarters. All the top brass were there to answer questions from the men and women to whom, let?s face it, they must eventually answer. Of course, that didn?t stop Steve Jobs from being his usual tactless self, quipping during a lengthy comment from one shareholder, [...]

My family is originally from Ecuador, and I recently got the opportunity to go back to the land of my birth and spend a few months living there. During that time I?ve been staying with my aunt and uncle and as a result have gotten to see a lot of their grandchildren. These four precocious [...]

I wrote a review of GroceryIQ just over a year ago and I have continued to use it frequently. The new GroceryIQ 2 expands on the original concept by taking advantage of the power of a connected mobile device that can tap into the cloud. These significant improvements have pushed the app from “frequently used” [...]

I like it when companies port their old games to the iPhone platform, even when the results are somewhat less than amazing. Aside from being the best way to convince your somewhat technophobe friends that the iPhone and iPod touch are totally worth buying, they also allow me to indulge in some pleasant gaming nostalgia [...]