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First of the Quad Core i5 iMac Benchmarks

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:32:26 -0800

Electronista has benchmarked the new Quad Core i5 chips in the new iMac, and comparing his scores to mine, its pretty clear we've got almost 2x some scores in some CPU/memory tests.

Specifically, using his charts and mine, it wasn't hard to recognize the jump in the multithreaded, 64 bit results from geek bench in the categories of integer, floating point and memory streaming tests, as well as the threaded tests. (Memory tests were slightly faster, the others were drastically so.) Interesting, as the Core i5 chip is clocked at 2.66GHz and the Core2Duo iMac I tested runs at 3.06GHz.

(The turbo boost function, which overclocks the Core i5 chip to up to 3.2GHz when running non-multithreaded apps, should be kicking in performance here, too.)

Interesting, but two things to remember: Core i7 chips are coming out for the iMac shortly and will run at 2.8GHz and have hyperthreading so the 4 cores emulate 8. And there are still not many (if any at all) major OS X apps that can take advantage of Snow Leopard's multicore support. [Electronista's tests, Gizmodo's iMac Review]

[via http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/]

Really weird Snow Leopard font problem

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:51:19 -0700

I just upgraded to Snow Leopard, and since then, some of my fonts are MAJORLY screwed up in iWork '09 (Pages, Keynote and Numbers). Specifically, my entire extended family of Hoefler Text.

Here's a screenshot of what my Hoefler Text fonts look like inside Pages:
http://www.ferdinandcc.org/hoefler1.png

(The menu should read as follows: Engraved, Engraved 2, Roman, Roman Alt, Roman SC, Regular, Italic, Alt, Italic SC, Italic Swash SC, etc.)

And here's Hoefler Text in action (Hoefler Text Regular appears fine, but Italic looks screwed up):
http://www.ferdinandcc.org/hoefler2.png

The fonts worked just fine under Leopard, and also work fine in my other apps I've tested them in (TextEdit, Pagehand, Scrivener), and they also show up just fine in Font Book and Fontcase.

Here's what I've tried so far to repair the issue:

1. I reinstalled the fonts. Didn't work.
2. I used AppZapper to get rid of all traces of iWork, then reinstalled iWork off the disc. Didn't work.
3. I repaired disk permissions. Didn't work.
4. I entirely deleted ALL Hoefler Text font files out of both my user/library and my /library. This is where things got really weird. When I deleted Hoefler Text, it quit appearing in Font Book, TextEdit, etc. but in Pages, et. al it was still there!
5. I purchased FontDoctor and scanned my font folders. No problems there. However, when I copied all my Hoefler Text fonts to a folder on my desktop and then scanned that folder alone, it said the fonts were incompatible with this system (but if that's the case, then why do they work in every other application on my Mac, including Font Book?)

Note: the file type is PostScript Type 1 outline font.

These fonts are very important to me, as they're part of my organization's corporate branding guidelines and are used in all our documents and publications! [via http://ask.metafilter.com/]

Apple iThink (It's Not Real, But You Know You Want It)

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:40:00 -0800

While it would be a shame to lose the understated flare of Jonathan Ive design, the prospect of a glowing Apple logo embedded in the rear of my skull would be a worthy trade.

That is, until my AT&T reception cuts out and my corneas fill with that damned spinning beach ball. (Click each image for bigger version.) [The Monkey Buddha]

[via http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/]

Google Wave Notifier Alerts You to Unread Waves

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:40:00 -0700

Firefox: Google Wave probably isn't part of your day-to-day routine yet, but it might help to know when new waves are waiting for you. Google Wave Notifier does exactly that, checking for unread wave messages on an interval you prefer.

Chad Smith, author of the similarly helpful Google Voice Notifier, patched together this 0.0.1 Firefox extension from a rewrite of his Voice add-on, so there are definitely a few kinks to work out, especially if you use a Firefox apart from the mainstream build. Smith's Google Wave Add-On (as it's technically, generically titled) does exactly what it promises, though—stores your login credentials, checks for messages every X minutes, as you specify, and puts a number in your status bar if you've got unread waves. You can jump to Google Wave from a right-click—though it probably should take you there with just a single, standard click.

Google Wave Notifier/Add-On is a free download, works wherever (mainstream) Firefox does.

[via http://www.lifehacker.org]

All the Apple Store Data You Could Possibly Want to Read

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:17:13 -0800

So, I'm at the opening of the fancy new Apple Store on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Retail chief Ron Johnson is talking about how awesome their retail is and whatnot. I'll have pictures up shortly. But for now, digits.

The numbers, admittedly, are impressive.

• Apple's total sales in 2001 were $5.4 billion. Apple Stores this year: $6.6 billion. (Apple's total sales this year were $36.5 billion.)

• They hit 170 million visitors this year. 10 million people hit Genius Bars or personal training.

• Sales per store—$26 million, which is just below what Macy's, Target and Best Buy make per store. But, if you look at the real estate, it's a slightly different picture. Apple Stores do sales of $4,300 per square foot which is 5x the $872 per square foot Best Buy does.

• Wow—over 100,000 applicants on file for jobs at the Apple Store worldwide. 10,000 people submitted applications for the new Upper West Side store. Just over 200 got a job.

• Apple realized they were going too small with their stores, so now all of their stores will be at least "three tables wide." In other words, they're going to be bigger. They're also going to be opening more stores next year, more like 50. More of them will be "significant stores," iconic ones like the Fifth Ave. store with the Apple Cube. And they'll be going more international, adding stores all over Europe, like the UK, Paris and two in Shanghai getting those "significant stores."

• All checkouts are done using an iPod touch now with a new EasyPay system, if you care about the purity of the Apple Store and the old Windows Mobile system offended you.

Okay, BIG NEWS. They're gift-wrapping for the first time ever. And you can reserve presents. Your Christmas is now officially complete. You're welcome.

[via http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/]

The Gingerbread Announcer Desktop

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0800

Reader andykashyap85's Mac desktop proves that sometimes simplicity is all you really need for an awesome desktop that helps keep you motivated.

The simple OS X desktop consists of nothing more than:

Wallpaper: Announcement

Geektool Quote of the Day

Geektool Time: date +%D

VLC Icon

See Andy's full post for more details.

Want to create your own OS X desktop customization? Check out our guide to monitoring your Mac and more with GeekTool to add basic system stats and information, then learn how to add current weather and a desktop calendar with GeekTool.

Once you've created your own beautifully tweaked (and hopefully productive) desktop, post it over in the Lifehacker Desktop Show and Tell Flickr Group complete with a description of the programs and tweaks you used (and preferably links as well!), and we just might feature it here.

[via http://www.lifehacker.org]

Verizon's LG Dare Full Review (Verdict: Best iClone Yet)

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:03:20 -0700

"Dare to be different," the saying goes, but the LG Dare is really Verizon Wireless's attempt to fit in, to offer a phone that's more like the AT&T LG Vu and Sprint Samsung Instinct, not to mention Apple's similarly priced iPhone 3G. The truth is, the Dare may not be as glamorous or well-priced as the Instinct, but it has a better browser, a motion sensor and some cool software tricks that make it a fine phone for people who choose to remain in Verizon's walled garden. And it puts Verizon's previous iClone attempts, the LG Voyager and the Samsung Glyde, to lowdown dirty shame.

