Posts by Mat Lu at The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

Mat Lu
- http://www.tuaw.com

Professionally Mat Lu teaches and writes philosophy; unprofessionally, he writes about the Mac and related technology. He is one of those half-mythical iPod halo switchers, having come to the fairer platform after purchasing a first generation iPod. Technologically speaking, in addition to Apple gear, he maintains an avid interest in console and computer gaming as well as high-definition home theater. Philosophically speaking, he is a Thomistic Aristotelian in everything that matters.

Ask TUAW: Finder thumbnails, wifi connection manager, external drive on PS3, Tiger on an old iMac

Posted Sep 5th 2008 9:00AM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Features, Troubleshooting, Ask TUAW

In this Ask TUAW we have questions on the need for anti-virus protection, customizing Finder views, connecting automatically to an AFP share, using an external drive with both Mac and PS3, installing Tiger on an unsupported iMac and more.

As always, your suggestions are most welcome, and questions for next week should be left in the comments. When asking a question please include which machine you're running and which version of Mac OS X, as certain answers will vary between different Macs and Tiger vs. Leopard, etc. (we'll assume you're running Leopard if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions!

Continue reading Ask TUAW: Finder thumbnails, wifi connection manager, external drive on PS3, Tiger on an old iMac

Amazon Video on Demand service goes live for Macs

Posted Sep 4th 2008 12:00PM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Video, Internet Tools

A while back we noted that Amazon was planning to bring its video on demand service to the Mac. Well, it looks like they've finally flipped the switch because the service is now live.

Much like iTunes, they're selling TV shows as well as offering movies for purchase and rent. Unlike iTunes, it's a streaming rather than a download service. Fortunately, they've got a number of free videos which will give you a sense of the quality of the service (which requires Flash).

Frankly, I'm a big fan of Amazon MP3, so it's good to see Amazon getting into the video business as well to put a little more competitive pressure on iTunes. I'm doubtful, however, that it will really affect the iTunes juggernaut.

[via electronista]

My Favorite iPhone Apps: Mat's Picks

Posted Aug 29th 2008 8:30AM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPod Family, iPhone, App Store

For my shot at iPhone favorites I'm going with three apps I find myself returning to over and over.

Zenbe Lists (iTunes link) - this is the third-party app I find myself using most often. It's basically a TO DO list manager, but with a big difference: online syncing. The Zenbe iPhone application interfaces with the online lists that you can manage from your desktop at lists.zenbe.com (free account required). But unlike some other iPhone apps that are front-ends for online services, Zenbe on the iPhone caches all your data locally. That means that you can access and edit your lists even when you can't get online (e.g. on a plane) and then sync when you get back online. With the absence of notes syncing on the iPhone I end up putting all kinds of things into Zenbe: shopping lists, travel info (flight schedules, etc.), various ideas that come to me on the go, and much more (free).

Moonlight Mahjong (iTunes link) - games are naturally a matter of personal taste, but this 3D implementation of mahjong on the iPhone is first class. It utilizes the standard iPhone gestures for zooming and panning, as well as automatically recognizes device orientation. The full version includes 19 different tile layouts for a very reasonable $4.99; there's also a free lite version (iTunes link), which will give you a good taste the gameplay but is limited to 3 tile layouts. Moonlight Mahjong does not include sound, but that makes it perfect for listening to your own tunes, which I much prefer.

Pandora (iTunes link) - Pandora has long been my favorite streaming music site, so much so that I run the dedicated Pandora client PandoraJam on my Mac. So I was thrilled when the iPhone version was released with full access to your custom stations. Unfortunately, Pandora is facing problems these days so there's no telling how long the service will remain up. But for the time being Pandora is my go to app for streaming music (free).

Ask TUAW: Anti-virus, upgrading RAM, syncing computers, backup, file management and more

Posted Aug 23rd 2008 8:00AM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Features, Troubleshooting, Ask TUAW

This time in Ask TUAW we have questions on Mac anti-virus options, upgrading RAM in a white iMac, syncing a laptop and a desktop, emulating Windows file management and more.

As always, your suggestions are most welcome, and questions for next week should be left in the comments. When asking a question please include which machine you're running and which version of Mac OS X, as certain answers will vary between different Macs and Tiger vs. Leopard, etc. (we'll assume you're running Leopard if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions!

Continue reading Ask TUAW: Anti-virus, upgrading RAM, syncing computers, backup, file management and more

Simplify Media for iPhone

Posted Aug 14th 2008 3:30PM by Mat Lu
Filed under: iPhone, App Store

The Simplify Media iPhone application (iTunes link) v1.1 has hit the App Store. As you can see from the video above, with Simplify Media installed on your Mac and on your iPhone or iPod touch, you can stream your home iTunes library to your mobile device wherever you may be. It will supposedly work over EDGE, 3G, or WiFi and promises what might be the holy grail for mobile audio devices -- practically unlimited storage.

