The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) http://www.tuaw.com The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gif The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) http://www.tuaw.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Finder icon birthday cake will make your day]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/22/finder-icon-birthday-cake-will-make-your-day/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/22/finder-icon-birthday-cake-will-make-your-day/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/22/finder-icon-birthday-cake-will-make-your-day/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


If there's one thing I like better than pie, it's cake. And if there's a best kind of cake, it's definitely one that's shaped in the form of something geeky. Which means the video above, which shows what seems to be a tasty confection in the form of Apple's Finder icon, hits the spot perfectly. David B.'s wife made it for him for his birthday earlier this week, he says over on his Twitter account. He doesn't say what kind of cake it is, but given that it's Finder, I'm going to guess chocolate. An iTunes icon cake would give off a more "vanilla" vibe to me.

We've also, you'll remember, seen this Finder icon parading around on pillows as well. Which isn't too surprising -- who could pass up a face like that? Not only is he a handsome dude with a mischievous smile, but he's got access to all your files and passwords. That's the kind of guy you'd better get along with.

Thanks to Chris Pirillo for the tip!

TUAWFinder icon birthday cake will make your day originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>birthday-cakechocolatefindericonituneslogomacparadingvanillaSun, 22 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The cow says mooooo! Zoowawa, an app for toddlers and their parents]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/22/the-cow-says-mooooo-zoowawa-an-app-for-toddlers-and-their-pare/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/22/the-cow-says-mooooo-zoowawa-an-app-for-toddlers-and-their-pare/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/22/the-cow-says-mooooo-zoowawa-an-app-for-toddlers-and-their-pare/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Zoowawa [US$0.99, iTunes Link] is a cute app targeted for toddlers between the ages of two and three. Your child is presented with a split screen displaying two animals. Tapping on one of the animals plays the sound that the animal makes.

Each half of the screen can be swiped individually to reveal 14 animal pictures per half, or 24 animal pictures in all. The pictures are brightly colored and the app has a very clean look to it. Zoowawa runs on any iPhone or iPod touch using OS 3.1.2 or better.

My daughter is finishing a masters in education and has familiarity with very small children, so I asked her about the appropriateness of this app. My first impression was that along with the sound, the printed name of the animal should be shown. My daughter told me that for most kids in the targeted age range, adding the text would be too complex since reading often doesn't start until a child is three years old or older.

She did have few problems with the size of the pictures, saying that they may not hold a child's interest for very long. Kids like big things and dividing the screen to make each animal half of the screen size was probably not the best idea. Even at full size, a picture may not attract the attention of a toddler for too long.

I also had a bit of a problem with the quality of the animal sounds. Most are not digitized animal sounds, but rather a recording of someone making the sound with his voice. Since for many kids this app might be their first introduction to animals, I think that sound accuracy should be important.

Continue reading The cow says mooooo! Zoowawa, an app for toddlers and their parents

TUAWThe cow says mooooo! Zoowawa, an app for toddlers and their parents originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You can catch last week's show, the deep dive on the Psystar summary judgment with Lauren, via iTunes or Talkshoe. Granted, it was a bit single-minded compared to our usual attention deficit-driven topic hop, but I enjoyed it!

Tonight, we're going to cover the week in review as we often do; plus we'll take your calls and suggestions for our holiday gift guide choices. It's a great time to drop hints to family and friends about what you're hoping to get (for the record, the entire TUAW staff looks good in cashmere). Do join us.

To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (take advantange of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *-8.

If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free Gizmo or X-Lite SIP clients; basic instructions are here. Talk with you then!

TUAWTalkcast tonight: Holiday gift suggestions originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hggpodcasttalkcastSun, 22 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Original Monopoly now available from EA for the iPhone / iPod touch]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/22/original-monopoly-now-available-from-ea-for-the-iphone-ipod-to/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/22/original-monopoly-now-available-from-ea-for-the-iphone-ipod-to/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/22/original-monopoly-now-available-from-ea-for-the-iphone-ipod-to/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

If an angry, perspiring Steve Ballmer took over control of my iPhone and said I could only have one third-party app on it, I know which app I'd keep. EA's Monopoly Here and Now: The World Edition [US$4.99, iTunes Link] has been my favorite game on the iPhone since it first appeared. Just how much am I addicted to this game? I've played 272 games against three other AI players. At about 45 minutes per game, that's almost nine days of my life that I've spent enjoying Monopoly on my iPhone.

There was always one thing that bothered me about The World Edition: that it wasn't the game I remembered as a child. It uses cities from all over the world, from Gdynia to Montreal, transportation modes from rail to space instead of the four classic railroads, and had some other rule changes that were different.

EA just made my day, since they recently released Monopoly [US$4.99, iTunes Link], and this one is the original classic game. It uses all those streets in or around Atlantic City, N.J. like Baltic Avenue and Park Place, has the four original railroads, and seems to follow the original rules more closely.

Like The World Edition, you play against real or computerized opponents. For real opponents, Monopoly now provides Bluetooth play against up to two other players, or Wi-Fi play against up to three other players. My wife and I found the Wi-Fi play of the World Edition to be a huge battery hog; we'll be trying out the Bluetooth option soon.

The original Monopoly board game was a perennial stocking stuffer when I was a kid, and now the classic Monopoly for iPhone and iPod touch is sure to make a great gift for someone you love.

TUAWOriginal Monopoly now available from EA for the iPhone / iPod touch originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just days after receiving final approval from regulators, the iPhone will go on sale this week in South Korea. KT Corp, the country's second largest mobile carrier, began taking orders for the iPhone today, with plans to launch the phone on Saturday, November 28.

Apple has confirmed the KT announcement, though it's offered no other comment. KT, on the other hand, is playing the announcement up. In a press release, Kim Woo-sik, CEO of KT's personal customer group, said, "We are thrilled to bring iPhone to South Korea. Our customers will enjoy the power and benefits of using the revolutionary iPhone on KT's 3G network."

Residents of South Korea will have access to the same array of iPhones available in the states. KT is offering the 8GB iPhone 3G as well as the 16GB and 32GB iPhone 3GS.

[via Associated Press, Bloomberg]

TUAWiPhone launching in South Korea this week originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3g3gsiphonektsouth koreaSun, 22 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[TUAW Review: Checkout, top notch Point of Sale software for Mac]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/22/tuaw-review-checkout-top-notch-point-of-sale-software-for-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/22/tuaw-review-checkout-top-notch-point-of-sale-software-for-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/22/tuaw-review-checkout-top-notch-point-of-sale-software-for-mac/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I had the opportunity to speak with the creators of Checkout: an excellent Point of Sale application for the Mac. I've been working with the app for several weeks now and have been thoroughly impressed by it, especially after the developers shared their perspectives. Many thanks to Ed and Dirk for walking me through it.

Whether you're starting a new store or transferring your current system to Checkout, it's the best Point of Sale I've worked with in my many years of retail. The creators explained that they designed Checkout to help small and mid-sized retail stores make sales, print receipts, manage stock, organize customers, and collect payments.

This application focuses heavily on ease-of-use in everything from installation to managing metrics and allows the user to remove "unneeded complexities" from the system they work with every day.

Read on for a full walk-through of the application.

