ReelSmart.com

Updated Google Mobile App for iPhone to Add Voice Search

Stephen Antonucci — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:10:16 -0600

Mike LeBeau of the Google mobile team gives an overview of the new updated Google Mobile App for iPhone. The App let's you speak your queries without pushing any buttons, and also let's you do local search. This look very cool and useful. This update is expected to show up in the App Store anytime now. More at the NY Times.

Safari 3.2 Lands

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:51:20 -0600

Apple recommends this update for all Safari users. Safari 3.2 features protection from fraudulent phishing websites and better identification of online businesses. This update also includes the latest security updates. For detailed information on the security content of this update, please visit Apple support site. Just fire up software update or use these standalone downloads:

Citrix Coming to iPhone

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:31:59 -0600

Why I Like Apple

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:07:30 -0600

I have owned computers for many years running different operating systems including Windows, Amiga, Linux, and Mac OS. I am not writing this to say "I'm a Mac" and you should not be a "PC." Fact is all Macs run Windows out of the box. So if you own an use a Mac you are a PC, also. One reason I have no idea what Microsoft is talking about in the latest bring ads. I came across this poor guys comment on Amazon today and it reminded me of al the support and customer service nightmares I have had over the years. Read after the jump.

From Amazon site. T. Kulmacz says: Buying Dell is bad for your career and professional reputation I made the mistake of having my company buy a Dell XPS 2010 machine in 2007 when it cost $4,000. The machine was to be used for on-site video editing at various events so it needed to be fast with a raid drive to handle high definition video editing. Also needed to look sharp with a nice screen so clients can review the footage at the events. Lasted just about a year and then breaks. For the past 4 months, I have been pursuing repairs with Dell and it is still not fixed. Support is horrible. Beyond horrible actually - more criminally fraudulent. Dell sells poorly constructed hardware and then gives an award winning run around when you attempt to get support. I so regret going with Dell. No one trusts my equipment recommendations since I suggested trying Dell so I'm now pretty much excluded from the hardware decision making process (other than the occasional joke about having Tom call his Dell contact to obtain equipment for a project. And then everyone laughs and laughs . . .) This whole Dell fiasco has just been hurtful and embarrassing for me. 1/30/08 - Machine breaks. Call Dell. 1/31/08 - Dell technician (Steve) replaces motherboard but it does not fix computer. Technician requests a box be sent for depot repair. 2/6/08 - call Dell to see where the box is at. Box was not sent so Dell attempts to send it again. 2/12/08 - call Dell to see where box is at. Box still not sent so Dell sends Steve back. 2/14/08 - Steve replaces motherboard a second time (and graphic card?). Machine runs just long enough for him to leave the building and then dies. 2/19/08 - call Dell to report issue. Dell claims it is sending a box. I don't believe them. Manager (SSR) Phillip claims he has authorized the box shipment. 2/22/08 - call Dell to see where box is at. Technician Jason is condescending in saying I did not give them enough time for the box to arrive. 2/27/08 - call Dell to see where box is at. Box still not sent. Technician Jeremy has his manager, Ahmed, speak with me who assures me the box will be there on Monday (3/3). I tell Ahmed I don't believe him and even should a box arrives, I bet once I send the computer it will get lost in whatever Dell internal process is glitching the box shipment. 3/7/08 - receive box from Dell. Ben Jimenez emails offering to help with replacement. 3/11/08 - email Ben I would be interested in pursuing a replacement. 3/14/08 - email Ben asking for instructions on returning machine in box. Ben never returns my call or email. 3/19/08 - return machine, power supply and mouse in box sent by Dell. 3/25/08 - receive back a machine but no power supply or mouse. Machine now boots up but CD Rom does not work. Leave message and email for Ben requesting refund. Ben never returns my call or email. 3/28/08 - Leave message and email for Ben requesting help with the missing adapter, mouse and broken CD rom. Ben never returns my call or email. 4/2/08 - Margarette leaves message offering to help. Call Margarette back but she never returns my call. 4/4/08 - spoke with Francis at XPS line. Spent close to 2 hours trying to diagnose the broken DVD drive. Francis is dispatching a technician with parts. 4/4/08 - call the 800-624-9897 number Francis gave me to discuss the incredibly bad customer service. Francis is having fun with me as this is just the main Dell number. Spoke with an Indian women who basically directed me to call technical support and then proceeded to give me the wrong phone number. 4/7/08 - Technician sent by Dell (Steve) replaces DVD drive. 5/1/08 - DVD writer fails after only reading few disks - never got a chance to see if it would write a disk. Call Dell and spend severl hours on the phone speaking with 3 technicians and a supervisor who pass the issue back to Ben even though I tell them Ben doesn't return phone calls or email. Supervisor Daniel assures me Ben will get back to me in the next day or two. It will be nice if Ben surprises me and calls but after 4 months I'm not optimistic. It's been 4 months and still all I have is a $4,000 paper weight taking up a lot of room on my desk. Very sad how many of the responses to this post essentially blame me. I feel the only thing I can be blamed for is buying from Dell, from which I have learned my lesson and will never do so again. 5/21/08 - Received a replacement machine from Dell!! Sent the old P.O.S. back and begain reinstalling my Adobe video editing programs. 5/27/08 - not that I had anything to do with it, but Dell is found guilty of fraud, false advertising and deceptive business practices in New York. IDG reports: "The Albany County Supreme Court found that Dell deprived customers of technical support that they bought or were eligible for under warranty in several ways, including by requiring people to wait for very long times on the phone, repeatedly transferring their calls and frequently disconnecting their calls. Dell also often failed to provide onsite repairs for customers who bought contracts for such support and often blamed software when hardware was actually the problem, the court found. The company also sometimes refused to offer support when a support contract ended, even though the user had first complained about a problem before the end of the contract. Subscribers to a "next-day" repair service sometimes waited as long as a year for support, the court found." Boy do I know what they are talking about!