To get started you'll need to download the Simplify Media Mac client as well as register for a free account. Then install the iPhone client on your mobile device and your home Mac should show up as a streaming source. In addition to your home machine, you can connect to up to 30 friends also running the cross-platform software.

Simplify Media for Mac is a free download. Only the first 100,000 copies of the iPhone version are free to download, after that it will be $3.99.

[via Gizmodo]

Carriers blaming Apple for iPhone 3G slowness

Posted Aug 14th 2008 7:00AM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPhone

As we've noted before, the iPhone 3G isn't as speedy as we'd like and sometimes has connections problems. Some folks have been blaming the carriers, like AT&T here in the States, but evidence is mounting that the problem may lie with the iPhone itself. GigaOm quotes an analyst at Nomura Securities who put the blame on "...an immature chipset and radio protocol stack" from maker Infineon.

Meanwhile, CNET is reporting that T-Mobile in the Netherlands has a blog post (original Dutch) suggesting that the problem is "...a hardware / software specific issue of the iPhone itself," while a Vodafone spokeswoman in Australia told the Sydney Morning Herald that the problems were specific to the iPhone and not their network. Apparently, the problem was compounded by Apple's famous secrecy, with the iPhone 3G only released to some carriers for testing a day before it was released.

It's not that surprising that a new product would have growing pains. At the same time, it's hardly the case that the networks are as fast and extensive as we would hope. Hopefully, future firmware updates will improve the situation (if it's primarily a software issue). Otherwise, Apple may have to change the radio chip supplier for future iPhones to bring performance in line with other 3G smartphones.

[via Gizmodo]

Rohos Logon Key: Turn any USB device into a login key

Posted Aug 13th 2008 8:00PM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Software, Security

We've covered USB key security systems before, but Rohos Logon Key looks like an interesting new player in the field for two reasons: cost and convenience. Like other USB key systems it allows you to control user logins with a USB key, but unlike other systems you don't have to use a dedicated key -- practically any USB flash drive will work. In fact, since it depends only on the USB device's serial number and doesn't store anything on the device, many other things will work as well, like iPods, memory cards, or dedicated USB keys.

As you can see from the video, when you pull the device you can set it to either lock the screen immediately or launch OS X's built-in screensaver with password protection. When you plug it back it, it automatically fills the password for you. It also works at the account login screen. Frankly, I don't really know how secure this solution is, since I don't know how hard it is to spoof a device serial number if you know what you're doing. On the other hand, for basic "step away from your desk for a moment" security it looks like it might be a convenient solution.

Rohos Logon Key is $29 from Tesline-Service and a demo is available for download.

[via MacNN]

Maperture brings geotagging to Aperture

Posted Aug 13th 2008 8:00AM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Freeware

Maperture is a nifty little plugin for Aperture that lets you geotag photos in your library. We've covered quite a few different geotagging apps for the Mac, but this is the first one that works so well with Aperture as a plugin.

Basically, Maperture integrates an interface to Google Maps which allows you to easily place your pictures on a map, saving the location information as metadata in the photos. Since it's a front end for Google Maps, you get its built-in features like the satellite and hybrid views, etc. In addition, Maperture will automatically place images already containing location information on the map for you. Now the only problem is remembering exactly where you were when you took the picture!

Maperture is a free download from Übermind and requires Aperture 2.

[via Macworld]

KavaMovies keeps tabs on your flicks habit

Posted Aug 13th 2008 7:00AM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Software, Internet Tools, Leopard, Beta Beat

KavaMovies is an interesting database application aimed squarely at all the movie fanatics out there. It allows you to catalog all the movies you have seen, own, hope to see or want to buy. It connects to online sources like the IMDB and Amazon to download cover art and other information.

Once you've entered your selections, KavaMovies offers recommendations based on your collection. Finally, it also keeps track of video files already on your Mac and facilitates downloading from iTunes or via bittorrent.

KavaMovies is $35US and requires Mac OS X Leopard. It's presently in beta and a demo is available for download.

Found Footage: Misleading iPhone ads?

Posted Aug 12th 2008 8:30PM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Cult of Mac, Found Footage, iPhone

A slight kerfuffle has kicked up in the last few days about whether Apple's iPhone 3G advertising is too misleading. 37Signals raised the complaint that a recent iPhone 3G ad (YouTube link) set up false expectations, as it shows an iPhone loading a web page, finding a location on Google Maps, and downloading an attachment at lightning speed. Now comes this nice side by side demonstration video as embedded above.

What do you think? Is this false advertising on Apple's part, or should everyone just know that TV ads are always unrealistic?

[via DF/Gizmodo]

Ask TUAW: Mail.app problems, copying Time Machine backups, replacing an iPhone, GUI mockups and more

Posted Aug 11th 2008 10:00AM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Features, Troubleshooting, Ask TUAW

For this edition of Ask TUAW we'll have a look at problems with Mail.app, mocking-up GUIs, replacing a broken iPhone, visualizing disk space, copying Time Machine backups and much more.