Continue reading TUAW Review: Checkout, top notch Point of Sale software for Mac

TUAWTUAW Review: Checkout, top notch Point of Sale software for Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>checkoutcheckoutapppoint of salePointOfSaleSun, 22 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mousing around: A review of Disney theme park iPhone apps]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/mousing-around-a-review-of-disney-theme-park-iphone-apps/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/mousing-around-a-review-of-disney-theme-park-iphone-apps/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/mousing-around-a-review-of-disney-theme-park-iphone-apps/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

My wife and I are unabashed Disneyphiles, so the last two months have been a lot of fun. After my wife taught a tutorial in L.A. last month, we spent a few days at the West Coast properties -- Disneyland and California Adventure. This month, we had some Disney Vacation Club points left over, so we spent five days at our "home" resort near Disney's Animal Kingdom, Epcot, the Magic Kingdom, and Disney's Hollywood Studios.

I thought these trips would be a perfect opportunity to try out some of the many travel apps that have sprung up for the iPhone, all of which purport to be the solution to all of your Disney dining, lodging, and theme park information needs. As with any genre of app, there are a mixture of good and bad apps available. Since the Thanksgiving holiday weekend is generally a big time to visit the parks, here's a quick tour of a few of the apps that my wife and I used on our trips so you can load up your iPhone if you're going to visit The Mouse over the holidays.

Continue reading Mousing around: A review of Disney theme park iPhone apps

TUAWMousing around: A review of Disney theme park iPhone apps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>disneydisneylandhggreviewWalt Disney WorldWaltDisneyWorldSat, 21 Nov 2009 18:20:00 EST<![CDATA[The Huffington Post has seen the iTablet... not!]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/the-huffington-post-has-seen-the-itablet/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/the-huffington-post-has-seen-the-itablet/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/the-huffington-post-has-seen-the-itablet/#commentsFiled under: ,


Gerald Sinden of the Huffington Post writes, with tongue firmly in cheek, that he was given the first production model of the iTablet and 24 hours to play with it. According to his post, it's gesture based and sports a 10" screen along with being a phone, albeit a large one. And foam corners. To prevent people from inadvertently blacking their eyes when they try to use it as a phone. Mmm-hmm. Really.

There will be two cameras in it, and an option to mount it on the dashboard of your car when one camera will serve as a back-up camera, an option present in many high end automotive GPS systems. And it will come with apps to show you what your new haircut will look like. Insert giggle sound effect here.

Books will be sold by the chapter instead of by the book, which sounds odd to me but does seem to go along with the iTunes concept of buying individual TV episodes or songs. And it's at least consistent with Apple doing its best to extract maximum profits out of every device sold.

My first and primary thought is that T The article is a hoax. The only reason I'm telling you about it is that it came from the Huffington Post which, in my experience, doesn't print many rumors and their fact checking has usually been excellent. Also their humor is a little bit... arch.

However, this does seem HIGHLY suspect. Why would Apple give the Huff Post one and no tech venues? And a 10" phone? Really? It's beyond suspect. It's just not all that funny.

Take a gander at Mr. Sinden's post and tell us what you think. Could this be real? No. The consensus of the TUAW crowd around the water cooler says it's somewhere between parody and satire.

Thanks to Stuart Carnie for sending this in.

TUAWThe Huffington Post has seen the iTablet... not! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>itabletrumorrumorsSat, 21 Nov 2009 17:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Attention to Detail: What we love in an app]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/attention-to-detail-what-we-love-in-an-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/attention-to-detail-what-we-love-in-an-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/attention-to-detail-what-we-love-in-an-app/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Software. It doesn't matter if it's for a Mac or for an iPhone. There are certain qualities we just love, that make an app really stand out to us. As a rough approximation, we call it "Attention to Detail" but there's a lot more going on than just looking at tiny details. It's about understanding the user, what he or she wants from the app and needs it to do and how the realities of being humans with weak eyes, large fingers, and bad memory affect the way software gets designed. I asked my TUAW colleagues to share their thoughts on what makes a good app.

Brett Terpstra loves apps that are designed with a unique look but that use familiar controls. As a design philosophy, his ideal applications are both easy to use and fun to look at. Delicious, if you will. Cookie-cutter app elements may be great for prototyping an application's infrastructure but to him an app that really stands out has a unique visual voice.

He really loves Tweetie 2's ability to refresh your Twitter stream by scrolling to the top (with a tap on the title bar, of course), then pulling down and letting go. It's non-standard, but so intuitive that it should be. That's the kind of attention to detail that makes him feel warm inside.

For me, it's all about putting yourself into the mindset of the user. Were features put in place because they need to be there or because the developer thought it would be cool? Is the developer really understanding how real people might use the app? Take the iPhone. Is there a switch that lets you disable autorotation when you're using a game while lying on a couch or in bed? Because that's how real users use real games. And if the developer hasn't thought about details like this, they haven't hit that design sweet spot of matching real world needs against programming limitations.

Chris Rawson loves well-designed icons. They should give you some indication of what the app does, so you can launch it with barely a glance. Want to use multi-touch controls? Make sure those controls are intuitive and that they provide an innovative use of the technology. In his opinion, Convertbot is a great example.

Remembering already-set preferences is another hobbyhorse. Take iPhone apps that connect with the Mac over Wi-Fi for example. A brain-dead simple initial setup should be followed by only needing to push a single button (if that) to connect on all subsequent connections. And as for a finishing touch, he feels that well-polished graphics shouldn't look like something squeezed out over a single afternoon by someone with no artistic skill whatsoever.

Well designed, easy to follow instructions are key for David Winograd. In the best of all possible worlds those instructions should even include user interaction, whether via Q&A or by modeling, to make sure the key points get through to the user. In his opinion, Irene's Spirit has the best tutorial he's ever seen in an iPhone app. If the app were as good as the tutorial, the world would probably implode.

These are just a few key points from our team. Add yours to the comments below. What are the key elements that make an application, whether for Mac or iPhone or any other platform, shine for you?

Image courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/silviu_ivan/ / CC BY 2.0

TUAWAttention to Detail: What we love in an app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>excellencequalityreviewsSat, 21 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Getting bit by the Gmail "exceeded IMAP bandwidth limits" bug]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/getting-bit-by-the-gmail-exceeded-imap-bandwidth-limits-bug/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/getting-bit-by-the-gmail-exceeded-imap-bandwidth-limits-bug/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/getting-bit-by-the-gmail-exceeded-imap-bandwidth-limits-bug/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I have a couple of Gmail accounts set up with Google Apps, so that Google is hosting my email using my own domain names. While those accounts have been working flawlessly for quite a while, I suddenly ran into issues a few days ago where Apple Mail couldn't pull email from the server. I could use the Gmail Web client and access the email, but using Mail or my iPhone, I'd get an error.

Both Mail and the iPhone initially reported that either my password or username was incorrect, but after restarting my MacBook Air, the message changed to what you see above. While I had been sending some large files through email last week, I wasn't using anywhere close to the 2 or so GB per day of bandwidth that Google allows.