As I think we've firmly established, we call these iPhone clones because they are made superficially with the look and feel of the iPhone in mind. They are not direct competitors to the iPhone, as they don't run on a smart, open platform like iPhones?or Blackberry and Windows Mobile phones?do. The Dare, like the Instinct, is closed and proprietary, geared to customers who like much of what the carrier has to offer, and would just like a better way to make use of it. And after spending some time with the Dare, I can safely say that, much like the Instinct, it really does let you do that. Easier Access

For starters, Verizon has done away with its dependence on unchangeable, annoyingly deep menus. With the Dare, you can drag any app or function directly to the desktop for one-click access. You can add key people to the Favorites launcher, where you simply drag their face to the phone or message icons to call or launch a new SMS.Even those cryptic notification icons always seen at tops of phones are clickable on the Dare.E-mail and Web

Let me get this off my chest first: The Dare browser is WAY better than the Instinct's, both in rendering speed and page layout. You can navigate Gizmodo with very little trouble, especially if you're going read-only. My only complaint was that there was no way I could find to speed-scroll through so many blog posts without giving my thumb a callous.Verizon's E-mail app is basically the same as it's been for about six or eight months. I do not recommend it for business use, as it's not very full featured, but I was able to get the Dare to notify me whenever any mail from three different accounts came through, and the iPhone-like QWERTY keyboard with pop-up letters really helped when typing. The only trouble I had sending e-mail was due to a funky POP3 account with ambiguous recommended settings. (One negative: You can't edit POP settings once you've configured them, so I had to keep deleting and adding the same account over and over again.)

Premium Unlimited-Use Plans

The good news is, unlimited use of e-mail and web are included in Verizon's new premium price plans, along with unlimited text messaging, unlimited use of basic V Cast clips and ACTUALLY USEFUL stuff like the ESPN MVP sports and WeatherBug web apps. Though it seems at first glance that pricing is a tad higher that Sprint's, the difference is negligible:

$80/month - 450 primetime talk minutes

$100/month - 900 primetime talk minutes

$120/month - 1350 primetime talk minutes

$140/month - Unlimited talk minutes

And yes, there are family premium plans that give you these perks for multiple (compatible) phones. The phone itself is $200 after a mail-in rebate.

Lighter Features

In our introductory walkthrough video, we showed you some awesome traits. After a revisit during our review, here's how those features held up:

? Slow-mo video cam - It's a bit grainy, but with decent light, it could make some interesting videos at 120 frames per second. The 3.2 megapixel camera is decent, but nothing to write home about.

? Full photo editing - Speaking of camera, the editing feature is not as "full" as we first thought. There's no red-eye reduction or shadow/highlight or color adjustment. Most of the options are actually novelty, and even for being silly they are not very useable.

? Music player - Good: Plays MP3s and even iTunes Plus DRM-free AACs that you drag to the "My Music" folder of the MicroSD card (up to 8GB); Bad: Still has issues with tags, and appears to count image metadata as additional song files, so browsing by Artist or Album is fine, but browsing "All Songs" is messy. In addition to that the video player reads standard MP4 (but not H.264), and pauses songs when you switch to video playback, only to pick up where it left off once you're done.Hardware

Like the Sprint Instinct, there's a 3.5mm jack for universal headphone fit, but unlike the Instinct, the Dare has a motion sensor inside that tells whether you're holding the phone horizontally or vertically. Videos, photos and the music browser all automatically adjust, as do keyboards and web pages. It's a nice touch, though I'll be honest, you don't really miss it on the Instinct.

The Dare's touchscreen leaves something to be desired. It's not as snappy as the Instinct's, and even after calibrating the screen, I found myself resorting to fingernail tapping to gain some precision.

The body of the Dare is a tad chunkier, but shorter too, with a slightly stubbier screen.

Dare vs. Instinct

The Instinct is, inside and out, a more elegant device. I preferred Instinct's e-mail app, and its included news, sports and weather web apps were great. Verizon is promising some unlimited-use apps like ESPN MVP and WeatherBug to compete with that, and while they're pretty nice programs, they were not ready to be used on the Dare at the time of this review.

The thing I can't stand about the Dare is VZ Navigator. I have tried to appreciate this, and since unlimited use of it comes with the premium plan, it can be considered a feature of the phone. Still, it's the worst GPS UI I've ever played around with, and Verizon would do much better to kill off their own licensed app and go with Telenav, which Sprint and AT&T both use.

Still, after playing with both, I have to say that the Instinct's aesthetic assets don't fully make up for the Dare's key advantages, one of which happens to be Verizon's network. In the northeast at least, there's no substitute.

Conclusion

Like the web apps, there are a few more wait-and-sees: Visual voicemail isn't in effect yet, and may or may not come via over-the-air update. Rhapsody is just launching today, and for $15/month extra you will be able to sideload the Dare with Rhapsody-to-Go tracks, though a Windows PC is required for that.

I am very content to say that this is Verizon's best attempt at a customizable, user-friendly touchscreen phone, and that, if you are into buttonless touch interfaces, you could do a lot worse across all the carriers. I think the $200 iPhone trumps the $200 Dare if you don't care which carrier you're on, but for those of you who are sticking with Verizon, you might, um, venture to pick up a Dare. [LG Dare at Verizon Wireless]

[via http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/]

The Year Apple and RIM Ate Everyone Else's Lunch

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:28:24 -0800

For today's data dump: the iPhone now accounts for nearly a fifth of new smartphones, and BlackBerrys are on a surprisingly serious tear, passing a 20% in world market share. So, uh, who's losing?

Well, for one, Nokia, whose smartphones have failed to penetrate at all in the US, despite massive popularity overseas, and whose Symbian OS is starting to look downright old. Manufacturers like LG and Motorola, who for the last year were depending mostly on the waning Windows Mobile 6.1, have had a rough time of it, while Palm, presumably included in the "Other" category, consolidated its line to one phone for the duration of 2009, which has done wonders for its image, but unfortunately not for its sales.

Interestingly enough, Apple and RIM are doing spectacularly well for similar reasons: both have appealed to mainstream consumers with new products—the marked-down iPhone 3G and cheap-but-decent BlackBerry Curve line, respectively—while pushing app stores as a selling point. And honestly, look around. Smartphones are decidedly a thing right now.

I'll be interested to see what happens next year, when Android's had a little time to spread its wings. It looks like Google helped buoy HTC a little bit this year, but Android phones are still a rare sight. [Ars]

[via http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/]

2009: The Year Apple and RIM Ate Everyone Else's Lunch

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:28:24 -0800

For today's data dump: the iPhone now accounts for nearly a fifth of new smartphones, and BlackBerrys are on a surprisingly serious tear, passing a 20% in world market share. So, uh, who's losing?

[via http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/]

Easy photo blog software and system for elderly person.

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:08:22 -0700

I'm trying to find the easiest photo blogging software for my father (age 74) for his travel blog. My father has a MacBook Pro. He is using iPhoto for his photos. I am trying to find a REAL EASY way for him to incorporate his photos into a travel blog. Budget reasons mean we can't use expensive hosting services where he has to pay $$$ every year. I already have a website where I can install blog hosting software (such as wordpress etc.) but the complication of using one program to upload photo here, then get the online link for the photo, then incorporate photo link there (in the blog) then publish the blog entry is just way too many steps for him. We need a simple solution on the Mac where he can drag-n-drop the photos into a blog entry, type his text, then click "publish" and the software will upload the photos where the photos need to go, upload the text for the blog entry, make the image links automagically.

The photos can be uploaded to the website, or to flickr, or to smugmug - whatever works with this EASY to use blogging software, which MUST run on a Mac. Ideally the Mac software would be free or inexpensive. Open source is ideal, if it is EASY for an older person to use. (It doesn't have to be easy to setup - I can do the setup for him.) Suggestions? [via http://ask.metafilter.com/]

Inside Apple's Newest Temple

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:36:55 -0800

While every Apple Store is in some sense a place of reverence, the new Upper West Side store unabashedly evokes that feeling, more than any other. It used to be a Victoria's Secret.

