The Mac Observer

TMO Opens 2009 Editors Choice Awards Submissions

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:45:00 -0500

The Mac Observer will once again host its annual Editors Choice Awards at Macworld Expo in January. Our editors will choose what they deem to be the best-of-the-best new Mac, iPod and iPhone-related products released between Macworld Expo last year and the start...

Propellerhead Announces Pascal Gabriel's Melophobia Machine ReFill for Reason

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:25:00 -0500

Propellerhead announced Tuesday Pascal Gabriel's Melophobia Machine ReFill, a ReFill for the company's sequencing software, Reason. The new Reason add-on is built around the work of Pascal Gabriel, a record producer who has worked with bands including New Order, S'Express...

iPodObserver - Google Officially Adds Voice Search to Google Mobile on iPhone

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:40:00 -0500

Google officially added voice search to its Google Mobile application for the iPhone late on Monday, a feature widely expected starting the week before. The voice search feature allows users to speak their search queries into their iPhone, rather than typing them

First Look Review - Life With Microsoft Vista in Parallels Desktop 4

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:45:00 -0500

Recently, Parallels released Desktop 4, the latest version of their virtualization software for Macs. TMO installed Microsoft's Vista (SP1) and started living in it to get a feel for life with Vista in this first look review

iPO Gaming News - National Geographic to Bring Games to Mac, iPhone, Other Platforms

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:05:00 -0500

National Geographic on Tuesday said that it has formed an internal games division that will work with publishers and developers on games for consoles, computers, mobile devices, and online play. The first title is the internally developed Herod's Lost Tomb

TMO's DealsOnTheWeb.com - MacBook Air 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo with Parallels: $1149

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:50:00 -0500

Our DealsOnTheWeb.com site noted that ClubMac has the previous version MacBook Air 1.6GHz for $1149. The lightweight systems come in a 2GB/80GB configuration, and if you don't mind a couple of mail in rebates, you can get Parallels for free

TMO Reports - Apple's DisplayPort Includes Digital Copy Protection

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:25:00 -0500

Apple's new MacBooks and MacBook Pros, which use the new Mini DisplayPort connector and protocol, appear to include an industry standard digital copy protection system, HDCP, according to ars technica on Monday. TMO looks at why Apple chose this technology and how Macintosh...

AccountEdge 2009 Gets New Business Tracking, Daylight Support

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:40:00 -0500

MYOB announced the immediate availability of AccountEdge 2009 on Tuesday. The new version of the small business accounting application added a Business Insights feature that lets users asses the health of their business and also improved Daylight support

Hot Forum Topic - Reader Reactions: Yahoo! CEO Stepping Down

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:15:00 -0500

Today TMO readers are talking about Yahoo!'s announcement that co-founder Jerry Yang is stepping down from his position as CEO and what might be in store for the Internet search company now

FontAgent Pro Server 3 Adds Replicated Server Support

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:50:00 -0500

Insider Software announced the immediate availability of FontAgent Pro Server 3 on Tuesday. The new version of the font management server application added the ability to replicate itself on other networked servers for better performance

iPO Review - Bejeweled 2 for iPhone

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:30:00 -0500

Bejeweled is the original "match three gems in a row" game. The premise -- click any two gems to swap their positions; match three or more gems in a row vertically or horizontally to remove them from the screen and score points. Bejeweled 2 is a great sequel. It adds...

iPodObserver - Chip Lawsuit Aims to Block iPod Imports

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:05:00 -0500

Memory chip maker Spansion filed a lawsuit against Samsung Electronics that alleges the company is violating flash memory patents it owns. The filing aims to block imports of products that use Samsung-produced memory, including Apple's iPod and RIM's Blackberry smartphones

Apple Rolls Out QuickTime, iChat Compatibility Fix

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:10:00 -0500

Apple released QuickTime H.264 Compatibility for QuickTime 7.5.5 late on Monday. According to Apple's terse notes, the update "improves QuickTime compatibility with iChat." The patch is available via Apple's Software Update application, or as a download from the company's Support...

Apple Releases Glass Trackpad Update for MacBook, MacBook Pro

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:40:00 -0500

Apple rolled out a firmware update for its new uni-body MacBook and MacBook Pro models late on Monday. The MacBook, MacBook Pro Trackpad Firmware Update 1.0 addressed issues users have been experiencing with the laptop's new glass trackpad

iPO Review - Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:15:00 -0500

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed demonstrates the potential of the iPhone as a gaming platform, but it leaves much to be desired in execution

Yahoo! CEO Yang Stepping Down

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:50:00 -0500

Yahoo! co-founder and CEO Jerry Yang is stepping down from his top dog position, ending speculation that he might surrender his title following what many see as a botched buyout deal with Microsoft. Mr. Yang will stay on with the company as Chief Yahoo! and as a member of the board once his...

Podcast - Mac Geek Gab #176: Travel Gear, Multiple Audio Outputs, Windows Remote Control, and Geeky Network Fun!