I read this and I had several flashbacks and then remembered why I liked Apple. The stores equipped with Genius Bars and their superior customer service. Even when I have had problems with an Apple product (yes, they break also) I have never had this type of run around as Dell has given this poor guy or the what Microsoft has given Xbox 360 owners. Reading the comments at Amazon related to this guys experience shows, as I already know, he is not alone! Maybe this is why Dell's fortunes are in the toilet and Michael Dell should truly consider giving the money back to his stock holders! Apple has the best customer service in the industry in my opinion. This is why I recommend AppleCare and Macs to people!

Digital TV is Coming

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:57:12 -0500

Time to take the time out of your day to explain in plain english to your grandparents about the Digital TV switchover coming in February 2009. See The Day Analog TV Dies - What You Need To Know.

AT&T WiFi Access Goes Free for iPhone Users

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:34:57 -0500

I received a nice SMS message from AT&T just a little while ago. AT&T Wi-Fi Access is now free for iPhone and Laptop Connect customers. Reprint below from AT&T website. Access the Internet anytime AT&T knows Wi-Fi is hot, and FREE Wi-Fi is even hotter. Which is why FREE AT&T Wi-Fi access is now available for Apple iPhone at thousands of hotspots nationwide, including Starbucks*. Users can relax and access music, email and web browsing services with their favorite blend in hand from the comfort of their nearest location. For information visit www.att.com/attwifi. Find a Starbucks location near you. *Wi-Fi available at U.S. company-operated Starbucks locations equipped with a hotspot. Thousands of AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot locations nationwide

Airports
Hotels
Universities
Convention Centers
Sports Centers
Starbucks locations
Restaurants
Bookstores
Supermarkets

Whether you browse from your laptop, phone, or device AT&T is committed to enhancing your experience by providing powerful broadband speeds. This allows for fast and easy downloads of your favorite music, streaming videos, games, and more. iPhone users, get started with Wi-Fi

Activate Wi-Fi from the settings icon on your iPhone
Select "attwifi" from the list of available networks
Enter your 10-digit mobile number and check the box to agree to the Acceptable Use Policy. Tap 'continue'
You will receive a text message from AT&T with a secure link to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot. You will not be charged for the text message.
The SMS link will only be valid for 24 hours at the location it was requested. Another request must be submitted when using another hotspot location.
Open the text message and tap on the link for 24-hour access to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot

Get started with LaptopConnect

Log in to the AT&T hotspot web page with LaptopConnect
Activate the wireless networking functionality on your laptop or Wi-Fi-enabled device and look for the SSID "ATTWIFI"
Once connected to "ATTWIFI" you will be presented with options to order AT&T's Basic or Premier service

No WiFi No Deal This is another reason I would never buy a smartphone that does not have WiFi capability and this includes the forthcoming Blackberry Storm. It is not only using WiFi at hotspots, but I want to use WiFi in my home as it is faster, unmetered and unfettered. No WiFi on a smartphone makes it not so smart. Just load Truphone or Fring on your iPhone (both free apps) and you can make inexpensive VoIP calls over WiFi. This is great when traveling in other countries where these calls would cost an arm and a leg over the foreign carrier. No WiFi on a smartphone is like a day without sunshine.

Apple Easily Surpasses Goal 10 Million iPhones - Anal-lists Remembered

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:01:27 -0500

Now that it is clear that Apple CEO Steve Jobs prediction of selling 10 million iPhones in 2008 has been easily surpass MacDailyNews has helped us remember the naysayers.

Apple Has Time For New Ad While Reporting Record Numbers

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:07:02 -0500

Apple posts a new ad making fun of the cost of Microsoft's ad campaign. Apple has plenty to be happy about after reporting record numbers in Mac, iPod and especially iPhone sales with profits up 26 percent. Apple also reported they had 25 billion in the bank and absolutely no debt. Apple posted a profit of $1.14 billion on revenues of $7.9 billion for the quarter. The company also said it had sold 2.6 million Macs, 11 million iPods, and 6.8 million iPhones in the three months ending September 27 outselling RIM's Blackberry. The iPhone has already surpassed Steve Jobs prediction of selling 10 million iPhones by year end. In fact it is actually possible that they could double El Steveo's prediction by end of the holiday quarter. Apple is now the number three phone maker behind only Nokia and Samsung. Steve Jobs made a rare appearance at a financial event. Jobs read these prepared remarks:

As you can see, the non-GAAP financial results are truly stunning. By eliminating subscription accounting, adjusted sales for the quarter were $11.68 billion, 48% higher than the reported revenue of $7.9 billion, while adjusted income was $2.44 billion, 115% higher than the reported net income of $1.14 billion. Adjusted net income that is more than double our reported income — if this isn’t stunning, I don’t know what is, all due to the incredible success of the iPhone 3G. I would like to now highlight two remarkable milestones resulting from iPhone’s outstanding performance last quarter. The first is that Apple beat RIM. In their most recent quarter, Research in Motion, or RIM, reported selling 6.1 million BlackBerry devices. Compared to our most recent quarter sales of 6.9 million iPhones, Apple outsold RIM last quarter and this is a milestone for us. RIM is a good company that makes good products and so it is surprising that after only 15 months in the market, we could outsell them in any quarter. But even more remarkable is this — measured by revenues, Apple has become the world’s third-largest mobile phone supplier. I know this sounds crazy, but it’s true — as measured in revenues, not units, Apple has become the third largest mobile phone supplier. Let’s look at the ranking — Nokia is clearly number one at 12.7 billion; Samsung number two at 5.9 billion; Apple is number three at 4.6 billion; Sony Ericsson, number four at 4.2; LG, number five at 3.4 billion; Motorola, number six at 3.2; and RIM number seven at 2.1. Pretty amazing.

He went on to say:

Now, both of these things, beating RIM in units and becoming the third largest mobile supplier in revenues are amazing feats but part of this was the result of expanding into over 50 countries and there’s no guarantee that sustained sales will equal initial sales. And who knows what the future results will be, given the worldwide economic slowdown but we actually outsold RIM last quarter and ranked as the third largest mobile phone supplier in revenues. Not bad for being in the market for only 15 months.

Weighing the fact that Microsoft has missed their reported numbers on Windows Mobile licenses make the success of the iPhone this much more amazing. Microsoft proclaimed that they would sell “more than” 20 million licenses to its Windows Mobile operating system by end of the fiscal year on June 30. Later Microsoft scaled back their prediction to “nearly” 20 million units. This week, Microsoft was forced to concede it did not hit its target: The company sold just 18 million units in the fiscal year.
Where is the Motorola Q Phone Now? It is quite possible the iPhone that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer laughed at, may have already outsold Windows Mobile with only having been in the market for 15 months. The iPhone cheapest model is $199 plus two year contract. Who is laughing now? Apple licensing ActiveSync from Microsoft has helped to bring more success for Apple against RIM’s Blackberry than Microsoft ever did with its own technology! When asked about competitors in the smartphone space Jobs said: “As software becomes the differentiating technology of this product category, people find that a hundred [hardware] variations presented to software developers is not very enticing,” he said. “And most companies in this phone business do not have much experience in a software platform business. So we’re extremely comfortable with our product strategy going forward, and we approach it as a software platform company, which is pretty different than most of our competition.” Jobs announced at the conference call, that customers will download the 200-millionth app from the App Store today in only 102 days of the App Store. There are over 5,500 apps now available in 62 countries. "Competitors are scrambling to copy the App Store, but it's not easy," Jobs said. When asked if Apple will create various different iPhone models at different price points Jobs said, "From what I've heard, Babe Ruth had only one home run. He just kept hitting it over and over again." iPhone is a software platform and Apple doesn't want to do too much to complicate matters for developers. Apple will simply "have to be the best" to compete in a more cluttered 2009 smartphone market, Jobs adds. He said one of the company's goals is to avoid leaving a "price umbrella" underneath the iPhone for competitors to leverage. The iPhone now accounts for 39 percent of Apple's business and is clearly now its most important product. Addressing questions about Apple entering the netbook and basement-priced PC market Jobs said, "We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk, It's just not in our DNA. That's not what we do. We don’t try to be every thing to everybody, and we’ll continue to add more value to the products in our line-up. We choose to compete in some areas and choose not to be in others. We’re not tremendously worried about competing at the very low end.” However he added that Apple is watching the category closely: “It’s a nascent category and we’ll watch while it evolves,” Jobs said. “And we’ve got some pretty good ideas if it does evolve.” Jobs confronted the ongoing global financial climate in hos opening by saying, “Some remarkable things are happening at Apple, but everything is set against this remarkable economic slowdown.” Later, he said, “We are not economists. Your next door neighbor can likely predict what’s going to happen as well as we can.” Jobs explained that Apple felt that making good quality high end products was the answer and due to customer loyalty they do not worry about people moving to buy cheap PCs. He said that Apple customers are the “smartest, most product-aware customers in the market.” While they may postpone purchases, he said, they’re unlikely to abandon Apple and would more likely just delay purchases rather than switch to a competitor. Apple TV is still just a "hobby", according to Jobs and will remain that way in 2009. He noted that many of the companies experimenting in the category have recently faded away and the economy isn't helping matters much in this regard. One analyst suggested that Apple could use the $25 billion in cash they have in the bank to buy back its own stock, Jobs said that the money would be better used for funding R&D and perhaps even acquiring other companies or talented employees. Or even better, much of it could remain as a safety cushion. “It [the cash] isn’t burning a hole in our pocket,” he said. An analyst following up, “Steve, you mentioned a couple of times that you thought there were extraordinary opportunities for companies with cash,” he said. “I think you could hire almost every engineer in Silicon Valley on a lifetime employment contract and not really dent that significant cash horde that you have. When you made that statement, are you suggesting that there are significant opportunities for Apple outside of Apple, specifically in terms of acquiring companies?” Jobs’s reply: “I just meant exactly what I said, which is I think there’s going to be some significant opportunities.” Who knows Apple could buy Adobe (market cap about $14.65 billion) and still have enough money to "hire almost every engineer in Silicon Valley." By the way it is said the Mr. Jobs looked quite healthy and was on top of his game. Apple stock rose significantly in after hours trading. UPDATE: Here are interesting iPhone facts that Apple has shared:

Since launch date on July 11, Apple sold 6.892 million 3G iPhones in the quarter, bringing the total number of iPhones sold so far to 12.992 million. Many of the new phones were sold to first-time buyers and well past Steve Jobs much doubted prediction of selling 10 million iPhones by end of 2008.
Apple recognized $806 million in iPhone-related revenues for the quarter.
If Apple didn’t defer the iPhone revenue (as required by accounting procedure so they can provide free software updates), the iPhone sales would have accounted for about 39 percent of the adjusted total quarterly revenues at $4.6 billion.
The iPhone will be sold in 70 countries by end of this year. It is currently sold in 51 countries.
By revenues, Apple is now the 3rd largest mobile phone maker behind Nokia and Samsung, ahead of Sony & LG Electronics. Samsung had revenues of $5.9 billion and it seems beatable.
iPhone is outselling RIM. Jobs kept hammering on that point during the conference call. I wonder how many "crackberry" addicts ditched their mechanical keyboards for an iPhone?
Apple says that in the 102 days since the iPhone Apps store opened, nearly 200 million iPhone apps have been downloaded. There are about 5500 apps available on the iPhone Apps store.

Online Petition asks Apple to Bring FireWire Back to MacBook

Stephen Antonucci — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:18:45 -0500

Thorsten Raasch has created an online petition, "FireWire ports in Apple consumer notebooks," which reads:

To: Apple Inc. We all love your products, Apple Inc.! But your recently refreshed line of consumer notebooks lacks the possibility to plug in digital audio and video equipment as well as fast mass storage devices. Therefore, we pledge to purchase a new MacBook or MacBook Air if you, the inventor of FireWire technology, would be so kind to bring back FireWire ports to those products. Sincerely, The Undersigned

More information and to sign the petition is here.

Electing a US President in Plain English

Stephen Antonucci — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 21:28:21 -0500

CommonCraft give us an explanation in plain English how the process works.

Qik Video Streaming Expected Soon in App Store

Stephen Antonucci — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 21:20:04 -0500

Video streaming should be coming to iPhone as Qik app is expected to go legit in the App Store soon.
Courtesy Kevin Rose Qik a free service that allows users with certain cellphones with video capture capabilities to stream live video directly to their website from 3G or WiFi). Until recently only handful of smartphones (Nokia N95 and few Windows Mobile devices) have been able to use this service. Qik will soon open up Sony Ericsson, more Nokia phones and very soon the iPhone. Qik software has been available to jailbroken iPhones for awhile, but is soon expected to take a much anticipated place in the App Store. Apple app screening do not fail us now! Qik has announced that it has expanded outside the realm of smartphones and will now support J2ME feature phones, a.k.a. non-smartphones. Owners of the several Nokia and Sony Ericsson phones can download an alpha version of the Qik client to test it out here.

Apple Blasts Microsoft Ads and Windows Vista

Stephen Antonucci — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:15:01 -0500

Microsoft's Bean Counter
Apple Stops the V Word Apple has begun airing two new "Get a Mac" TV commercials that pokes fun at Microsoft's Ads and Windows Vista product. Priceless! Did not cost Apple anywhere near $300 million or the $10 million Microsoft spent for 6 days work from a washed up comedian that was actually a Mac guy.

Apple Releases Migration and DVD/CD Sharing Update

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:29:55 -0500

Apple has released Migration and DVD/CD Sharing Update 1.1 that provides enhanced customization capabilities and improved performance for migration over FireWire, Ethernet and wireless networks. So says Apple.

It’s Official Windows Vista is a Failure

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:34:54 -0500

If you thought that Vista was just going through a slow period, think again. Seems Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer has all but given up on Windows Vista. That's right, he said at Gartner's Symposium/ITxpo conference in Orlando, that it's OK for companies to SKIP Vista and hopes they come to Windows 7. Maybe the "WOW" will begin then? If this is not admission that Microsoft brass is rushing the next version, Windows 7 to market and giving up on Windows Vista I do not know what else you need. Seems to me that Microsoft better slow down and get it right this time, Vista was rushed (only took 5 years) and the result was not received too well by users. Who is to say Windows 7 won't be full of issues? Ballmer reiterated Microsoft's pledge that Windows 7 will be compatible with Vista. Wow, Windows will be compatible with... Windows. Isn't that something! Was this in doubt also? While telling companies that it is OK to pass on Vista, Ballmer is quick to point out that "the adoption rate of Vista is two times faster than XP at two years in." He probably does not include how many users have bought Vista and then UPGRADED to Windows XP in his numbers. I say just buy a Mac and be happy. The ONLY PC you will ever need. It can run Windows too, if you must.

Amazon Deals on Apple Laptops

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:16:28 -0500

Amazon is offering a great deal on the older MacBooks and MacBook Pros. They are now on sale at big discounts starting at $869 for Firewire equipped MacBooks and $1,569.00 for MacBook Pros. These machines where the ones selling at the Apple Store two days ago. Move fast while supplies last. Apple MacBook MB402LL/A 13.3-inch Laptop (2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 1 GB RAM, 120 GB Hard Drive) White - $869 after rebate Apple MacBook MB403LL/A 13.3-inch Laptop (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive) White - $1199.00 Apple MacBook MB404LL/A 13.3-inch Laptop (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive) Black - $1194.00 after rebate Apple MacBook Pro MB133LL/A 15.4-inch Laptop (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 200 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive) - $1569.00 Apple MacBook Pro MB134LL/A 15.4-inch Laptop (2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive) - $1774.00 Apple MacBook Pro MB166LL/A 17-inch Laptop (2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive) - $2399.00 Buy through my links and and support ReelSmart.com

Has Apple Lost Interest in Pro Users?