Update: For everybody asking for full-sized pics, you can grab 'em here, off my Flickr page.

I call it a temple because the architecture conveys a nearly religious aesthetic, a place to worship Apple, beyond any other Apple store you've ever been to. The top floor's a vast open space, enclosed by spartan stone walls which support a massive glass ceiling. The rows of tables in the main room feel like pews.

I can't tell you—and the pictures can't show you—how utterly open and expansive the room feels. Apple says it has more demo units than any other store in the world. To give you an idea of the space, the walls are 45 feet tall, and could fit 11 Apple 5th Avenue Cubes inside. It's the spareness that's breathtaking. It's cold. Not literally, but the stone walls, the glass, the sheer space rob it of any sense of warmth or feeling. The only sense of life in room is the products. It's a temple to them, really.

The beating heart, where things actually happen is tucked underground. The Genius Bar and personal training space is the biggest ever in an Apple store, able to handle up to 100 customers at once at 45 feet long. It's pretty much like any other Apple store down there, just bigger.

It's impressive. The store, at 67th and Broadway, opens Saturday. And they're giving away 2500 commemorative shirts if you're that kind of crazy.

Apple Store Upper West Side Opening on Saturday, November 14

NEW YORK-November 12, 2009-Apple� will open its newest retail store on New York's Upper West Side on Saturday, November 14 at 10:00 a.m. Set beneath a breathtaking all-glass arched roof, the street level of the Apple Store� Upper West Side offers more Macs, iPods and iPhones than any store in the world for an incredible hands-on experience. The lower level features the largest area ever created by Apple for personal training and technical support, including a 45-foot Genius Bar. Located on Broadway at 67th Street, the Apple Store Upper West Side is just minutes from Lincoln Center and Central Park.

"We opened our first store in Manhattan seven years ago, and the response has been incredible," said Ron Johnson, Apple's senior vice president of Retail. "We hope our new store on the Upper West Side will become as much a part of the community as our stores in SoHo, the Meatpacking District and on Fifth Avenue."

A highly trained team of more than 200 employees brings the unique Apple retail experience to the Upper West Side, offering the same legendary services that Apple stores provide around the world. At the Genius Bar, customers can get free advice and expert tech support from knowledgeable experts. Customers who buy a Mac� at the Apple Store Upper West Side can join the popular One to One program for personal set-up service and personal training for just $99. Visitors can also get free tips from Specialists who are on-hand to help shoppers find the perfect gift or choose the right Mac, iPod� or iPhone� for themselves.

In time for the holiday season, customers can now reserve their favorite Apple product online at www.apple.com/retail/reserve and pick it up at their local Apple store between December 15-24. Apple retail stores will also gift wrap any iPod or portable Mac for just $5.

The Apple Store Upper West Side is the fourth in Manhattan and Apple's 15th in the New York metro area, joining the hugely successful Apple Stores SoHo, West 14th Street and Fifth Avenue. Nearly 170 million people on four continents have visited Apple retail stores this year. Apple now operates 280 stores in ten countries including the US, UK, Italy, Australia, Canada, Japan, China, Switzerland, Germany and France.

The Apple Store Upper West Side is located at 1981 Broadway, on the corner of West 67th Street. The first 2,500 visitors to the store will receive a limited edition, commemorative t-shirt.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

[via http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/]

Apple Tablet Will Restore Comic Books To Former Glory

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:40:00 -0700

"What is it in France they say? 'America contributed three things to culture: jazz, musical comedy and comic books.'" You can already buy two on iTunes. And if things pan out, you'll be get the third on the Apple tablet.

Over the last few weeks I've been talking to people within the comics industry to try to sniff out Apple's plans, including Neal Adams, developer of an upcoming motion Astonishing X-Men comic on iTunes, who also told me the French saying. Everyone in Adams' line of work is buzzing about the tablet and what it can do for their masterpieces.

It's an easy presumption for comic book fans. The Sun Times' Andy Inhatko is betting that LongBox, a digital distribution platform for comic books, will make an appearance on Apple's upcoming tablet. More than just an appearance, really:

I'm pretty sure that Apple is entering into a formal alliance with LongBox. When I asked [LongBox CEO Rantz] Hoseley about what kind of partnerships the company is forming, he spoke vaguely of what was taking up most of his time at the moment: a lengthy and complicated agreement with a seriously large company operating in the media space.

One problem: Several sources I spoke to over the last couple of weeks, including top-level executives at giants like Marvel and DC, have said they've not heard a whisper from Apple—despite a nearly desperate hope that Apple would come a-courtin'. One executive said to me, when I mentioned the possibility of putting his comic books on the Apple tablet, "If you've heard anything from Apple, please tell them I'm ready to do it."

That means that LongBox may be the only distribution option for comic books at the tablet's launch, through some sort of dedicated LongBox app. And if LongBox's distribution plan for the Apple tablet is just an app, why would they need to do any negotiations with Apple? Launch the LongBox app, sell the content, and go. No Apple nod necessary.

We know that Apple has been reaching out to select publishers. It was Andy Inhatko who passed on the rumor about "trucks loaded with books" earlier this year. It all fits with the moves we already know Apple is making in its outreach to magazine and newspaper publishers. For Apple, the tablet is about cleaning up; with the addition of books, newspaper, magazines and comic books, there isn't a single vector of mass media that Apple won't be able to distribute through iTunes. With the success of the App Store—a success I think even Apple wasn't expecting to such a degree — they're even a major distributor of software and games.

Oh right, there's also music and video.

Marvel content, especially, seems like a given. Disney bought Pixar, putting Steve Jobs on the Disney board. Then Disney buys Marvel. Marvel has already dabbled in publishing content through iTunes, with a new "motion comic" version of The Astonishing X-Men hitting iTunes on October 28th.

I spoke to Inhatko on my tiny Apple tablet last week about his story. He's increasingly persuaded that Apple is content to let print publishers distribute their content through apps, not through the iTunes store itself.

He may very well be right, at least at the tablet's launch, especially given Apple's reticence to even acknowledge the tablet's existence, let alone provide publishers with detailed, unified specifications for an "iRead" format. But it also strikes me as an inelegant solution at best, especially considering iTunes 9's iTunes LP format is an HTML- and JavaScript-based 720p format that would work just wonderfully for a digital magazine and comics format.

Could just be wishful thinking on my part—I'd rather manage subscriptions through iTunes like podcasts, rather than individual apps—but either way it's a win for Apple, who will happily get their cut no matter what system of digital print distribution ultimately takes off. If you have any leads on comic book tablet activity, by all means, send us a tip.

There is one shocker I discovered in my discussions with Marvel folk: It's been confirmed to me that Hulk is stronger than Thor. Chew on that one for a while — at least until you can buy Hulk vs. Thor on iTunes. Excelsior!

Joel Johnson has a blog, but your best bet may be to follow him on Twitter @joeljohnson.

[via http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/]

App Store devs get "edge"-y as a reaction to trademark threats

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:30:00 -0800

Filed under: Gaming, Software, Developer, iPhone, App Store

App Store developers can be a rebellious kind -- we've already covered the story of a company shooting their price up to $40 just to show their customers how much they could be charging, and now, in response to an overly defensive trademark owner, developers on the store are putting the word "Edge" in their titles. Even high profile releases like the sequel to Eliss and the popular Canabalt are becoming Edgeliss and Canabedge. Critter Crunch becomes Critter Edge on their main page, and so on.