A quick search revealed that there's a known bug where accounts are locked out for exceeding IMAP bandwidth limits when using Apple Mail under Snow Leopard. To quote Google's support page,
This is a known issue for users of Apple Mail on the Snow Leopard OS. We are working with Apple on a resolution to the issue. In the meantime, there are a few workarounds to reduce the likelihood of hitting the bandwidth limit:
  1. Do not sync attachments.
  2. Reduce the number of folders you sync by using the Advanced IMAP Controls tab in Gmail.
  3. Close your email client when you are not using it.
For my business, I keep my email client up and running most of the day, so the third workaround was not an option. Syncing attachments is easy to turn off in Apple Mail Preferences for Gmail IMAP accounts by selecting "All messages, but omit attachments" under "Keep copies of messages for offline viewing" on the Advanced tab, but it didn't resolve the problem.

I fortuitously noticed that my MacBook Air seemed to be losing a lot of disk space, and searching the ~/Library/Mail folder indicated that the issue seemed to be in the "Recovered Items" Inbox for this Gmail account -- something I didn't even know existed! It was taking up a whopping 18.66 GB of space, so I went into Mail and deleted the "Recovered Items" inbox.

While this didn't fix the issue immediately, it did eventually allow the account to come back on line with no problems. All told, I was without Mail.app and iPhone access to the account for four days, but at least I could check my Web mail occasionally to see what was coming into the Gmail account.

If you're running Snow Leopard and get bit by the "bandwidth bug" with a Gmail account, I hope that this tip can help you out.

TUAWGetting bit by the Gmail "exceeded IMAP bandwidth limits" bug originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>buggmailmail.apptipstroubleshootingSat, 21 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Super-panoramic showdown for Mac]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/super-panoramic-showdown/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/super-panoramic-showdown/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/super-panoramic-showdown/#commentsFiled under: , ,


There are several photo-stitchers available for Mac (and several for iPhone as well), and most do a stellar job for stitching together 3-4 images into a panoramic image. However, I recently completed a project that required stitching together hundreds of images into some very large panoramas of several locations around beautiful Peoria, Illinois. What I found is that some of the programs which do admirable work on small stitching jobs performed very poorly on larger-scale panoramas. I tried several programs with varying results, and you can check out my showdown below.

Continue reading Super-panoramic showdown for Mac

TUAWSuper-panoramic showdown for Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autopano proAutopanoProcalicodoubletakepanoramapanoramicphotoshopSat, 21 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Giving or getting a Mac for the holidays? 10 apps every new Mac user needs]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/10-apps-every-new-mac-needs/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/10-apps-every-new-mac-needs/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/10-apps-every-new-mac-needs/#commentsFiled under: , ,

All new Macs come with great bundled software. Between the iLife suite, Safari, iTunes, and TextEdit, plus the ability to access and use cloud applications for free, almost all of the most basic modern computing needs get met for most users.

That said, having used four different Macs over the past seven years, there are several applications that don't come with OS X that I find myself immediately loading onto a new Mac. Most of these are big-name apps that you've probably already heard of, but it's still pretty amazing how much extra functionality you can eke out of a Mac with only ten additional programs, and all of them (save the last one) are free.

Whether you're buying a new Mac for a relative this holiday season or getting a new one for yourself, these are ten applications you should download as soon as that shiny new machine loads the desktop for the first time.

Continue reading Giving or getting a Mac for the holidays? 10 apps every new Mac user needs

TUAWGiving or getting a Mac for the holidays? 10 apps every new Mac user needs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AdiumDropboxFirefoxFlip4MacGrowlHandbrakehggiWorkSkypeswitcherTransmissionVLCSat, 21 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Cisco adds Security Intelligence Ops to iPhone portfolio]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/cisco-adds-security-intelligence-ops-to-iphone-portfolio/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/cisco-adds-security-intelligence-ops-to-iphone-portfolio/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/cisco-adds-security-intelligence-ops-to-iphone-portfolio/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Despite some security-conscious enterprise experts pointing accusatory fingers at the rather bleak encryption story and only-recently fixed ActiveSync policy compliance on the iPhone platform, there's no doubt that IT and network professionals are grooving on the iPhone -- there are many apps designed for administrators to take control of their operations with a touch of a finger, and now Cisco has stepped in with an informational and alert resource that fits in your pocket.

The Cisco SIO (Security Intelligence Operations) to Go free app [iTunes link], requiring iPhone OS 3.0 or later, lets the paranoid properly alert and aware security professional keep tabs on the global threat landscape with Cisco's Cyber Risk Reports, Threat Outbreaks and Mitigation Bulletins, along with podcasts, blog posts and a slew of other branded content. There's also an IronPort-driven IP and email domain scanner, which will grab WHOIS data along with a brief reputation score for your hosts.

Having all this Cisco goodness in one place is handy, although the majority of the app's headlines link to pages on the Cisco site that remain largely iPhone-unfriendly -- even the press release announcing the app's launch is hard to zoom properly -- and there's none of the flexibility of a full-featured RSS reader to forward articles, bookmark or set read/unread points.

Still, as a gesture of goodwill towards the intersection of iPhone users and security professionals, it's a reasonable step. Cisco also has the WebEx Meetings app [iTunes link] and the Cisco Mobile telephony tool [iTunes link] in the store, both free.

[via TechCrunch]

TUAWCisco adds Security Intelligence Ops to iPhone portfolio originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ciscoenterpriseiphonesecuritythreatvirusSat, 21 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Smoking kills... your Mac]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/smoking-kills-your-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/smoking-kills-your-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/21/smoking-kills-your-mac/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It should be pretty obvious by now that smoking cigarettes is bad for your health. What's not as obvious is that it might be bad for your Mac, too. According to The Consumerist, two different people got turned down for AppleCare maintenance because their Macs were used in a house with a smoker. Both people appealed their cases all the way up to Steve Jobs, and both of them lost.

I've opened up a few computers that spent time in a house full of heavy smokers, and the insides weren't pretty. There was this disgusting brown resin built up all over everything, and it pretty much smelled like an ashtray stuffed full of 5-year-old cigarette butts. Though it's probably a stretch to call this "a biohazard" like in one of the cases The Consumerist cites, AppleCare agreements are worded loosely enough in their limitations of coverage that Apple seems perfectly within its rights to deny coverage in these two cases:
The Plan does not cover:

Damage to the Covered Equipment caused by accident, abuse, neglect, misuse (including faulty installation, repair, or maintenance by anyone other than Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider), unauthorized modification, extreme environment (including extreme temperature or humidity), extreme physical or electrical stress or interference, fluctuation or surges of electrical power, lightning, static electricity, fire, acts of God or other external causes.

It's that "other external causes" clause that's the catch-all, although you could probably argue that an atmosphere filled with smoke counts as an "extreme environment" as well.

Bottom line: if you have to smoke, you might want to step away from the computer first. With the investment that your Mac represents sitting there on the desk, why take the risk of messing it up in an easily preventable way?

TUAWSmoking kills... your Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ApplecareSmokingSat, 21 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[TUAW's Steve Sande provides gift ideas on the latest MacJury podcast]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/tuaws-steve-sande-provides-gift-ideas-on-the-latest-macjury-pod/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/tuaws-steve-sande-provides-gift-ideas-on-the-latest-macjury-pod/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/tuaws-steve-sande-provides-gift-ideas-on-the-latest-macjury-pod/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Here it is, T-7 days until Black Friday, and you don't have any gift ideas?

I joined MacJury podcaster Chuck Joiner earlier this week to provide my ideas for gifting. This was part two of a holiday gift ideas episode on the popular podcast.