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:25:00 -0500

Dave's doing the show from Austin this week, so he shares his thoughts about some of the new gear he's equipped for this trip. Then he and John go on to share your tips and answer your questions about printer presets, multiple audio sources, remote controlling Windows computers, Time...

iPodObserver - Barclay Analyst Lowers iPhone Estimates for December Quarter

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:30:00 -0500

Barclay analyst Ben Reitzes has lowered estimates for iPhone shipments by Apple Inc. during the December quarter to five million units, down from his previous estimate of six million units. Mr. Reitzes cited the number of iPhones already in inventory at the end of the September quarter coupled...

iPodObserver - Adobe, ARM to Develop Flash Player 10, Adobe AIR for Handsets (Including iPhone)

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:30:00 -0500

Adobe and ARM announced Monday that the two companies will be collaborating on optimizing Flash Player 10 and Adobe AIR to function on ARM-powered devices. The optimized software will focus specifically on devices powered by the ARM11 family of processors, Apple's iPhone(currently) being...

TMO Analysis - The Fastest Mac Compared to Today's Supercomputers

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:15:00 -0500

When we run benchmarks on desktop systems, especially Macs, we tend to use standard benchmarks that relate to typical tasks: Photoshop, rendering, Quake, and so on. However, supercomputers are benchmarked on how fast they can run floating point computations in a parallel computing network with tens...

iPO Analysis - The Secret Behind Apple's iPhone Assault: Xcode & Cocoa

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:10:00 -0500

For a long time, developers were told at Apple's annual worldwide developers conference (WWDC) that Xcode's interface to the object oriented Cocoa and Objective-C would give them an advantage in the Macintosh market. However, it wasn't until the iPhone, exploiting those tools, started to take a...

Mac Gaming News - Penumbra Expansion Requiem Arrives For Mac

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:40:00 -0500

Frictional Games on Monday released Requiem, the final game in its Penumbra series of first-person psychological horror games.Billed as a puzzle expansion for Penumbra: Black Plague, Requiem features nine levels fill of physics-based puzzles and extra details...

TMO's DealsOnTheWeb.com - Super Talent 8GB 200X Pico D USB Flash Drive: $19.97 Delivered

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:40:00 -0500

Our DealsOnTheWeb.com site found a deal on the Super Talent 8GB 200X Pico D USB Flash Drive for $19.97, 15% off its current price. Shipping is free

Elements+ Reveals Hidden Photoshop Elements Features

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0500

Video book author Andrie Doubrovski announced the immediate availability of Elements+ on Monday. Elements+ is an add-on for Photoshop Elements that unlocks over 140 undocumented and hidden features in the image editing application, like smart filters, vector masks, and more

Hot Forum Topic - Bento, FileMaker Pro, and the Apple Fit

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:10:00 -0500

Today TMO readers are talking about Bento 2, FileMaker Pro, and how FileMaker fits into Apple's grand plan

Photoshop CS4, Analog Style

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:25:00 -0500

Adobe Photoshop may be the de facto standard application for digital image editing, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement -- or at least reinterpretation. One enterprising group did just that by building the Photoshop interface out of design studio supplies

Adobe Announces CS4 Trial Versions

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:25:00 -0500

Adobe announced the immediate availability of trial versions of its Creative Suite applications on Monday. The trial versions of the applications are fully functional, but auto-expire after 30 days

Mac Gaming News - Creepy & Cute Parts Pack Adds 100+ New Options for Spore Creatures

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0500

Electronic Arts on Monday released its first add-on to its evolutionary action/strategy/exploration game Spore: the Creepy & Cute Parts Pack, which features 60 new parts and 48 new paint styles for creature creation, as well as 24 new test drive animations and two new backgrounds

Mac Gaming News - LEGO Indiana Jones Swings Onto the Mac

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:45:00 -0500

Feral Interactive is bringing LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures to the Mac on November 28. The game lets players travel from South America to India on archaeological adventures as Indiana Jones

Livescribe Pulse Comes to the Mac

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:05:00 -0500

Livescribe announced the public beta version of its Livescribe Desktop for Mac application on Monday. The app adds Mac compatibility to the Pulse smartpen, including handwriting to text transcription

iPO Free on iTunes - Yoga, Yoga, Yoga! and More

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 19:45:00 -0500

It's getting colder outside, the holiday season is sneaking up on us, and the days are getting shorter. That can only mean one thing: It's time to hunt for yoga videos at the iTunes Store -- at least if you are Vern Seward. This week Vern tracked down several podcasts that can help you hone your yoga skills, and they are all free

John Martellaro's Blog: StrangeCharm - Particle Debris (Week Ending Nov 14)

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:55:00 -0500

In this week's Particle Debris blog entry, John looks more at some of the ideas circulating on the Internet about how and why Tony Fadell left Apple. Personality? Conflict over Mac OS X on iPhone? John's weighs in with his excellent analysis

iPodObserver - Google to Release Voice-Based Search Application for iPhone

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:20:00 -0500

Software giant Google is expected as early as today to introduce an as-yet-unnamed free iPhone application that allows the users to search for information, directions or almost anything else via a voice-controlled interface, thereby eliminating the need for the keyboard.