The story starts with a guy named Tim Langdell, who started a company a while back named Edge Games. Since he founded that company, he has mercilessly gone after any other game company who dares to use the word "edge" in their title, claiming that he has the trademark to any and all "edge"-related gaming. He's gone after EA's Mirror's Edge and a few other titles, but the App Store has been a prime target, where he simply contacts Apple, claims the app is in violation of his trademarks, and gets apps pulled without a problem. The latest target is a title called Killer Edge Racing by a company named PuzzleKings, and reportedly Langdell has gone so far as to trademark that name, despite the fact that the game using it has been around for years.

Hence the indie game developers' "edge-volution." They aren't actually renaming their games in the store, just showing off solidarity with other developers against what they see as Langdell's wrongdoing, and getting the word out about his actions against "edge" on the App Store.

TUAW App Store devs get "edge"-y as a reaction to trademark threats originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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appstore - iPhone - Apple - Edge Games - Game [via http://www.tuaw.com/]

Install OS X on Your Hackintosh PC, No Hacking Required [How To]

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:00:00 -0800

Two months ago I walked through how to build a Hackintosh Mac on the cheap using PC parts. Since that post, the OSx86 scene has changed rapidly, and now you can install Leopard on your computer about as easily as installing Leopard on a Mac—no command line hacking required. In addition, the resulting installation is—theoretically, at least—can be upgraded without fear of breaking. As if the simplicity of the installation weren't already enough, the new installation tools fix any problems I've had in the past (for example, I no longer need to keep my install DVD in the drive to boot into OS X), and support the Wi-Fi card on my motherboard out-of-the-box. In short, it's a winner.

NOTE: I can only vouch for this method on the build I detailed in the original post, but others have had a lot of luck with other boards, as well. If you're thinking of starting from scratch and want to follow exactly how I did it, check out the Build section of my original guide. If you've got your system together, here's how it works.

Set Your BIOS

The most difficult part of getting this installation to work with my board was getting the right BIOS settings in place. In the course of figuring it out, I made a lot of different small tweaks, so to ensure I didn't miss any, I've taken pictures of every relevant BIOS screen. If you're using the same board as me (an Asus P5W DH Deluxe), just go through screen by screen and make sure that your BIOS settings match mine. If you're using a different board, these settings could still serve as a good guide, but they may not perfectly match up to yours. (I'm having a tough time remembering every BIOS setting I tweaked, so if you're using a P5W DH Deluxe, your BIOS settings match mine, but you're having trouble, let me know and I'll try updating the gallery with more BIOS screens.)

Now that you're BIOS are set, it's time to install.

Install OS X with the Kalyway Install Disc

Floating around the BitTorrents, you'll find a disc image called something like Kalyway Leopard 10.5.1 SSE2 SSE3. Download it and burn it to a DVD—it's what you'll use to install Leopard. If you're going to pursue this I'd still recommend purchasing an actual copy of Leopard, but you won't need it here.

Basically this DVD contains the Leopard install disc along with the EFI software that lets your hardware work with OS X using the vanilla kernels—which is a big part of why you don't have to do any of the command line hacking this time around. You just install the disc and voilà—everything boots up and upgrades normally (or at least that's been my experience so far). So assuming you've built your computer using the original instructions, you've got the Kalyway disc, and you've already prepared your BIOS, you're ready to install.

First, boot with the disc. The disc boot up can take a few minutes, so you'll need to be patient.

Before you go ahead with the installation you need to format your hard drive, so once the disc boots, go to Utilities -> Disk Utility in the menu bar. Find the hard drive in the sidebar you want to install Leopard to, select it, then go to the Partition tab, and select a 1 partition volume scheme, name it whatever you want (I called mine Leopard), and choose the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. Now click the Options button to set the partition scheme. You can choose the partition scheme as either Master Boot Record or GUID (in my previous instructions you needed to set it as MBR). I used GUID.

Click Apply, let it complete the partitioning, and then quit Disk Utility and head back to the Installer. Hit Continue at the Welcome screen, agree to the terms, and then be sure to hit the Customize button before proceeding with your installation. Here's where the point-and-click magic of this installer comes in.

This install package comes with individual settings that match specific motherboards, and one very well supported board is the P5W DH Deluxe I used in the original build. Rather than telling you which checkboxes to tick, just click the screenshot above for a look at all the settings you'll want to use if you're installing OS X on that board.

When you're all set, click Done and then go ahead and Install. When the installation is complete (it'll take a little while), let your computer restart, pop out the install disc, and sit back in wonder as Leopard runs on your PC in full 10.5.1 glory.

If you've been living the Hackintosh life since our first guide, let's hear how it's worked out for you so far in the comments.

[via http://www.lifehacker.org]

Apple's next-gen iPhone power amp; NASA chemical sensor app

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:35:00 -0800

Apple has reportedly selected a new power amplifier supplier for a new, forthcoming model of the iPhone; and a NASA scientist has used the iPhone to create a chemical sensor.

[via http://www.appleinsider.com/]

Bill Gates praises Steve Jobs for saving Apple

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:05:00 -0800

When asked about Steve Jobs in a TV special that aired this week, Bill Gates said the Apple co-founder has shown "more inspiration" than any other leader in the tech industry.

[via http://www.appleinsider.com/]

New Chip Combines Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi and FM Radio, Destined for iPod Touch?

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:59:00 -0700

Broadcom makes the Bluetooth chip spotted in the iPod touch. The company's latest offering might show us what's to come next on Apple's platform.

Equipped with the latest Bluetooth 3.0 (reaching 24Mbps), unspecified Wi-Fi and FM radio, Broadcom's BCM4325 is the first chip of its kind to receive the go-ahead from the Bluetooth Qualification Board. And were Apple to upgrade the semi-dormant Bluetooth chip in the iPod touch and stick with Broadcom as the manufacturer, logic would tell us that this is the chip they'd use.

But don't get your hopes up about Apple activating that FM radio. The old version had that, too.

Broadcom's Combo Chip and Software Achieve Bluetooth� Qualification to Newly Ratified Bluetooth v3.0 + HS Specification

New Specification Adds Enhanced Functionality to Broadcom� InConcert� Combo Chip Products by Enabling Bluetooth Profiles to Leverage High Speed Wi-Fi�

IRVINE, Calif. ? April 22, 2009 ? Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that its leading Bluetooth� combo chip technology and associated BTE software have been qualified as compliant with the ratified Bluetooth v3.0 + HS (high speed) specification. The new standard significantly expands the capabilities of Bluetooth wireless technology in multimedia smartphones, netbooks and other devices by enabling the transmission of large files via Bluetooth profiles at speeds up to 24 Megabits per second (Mbps), or a 10 times increase in speed over the previous Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR (enhanced data rate) standard. With the company's InConcert� BCM4325 Bluetooth + Wi-Fi� + FM combo chip solution (which was the first product in the industry to achieve qualification) and Bluetooth software, Broadcom is uniquely positioned to support the latest Bluetooth specification with proven single-chip solutions.

While competing implementations require multiple discrete components that raise cost and power requirements, Broadcom is able to provide a single-chip solution that includes both a qualified Bluetooth v3.0 BR/EDR (basic rate) controller and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED? media access controller (MAC)/physical layer (PHY) device. When combined with Broadcom's v3.0 + HS qualified host software solution, these products enable OEMs to add the convenience of high speed Bluetooth data transfer while reducing board space, power consumption and overall system cost in next generation Bluetooth-enabled devices. Broadcom's high speed Bluetooth technology was recently demonstrated at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announced the formal adoption of its next generation Bluetooth v3.0 + HS wireless connectivity technology on April 21, 2009, at the SIG Annual All-Hands meeting in Tokyo.

In addition to enabling Bluetooth profiles to utilize high speed 802.11 data rates, Broadcom silicon and software solutions will further enable mobile devices to leverage the low power connection management features provided by Bluetooth wireless technology, increasing the valuable synergy between these already popular technologies. Broadcom is working together with other companies and various standards groups to standardize these additional capabilities.

