It must be nearing the holiday season because the software bundles are coming. This time however, the bundle is totally free. The folks at MacHeist are giving away a “nanoBundle” for absolutely nothing. So what are they giving away?

• ShoveBox
• WriteRoom
• Twitterrific
• TinyGrab
• Hordes of Orcs
• Mariner Write

The first 5 applications are available free of charge right now. Mariner Write will be unlocked when 500,000 nanoBundles are downloaded. If share a quick status update on Facebook, you can also get VirusBarrier X5 for free.

The free nanoBundle ends in just 1 day, so get your free applications quickly. Visit MacHeist for more information.

After downloading Twitterrific for iPhone, I thought it would be my Twitter app of choice.  The interface is great and the app looks very appealing.  Tweetie 2 has changed all this.

There are many great features within Tweetie 2.  Multiple Twitter accounts can be logged into simultaneously.  Tweets can be viewed offline by caching them or sending them to Instapaper.

Sometimes I want to just put down my thoughts before tweeting them.  Drafts can be done within the app instead of using an app like Birdhouse.  If you use Birdhouse, drafts can be sent from Tweetie 2 to Birdhouse.

My favorite feature is that Tweetie 2 can show nearby tweets on a list or map.  It is great to see exactly where and who is tweeting near you.  Seeing local tweets is more interesting to me.  It feels like I have more a connection with people that live in my area versus them living far away.

There are a few downsides to the newest Tweetie.  There are no push notifications, which mean constantly checking Tweetie 2 to see if new tweets have arrived.  Alternatively, an iPhone app like Notifications (iTunes link) can be used to send push notifications when a new tweet appears for you.  The appearance of Tweetie 2 is rather plain looking.  It is not an eyesore, but more attention could have been made to make it look better.  Also, Tweetie 2 is not available for Mac yet, which is unfortunate because it will be great to see how the Mac and iPhone versions work together.

Much has been made over the pricing of Tweetie 2.  It costs $2.99 whether or not the previous version was purchased.  What is controversial is that some people feel there should be free upgrades if the original Tweetie was bought.  This view is rather troubling.  Tons of hard work goes into developing apps and developers should be rewarded with pay if they want to charge for their software.  Certain things probably should not be charged for, such as bug patches.  Overall though, if there are feature upgrades that are worthy of payment, by all means consumer should pay for them if they want the features instead of feeling entitled to free upgrades for life.

The price of Tweetie 2 is not high.  The developer, Loren Britcher of Atebits, is not forcing users to upgrade from the original Tweetie.  Britcher was on a Macworld podcast talking about this issue and will be providing support for the first Tweetie “for the foreseeable future.”

Tweetie 2 is compatible with iPhone OS 3.0 and above is available now (iTunes link).

Starbucks recently released Starbucks Card Mobile on the App Store. The application makes it easy to manage your Starbucks Card. What is a Starbucks Card? The basic premise is that a Starbucks Card acts like a credit card at Starbucks and you enjoy some free perks along the way. If you visit Starbucks on a semi-regular basis, it’s not a bad idea to have one.

The Starbucks Card Mobile (iTunes link) app allows you to check your Starbucks Card balance, add money to your card, add new cards to your profile, and review recent transactions. If visit one of a handful of stores in Washington or California, you can even pay with the app!

I’ve used the app for the past month to manage my Starbucks Card, and it’s certainly easier than using the website (which isn’t hard to use either). Even on an Edge connection, reloading my card was fairly quick and very easy.

If you are a Starbucks Card user, I highly recommend downloading this free application. At the very least, it’s a good example of taking functionality from an existing website and making it easier to use on your mobile phone.

As an added bonus, the first time you use the Starbucks Card Mobile app to load $25 on your card with a Visa, you’ll receive $5 free. There are some limitations to this promotion however. You need to be a US customer and must take action before December 15, 2009, or until “the supply of Bonus Starbucks Card Loads is exhausted”. Check the application’s Terms Of Use for the fine print.

Browsing through my inbox today, I found a link I emailed myself quite some time ago. The gist of the video linked below is how the iPhone interacts at a “cell phone reunion”. The video might not be new, but it’s definitely funny. As info, the video is definitely NSFW.

The animated video can be seen here on CollegeHumor. Enjoy!

iMac
The iMac now have larger screen sizes and LED-backlit displays. The 20-inch model is now 21.5-inch, while the 24-inch is now 27-inch. While the 21.5-inch is only available as a dual-core, the 27-inch can be bought as a dual or quad-core. The aspect ratio has been changed to 16:9 which will be an improvement for multimedia viewing. The back is aluminum now instead of black. The black backing felt out of place on the previous iMacs. The 27-inch model is also VESA mount compatible as well as capable of accepting video input. All models are available now except for the quad-core iMac, which is coming in November. iMac prices begin at $1199.