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:38:42 -0500

I thought about writing this early last year when Apple did not bring Blu-ray as an option to any Macs or DVD Studio Pro support. I also thought about writing this past April when Apple passed on NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) event that brings in content creators from all over the world. Well we are at the end of the year and it is now a question I MUST ask. Pro users and content creators have traditionally been among Apple's most loyal customers. It can be argued that it was the pro users and the content creators that kept Apple afloat in those dark years before Jobs and company turned the company around. When Steve Jobs returned he used the pro users to help Apple from sinking, introduced Final Cut Pro and made non-linear editing more affordable for content creators who bought up Apple products in huge numbers. Many third party companies built businesses around Apple products and the DV revolution. Apple was soon a prominent company at trade shows like DV Expo, NAB, and others.

Apple Posts Spotlight on Notebook Event Video

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:26:19 -0500

Watch Apple's Spotlight on Notebook Event video here.

Apple Refresh Notebooks and Cinema Display

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:03:28 -0500

At an invitation only media event today Apple has refreshed MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Cinema Display. The new notebooks now feature a glass multi-touch track pad that has no buttons. All of Apple's notebooks are now made of aluminum using a new innovative manufacturing process that Apple claims reduces cost, amount of parts, increases strength, and is better for the environment. At an invitation only media event today Apple has refreshed MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Cinema Display. The new notebooks now feature a glass multi-touch track pad that has no buttons. All of Apple's notebooks are now made of aluminum using a new innovative manufacturing process that Apple claims reduces cost, amount of parts, increases strength, and is better for the environment. Processor speeds are mostly snot changed. However, bus, memory and graphics upgrades will probably provide performance increases. MacBook Pro The MacBook Pro 15 inch is the only MacBook Pro that has seemed to get a complete makeover. The 17 inch MacBook Pro seems to have oddly gotten only a minor update and retains the older look and feel. The 15 inch MacBook Pro is no longer available with a matt display (glossy only) and only offers one FireWire 800 port (can be used with FireWire 400 with an adaptor). Also gone is the DVI display connector being replayed by a new Mini DisplayPort. Video output adaptors are available as OPTIONS:

DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter (optional) $29
VGA output using Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter (optional) $29
Dual-link DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (optional) $99

This means if you just want to connect a new MacBook or MacBook Pro to your existing monitor, you will have to spring for an adaptor that is NOT included. This means in my case spending about $60 for a DVI and a VGA adaptor! The new 15 inch MacBook Pro uses LED backlighting and better graphics that what they replace. Built-in iSight camera is still included. NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics processor with dual-link DVI support; 256MB of GDDR3 memory on 2.4GHz configuration; 512MB of GDDR3 memory on 2.53GHz and 2.8GHz configurations. Supported resolutions: 1440 by 900 (native), 1280 by 800, 1152 by 720, 1024 by 640, and 800 by 500 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio stretched; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio stretched. Airport Extreme WiFi - 802.11n draft specification); IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible. Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate). Connection and Expansion includes:

MagSafe power port
Gigabit Ethernet port
One FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps)
Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
Mini DisplayPort
Audio line in
Audio line out
ExpressCard/34 slot
Kensington lock slot

Apple no longer includes an Apple Remote $19 as they stopped doing that on the last update of the MBP. Pricing remains about the same for MacBook Pro at $1,999.00 and $2,499.00. Blu-ray was no were in sight in this announcement as Apple continues to ignore content creators when it comes to Blu-ray! MacBook Pro still comes with 8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW). The new MacBook Pro has an easy to remove hard drive. MacBook The MacBook has received the biggest makeover in the line up as they now share a similar look and aluminum construction as their "pro" bigger brothers. The MacBook lacks the FireWire 800 port as well as the ExpressCard 34 slot. Apple has dropped FireWire altogether from the MacBook! Featuring two USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort, audio line in, audio line out, and MagSafe power port. The MacBook 13.3 inch glossy screen is powered by NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory. Supported resolutions: 1280 by 800 (native), 1152 by 720, 1024 by 640, and 800 by 500 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio. All Apple has seemed to do on price was drop the original plastic entry-level MacBook down $100 to $999. Rumors of MacBook pricing starting at $800 seems to bo wrong and this leaves a giant hole in the Mac portable lineup in my opinion. Disappointing. New MacBook's lower-end model is $1299 with 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo, 3MB L2 cache, 2GB of RAM expandable to 4 GB, 160GB HD, 13.3" screen, 8x Superdrive, 2 USB BTO: Add RAM (up to 4 GB), up to 320 GB HD or 128 GB SSD New MacBook's higher end model is $1599 with 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo, 3MB L2 cache, 2GB of RAM expandable to 4 GB, 250GB HD, 13.3" screen, 8x Superdrive, 2 USB BTO: Add RAM (up to 4 GB), up to 320 GB HD or 128 GB SSD MacBook Air The MacBook Air received a minor update today adding better graphics and more storage. The form factor and look remain unchanged. Entry level MacBook Air is $1,799 with 13.3" LED-backlit display, Nvidia GeForce 9400M GPU, 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo / 6 MB L2 Cache, 2 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 Memory, 120 GB SATA hard drive. All the Apple notebooks can now be ordered with solid state drives. Cinema Displays Apple finally updated their aging Cinema Displays, or should I say display! They introduced a new 24 inch Cinema Display $895 that will ship in November. Apple says this "the first display made precisely for the MacBook." It features integrated MagSafe connector for power and a built-in iSight camera. No idea if the older Cinema Displays will remain available or if their will be new 30 inch models. Overall, not a very impressive event. Apple could have probably "phoned" this one in!