"The new Bluetooth v3.0 + HS specification is a welcome step in the continuing evolution of Bluetooth technology, adding industry approved techniques for leveraging the high data rates of Wi-Fi with the ease of use, low-power and utility that Bluetooth wireless technology is recognized for," said Craig Ochikubo, Vice President & General Manager of Broadcom's Wireless Personal Area Networking line of business. "The new specification makes our combo chip products even more attractive to OEMs who seek to provide their customers with the most complete wireless user experience available."

The Bluetooth products now qualified as compliant with the v3.0 + HS specification include the Broadcom� BCM4325 802.11b/ combo chip solution that combines Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and FM radio functionality on a single-chip design. Broadcom's popular BTE software, the core Bluetooth software stack for which all Broadcom Bluetooth software is based (including BTW, BTW Mobile and embedded software for cellular handsets and other devices) has also been qualified as compliant with the new v3.0 + HS standard. The BCM4325 is also Wi-Fi CERTIFIED in a number of customer products.

In addition to enabling 10 times the transmission speed over previous Bluetooth specifications, v3.0 + HS provides other useful innovations that Broadcom combo chips and BTE software can utilize as well. This includes expanded capabilities for remote control applications featuring Unicast Connectionless Data (UCD) functionality that enables low power operation and reduced latency, making Bluetooth's radio technology ideally suited for consumer electronics remote control applications. The Bluetooth v3.0 + HS specification also enhances the already powerful security capabilities of Bluetooth technology by including the new Read Encryption Key Size feature that allows Bluetooth applications to ensure an appropriate level of communications security.

Broadcom's Bluetooth BR/EDR controller solutions, including the BCM4325 and BCM4329, further provide support for the Enhanced Power Control feature introduced in the Bluetooth v3.0 + HS specification. This feature provides improved control over transmit power levels on Bluetooth BR/EDR links, improving the robustness of communications and providing better optimized power consumption.

"The Bluetooth Special Interest Group is gratified that Broadcom has played an active role in helping drive the evolution of Bluetooth technology through its contributions to the standard and timely implementation of these new features," said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. "With strength in multiple wireless technologies, the company is helping make the vision of high speed Bluetooth technology a reality."

[via http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/]

Your headphones' mic not working? Don't sweat it.

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Filed under: Accessories, iPod Family, Troubleshooting

While I love the functionality of Apple's microphone-enabled headphones (both the Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic, which comes with the iPhone 3G S, and the iPhone Stereo Headset, which came with previous iPhones), I've found that the extra layers of functionality also bring extra layers of troubleshooting when they're not working right. For simplicity sake, I'll refer to said models as "iPhone headphones" in this post (non-volume control model pictured).

The most common issues I've come across pertain to the microphone. Unlike most non-microphone enabled headphones, which use a standard two-ring TRS connector (tip, ring, sleeve), the iPhone adds an extra ring to support microphone functionality. This is what the hardcore audiophile refers to as TRRS (tip, ring, ring, sleeve).

But if your pockets are consistently filled with lint and dust (or tater tots if you happen to store them there), that extra ring won't make full contact with the iPhone's headphone jack. Which means that you, unfortunately, will lose microphone functionality.

One way to fix this is to remove any dust or lint trappings in the phone's jack. I've found that wrapping a toothpick with a thin layer of toilet paper and brushing it lightly against the walls of the headphone jack helps out a great deal. It's also important to not dip said toothpick in water or moisture. There's a moisture sensor in the iPhone's headphone jack. When exposed to moisture, it changes color and could potentially void your warranty. Also, the usual disclaimer in do-it-yourself scenarios apply: you're doing this at your own risk, so proceed with caution.

Continue reading Your headphones' mic not working? Don't sweat it.

TUAW Your headphones' mic not working? Don't sweat it. originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sponsored Topics: iPhone - Apple - IPod - TUAW - Headphones [via http://www.tuaw.com/]

Keep Your Wallpaper Fresh with Desktoptopia

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Windows/Mac: Freeware application Desktoptopia automatically loads and rotates handpicked, designer desktop wallpapers on your Windows or Mac desktop. Once you've installed Desktoptopia (not to be confused with previously mentioned Desktopia), you can set rotation speed, multiple monitor options (e.g., same or different wallpaper on different monitors), and include your own feed of images you'd like to work in with the handpicked Desktoptopia themes. The Mac version is polished and robust, but the Windows version is still in beta (requiring .NET 3.5). Both versions are freeware, so give it a try and let us know what you think of Desktoptopia's designer wallpapers in the comments. Yet another cool way to trick out your desktop.

[via http://www.lifehacker.org]

Yet Another Blurry and Fake iPhone 3G Summer 2009 Image (It's Iron Bar Time!)

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 05:00:00 -0700

As WWDC '09 races towards us, we keep being bombarded by alleged iPhone 3G Summer 2009 images. This is the last one, which looks totally FAKE to me. (Click to enlarge both images.)

Whatever. I don't care at this point. Or I do, but seriously: People, if you are going to send us images of any of the new summer iPhones, by all means send them, but for the love of all that is good and covered in vanilla frosting, get a good camera and make a clear shot. You know, because otherwise I would have to get my:

again, and it won't be pretty. Thank you.

[via http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/]

iTunes Preview: something to do while loading iTunes links

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:26:43 -0800

Apple has quietly leveraged the transformation of the design of the iTunes Store (using standard HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) to create "iTunes Preview." Now when clicking on an iTunes Store link, a preview page that echoes the iTunes Store page for a particular album will display in your browser while a re-direct attempts to load in iTunes.

Previously, clicking iTunes Store links would load a webpage that merely said, "One Moment Please. Connecting to the iTunes Store." It would then attempt to load the album or artist page that the link referred to in iTunes—on the Mac, iTunes would launch if it wasn't already running. Now, a page that includes album artwork, track listing, reviews, and other information will load in the browser while the link is re-directed to the iTunes application.

[via http://arstechnica.com/]

How To: Hackintosh a Dell Mini 9 Into the Ultimate OS X Netbook

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 09:00:00 -0800

I am typing on this on a 9-inch, 3G-equipped, almost-pocketable computer, running the best consumer OS money can currently buy. It costs around $400. Do you want one too? Here's how to get yours.

There are a lot of netbooks on which you can install and run OS X, but if you're mindful of the handy comparison chart those lads at Boing Boing Gadgets have compiled, you'll know that the Mini 9 is about as ideal a platform as you'll find for a Hackintosh ultraportable: Everything from wi-fi, sound and the function keys down to the optional integrated mobile broadband card and the SD card reader are supported and work as they should. No hardware compromises at all. It's awesome.

Generally, there are two ways to approach a Hackintosh install: Using a "slipstreamed" OS X installer image that's been modified to install on non-Apple hardware, or using a $129 factory-fresh retail OS X install disk in tandem with a special bootloader that does the necessary tweaking to let the install happen. The former can be easy enough, but it's pretty much illegal since it contains a pirated OS X install disk, and on top of that you'll run into all kinds of problems should you ever want to upgrade your OS or software via Software Update.

By using a retail OS X disk, you stay mostly out of pirate waters, and ensure that once everything's up and running, you'll be as close as is possible to having an actual Mac. Here we're doing that, using a method referred to as the "Type11" install, cooked up by a fellow of the same handle and his colleagues over on the MyDellMini forums, a fantastic resource.

Even though we're using a standard retail-purchased copy of OS X, the disclaimer: Apple does not like Hackintoshing. It violates the OS X EULA, and probably won't make the Dell folks too happy either, should you need to return your hacked Mini 9 for service. So, as always, proceed at your own risk.