Mac Gaming News - Torque Game Engine Advanced 1.8 Adds Mac Support

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:40:00 -0500

GarageGames on Friday released version 1.8 of its Torque Game Engine Advanced (TGEA), adding an OpenGL graphics implementation and Mac OS X support

iPodObserver - Apple, AT&T Sued Over Network Flaws, Cracks in iPhone 3G Casing

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:05:00 -0500

Apple took on yet another iPhone 3G-related lawsuit recently, the latest complaint, filed Wednesday, focusing on the performance of AT&T's 3G network while adding allegations that the company is ignoring the occurrence of hairline cracks in the handset's casing.

Mac Gaming News - Digital Download Service Mac Games Arcade to Launch in December

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:45:00 -0500

Macgamestore.com on Friday announced that its digital download service, Mac Games Arcade, is in Beta and will launch in December

Editorial - Operating Systems Wear Lipstick for Their Dates

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:15:00 -0500

In consumer electronics, the most complicated endeavor of mankind is a PC operating system. With 40-60 million lines of code and deeply nested routines, it it all but impossible for lay people to assess an OS based on anything but an intuitive feel. It's like sizing up a date gone bad. Or understanding...

Take Control Intros VMware Fusion 2 Title

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:45:00 -0500

TidBITs and Take Control announced the immediate availability of Take Control of VMware Fusion 2 on Friday. The PDF ebook by Joe Kissel explains how to install Windows in VMware Fusion 2, along with how to configure Fusion to suit your needs

iPO Review - Naked Case (for iPhone 3G)

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:00:00 -0500

I've seen a lot of iPhone cases and I rarely find a case I consider unique, so believe me when I tell you that the Case-Mate Naked Case for iPhone 3G is unique. Its name is quite apt -- it does look like your iPhone is naked, though it's actually encased almost completely in...

iPodObserver - Vodafone Launches Hobbled iPhone 3G in Egypt

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:35:00 -0500

Apple's iPhone 3G is now available in Egypt through Vodafone and Mobinil, but without GPS support. Apparently Egypt prohibits GPS sales, so the combination iPod and smartphone's GPS has been disabled through a firmware change

Hot Forum Topic - Apple and Handheld Gaming

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:25:00 -0500

Today TMO readers are talking about the impact Apple, the iPhone, and the iPod touch could have on the handheld gaming market

Microsoft Opens Online Store

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:45:00 -0500

Microsoft opened its own online store on Friday, joining the ranks of Apple, Sony, and a long list of other companies that began offering Web-based stores years ago. Like other online stores, Microsoft's venture -- dubbed Microsoft Store -- gives it a way to sell direct...

nova media Unveils GlobeSurfer III 3G Wireless Router

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:05:00 -0500

nova media announced the immediate availability of the GlobeSurfer III 3G wireless router for Mac OS X on Friday. The router lets users share a 3G wireless data connection with several computers via Ethernet or Wi-Fi

TMO Analysis - Apple's Cash in a Recession Zaps Competition

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:30:00 -0500

Observers who follow Apple are worried that Apple's customers will dry up in an economic downturn. On the the other hand, Apple, once again, has a unique opportunity to use its cash to develop products and services that will take control of the market while other companies cut back their R&D and essentially...

Oh the Games You'll Play - Other MMOs Doing Just Fine, Thanks

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0500

Despite the juggernaut that it is World of Warcraft, other MMOs continue to do well, including this week's subject, CCP Games' EVE Online, which also saw an expansion pack released this week

Apple Posts Safari 3.2

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:05:00 -0500

Late on Thursday, Apple posted Safari 3.2 for Windows XP, Vista, and Mac OS X Tiger and Leopard. The update addresses several security issues for all the OSes and adds protection against phishing and better identification of online businesses

OWC Boosts External Hard Drive Capacity to 1.5TB

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:20:00 -0500

OWC announced Thursday that it has increased the storage capacity of two of its external hard drive solutions to 1.5TB (that's 1500GB), up from 1TB. Both the NewerTech miniStack powered hub and two versions of the OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro will now support the higher capacity

Intel Warns, Markets Rise -- AAPL Up 7%

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:25:00 -0500

Hot on the heels of a profit warning from Intel, tech stocks shot up, pushing shares in Apple Inc. along for the ride, up more than 7%. Shares in Apple traded as low as $88 per share during the morning's bear session, but the rally pushed it firmly back into winner's territory

Underwater Adventure Game Aquaria Debuts on the Mac

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:15:00 -0500

Ambrosia Software on Thursday shipped the Mac version of Aquaria, a 2D side-scrolling adventure game that takes place in the ocean.

User Friendly Blog by Ted Landau - Is It Time for Appleworld?

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:00:00 -0500

It's no surprise that Apple Inc. is no longer just about the Mac -- or even mainly about the Mac. Things have been moving in that direction ever since the iPod became popular. What you may not have realized is that Macworld Expo is no longer mainly about the Mac either