OpenOffice.org 3.0 Arrives

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:04:32 -0500

OpenOffice 3.0.0, the free office suite, which includes the long-awaited native Mac OS X version. OpenOffice is also available for Windows and Linux. This release includes support for downloadable extensions, interface updates, wiki editing and improved notes for Writer, spreadsheets up to 1,024 columns and a new equation solver for Calc, a table designer in Impress, support for opening more formats (including OpenXML), and more. This will give users a true alternative to Microsoft Office at the fantastic price of FREE! Note: The OpenOffice.org servers were overwhelmed by traffic. Be patient.

iPhone’s Missing Features Apple Needs To Add

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:44:42 -0500

Apple's iPhone has changed the mobile landscape forever. This remarkable device is the first time that you can carry the closest thing to a Mac in your pocket. The iPhone is arguably the mobile device to beat. The device that others are compared to. All this is praise, but the iPhone is far from perfect. The odd part is that the iPhone has quite a few missing features that you would expect from a company like Apple. Even after being on the market since June 29, 2007 and several software updates behind us. The App Store has over 4,000 apps for the iPhone available. Many add functionality and some try to address the most wanted missing features. Unfortunately, it is not possible to make up for the missing features with third party apps. Apple has not allowed some types of apps. Running apps in the background is forbidden. These expected features should be added by Apple natively. Here is my list of missing features that I think should be included natively on the iPhone from Apple.

Apple Turns Spotlight on Notebooks October 14th

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:34:54 -0500

Apple has invited select media to a Town Hall event in San Francisco next Tuesday, October 14th at 10AM PST. Rumors of updated MacBooks with new form factor may be revealed.

Review: FIVE Apps That Allow Landscape Email on iPhone - UPDATED

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:18:36 -0500

A pet peeve for many iPhone owners is that the native Mail app Apple includes does not allow for typing in landscape mode where the keyboard is bigger and more usable. Four different apps are now available that attempts to solve this issue. They all work basically the same way. I tested two of them.

iPhone Battery Extenders

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:21:40 -0500

Road warriors may find the iPhone's battery a bit inadequate. Personally, I can usually get through a work day on a charge. Sometimes my battery is spent by end of the work day however if I used my iPhone a lot. If you are finding that your iPhone battery is spent you may want to get a battery extender. The iPhone does not having a replaceable battery. Using one of these battery extenders solves this completely. Making the iPhone's non-replaceable battery mostly irrelevant. There are several models to choose from. Here are the ones I came up with. See them all...

Useful Numbers for Your Cell Phone Address Book

Stephen Antonucci — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:41:57 -0500

Live Search 411 - dial 800-225-5411 (800 CALL-411) and say the city and state, then ask for the business or business category. Say “Connect me,” to instantly connect to the business. Ask for a text message with a link to a map of the business. Dial Directions - dial 347-328-4667 (DIR-ECT-IONS) and ask for directions to any address, store, or event. Dial Directions asks you for your start and destination, and instantly texts back turn-by-turn directions. Google 411 - Dial 800-466-4411 (800-GOOG-411), say the location and type of business, and Google 411 will connect you. Say "text message" or "map it," and you'll receive a text message with more details and a map. TellMe - dial 800-555-8355 (800-555-TELL) for news, weather, sports, stock quotes, business listings, driving directions, movie times, horoscope, and more. Google SMS - text a query to 466453 (GOOGLE), and get a text response: news, weather, sports, glossary, movies, stocks, Zip Codes, directions, maps, flights, area codes, product, airline, translation, calculator, airports, currency conversion, and more.

Yahoo! and AOL May Become One in October

Stephen Antonucci — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:13:02 -0500

Reports are emerging that claim that fast tracked merger discussions are on the way to bring Yahoo! and AOL together. Yahoo! may actually be acquiring AOL (content, services and advertising), minus their subscription dial up business. With Microsoft spending their cash on their own stock's buy back this may spell the end of Microsoft's take over of Yahoo!

Save on iPhone International Calls with MobileTalk

Stephen Antonucci — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:55:20 -0500

Packet8 has launched MobileTalk for iPhone users (as well as other cellphones) that claims to save over 90% on international calls for mobile phone calls. This is not actually a VoIP application. What it does is offer a compelling service for mobile phone users that make a lot of international calls that does not require a data plan. MobileTalk for the iPhone is a web app that allows you to use service without a monthly fee. MobileTalk claims to intelligently redirect your international calls to an access number in the same area code as your mobile phone number, and connects the call over the Packet8 VoIP phone service network. This way you pay for a local cell phone call (using your minutes) and pay the much lower Packet 8 rate per minute for the international call. Alternatives to MobileTalk are Raketu, RingFree, iPhoneGnome, Talkety, Truphone or JAJAH. iCall looks very compelling as a native VoIP app, but it is not available yet. Closest thing to a native VoIP app for the iPhone right now is fring.