On a personal note let me tell you, it's worth it. The Mini 9 is a beautiful OS X machine. So let's get started.

What You'll Need
? Dell Mini 9 With 16GB SSD or higher (8GB SSDs will techincally work, but it will take some fiddling not covered by this guide)
? Retail copy of OS X 10.5.x (NOT an OEM copy that comes with a new Mac)
? A USB flash drive 8GB or higher
? An external USB DVD drive
? The "Type11" Bootloader: DellMiniBoot123v8.01.iso.zip (download link in this forum post)
? Blank CD to burn bootloader image (I actually used version 8.0 of Type11 on my CD-if your boot process with 8.01 is different than what's spelled out in this guide, you can download 8.0 here. Both should work.)
? Windows PC for preparing the flash drive (if DVD drive works fine, this is optional)

Preparing Your Boot Loader
The easiest way to use both the Type11 bootloader (burned to a bootable CD) and your OS X install DVD is via the external USB DVD drive. The catch is, some drives are mysteriously not compatible with installing OS X on the Mini 9. Mine was one of those drives—the bootloader CD would work without a hitch, but it would choke on the OS X install disk every time. Thankfully, it's also possible to run both the bootloader and the OS X install disk off of a USB flash drive. I'm going to spell out my method here, which actually included both approaches, but try an external DVD drive first, and if yours is compatible, your life will be a little easier than mine was. On the other hand, if you don't have an external drive, you can give the USB flash drive method a shot.

The general approach here it to boot from the Type11 bootloader, which allows you install, run and update OS X; once you're up to 10.5.6, you can install a suite of Mini 9 specific drivers so you don't have to rely on the bootloader anymore.

1. Unzip the DellMiniBoot123v8.01.iso and burn it to a CD with Disk Utility or a similar Windows tool (don't just drag the ISO file to a disk). Pop that disk into your external DVD drive, connect it to your Mini 9 and power it on, then press 0 (zero) at startup to bring up the list of bootable devices.

2. Choose CD/DVD from the list, which will bring you into the bootloader. Choose the first option, "Install Retail OS X 10.5" which will bring you to a command prompt that says "boot:"

3. Take out the bootloader disk and pop in your retail OS X install DVD, keeping the PC running. (You can power your external drive off and then on again to make sure everything's kosher.) Press Escape at the boot: prompt to bring up the drive options. The Type11 installer uses hex codes to choose which device you're booting from, which you can assign at any time from the boot prompt by pressing escape: enter "9f" for the external DVD drive or "80" for the primary internal SSD. Here we're booting from the external CD drive, so press escape, Type "9f" then press enter.

4. At this point, the OS X installer will either load or it won't. If it does, great. You can skip to step 12. If not, you'll need to do what I did, and transfer everything to a USB flash drive to install that way.

Preparing a USB Stick Instead Of/In Addition To a Boot CD
This is based on a tutorial found on the MyDellMini forums by "bmaltais"—bigup to him.

5. Open up Disk Utility and partition your USB drive (8GB or larger) into two partitions: one 200MB FAT32 (MS-DOS) partition named "TYPE11" and one with the remainder of the free space formated as Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) called OSXDVD.

6. Move to a Windows PC (I know, I know), plug in your USB stick and download Syslinux-this is a utility that will make the FAT32 partition of your USB stick bootable. With the Windows Command Prompt, cd over to the "win32" subdirectory of the Syslinux directory you downloaded and type the following, where "F:" is the drive letter for the TYPE11 partition on your USB stick:

syslinux -ma F:

You won't get any confirmation, but if you receive no error messages, you're good: This copies a single file named ldlinux.sys (invisible in Windows) to the USB drive to make it bootable. Pop it out and go back to your Mac if that's what you're using.

7. Now, unzip the Type11 ISO (instead of burning it to a disk) and copy the whole directory structure to the TYPE11 partition. Do NOT overwrite the "ldlinux.sys" when it asks—you want to keep the one you copied over with Syslinux.

8. To fill up the other partition, insert your OS X install DVD and, in Disk Utility, select it and choose "New Image." Save it to the OSXDVD partition of your USB drive as "live.dmg" with "compressed" as the type and encryption set to "none." This'll take about a half hour to rip the DVD to an image, which should weigh in at around 6.4 GB give or take.

9. After that's done, go to Terminal and copy your mach kernel file to the OSXDVD partition by typing this:

sudo cp /mach_kernel /Volumes/OSXDVD

10. And finally, download this zip file, uncompress it and copy the System and Library folders inside to your OSXDVD partition. This is the last bit of magic needed to make your Mini 9 think it's working with an actual OS X install DVD.

11. On your Mini 9, restart it and enter the BIOS setup by pressing "2"—and make sure legacy support for USB devices is enabled. Now, reboot and select the boot options list by tapping 0 at startup and choose USB Storage. Select the OSXDVD partition to boot from and press Enter. This should load up the familiar Apple and the OS X installer window.

Install OS X
While you're installing and doing initial configuration of OS X, everything will be all warped to 800x600 rather than your Mini's native 1024x600 res. Don't worry, this will be fixed soon enough.

12. The first thing you need to do is format your SSD. Bring up Disk Utility in the installer select it at the highest level possible. Go to "Partition" and make it a single Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) partition. Before hitting Apply, go to Options and select GUID Partition Table. Then hit apply.

13. Now, go back to the Installer, and install OS X to the SSD you just partitioned. You will definitely want to choose to customize your install to save SSD space—I would ditch all the printer drivers and language packs you don't need to save space. If you install with the default options though, don't worry—all can be removed later. The install will take about an hour, so go fix yourself a drink. You may come back to an Install Error message at the very end (I didn't), but if you do, don't worry. It's normal.

14. Once OS X is installed, it's still not ready for use right off the drive. On your first reboot, make sure you boot back into the Type11 bootloader on your CD or flash drive, as your new OS X partition is still not bootable without it.

This is, however, where a bit of weirdness set in for me. The Type11 partition on my USB disk would NOT recognize my fresh OS X install on the Mini 9 SSD. It just would not boot it. The Type11 boot CD I had made (with version 8.0 of Type11) DID recognize it, however, and booted it just fine. So bear that in mind here—even if you weren't using an external drive before, you still might need one.

15. So now you boot back into the Type11 CD and choose option 1 ("Install Retail OS X 10.5") again, even though you're not installing. This takes you back to the boot prompt. This time, hit Escape, and type the code "80" for your SSD (as opposed to "9f" for the external DVD). Press enter, and then back at the "boot:" prompt, type "-f" with no quotes before hitting enter again to boot. This will load all of OS X's kernel extensions (.kexts) to make sure wi-fi and everything works. OS X should boot, and you'll go through the typical OS X setup process. Notice the webcam and—hopefully—networking are already working!

ONE MORE NOTE: If networking isn't working, don't panic. On my first boot from the SSD, wi-fi didn't work. But after a restart and another boot from the bootloader CD (with the "-f" option) it worked fine. Throughout this process, if anything is screwy, before you panic and start Googling new strategems, simply re-do the last step that failed—it's often that easy.

Free Up Space and Update OS X to 10.5.6
Now that you've booted from the fresh install on the SSD, it's time to update to 10.5.6 (if necessary). After a default install, I only had a gig and change left on my 16GB SSD, so I had to dump some programs I wouldn't need as well as all the printer drivers found at /Library/Printers. There is an app called Monolingual which can also help clear some space by removing unwanted language files and stripping out all legacy PPC code from your universal binaries.