Macbook
The entry level MacBook is still white and plastic, but is now unibody like the MacBook Pro. The unibody gives it a cleaner, more simplistic look. Just like the iMac, the MacBook has a LED-backlit display. The MacBook also includes a multi-touch glass trackpad and an all rubber bottom reminiscent of the Airport Extreme’s underside. The built-in battery seen on the Macbook Pros is now present in the Macbook. The 7-hour battery is not user removable. This is not that big of a deal as many users do not use multiple batteries and the battery life is very long. There are a few downsides to the updated MacBook. It lacks any FireWire ports, there is only one port for audio input/output, and it does not have a infrared receiver for accessories like the Apple Remote. These changes clearly cement this model as an entry-level product. Prices start at $999.

Mac Mini
Apple has not given the Mac Mini much love in the past. Rumors have circulated for some time that it would be axed, but the rumors are always proven untrue. The Mac Mini has been updated and now comes in the regular version and a new version that has Snow Leopard Server pre-installed. The optical drive has been replaced with a second hard drive. Both hard drives are 500 GB. An external SuperDrive can be used if an optical drive is still needed. There is only one configuration of the server Mac Mini and it costs $999. The regular Mac Mini base price is $599.

Mouse
The product I am most excited about is the new Bluetooth mouse from Apple, which is called the Magic Mouse. It is a multi-touch mouse which thankfully does away with the needs-to-be-cleaned-constantly scroll ball. Cosmetically, it has a sleeker look than the previous model. The top is clear white plastic. It does not have separate buttons for left and right click but it can be configured to be a one or two button mouse. The Magic Mouse is an inevitable evolution of an Apple branded mouse, as multi-touch has already found its way into the iPhone, iPod touch, and Mac notebooks. If you still want a corded mouse, the Mighty Mouse is still available, which is now called the Apple Mouse. The Magic Mouse comes with all new iMacs unless configured to include the Apple Mouse. It will be available late October and costs $69.

Apple Remote
Another product that received a new look is the Apple Remote. It is now all aluminum. This change was bound to happen because aluminum is Apple’s current style of the moment. It is also longer then the previous remote, looks more comfortable to hold, and is less difficult to lose. The play button has been moved near the menu button and the battery can now be removed easily from the back. According to Apple, the remote is “Compatible with Apple products introduced in 2005 or later that have a built-in infrared (IR) receiver” and “requires the iPod Universal Dock and any iPod with a dock connector or any iPhone.” The Apple Remote cost $19 and the Apple online store says it is shipping in 2-4 weeks.

Time Capsule/Airport Extreme
If you blinked, you might have missed the Time Capsule update. Not much in terms of specs, just that the backup speed is 60% faster than previous models (using Snow Leopard). Wireless networking performance was also improved in both the Time Capsule and Airport Extreme.

While the changes to the Mac and Accessories lineup are not revolutionary, they are welcomed improvements.

To see what programs start at boot up, we just need a quick visit to System Preferences. Open System Preferences -> Accounts -> Your User Account -> Login Items.

If you see applications that you no longer need to open at boot, just highlight the application and click the minus button. You can also add applications by clicking the add button and browsing to the application and choosing it.

Want to read other articles for Mac Beginners? Just visit the Beginner Mac section here at Apple Mac HQ.

Finally, after months of waiting, Dropbox has officially released an iPhone app.  The wait was worth it.

For those who are unaware, Dropbox is the wildly popular software that lets you sync, store, and share files online, between computers, and mobile phones.  Previously, the only way to access Dropbox on the iPhone was via a mobile website.

Dropbox is not slow like iDisk.  Deleting files off the free Dropbox iPhone App (iTunes link) instantaneously removed them from my MacBook.  It was unbelievable how fast it occurred.  Adding or deleting files from my MacBook did not change any files in the Dropbox app unless I closed the app and opened it again or switched between windows within the app.  Again, the changes happened very fast.

Any files marked as “Favorite” in the app are downloaded for offline viewing.  This is great because my carrier coverage can sometimes be spotty and I may need my critical files at anytime.

Pictures can be shot from within the app or selected from your iPhone Photo library and uploaded to Dropbox.  These photos will be put into a folder if you are in the “Pictures” folder when uploading the picture.  It would have been nice to have any photos automatically put into the “Pictures” folder.

There are a few downsides to the Dropbox iPhone app.  Folders cannot be added to organize files unless you are on your computer.  Also, files cannot be reordered unless they are in the “Favorites” window.  This is a 1.0 release, so presumably these shortcomings will be fixed.