Joining me on the podcast were MacMouseCalls support genius (and grandmother) Pat Fauquet, Julio Ojeda-Zapata from the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and The Mac Observer's Jeff Gamet.

Storage seemed to be a popular gift idea from the panelists, along with iPhone / Mac jewelry, video tools, and even some freebies. I take no responsibility for the singing that was taking place...

You can listen to MacJury Episode 918 at the MacJury website, or subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

TUAWTUAW's Steve Sande provides gift ideas on the latest MacJury podcast originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black fridayBlackFridaygiftspodcastFri, 20 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MacUpdate Desktop version 5.0.2 released, win a membership from TUAW]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/macupdate-desktop-version-5-0-2-released-win-a-membership-from/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/macupdate-desktop-version-5-0-2-released-win-a-membership-from/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/macupdate-desktop-version-5-0-2-released-win-a-membership-from/#commentsFiled under: ,

MacUpdate announced today the release of version 5.0.2 of the MacUpdate Desktop utility, which allows users to manage application and widget software updates on their Mac OS X machines. The new version of the application adds some features and bug fixes as well as support for more languages.

MacUpdate Desktop can track software updates for 30,000 Mac applications, and it also provides update support for applications on the iPhone, although iTunes handles that pretty well. Updates can be triggered manually and individually, or set to install automatically when MacUpdate Desktop is open. It also provides support for updating screen savers and allows users to sort applications into "watch lists," so they can keep track of programs that are more important to keep current than others.

The update includes improved handling of the software it tracks, such as version and application matching, as well as French, German, and Italian localization. Some of the bugs it fixes are community preferences, registration problems, and issues with extracting tar bzip2 and dmg.zip downloads.

There are several update managers out there for Mac OS X (including AppFresh, LogicielMac, VersionTracker Pro, etc.) with fans and detractors of their own. If you've had great or not-so-great experiences with any of the updater tools, let us know in the comments.

Want to win one of two subscriptions to MacUpdate Desktop, courtesy of MU and TUAW? Read on for details!

Continue reading MacUpdate Desktop version 5.0.2 released, win a membership from TUAW

TUAWMacUpdate Desktop version 5.0.2 released, win a membership from TUAW originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ApplicationgiveawaymacupdatemacupdatedesktopMacupdatePromoSoftwareUpdateThirdPartyFri, 20 Nov 2009 14:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Geotagged tweets now alive in Stone Design's Twittelator Pro 3.3.1]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/geotagged-tweets-now-alive-in-stone-designs-twittelator-pro-3-3/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/geotagged-tweets-now-alive-in-stone-designs-twittelator-pro-3-3/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/geotagged-tweets-now-alive-in-stone-designs-twittelator-pro-3-3/#commentsFiled under: ,

Twitter has flipped the switch on some new features, including geotagging of tweets and automatic retweeting. As a happy user of Stone Design's Twittelator Pro 3.3.1 [iTunes link], I was even more giddy when I found out that my favorite Twitter app already supports both of these features.

The geotagging feature lets you optionally attach a latitude and longitude to your tweets. If you receive the tweet in Twittelator, you can tap on the sender's avatar icon to see the geotag and pull up a Google map of the location near where the tweet was sent. The app lets you turn off geotagging when you send a tweet, which is useful if you're trying to shake off a stalker. It's also cool to use "nearby search" to find people who are near you and sending out tweets, and view their location on a map.

The official retweet feature has been going live for the past two weeks or so, although as of yet I haven't seen or been able to send a retweet that appears with the new retweet icon. In the web-based Twitter, I do see the new icons and messages that say "Retweeted by you," but I'm not sure why I'm not seeing this in Twittelator Pro.

Is anyone else using Twittelator Pro 3.3.1 who can vouch that the new retweet capability is working for them? Leave a comment.

TUAWGeotagged tweets now alive in Stone Design's Twittelator Pro 3.3.1 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>geotaggingretweetTwittelatortwitterFri, 20 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Navigon briefly cutting price on its popular Nav app]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/navigon-briefly-cutting-price-on-its-popular-nav-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/navigon-briefly-cutting-price-on-its-popular-nav-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/navigon-briefly-cutting-price-on-its-popular-nav-app/#commentsFiled under: ,

Gee, we were just saying how competitive it is getting in the iPhone nav department, and Navigon has gone and cut prices for holiday travelers.

For 10 days only, beginning today (November 20-30) Navigon's iPhone app, Mobile Navigator [iTunes link]will be on sale for U.S. $69.99 instead of $89.99 providing a $20.00 savings. In addition, Navigon's Traffic Live feature is also on sale for $14.99 instead of $24.99. Traffic Live is a one time charge, not a continuing cost.

That's a significant saving for this very popular app, and puts it under similar featured apps from TomTom ($99.99) and Magellan ($79.99).

In my tests of the Navigon app I have found it accurate, and it has a superior user interface that is easy to use. Of course you shouldn't be looking at it while you are driving, and the text to speech does an excellent job of helping you keep your eyes on the road.

The Live Traffic feature will route you around major traffic congestion and adjust your ETA times.

It's nice to see prices heading south on some of these GPS packages. Now you'll be able to head south (or north, or any direction really) for less money and with more features. Have a safe trip.

TUAWNavigon briefly cutting price on its popular Nav app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GPShgglive traffic iphoneLiveTrafficIphoneMobile NavigatornavigationNavigonsale priceFri, 20 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[CrossOver Games releases version 8.1.0]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/crossover-games-releases-version-8-1-0/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/crossover-games-releases-version-8-1-0/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/crossover-games-releases-version-8-1-0/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The folks behind CrossOver Games sent us a note that version 8.1.0 of their software has come out, and it's got some nice upgrades for Mac and Linux folks who prefer to run their games in Windows almost-emulators (it's based on Wine, and as we all know, Wine Is Not an Emulator) rather than Boot Camping over to the real thing. We tried out CrossOver Games a while back, and found it lacking in almost everything but Steam games, but actually that's OK, because lately Steam has a lot of games going on. Accordingly, this new version has support built-in for the brand new Left 4 Dead 2, as well as fixes for Steam's voice chat, a few upgrades for WoW on Linux and Guild Wars, and a couple of changes to ensure compatibility with Snow Leopard. Sounds like a nice solid upgrade -- owners of the software can grab it for free, or you can try out the app for yourself from their website.

In case you don't have the app yet, CodeWeavers also let us know that they're giving away a Linux rig that's the "ultimate" in... wait for it... gaming. Yes, putting together a Linux rig for gaming is like putting a UFC fighter on a dance show, but we guess stranger things have happened. Anyway, CrossOver Games will definitely help you play at least a few games on the decked-out rig, if you want a shot at winning the thing, all you have to do is pick up the software before December 1st. They'll pick a name out of a hat, and if it's yours, there'll be an awesome 'nix box headed your way. Good luck with getting smooth fullscreen Flash video to work. We kid! You Linux guys make it so easy.

Oh wait, what's that? Flash on the iPhone? I have no idea what you're talking about.

TUAWCrossOver Games releases version 8.1.0 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crossovercrossover-gamesemulationflashgamingguild-warslinuxrigsoftwaresteamufc-fighterversionFri, 20 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Virgin Mobile Canada: Fifth Canadian outlet for iPhone]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/virgin-mobile-canada-fifth-canadian-outlet-for-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/virgin-mobile-canada-fifth-canadian-outlet-for-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/virgin-mobile-canada-fifth-canadian-outlet-for-iphone/#commentsFiled under:

The iPhone is getting yet another carrier in the great white north. Virgin Mobile Canada has announced that it'll start selling the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in the coming months.