16. Once you've cleared up enough space (if necessary, you'll need around 6GB), go to Software Update and install the 10.5.6 update. This will take a long-ass time too (the SSD, strangely enough, seems to actually be slower on tasks that take tons of reads and writes).

17. After it's done, restart, and boot into the Type11 bootloader one last time. This time you don't have to use the "-f" flag. Once you're booted, go to the DellMini9Utils folder on your Type11 CD or flash drive and run the DellEFI installer. This will load all of the Mini 9 .kexts and drivers as well as a special bootloader to boot your SSD install. Choose the easy install option and just let it do its magic.

18. After it's done, you'll be asked to reboot one final time. You won't need to boot from the Type11 CD this time; you should boot straight off of your SSD like normal, and enter upon your fresh new OS X desktop, now in gloriously correct 1024x600 resolution. Awesome!

Configs, Tweaks and Fun Stuff
You'll notice right away that OS X runs fantastically on the Mini 9. I was really stunned, and you probably will be too. Here are some things to make it even better:

? Follow this tutorial to get your mobile broadband working if your Mini 9 has it. Network preferences should recognize it out of the box.
? If you're especially OCD, you can run the "AboutThisMac.pkg" inside the Type11 utilities folder to change "Unknown Processor" in the About This Mac window to the correct 1.6GHz Atom designation.
? This is a neat trick for fooling pesky oversized windows into shrinking themselves for your small screen.
? I haven't had luck with this, but you can apparently enable some multitouch scrolling action on the Dell's Synaptics touchpad by following these instructions.

Conclusion
So congrats, now you have a 100% functional OS X netbook. I've been using mine for a few days now, and it's quite the machine for basic netbook activities-surfing, IM, email. It connects to my shared AirPort disk and streams my video collection (even high-def files) perfectly, and also backs up wirelessly over Time Machine. The 9-inch screen will make even your lower-res full-screen video look fantastic—YouTube or Hulu, QuickTime trailers and video rips are a pleasure to watch. Watching an episode of something in bed without lugging my 15-incher in with me is really nice.

In addition, I think I may have found the perfect toilet computer. No one wants to fight Windows on the throne. And of course it's amazing for traveling. I'm about to take a trip to Cairo, and I'll be bringing this little guy without a doubt.

Resources
Many thanks to everyone at the following sites:
? DellMyMini Forums: Mac OS X
? DellMyMini Forums: OS X: FAQs and How Tos
? OSX86 Wiki Guide

So that's about it! Please add in your experiences in the comments-your feedback is a huge benefit to our Saturday guides. Good luck with your own Hackintoshing, and have a great weekend!

[via http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/]

How to: Install Apps on Your iPhone 3G or iPod Touch Easily and Free

Sat, 07 Mar 2009 09:00:00 -0800

If you want to install cool apps on your iPhone or iPod Touch for free, easily, breaking Apple-imposed limitations without breaking your warranty or Applethingie, here is the how-to guide for Mac and Windows users.

What is a jailbreak?

Jailbreaking is the process required to install applications in your iPhone or iPod touch. It is a very easy procedure. It's also safe: There are no risks in this operation*, as you can easily use iTunes to restore your iPhone or iPod touch to the default factory settings. When you do that, the iPhone will be like new.

Why jailbreak your iPhone or iPod touch from Apple's iron fist?

You should jailbreak your iPhone or iPod if you want to install really cool and useful applications that are not in the iTunes App Store. Many of these apps are a complete must for any iPhone user but are not allowed by Apple in their iTunes App Store.

This is what you can do with a phone that has been jailbroken:

? Use your iPhone as a 3G modem with your laptop.
? Record video using Cycorder.
? Unlock your iPhone installing a simple program, so you can use a pre-paid card when you go out on vacation instead of paying outrageous roaming charges.
? Follow speech turn-by-turn directions in a GPS program.
? Copy and paste (yes, copy and paste).
? Play Nintendo Entertainment System games and other emulated classic cames (like Monkey Island!)

In other words: Do it.

*WARNING* Of course, the usual do this at your own risk and we are not responsible caveats still apply, but this process is really fool proof thanks to Apple's iTunes factory reset. If you are looking to unlock your iPhone now or in the future, DON'T USE THESE INSTRUCTIONS or you won't be able to unlock it. You will need a different process, which we will explain in another How To.

Opening the backdoor (Mac Users only)

The first thing you need to do to install free apps in your iPhone or iPod is putting it into DFU mode, or Device Firmware Update mode. Don't worry, this isn't anything weird: It's what your device goes through every time you update the operating system in it. With this step, you will be making the iPhone go into this state.

This is the only long part of this tutorial because—since the 10.5.6 update—Apple has made it difficult to easily connect your Mac to a manually DFU'ed iPhone or iPod. This can be solved by replacing some USB drivers from a previous version of Mac OS X. If you have 10.5.6 installed, follow these instructions:

Step 1. To do this, you need to get yourself a free Apple Developer Connection account. Since you are using iTunes with your device, you are already almost there: Just log in with your Apple ID from here. The form will ask you to answer a couple of questions (just answer whatever you want), and you'll be done as soon as you click the Accept button.

Step 2. Now you need to download and install the drivers. Go to this page and look for this file:

IOUSBFamily-315.4-log.dmg" for Mac OS X10.5.5 Build 9F33

Once it's downloaded, disconnect ALL USB peripherals except for your Apple keyboard and Apple mouse and install the package included in the disk image.

Once you restart after the installation, you will be ready to run QuickPwn, the program that will allow you to install the applications.

Important: Once you complete the jailbreaking process, you have to restore the previous USB drivers. Go to to this page and download IOUSBFamily-327.4.0-log.dmg" for Mac OS X 10.5.6 Build 9G55, then repeat the same operation. Once you restart, Mac OS X 10.5.6 will be restored to its original state.

Freeing your iPhone or iPod touch (all users)

Here's the easiest part: Running QuickPwn. QuickPwn is a program that will easily "jailbreak" your iPhone or iPod touch. Jailbreak, as the name says, just means breaking Apple's limitations on accessing your device, allowing you put anything you want in it. This means installing any application you want, and not only the ones that Apple allows you to install.

Step 1. Download QuickPwn for Mac OS X or Windows from any of the following links:

Windows
? QuickPwn 2.2.5 for Windows: Get the official release via Torrent here.

Unofficial mirrors
? http://miphone.ca/iphone-dev/QuickPwn225-2.zip
? http://foskarulla.com/QuickPwn-225-2.zip
? http://downloads2.touch-mania.com/QuickPwn-225-2.zip
? http://www.applei.ph/devteam/QuickPwn-225-2.zip
? http://phonenews.com/phones/gsm/apple/QuickPwn225-2.zip
? http://rabstalk.bplaced.net/mirrors/QuickPwn-225-2.zip
? http://www.evil-crew.de/QuickPwn-225-2.zip
? http://daniel14.com/QuickPwn-225-2.zip

Mac OS X
? QuickPwn 2.2.5: Get the official release via Torrent here.

Unofficial mirrors
? http://iphone-dev.fgv6.net/QuickPwn_2.2.5.dmg
? http://iphone.schwarzmetall.cn/QuickPwn_2.2.5.dmg
? http://rabstalk.bplaced.net/mirrors/QuickPwn_2.2.5.dmg
? http://jmcoon.net/QuickPwn_2.2.5.dmg
? http://www.iphone-storage.de/QuickPwn_2.2.5.dmg
? http://downloads2.ipod.backshot.eu/QuickPwn_2.2.5.dmg
? http://miphone.ca/iphone-dev/QuickPwn_2.2.5.dmg

Step 2. Run QuickPwn and pick the kind of device you have: iPhone, iPhone 3G, or iPod Touch.