Dropbox is a great iPhone app and has set a high bar for competing syncing software to measure up to.  The iPhone app and the Dropbox service itself are both free.  The free Dropbox account includes 2GB of storage.  For $9.99 or $19.99 USD  a month, you can upgrade to get 50GB or 100GB of Dropbox storage.

App rearrangement is a simple process. First, upgrade to iTunes 9.0 and iPhone OS 3.1. Connect your iPhone OS device to the computer and select it in iTunes. Choose the “Applications” tab and iTunes now displays your app pages as they appear on your iPhone or iPod touch. Apps can be moved around or deleted however you please. Pages can also be rearranged. Sync when you are happy with the order.

The “Applications” tab also lists apps by category and entrance into the App Store. Originally, it was sorted by name only. They will not automatically sync in this order though.

There are a few other limitations. Web apps or apps that came with your device cannot be deleted. Web apps must still be deleted on the device. Both these types of apps can still be moved around within iTunes.

Though far from perfect, being able to rearrange icons in iTunes 9 is a great feature and makes my life easier.

The process to enable MMS is simple. Make sure iTunes is version 7.7 or later and that the iPhone is 3G or 3GS with iPhone OS 2.0 or later. Connect your iPhone to your computer and you will be prompted to update your carrier settings. If you are not prompted, choose your iPhone in iTunes, hit the “Summary” tab, and hit the “Check for Update” button. The update is quick and you will have to restart the iPhone.

After the update is installed, a camera icon will appear next to the text field in the Messages app.

iPhone users can send an MMS to any phones that have MMS enabled. MMS messages count against iPhone texting plans, so there will not be another fee to use this feature.

MMS sending has improved for me since launch day. Previously sending an MMS would stall and it would have to be resent a few times. I was not able to test a video MMS because I own a iPhone 3G.

The big reason why AT&T delayed the iPhone MMS launch is concerns about how their network would hold up. With the popularity of the iPhone, AT&T was concerned these users would bog things down. Other phones on the AT&T network have had MMS enabled for a long time, but iPhone users will theoretically be using MMS far more. iPhone users on other networks have been able to use MMS since day one.

Building a network is costly, but iPhone customers should not be treated like second-class citizens when they are trying to use their “unlimited data” plans. iPhone customers are paying high monthly bills and should not have to deal with this.

One more thing AT&T: where is tethering?

If you’re familiar with VisualHub, the Video Monkey UI will be easy to pick up. You begin by dragging your source file into the middle of the application. You then choose an output type from a large list of presets. Next choose encoding speeds, quality, and a few other options. If you want to send the encoded file into iTunes, just check the appropriate checkbox. Once the encoding options are set, just click the start button in the top left corner.

I used the first version of Video Monkey shortly after it came out, but I hadn’t used it again until recently because the encoding time said it would take nearly two hours to encode a 30 minute video. The current version, 0.5, has seen huge improvements since that initial release (version 0.1). That being said, the application does have a few bugs. While the list of presets include about 20 options, the only ones I could set are those related to iTunes (Apple TV, iPhone, etc). I also received a javascript error while I was changing the output presets.

One feature I didn’t know about until today was the metadata feature. I encoded a TV show and the output file included the name of the episode along with a Poster for the show! After a little poking around on the Video Monkey website, I found a detailed blog post from the developer explaining how the metadata feature works.

Unlike VisualHub, Video Monkey is a free application. The most recent upgrade brought Snow Leopard support, which the last release of VisualHub lacks. If you are looking for a replacement for VisualHub, Video Monkey is likely it.

Library Books is a application that resides in the menu bar and provides quick, helpful knowledge without making me go to my library’s web site. After entering in login credentials, the menu bar icon changes color depending on if books are due or holds have come in. It also shows the number of books currently checked out. Libraries from around the world are compatible with Library Books.

Library Books can be set to automatically update every few hours. It also supports multiple library accounts and can go directly go to my account page on the library’s web site.  Library Books can also add due dates that are automatically synced into iCal.  Optional alarms serve as due date reminders.

There is one issue to be aware of for MobileMe subscribers. iPhone OS 3.1 syncs subscription calendars to the iPhone and iPod touch. The calendar will not sync any events through MobileMe. The Library Books’ subscribed calendar will show events on the iPhone or iPod touch when syncing through iTunes.

Currently on version 2.5, Library Books 3.0 promises to show Growl notifications when holds have arrived. The only Growl notifications currently in 2.5 are for due dates. The minimum OS requirements are 10.4, but I can verify it works with 10.5 and the beta is compatible with 10.6. There is also a plan to bring a version to the App Store for iPhone and iPod touch users.