When exactly? How much? Can I get a Richard Branson ringtone? Actually, I can make my own ringtones, but what about the rest of it? We'll have to wait to find out. All the company said in its incredibly short notice was that it'll sell the phones online and in its brick-and-mortar stores at some point. Well, that and that its gotten some love from J.D. Power and Associates for its prepaid and postpaid wireless services.

The phones are already on sale north of the border through Rogers Wireless, its subsidiary Fido, Bell Canada, and Telus. While a Canadian friend tells me Virgin Mobile Canada has a reputation for inexpensive phones with prepaid service, Canadian mobile news site MobileSyrup expects Virgin to charge roughly the same prices with the same three-year contracts as Canada's other iPhone carriers.

Thanks EZ Mac Mike for the tip!

[via iLounge, MobileSyrup]

TUAWVirgin Mobile Canada: Fifth Canadian outlet for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3g3gsbellcanadafidoiphonemobilerogerstelusvirginwirelessFri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[FunMail adds instant images to Facebook status & MMS]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/funmail-adds-instant-images-to-facebook-status-and-mms/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/funmail-adds-instant-images-to-facebook-status-and-mms/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/funmail-adds-instant-images-to-facebook-status-and-mms/#commentsFiled under: ,

At the risk of invoking a round of reader rage, I'll admit that I've never really been that hyped on the idea of MMS on the iPhone (and, by the way, get off my lawn). If I want to send someone a picture, I've got their email address; I'll just send them a picture. No big whoop.

I do have some friends and colleagues who 'came up' on mainline camera phones and they gleefully pop pics back and forth via MMS. I also appreciate the ability to decode the snapshots my wife sends from her Motorola RAZR, but overall I wouldn't rate it among the top iPhone features I was eager to get from AT&T (not like the ongoing lack of tethering, which is making me grind my teeth in my sleep).

That prejudicial attitude may have made me a little skeptical when I met with FunMobility's CEO Adam Lavine this week to get a preview of his company's new free app FunMail [iTunes link], which promises to leverage the Semantic Media Project and add appropriate imagery to your MMS messages, short emails, Facebook wall posts, et cetera. It's available in the US App Store as of last night.

Sure, the app is simple enough to use (once you register and accept the company's TOS, which may subject you to occasional text messages from them if you don't opt out) -- type in your message, and the system gives you the text (up to 140 characters) atop your choice of image from a list of five, sourced from FunMobility's licensed libraries along with Creative Commons remixable content from Flickr and other repositories. If you want to include a hidden search term, putting it at the end of the message with a double-hash (##) will tell FunMail to search those words without including them in the sent message. You can send it to any mobile phone number in your address book, to email recipients, or to your Facebook friends or wall via Facebook Connect. The result is a little bit inspirational office poster, a little bit LOLcat, and in some ways strangely intriguing... but not really, you know, useful.

Continue reading FunMail adds instant images to Facebook status & MMS

TUAWFunMail adds instant images to Facebook status & MMS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>camera phonescamera-phonesCameraPhonescreative commonscreative-commonsCreativeCommonsfacebookflickrfunmailiphonemessagemmspictureshort message serviceshort-message-serviceShortMessageServicesmssnapshotstext messagestext-messagesTextMessagestwitterFri, 20 Nov 2009 09:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Looking for free iWeb hosting? Here's how to use Dropbox as your host]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/looking-for-free-iweb-hosting-heres-how-to-use-dropbox-as-your/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/looking-for-free-iweb-hosting-heres-how-to-use-dropbox-as-your/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/looking-for-free-iweb-hosting-heres-how-to-use-dropbox-as-your/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Since iWeb comes with just about every Mac, it's surprising that it isn't used by more Mac users. For some people, coughing up US$99 a year for MobileMe hosting is the barrier, but there are other ways to get your iWeb pages out where the world can see them.

Last night, while participating in a recording of the MacJury podcast, one of my gift ideas was to sign somebody up for a free trial of Dropbox and show them how to use it for syncing all sorts of things. While I was touting all of the things that Dropbox can be used for, I pulled up the Dropbox wiki for reference, and I noticed a link for Tips and Tricks. One of the tips was "Use Dropbox to host a website."

iWeb is one of my personal specialties, so I immediately wondered if someone could use Dropbox to host an iWeb site. Within two minutes, I had my answer and an idea for a how-to post. Follow along as I show you how to publish your iWeb site on a free Dropbox account.

Note: As our commenters point out, even though the suggestion for website hosting comes direct from the Dropbox wiki, the service is not intended for 'production' web hosting. A few personal pages or a testing site shouldn't cause you any grief, but Dropbox does reserve the right to turn off your public links if the system detects unusual levels of bandwidth consumption.

Continue reading Looking for free iWeb hosting? Here's how to use Dropbox as your host

TUAWLooking for free iWeb hosting? Here's how to use Dropbox as your host originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dropboxfree web hostingFreeWebHostingiwebFri, 20 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jobs to dev on app name change: "Not that big of a deal."]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/jobs-to-dev-on-app-name-change-not-that-big-of-a-deal/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/jobs-to-dev-on-app-name-change-not-that-big-of-a-deal/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/20/jobs-to-dev-on-app-name-change-not-that-big-of-a-deal/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I don't know if this was the right thing for Steve Jobs to say, but on the other hand, I do think it's the perfect thing for him to say. The story, as reported by our buddy Daniel Brusilovsky over at Crunchgear, goes like this: A company called The Little App Factory got a letter from Apple, who had a legal issue with one of their apps, formerly named iPodRip.

Apple didn't like the fact that "iPod" was clearly in the name, and so despite the fact that the software was meant to transfer songs back and forth specifically from an iPod, Apple wanted the name changed. The company's co-owner, John Devor, sent a very long and well-reasoned letter to Mr. Jobs himself explaining that their only wish was to extend Apple's hardware's capabilities, and that they were all Apple fans, and that they'd used the name for a long time and they were worried that a competitor might steal their customers and Jobs was an inspiration to the guy, who'd just dropped out of school, and could they please get a pass on this one?

Jobs' response -- yes, he wrote back personally -- was just three lines:

Change your apps name. Not that big of a deal.

Steve

Sent from my iPhone

Kids, that's how you become the kind of guy who runs a brilliant computer company, is seen on the cover of Time multiple times, gets named CEO of the Decade and just generally rocks. I feel for The Little App Factory, I really do, but you gotta believe the Steve. It's not that big of a deal.

We'll do our part, though: the app formerly known as iPodRip is now known as iRip, and is available with a free trial period from the developer's site.

[via Techmeme]

TUAWJobs to dev on app name change: "Not that big of a deal." originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ipodripiripjohn-devorstevesteve jobssteve-jobsSteveJobsthe-little-app-factoryFri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Google revamps mobile Google News format]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/google-revamps-mobile-google-news-format/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/google-revamps-mobile-google-news-format/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/google-revamps-mobile-google-news-format/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Like most "mobile versions" of websites, Google News was simplified for use on devices featuring what Steve Jobs once called "the baby Internet." Sadly, this simplified version also showed up by default on the iPhone, leading to an experience that was, to put it charitably, subpar.