Step 3. Follow the instructions on the screen. QuickPwn is completely automated:

? Firstly, it will download all the necessary components from Apple on its own.

? Then the software will build a custom iPhone operating system, which includes Installer and Cydia, the two programs that will allow you to install the iPhone applications outside of the iTunes Apps Store microsystem.

? When QuickPwn asks you to enter your system password, do it. It's not malicious. It just needs this to work.

? Finally, follow the precisely timed instructions on the screen to put your device on DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode. QuickPwn will do the rest.

If something doesn't work, don't worry. Start the process again. If your device gets a bit nutty, restore it to default factory settings using iTunes, and you will be back to square one, no harm done.

Step 4. Be patient as your iPhone restarts. Once it's done, you are done too. It's fun time.

Installing the applications

This is where the fun starts. You will notice two new icons in your iPhone or iPod touch's springboard: One says "Installer" and the other says "Cydia". These are the two competing systems for installation of software. It doesn't really matter what you use to install your software. Most applications can be installed from both—there are exceptions, like xGPS, which can only be installed on Cydia—and both allow you to browse and install software from a a variety of sources.

? Browsing the catalogs. Whatever system you choose, installing applications is as easy as going through the available catalogs and picking the application you want.

? Manually adding applications. There will be times in which you will discover applications on the web which are not in the default catalogs in Cydia or Installer. Fortunately, you can add these by just entering the URL provided by the developer in the web page, a process that is referred to as "Adding a source". Here's how to do it:

In Cydia

? Click on "Manage."
? Click on "Sources."
? Click on "Edit" and then "Add."
? Enter the address in the dialog field.
? Click on "Add source."

In Installer

? Click on "Sources."
? Click on "Edit" and then "Add."
? Enter the address in the field.
? Click "Done" and get back to sources by clicking on "Sources."

And that's it. Now you can install any application you want using either program. Have fun!

[via http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple/]

What Happened To Apple's Software Quality?

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:20:02 -0800

Apple has teased Microsoft for years, saying that Windows was easily more trouble than OS X. But given the raft of issues that we're seeing with Snow Leopard, iTunes and Apple TV, are these claims still legitimate? [via http://www.digg.com/apple]

XBMC Turns Your Mac into the Ultimate Media Center

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:00:00 -0700

You don't have to mod your classic Xbox to run the best free media center application around anymore: Dedicated developers have ported the Xbox Media Center (XBMC) software to the Mac, and its killer features will convince you to abandon Front Row forever. The latest XBMC on OS X beta dropped last week, and it's as stable and useful as ever. Dubbed the "throw out your Xbox" release, XBMC for Mac 0.5 beta 1 adds the key feature that finally puts your media center Mac under the TV where it belongs: remote control support. Let's take a look at how you can (and why you want to) replace Front Row with XBMC on your Mac.

Why XBMC?

Ever since I soft-modded my classic Xbox last year, XBMC won my heart as my primary media center package. If you haven't used XBMC before, take a look at some screenshots of the app in action.

Here's a look at a few movies in my DVD collection on the XBMC. (XBMC can automatically download all of the DVD cover art, plot summaries, and cast lists from various sources, like IMDB.)

Like movies, TV shows also get art and summaries. Here's the wide view of some TV series on my XBMC.

On the music side of things, XBMC can display your songs and albums in a Coverflow-like view (among others).

You can also browse and view your photo library with XBMC. The full-screen slideshow looks great on your TV screen, too.

You can see more of what's possible with XBMC in my initial writeup, but keep in mind that a few things aren't working in the XBMC for Mac beta. (See below for more details.) First, let's get your Mac set up with XBMC.

What You Need

To run XBMC, you'll need an Intel-based Mac running Leopard (the software does not run on PowerPC models or on Tiger). You'll want a remote control (Apple remote or universal remote), and a TV with a DVI or VGA input would be nice too, for watching movies on the big screen. Finally, download the latest release of XBMC for OS X here, and install it on your Mac as usual.

Initial Setup

You can use the mouse to drive XBMC on the Mac, but some actions (like going full-screen) are keyboard only. From the XBMC for OS X wiki, here's the full list of useful keys to know when using XBMC on the Mac:

Backslash - Full Screen Toggle
Arrow keys - Navigate menus
Page Up and Down - Scroll up and down
Enter - Select
Esc - Previous menu
Backspace - Go back (or up) a directory
Spacebar - Pause
Period - Skip Next
Comma - Skip Previous
Tab - Minimize Video
Printscreen - Screen Shot
Minus - Volume Down
Plus - Volume Up

p - Play
f - Fast Forward
c - Context menu
r - Rewind
x - Stop
m - Player controls
s - Shutdown menu
i - Info
q - Queue
z - Change aspect ratio

Next, you want XBMC to find your media stash. To point it to your video collection, navigate to Videos, and choose Add Source. From there, add the directory where your clips live. Once you've done that, to add DVD art, select your newly-added source, and press c to get the context menu. Choose "Set Content" to tell XBMC where to grab art and video info from, and scan your video clip info to XBMC's database. Wash, rinse, and repeat for your music as well.

Configure Your Apple Remote

In order to start flipping through the movie collection on your Mac under the TV while you relax on the couch, you want to enable the Apple remote to work with XBMC. To do so, in Settings, hit the Apple Remote section. If you've got a standard-issue Apple remote, set Mode to Standard.

(Note: I happened to have Remote Buddy installed on my Mac, and XBMC complained that the driver was getting in its way. Once I uninstalled Remote Buddy, all was well.)

Replace Front Row with XBMC: To start up XBMC instead of Front Row, check off "Always Running" in the Apple Remote section of XBMC's Settings area.

Hook it up to the TV: I used a DVI to VGA adaptor on my MacBook Pro to connect it to the big-screen TV. As you can see from the photo, I couldn't coax the MacBook to work at the TV's full resolution, but it's still way more watchable than the laptop screen.

What Doesn't Work (Yet) in XBMC on OS X Beta

XBMC for OS X is still very much a beta, so quite a bit of secondary functionality does not yet work with it—namely weather and plug-ins (like YouTube or Tetris). Other small random things don't work on my Mac the way they do on the Xbox, like the CPU temperature reading, as shown.

What's Better in XBMC for OS X (versus for the Xbox)

The most obvious advantage to XBMC on the Mac instead of the Xbox itself is ease of setup. No more logging into secret FTP sites to download software, exploiting games, or modding required—simply install and go. Secondly, your Xbox doesn't come with a full keyboard and mouse, but your Mac does, and this makes entering text and browsing directories much easier and faster. Thirdly, your Mac already has a bunch of useful files and applications on it, so XBMC's File Manager is way more useful.

It's also way easier to add hard drive storage to your XBMC for Mac—simply plug in a standard FireWire drive and go. (No more configuring Samba shares or cracking open your Xbox case to install a bigger hard drive.) Finally, you've got full-on OS X behind you, so the need for XBMC plug-ins isn't as great. For example, you can simply run your favorite Mac BitTorrent application in the background, and have it drop videos into your XBMC source directory automatically.

To see more of what XBMC on the Mac can do, hit the play button on this clip, which demos XBMC sporting a very Front Row-like skin. (Note: this is an earlier release of XBMC for Mac, not the latest beta.)

Be sure to check out the XBMC on OS X wiki to find out more about the project and its progress.

Are you an XBMC fan and user? Have you tried XBMC on the Mac? What's your verdict? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Gina Trapani, the editor of Lifehacker, will use XBMC on any hardware it runs on. Her weekly feature, Geek to Live, appears every Monday on Lifehacker. Subscribe to the Geek to Live feed to get new installments in your newsreader.

[via http://www.lifehacker.org]