As always, your suggestions are most welcome, and questions for next week should be left in the comments. When asking a question please include which machine you're running and which version of Mac OS X, as certain answers will vary between different Macs and Tiger vs. Leopard, etc. (we'll assume you're running Leopard if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions!

Continue reading Ask TUAW: Mail.app problems, copying Time Machine backups, replacing an iPhone, GUI mockups and more

Boxee media center for Mac

Posted Aug 7th 2008 8:00PM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Multimedia, Leopard

Boxee is an interesting new media center application for the Mac based on the XBMC. Separate from the OS X branch of XBMC (now called Plex), Boxee focuses on a social networking experience by allowing you to get (and give) recommendations to friends who are also on the service. You can also share your media activity with friends and vice versa.

Once installed, Boxee scans your hard drive for videos, music, and pictures. It also interfaces with various streaming sources, both for audio and video, including last.fm, revision 3, YouTube, etc. Even when playing local content it will download things like album covers and descriptions from the internet. All in all, Boxee looks like an interesting entry into the media center competition and its social networking features set it apart from more straightforward implementations like Plex.

Boxee is presently in a closed alpha test, but they're expecting to open a public beta by the early autumn. You can sign up to be notified when the open beta is available. Since it's based on XBMC it's Intel Mac and Leopard only.

ColorWare does their thing for the iPhone 3G

Posted Aug 6th 2008 5:00PM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Mods, iPhone

If black and white aren't enough for you, ColorWare is now offering their gadget coloring service for the iPhone 3G. Their iPhone site allows you to customize parts of your phone with 35 different colors on an à la carte basis. Obviously you have to send in your iPhone and the service takes about two weeks.

Unfortunately, it's not cheap. Just to color the back of the phone is $150 (all prices are US dollars), with additional color options for the frame, home button, SIM tray, earbuds, and dock running $10-$20 each. In fact, if you went wild and purchased full customization, your bill would be $230 -- more than the iPhone 3G. On the other hand, can you really put a price on being the only guy whose lilac-colored iPhone has a Candy Apple button?

[via Gizmodo]

AmazonWatcher looks for Amazon deals

Posted Aug 6th 2008 10:00AM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Freeware, Internet Tools

AmazonWatcher is a simple application that, well, watches Amazon. After putting in the Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) for whatever you want to watch, the application can be set to alert you whenever the item is in stock (if you're still waiting for a Wii, for instance) or when the item drops below a certain price. In addition to sounding an alert AmazonWatcher can send you an email or even automatically order an item if you have Amazon's 1-Click active for your account.

AmazonWatcher is a free download for Mac (or PC). The website does not indicate whether or not this application makes use of Amazon's affiliate program when ordering.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

Sun offers StarOffice 9 beta for Mac

Posted Aug 4th 2008 6:00PM by Mat Lu
Filed under: Software, Freeware, Beta Beat

Sun has released a beta for StarOffice 9, which brings native Mac support to Sun's commercial version of the OpenOffice suite of applications (finally bringing to fruition Sun's joining the Mac porting team back in 2007). The new version is a regular Aqua application and no longer requires X11. In addition, it integrates with "the address book and other system tools" including Spotlight, and allows importing the new XML-based Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac file formats (.docx, .xlsx etc.).

StarOffice9 is Intel-only and requires OS X 10.4+. The beta expires on August 17. It is a free download from Sun Microsystems (registration required). The regular price of StarOffice 8 is $69.95.

[via MacNN]

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#	Blogger	Posts	Cmts
1	Cory Bohon	52	1
2	Robert Palmer	51	38
3	Steven Sande	49	13
4	Dave Caolo	33	0
5	Mike Schramm	28	0
6	Erica Sadun	25	1
7	Michael Rose	19	21
8	Giles Turnbull	17	0
9	Mat Lu	14	8
10	Christina Warren	13	26
11	Brett Terpstra	11	0
12	TUAW Blogger	7	0
13	Victor Agreda, Jr.	6	13
14	Lisa Hoover	3	2
15	Joshua Ellis	2	0
16	Jason Clarke	1	0

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Ask TUAW: Finder thumbnails, wifi connection manager, external drive on PS3, Tiger on an old iMac

Amazon Video on Demand service goes live for Macs

My Favorite iPhone Apps: Mat's Picks

Ask TUAW: Anti-virus, upgrading RAM, syncing computers, backup, file management and more

Simplify Media for iPhone

Carriers blaming Apple for iPhone 3G slowness

Rohos Logon Key: Turn any USB device into a login key

Maperture brings geotagging to Aperture

KavaMovies keeps tabs on your flicks habit

Found Footage: Misleading iPhone ads?

Ask TUAW: Mail.app problems, copying Time Machine backups, replacing an iPhone, GUI mockups and more

Boxee media center for Mac

ColorWare does their thing for the iPhone 3G

AmazonWatcher looks for Amazon deals

Sun offers StarOffice 9 beta for Mac

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