That's all changed now that Google has redesigned the mobile version of Google News for iPhone, Android, and Palm Pre users. The new mobile version is far more feature-rich than the old one and is more consistent in its appearance (i.e., it's almost indistinguishable from the desktop version) compared to the old "mobile-optimized" Google News.

It also includes a handy "Jump to" link which brings up a window that allows you to skip to the news section of your choice, saving your thumbs from severe scroll fatigue.

There's no need to download anything. Simply go to Google News on your iPhone and check out the changes.

[Via MacRumors]

TUAWGoogle revamps mobile Google News format originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GoogleGoogle NewsGoogleNewsInternetiPhoneiPod touchIpodTouchThu, 19 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Shareholders ask Ballmer about Apple]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/shareholders-ask-ballmer-about-apple/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/shareholders-ask-ballmer-about-apple/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/shareholders-ask-ballmer-about-apple/#commentsFiled under:

While Bill Gates looked on, Microsoft shareholders asked CEO Steve Ballmer about Apple at their annual meeting this morning. Steve's CEO-speak responses illustrate the larger problem.

Portfolio reports that one investor asked about the company's reputation with young customers:
"I'm just wondering why your marketing group can't do something to try to rein in this next generation, because you've got a real bad image out there."
He also said that Apple's ads make Microsoft look like "a buffoon." That's when the CEO-speak began.

"There's certainly always opportunities for improvement," Ballmer said. "[There is] ... a group of people with whom our market share is less."

When you hear "opportunity for improvement," you're screwed. Euphemistic language clouds meaning and hides the truth. Think "economic downturn" and "previously enjoyed" instead of "depression" and "used." Or "opportunity for improvement" instead of "problem."

Remember the Windows Mojave ads, in which producers tricked customers into thinking Vista was an unreleased version of Windows, only to then throw open the curtain and essentially say, "See? It's really Vista! You DO like it! There's nothing wrong here!"

Instead of telling people what they like, sanitizing language, insisting that the only reason the iPhone has 75,000 apps available is to make it usable on the Internet and denying your kids iPods, just say, "Our reputation with young people is poor and here's what we'll do about it." That's when you'll get something done.

[Via MacDailyNews]

TUAWShareholders ask Ballmer about Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apple adsAppleAdsiphonemarketsharemicrosoftsteve ballmerSteveBallmerThu, 19 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Found footage: History of Apple in 2 minutes]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/found-footage-history-of-apple-in-2-minutes/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/found-footage-history-of-apple-in-2-minutes/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/found-footage-history-of-apple-in-2-minutes/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Here's a great video assembled by applemctom that presents the history of Apple (more or less) in two minutes. There are some huge leaps in time and some obvious errors (Apple Mac II? MacIntosh?), but that's OK. It isn't easy to cram decades of history into 120 seconds.

There's much nostalgia for old-timers like me, as the Pippin and Newton make an appearance. Though I still use my Newt, I've never had the pleasure of a face-to-face meeting with a Pippin. The dark days described in the video (the early 90's after Steve left) is exactly when I started using Macs in earnest. It's amazing that I stayed a customer after bloodying my hands on a 7100's beastly innards.

The video ends with the introduction of the iPhone, so don't expect to see anything beyond that. Still, it's a bit of fun. Check it out.

TUAWFound footage: History of Apple in 2 minutes originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>7100appleapple historyAppleHistoryfound footageFoundFootagepippinThu, 19 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How to revert to the stable version of Flash player]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/how-to-revert-to-the-stable-version-of-flash-player/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/how-to-revert-to-the-stable-version-of-flash-player/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/how-to-revert-to-the-stable-version-of-flash-player/#commentsFiled under: ,

It's no secret that Flash is a blight on the Internet and should be killed with fire. However, some sites insist on using it, and so you may be interested in having it around.

Towards that end you may have read about the pre-release of Flash player 10.1 and decided to install it for the possible improvements in performance.

If you then decide to uninstall it, ha ha! You can't! Sorry!

Update: there is a uninstaller available, it is not included in the installer package. Read on for manual un-installation instructions, but use of the uninstaller is recommended. My apologies for the confusion. I wrongly assumed that Adobe would package an uninstaller with the installer, as that is what most Mac developers do when they offer an uninstaller. I regret the error.

There is no uninstaller, and you can't re-install the older version over the pre-release version, because the installer sees it as a newer version and won't let you.

Fortunately it can be removed by what I like to call "brute force."
  1. Quit all browsers
  2. Go to /Library/Internet Plug-Ins in Finder and delete the "Flash Player.plugin" and "flashplayer.xpt"
  3. Download the latest stable version of Flash player (which will download a file called "install_flash_player_osx_ub.dmg")
  4. Double-click "install_flash_player_osx_ub.dmg" which should open "/Volumes/Install Flash Player 10 UB" where you will find a file called "Adobe Flash Player.pkg"
  5. Control (right) click on "Adobe Flash Player.pkg" and choose "Show Package Contents".
  6. Open the "Contents" folder
  7. Drag the "Archive.pax.gz" file to your Desktop
  8. Double click on the "Archive.pax.gz" file to unarchive it, which will create a folder called "Archive"
  9. Open the "Archive" folder and locate the "Flash Player.plugin" and "flashplayer.xpt" files.
  10. Copy the "Flash Player.plugin" and "flashplayer.xpt" files to /Library/Internet Plug-Ins (you can then throw away the Archive folder on your Desktop, as well as Archive.pax.gz if it is still there.)
  11. Launch Safari and check your Flash version here. As of this writing, the current stable version is "10,0,32,18"
  12. (Optional) Install ClickToFlash so that Flash will only load when you want it to.
It is utterly baffling to me that a company as large as Adobe would ship a pre-release version of their plugin without an uninstaller [that you don't have to download separately, see above]. Then again, given Adobe's reputation, perhaps it shouldn't surprise me.

Some of you may be wondering why I didn't just delete the files from /Library/Internet Plug-ins/ and then run the installer for the stable version. I tried that, but the installer still insisted that there was a newer version installed, even after a reboot.

My advice is to keep using the stable version (with ClickToFlash) for now.

TUAWHow to revert to the stable version of Flash player originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adobeflashpluginThu, 19 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Boot Camp Drivers update 2.2 for Windows available]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/boot-camp-drivers-update-2-2-for-windows-available/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/boot-camp-drivers-update-2-2-for-windows-available/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/boot-camp-drivers-update-2-2-for-windows-available/#commentsFiled under: ,

Earlier today, Apple released version 2.2 of Boot Camp drivers for Windows. Installation requires Boot Camp 2.1 to have been previously installed as well as Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista.

Boot Camp is included with Leopard and Snow Leopard and lets you install Windows on an Intel-based Mac. Shops or individuals who want to go Mac despite an unavoidable Windows-only application should consider Boot Camp along with virtualization options like VMWare and Parallels. For full information on installing Boot Camp as well as upgrade instructions, manuals, troubleshooting tips and more, look here.

Please note that Boot Camp Drivers Update 2.2 is for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard only.