Favorite iPhone Apps List Updated

Stephen Antonucci — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:18:10 -0500

I have just updated My Favorite iPhone Apps list. With more and more apps showing up everyday I have been like a kid in a candy store. I have updated the list that reflects some of the newest apps.

Fring: Skype, VoIP, IM for the iPhone

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:18:55 -0500

Fring is now available in the App Store at the amazing price of free. It allows iPhone users the ability to use Skype IM and Skype Out calling to landline phones as well as SIP support for VoIP calls over WiFi using Gizmo and others. Fring also supports multiple IM for MSN Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk, Twitter, AIM & Yahoo! VoIP on the iPhone is just another reason to leave my laptop home when I am on the road. Additional information of Fring on their website.

SlingPlayer Update for Mac Released

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:16:19 -0500

Sling Media has released an updated SlingPlayer 1.0.6 for Mac users. This is NOT the 2.0 SlingPlayer Mac users may be waiting for as that is supposedly still in development. This update is still worthwhile however, especially if you own the new Slingbox Pro-HD. Good news for Verizon FiOS users as this version actually contains the FiOS remote skin! Release Highlights:

Improved video quality
Online Slingbox registration added; plus users can store their Slingbox ID online for easy access
Improved Slingbox Setup Assistant: New setup and configuration screens are streamlined and easier to use
Users can rapidly cycle between Fullscreen (4:3), Widescreen (16:9), Letterbox, Windowbox, Pillarbox modes
Show / Hide player controls with one-click toggle

VisualHub, AudialHub, and iSquint Discontinued

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:21:15 -0500

It is a sad day for me as two of my favorite Mac apps and the company behind them are gone. Techspansion has shut down while VisualHub, AudialHub, and iSquint have been discontinued. I have used VisualHub everyday since it was released. Tyler Loch the founder has closed down as a personal choice, and will be readjusting his priorities to focus on other things. Good luck, these apps will be missed in the Mac community.

Sling.com Soon Going Beta

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:24:55 -0500

Sling Media has about to launch a beta of its upcoming online TV portal to include full-length television content through various partnerships. Sign up for the beta here. Is this the Joost and Hulu killer? I have no idea, but it does look compelling especially since I have a SlingCatcher on pre-order. Slingbox owners get to watch your home cable, FiOS, satellite, off-air, DVRs, Apple TV and DVDs players on their computers and mobile devices. Add a SlingCatcher and you can watch in HD on remote TVs. With SlingCatcher you will be able to watch Hulu, YouTube and Sling.com content as well!

iTunes 8.01 and Apple TV 2.2 Updates Available - UPDATED

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:18:43 -0500

Apple has released updates for iTunes and Apple TV. Fire up your software update to get these updates.

Running Windows on Macs Gets Even Better

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:52:13 -0500

It is clear to me that Microsoft simply does not get it as exampled by their newest "I'm a PC ad." My Mac has long been a PC. Why choose when running Windows on a Mac is so easy and convenient. Walt Mossberg, WSJ tech guru weights in on the latest version of VMware Fusion. I could not agree more with his assessment as I run Parallels 3.0 and Fusion 2.0. Macs really "have no walls" as Mac users have the ability to run and manage Windows and any Windows app easily without issues. Fact is running Windows on a Mac is actually safer. Want to run Linux? Want to run Windows Server 2003? How about Solaris? No problem. This is truly “Life without Walls.”

Apple Drops iPhone NDA for Developers

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:35:00 -0500

In an email sent to developers Apple has informed it has dropped the NDA (non disclosure agreement). I heard the developers cheering from here.

To Our Developers We have decided to drop the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for released iPhone software. We put the NDA in place because the iPhone OS includes many Apple inventions and innovations that we would like to protect, so that others don’t steal our work. It has happened before. While we have filed for hundreds of patents on iPhone technology, the NDA added yet another level of protection. We put it in place as one more way to help protect the iPhone from being ripped off by others. However, the NDA has created too much of a burden on developers, authors and others interested in helping further the iPhone’s success, so we are dropping it for released software. Developers will receive a new agreement without an NDA covering released software within a week or so. Please note that unreleased software and features will remain under NDA until they are released. Thanks to everyone who provided us constructive feedback on this matter.

This seems to be the right move for Apple to further move the iPhone/iPod touch platform forward.

Wal-Mart Shutting Down DRM Activation Servers

Stephen Antonucci — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:51:01 -0500

Its now Wal-Mart's turn to screw their digital music customers. Like Yahoo, MSN, Virgin and others they are calling it quits leaving any DRM track you bought in protected WMA (Microsoft's technology) soon worthless. They suggest to burn the tracks to a CD (how nice). Of course if you rip these back to MP3 from these burned CDs, it will degrade the quality. I guess that is better than having it not play at all.