Finally we see the return of Steve Jobs, who was greeted to a standing ovation.  It is great to see him back.  No offense to Phil Schiller, but an Apple event isn’t complete without an appearance from Jobs.

iTunes 9 receives quite a few changes.  The application overall has a cleaner and more modern appearance.  The iTunes Store’s new look was designed to make content navigation easier.  There is too much content on each screen though and it is hard to explore. iTunes 9 also brings app management for iPhone and iPod touch.  Perhaps most importantly for families with multiple copies of iTunes, Apple has finally made it easier to share and sync your songs with something called “Home Sharing”.

One major complaint of buying music online is that it is missing things that CDs have, such as artwork and liner notes.  iTunes LP changes that.  LPs will have artwork, liner notes, videos, photos, and more.  There is a meager selection of LPs currently, but hopefully they will gain traction.

iPhone OS 3.1 is out now and boast a few interesting features.  Genius recommendations suggest apps that you may enjoy.  This is a blessing since it is a chore to navigate all of the apps in the App Store.  MobileMe users now can remotely lock their iPhones.

The iPod nano received the most additions of the entire iPod lineup.  The nano has its own video camera in a bid to compete with Flip camcorders.  The screen is bumped up to 2.2 inches.  The nano’s also have a new polished anodized aluminum finish. Surprisingly, Apple has finally added a built-in FM tuner which can also pause live radio.  There is also a pedometer.  The price remains the same for the 8 GB model ($149), but is reduced for the 16 GB version ($179).

The other iPod models had very few changes.  The classic is 160 GB (so long 120 GB) and is $249.  The iPod touch drops the 16 GB but adds 64 GB ($399).  8 ($199) and 32 GB ($299) models are still available.  The iPod shuffle now has a 2 GB version for $59, 4 GB for $79, and limited edition stainless 4 GB model for $99.  All iPods are shipping from Apple’s online store and will be available in retail soon.

Many rumored announcements did not come to fruition, including an all-you-can-eat subscription plan, DVD ripping, Blu-ray support, the mythical iTablet, and The Beatles finally coming to iTunes (which seems like it will never happen).

We will have more in-depth coverage of these announcements in future articles, so stay tuned.

Unless you have been hiding in a secret underground lair, you probably know that Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard hits stores today. What you might not know is whether or not you should upgrade. The three most notable technology journalist have weighed in with their thoughts and they are fairly positive, though most conclude Snow Leopard isn’t a huge update.

Ed Baig, USA Today: “With Exchange and other technologies, Snow Leopard adds bite, especially for business. But as upgrades go, this one is relatively tame.”

Walt Mossberg, The Wall Street Journal: “Apple already had the best computer operating system in Leopard, and Snow Leopard makes it a little better. But it isn’t a big breakthrough for average users, and, even at $29, it isn’t a typical Apple lust-provoking product.”

David Pogue, The New York Times: “Either way, the big story here isn’t really Snow Leopard. It’s the radical concept of a software update that’s smaller, faster and better — instead of bigger, slower and more bloated. May the rest of the industry take the hint.”

Have you upgraded to Snow Leopard yet? If so, share your comments below!

I’m not sure for how long, but the very cool unit conversion iPhone app Convertbot (iTunes link), is free for a limited time.

I just spent the last five minutes converting random units just to see and hear the application. The design is very original and the robot like sounds add a nice touch.

Tapbots, the developer of Convertbot and another iPhone application called Weightbot, have a very cool video on their website of the application in use. When you first start the application, you’re also asked if you want to watch a demo video. I think videos are a great way to demonstrate what your application can do and how it works.

If you ever need to convert units on your iPhone or iPod touch, download Convertbot while it’s free!

I’ve been very busy lately with a home renovation and other projects and have neglected Apple Mac HQ due to a lack of time. I’m looking for someone to post periodically while I’m busy with these other projects. The topics you cover will be of your choosing, but will need to be approved by me. This will be a paid writing assignment. The payment isn’t much, but does have the chance to grow.  Additional payment information will be sent to all who apply.

Interested? Send the following information to kevin @ the name of this domain:

• Name
• Location (City and Country)
• Your current Mac and Apple gear setup
• Your favorite piece of Apple gear and why
• A mini review of a piece of software you’ve recently installed that you are enjoying
• Any additional questions you might have

The only real requirement is that you have a Paypal account as the payments will come through them.  Payment will be in USD.

If you have any questions, please feel free to include them in your submission or ask away in the comments.  Please send your submission by August 18th, 2009.