TUAWBoot Camp Drivers update 2.2 for Windows available originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>boot campBootCampparallelsvirtualizationvistavmwarewindowsThu, 19 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[It's alive: Intel Atom support returns to 10.6.2]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/its-alive-intel-atom-support-returns-to-10-6-2/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/its-alive-intel-atom-support-returns-to-10-6-2/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/its-alive-intel-atom-support-returns-to-10-6-2/#commentsFiled under: ,

The day that Apple killed Atom support with the release of 10.6.2 was a sad one for many in the hackintosh community. Just as many expected, however, Atom support has returned; and no, Apple had nothing to do with it.

InsanelyMac forum member teateam has developed a replacement kernel for installation on Atom-powered, hackintosh netbooks. Keep in mind that this is bleeding-edge stuff here and not for the faint of heart. Nevertheless, this development bodes well for those of you running your own version of a MacBook mini.

[via Macworld]

TUAWIt's alive: Intel Atom support returns to 10.6.2 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10.6.2atomhackintoshsnow leopardSnowLeopardThu, 19 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[TomTom delivers promised iPhone update]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/tomtom-delivers-promised-iphone-update/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/tomtom-delivers-promised-iphone-update/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/tomtom-delivers-promised-iphone-update/#commentsFiled under: , ,

TUAW told you it was coming, and it has arrived. TomTom has updated its U.S. GPS navigation app [US$99.99, iTunes link] and added text-to-speech, advanced lane guidance, and a 'help me' feature for use in emergencies.

TomTom has been a little late to the text-to-speech party, with most competitors already offering this important function. Magellan has now jumped into the game with a very nice nav app as well, and at an introductory price that undercuts the TomTom app by twenty bucks.

All of the major navigation apps for the iPhone are quickly approaching feature parity. At this point, your main decision is whether you want the data streamed to your phone (as the AT&T app does), or have maps and data built into the app (like TomTom, Navigon, Magellan and some others).

Looming over whatever decision you make is trying to figure out if Apple will ever allow the Google turn-by-turn navigation app into the app store. It's going to be free, and Google says it wants the app to be on the iPhone. Of course things haven't been going swimmingly between Google and Apple of late (Google Voice, Android competition), so it's just a guess as to how that will all turn out.

If you need a navigation app in order to get to Grandma's house for the holidays, it's probably a good time to buy one. However, If you're willing to wait for the possibility of Google's free turn-by-turn nav app making it to the iPhone, you might be rewarded for your patience.

TUAWTomTom delivers promised iPhone update originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Novelty and social applications are a big hit on the iPhone. A new one from the folks of Taptivate is sure to be a big hit when it is released in the near future. Voices for iPhone is touted as an "audio recorder with a twist" and even a "social voicemail" utility.

With Voices [iTunes Link], you're given tools to manipulate your own voice in many fun and odd ways. Whether you'd like to transform into Darth Vader or a chipmunk, you're good to go with Voices. Sporting a unique and very pretty user interface, the application boasts a lot of cool extras sure to show you how hard the developers have worked on it.

The app has a home screen-like selection window where you can choose the way in which you want your voice manipulated. A stack of your recordings can also be accessed with just a tap.

After initially seeing this app when it was in early beta, it has come a long way since then. The app is being published by Tap Tap Tap and is available for only 99 cents. Also, to celebrate the release, MacHeist is offering a special "Tweetblast" deal, giving away a free copy of Voice Candy for Mac to people who help spread the word on Twitter.

Here's some shots of Voices in action:

Gallery: Voices for iPhone

Voice selection screenEven more voices!The recording interfaceYour saved voice recordingShare with your favorite social media sites


TUAWFirst Look: Voices for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app reviewAppReviewfalseiphoneNoveltyrecordingsocialTaptivatevoicevoice modulatorvoicemailVoiceModulatorVoicesThu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Building a great iPhone app]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/building-a-great-iphone-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/building-a-great-iphone-app/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/building-a-great-iphone-app/#commentsFiled under: ,

CIO.com has posted an article (single-page reprint here) covering one company's foray into the app development scene. Recently, clothing retailer Gap held an app development contest. The goal was to develop the "best" app to represent the retailer on the iPhone or iPod touch. Gap partnered with Mobclix, the mobile ad exchange operator (more here), to come up with the contest for the best Gap-branded iPhone app.

The contest ran for three months and had 100,000 400* submissions. While the winning entry isn't available for download on the App Store yet, and Gap doesn't currently have a release plan, CIO.com has a list of 5 attributes that contribute to a quality iPhone app. One of my personal favorites is the consideration for how far to stray from Apple's UI guidelines. On the one hand you have an easy-to-use app that everyone can understand, but on the other hand you have to consider how "similar" you want to be to everyone else.

I won't spoil the fun and tell you all of the different attributes, but if you want to check out the winning app, you can see the submission video in the second half of this post.

Mobclix contacted us to correct the count of the number of app submissions.

[via Macworld]

Continue reading Building a great iPhone app

TUAWBuilding a great iPhone app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app storeAppStoreGap Inc.GapInc.iphoneipod touchIpodTouchThu, 19 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Buyer's Guide: 33 things you don't need if you have an iPhone]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/buyer-s-guide-33-things-you-don-t-need-if-you-have-an-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/buyer-s-guide-33-things-you-don-t-need-if-you-have-an-iphone/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/buyer-s-guide-33-things-you-don-t-need-if-you-have-an-iphone/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Every time I walk through Warehouse Stationery (New Zealand's equivalent to Office Depot) or Dick Smith's Electronics (pretty much Best Buy), I'm struck by how probably half the products in each store are pretty much useless to me since I've got an iPhone.

Thanks to the apps that come pre-packaged with the iPhone and the more than 100,000 third-party offerings now available in the iTunes Store, the iPhone has gained functionality that might have seemed hard to fathom under three years ago when Steve Jobs first announced the device.

"A widescreen iPod with touch controls... a revolutionary mobile phone... a breakthrough internet communications device... these are not three separate devices. This is one device." So Steve Jobs told us all back at Macworld Expo 2007. But since then, the iPhone has grown to be much more than just those three concepts.

What follows is a sort of anti-buyer's guide, a list of products and devices that you may never need or even want to buy again (or receive as a gift) if you have an iPhone. Some of these are certainly open for debate, but more than a few of them are products that, for all intents and purposes, are completely unnecessary if you have an iPhone. (Items in bold also apply to the iPod touch).

Continue reading Buyer's Guide: 33 things you don't need if you have an iPhone

TUAWBuyer's Guide: 33 things you don't need if you have an iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2079Air Mouse ProAirMouseProAmbianceCleartunedictionary.comDropboxFlight ControlFlightControlGoogle EarthGoogleEarthGuitarToolKitHandbrakeHero of SpartaHeroOfSpartahggiPhoneiPod TouchIpodTouchiShootKindleMotionXnetbooksPeggleRunKeeperShakespeareStanzaVLC RemoteVlcRemoteWriteRoomThu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Chrome for OS X before 2010]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/chrome-for-os-x-before-2010/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/chrome-for-os-x-before-2010/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/chrome-for-os-x-before-2010/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Google is making some big announcements today during their Chrome OS press event. In addition to the official announcement for Chrome OS they also let another little tidbit of information loose:
"Just this year alone in Chrome, there's tons of new stuff coming. Before this year gets over, we'll have 3 more announcements to make. Chrome for Mac will be ready, very close to launch."
That's some pretty good news for those of you out there who are running the developer preview and are looking forward to integrating Chrome into your daily browsing.

TUAWChrome for OS X before 2010 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Camino seems a bit like the half-forgotten poor sister of Firefox. The goal of the Camino project is to produce a truly OS X-native browser built on the same Gecko rendering engine that drives Firefox. While it was popular among certain Mac geeks for a while (I even remember using it when it was still called Chimera), it seems like it's fallen somewhat out of favor of late given the richness of browser options on the Mac. No doubt part of this was the lack of significant development.

Well, no more. Camino is back with a new version number and lots of interesting new features. Perhaps chief among them is the new Tab Overview, which is a little like Exposé for open tabs. It also features improvements in handling tabs, Growl integration, phishing and malware protection and more.

Camino 2.0 is a free download from The Camino Project for OS X 10.4 and later.

[via Daring Fireball]

TUAWCamino 2.0 offers Tab Overview and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly troubleshooting Q&A column. This week we've got questions about controlling a PC over the internet, silencing iPhone email notifications at night, replacing a MacBook Pro SuperDrive with a hard drive, printing over the internet, setting iCal as the default calendar, and more.

As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Leave your questions for next week in the comments section at the end of this post. When asking a question, please include which machine you're using and what version of Mac OS X is installed on it (we'll assume you're running Snow Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions.

Continue reading Ask TUAW: Silencing iPhone notifications, remote control a PC, printing over the internet, and more

TUAWAsk TUAW: Silencing iPhone notifications, remote control a PC, printing over the internet, and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ask tuawAskTuawbatterybonjouriCallogmeinrdcremote desktop connectionRemoteDesktopConnectionscreen recyclerScreenRecyclershare toolShareToolvpnThu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mac 101: Two things I love about Address Book]]>http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/mac-101-two-things-i-love-about-address-book/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/mac-101-two-things-i-love-about-address-book/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/19/mac-101-two-things-i-love-about-address-book/#commentsFiled under: ,

More Mac 101, tips and tricks for novice Mac users.

It's so easy to take Address Book for granted, and yet that simple utility has two absolutely killer features: big phone numbers and simple envelope printing. These features do exactly what their descriptions suggest: display phone numbers in Very, Large, Type -- and print envelopes, complete with your personal return address.

To zoom a phone number, control-click or right-click the number you want to see and choose Large Type from the contextual pop-up. Address Book zooms that number way out, allowing you to see it while dialing, even if you're not standing right next to the computer. I find that it's a lot easier just to show the number to my husband than try to read it out to him. Your spousal success rate may vary.

To print a properly formatted envelope, just insert a standard envelope into your printer. Make sure the address side (and not the flap side) faces the toner cartridge. For me, that is flap side down. My printer, which is pretty darn standard, has an envelope feeding clamp in the single sheet feed. I pop open the single sheet access, adjust the clamp inward to match the envelop size and feed in the envelop flap side down.

In Address Book all I need to do is select a contact and print it. (File > Print). Make sure you've chosen Envelopes from the Style (it's my default), and that Print my address is selected so the return address is properly added to the envelope. If you're using an envelope that's not a standard business layout, choose the proper layout. Address Book supports most common envelope styles used in North America, Japan, and "International."

Address Book can also print out mailing labels, lists, and a pocket address book. See the Style pop-up for details. For the free contact manager that comes with the OS, it's got moxie.

TUAWMac 101: Two things I love about Address Book originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It's always nice when, as a Mac consultant, I can play with the latest hardware and software and get paid to do it. Last week was no exception, and when I received a call from a new client who wanted assistance with a Mac mini Server, I jumped at the chance. Since the introduction of the Mac mini in early 2005, I've been using "regular" Mac minis as servers, and they've worked flawlessly. I had two servers of my own at Macminicolo.net for quite some time, and Brian Stucki, the owner of that Mac mini colocation firm, noted in a discussion a few years ago that the failure rate on the mini hardware is phenomenally low. I've set up Mac minis with Mac OS X Server for architectural firms, PR companies, design firms, non-profits, and a number of other companies that needed centralized control of digital assets, but didn't want to spend a lot of money to do so. Usually after setting up these servers, I rarely, if ever, need to go back and fix anything.

Unboxing the server (sorry, no unboxing movies this time...) unveiled a plastic-wrapped mini Server and the traditional power brick, along with a small box containing Mac OS X 10.6 Server and assorted manuals. While I didn't check for the usual Apple stickers, I did find the server software serial number cards that are essential during the setup process.

There was a bit of a holdup when I discovered that the server came with a mini-DVI to DVI adapter, while I had brought my old VGA display with me. Fortunately, one of the employees on-site had a monitor that was quickly pressed into service, and after plugging in the keyboard, mouse and power, the server quickly booted up.

Apple is marketing the Mac mini Server as "Easy to set up. Easy to run," and they're right on -- to a point.

Continue reading Working with the new Apple Mac mini Server and Snow Leopard Server

TUAWWorking with the new Apple Mac mini Server and Snow Leopard Server originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This sounds an awful lot like sour grapes to me: Ray Ozzie, Microsoft's chief software engineer, told a Professional Developers' Conference earlier this week that it wasn't the apps that would make or break the smartphone platforms. Of course, that's what most press and blog outlets seem to be focusing on (maybe because we all already know what the hardware is like -- apps change every day if not every minute, and the hardware only changes occasionally), but Ozzie says customers won't buy a phone for the apps. The biggest apps, he says, will eventually be available on every platform. To put it in as few words as possible, you'll be able to tweet from everything in the future.

And he's got part of a good point there: it's true, the major functionality of "killer apps" will be available across platforms. But Ozzie forgets (or is just ignoring) that that's already the case on desktops. While yes, you could claim that porting to the various smartphones is easier than porting to the various PC platforms, that doesn't avoid the fact that I can tweet, IM, email, browse, edit photos and movies, and do whatever else I want on both platforms as well. And for some reason (ahem, the hardware and the way both software and hardware are designed), I'd rather do them on the Mac. People love their iPhones not just for the apps but for the way it fits in their hand, and how just plain slick it is.

That's not to say that the smartphone platform war is over -- no way, it's only beginning, and we consumers will take innovative ideas wherever we can get them. But Ozzie saying the apps don't count (and echoing his fellow Microsofters in trying to separate Apple from their software strategy) seems to mean that even he thinks he's already lost that race -- they certainly do play a large part in which platform consumers eventually choose.

TUAWMS software architect: Apps don't make the phone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Over the past few days, Apple has been releasing updates for printer and scanner drivers in Snow Leopard, iSight cameras in LED Cinema Displays and QuickTime 7 for Windows.

First, Apple released printer driver updates for Snow Leopard for Lexmark printers and Brother, Canon and HP printers and scanners.

Next, Apple released a firmware update for the iSight camera that's built into the Apple LED Cinema Display. According to Apple, this firmware update corrects an issue with the built-in iSight camera on the LED Cinema Display where the camera may not be recognized by applications.

Finally, Apple released QuickTime 7.6.5 for Windows, which fixes an issue where applications weren't reliably loading libraries required by QuickTime at startup and the incorrect display of QuickTime movies embedded in a webpage using custom scale attributes.

All of these updates are available from the Apple Support downloads page and Software Update.

TUAWApple releases updates improving printing, scanning, iSight cameras and QuickTime originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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