From: Walmart Music Team Date: Fri, Sep 26, 2008 at 7:42 PM Subject: Important Information About Your Walmart.com Digital Music Purchases To: xxxxxx@gmail.com Important Information About Your Digital Music Purchases We hope you are enjoying the increased music quality/bitrate and the improved usability of Walmart's MP3 music downloads. We began offering MP3s in August 2007 and have offered only DRM (digital rights management) -free MP3s since February 2008. As the final stage of our transition to a full DRM-free MP3 download store, Walmart will be shutting down our digital rights management system that supports protected songs and albums purchased from our site. If you have purchased protected WMA music files from our site prior to Feb 2008, we strongly recommend that you back up your songs by burning them to a recordable audio CD. By backing up your songs, you will be able to access them from any personal computer. This change does not impact songs or albums purchased after Feb 2008, as those are DRM-free. Beginning October 9, we will no longer be able to assist with digital rights management issues for protected WMA files purchased from Walmart.com. If you do not back up your files before this date, you will no longer be able to transfer your songs to other computers or access your songs after changing or reinstalling your operating system or in the event of a system crash. Your music and video collections will still play on the originally authorized computer. Thank you for using Walmart.com for music downloads. We are working hard to make our store better than ever and easier to use. Walmart Music Team

Walmart's music store is now DRM-free. That is little consolation to customers that bought music that is now useless. Seems only people who actually pay for music risk losing it to this DRM non-sense. Glad they want to punish just the people who download music illegally. These days it seems there is more risk is buying DRM tracks from a huge company! Which is exactly the point Cory Doctorow makes over at BoingBoing.

Adobe Taking Pre-Orders for CS4

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:58:26 -0500

Adobe Web Premium CS4 Video Tour Adobe is taking pre-orders for all the CS4 applications and suites. The Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Premium Upgrade will set you back about $594.99 [Amazon] and is expected to be released on November 14, 2008.

App Store Surpass 4,000 iPhone Apps and Has Bargains

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:57:38 -0500

The App Store has now surpassed over 4,000 apps for the iPhone and iPod touch. There are some deals in the store right now (after the jump). 300 Bowl - my favorite bowling game now $2.99 until October. Bootant Games all on sale for a limited time including BeeCells, BiiBall 3D, BlocksClassic, BlocksTouch 3D, ColorRise 3D and CubeRise 3D. Equivalence - converter app on sale for $1.99 until October 6th. Normally priced at $4.99. eWallet - great password app on sale for $4.99 until October 3rd. Freeverse has lowered prices on all their games. Most are now $4.99. Galcon - action game now $4.99. iFlipr Flashcards - study app now $5.99 for a limited time. Pangea Software is having a sale with some nice discounts including Bugdom 2, Cro-Mag Rally & Enigmo. Tank Ace 1944 - tank game now $1.99 down four dollars this month. Vegas Pool Sharks - now $1.99 for a limited time is a nice pool sim game. Also see my favorites list.

Slingbox Pro-HD Now Shipping

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:09:30 -0500

Sling Media began shipping the new Slingbox Pro-HD $299.99, this one can stream true HD either over your local network or if you have at least a 1.5 MB upload capacity (like FiOS), over the Internet. The device is capable of streaming HD content from your cable, satellite or over-the-air as it features its own ATSC and ClearQAM hybrid tuner and will pick up either 720p or 1080i. Mac users must wait until SlingPlayer 2.0 is available for HD streaming as this updated software is only available on Windows with the Mac version coming later. The soon to ship SlingCatcher (I have pre-ordered one) can also play the HD stream for the new Slingbox Pro-HD. When using the Slingbox Pro-HD for Internet streaming the video is downsized to fit either remote PCs (depending on bandwith) or 3G-equipped smartphones. Slingbox Pro-HD also can stream or sling, other sources such as an Apple TV, Macs, DVRs and Windows Media Center PCs. Slingbox Pro-HD connects to your network via Ethernet, but can be used with Sling's powerline adapter or a third-party wireless bridge. Set up, like all Sling devices should be fast and easy.

SlingPlayer Finally Updates Verizon FiOS Remote

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:58:54 -0500

I have long complained that the on-screen remote for the desktop SlingPlayer did not contain a proper Verizon FiOS remote. In fact they actually removed the older Verizon Remote from the player leaving us Slingbox users with Verizon FiOS with a horrid generic remote control. I have been allowing readers to download the older missing remote file with instructions to replace it for sometime. Well the good news is contained in SlingPlayer 2.0 software they have finally added the correct remote that matches the one Verizon uses for FiOS. The bad news is that SlingPlayer 2.0 is for Windows only right now. With no date for the new SlingPlayer for OS X there is no reason to look at that ugly remote anymore. I am offering the VerizonFiOS remote file for download and instructions to install it on you Mac running the older SlingPlayer.

Aren’t We ALL PCs?

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:24:07 -0500

Even Microsoft’s new ads seem to miss the mark. Can’t we all get along? Watch the video and see we are all really just PCs! Since PC stands for personal computer, what’s more personal than a Mac? Especially, since it can run all the most popular OSes as well as OS X! See Apple had already previously answered Microsoft’s new ad campaign, well long before Microsoft had an ad campaign. The above video is from Apple’s original Touché ad. Video above highlights Apple praise from PC World on running Vista on Mac laptops so well. You see Apple sells computers, that are quite personal. Apple does not sell an OS. Microsoft sells and OS, and do not sell computers. Maybe Microsoft ad people might wanted to get this straight before launching their latest campaign. In fact, Macs can run more software than Windows these days, as it can run Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. Microsoft has NO defense for this in an ad or real life! This is truly “Life without Walls” as Microsoft tagline says! Truth in advertising…

Apple Announces iPhone USB Charger Exchange

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:15:32 -0500

Apple will be replacing the ultracompact USB power adapters that shipped with the iPhone 3G (and were sold separately) starting October 10. Check your adapter to see if it has a green dot (see picture on right). If so, it does not need replacement. Apple will be swapping out affected power adapters using a web form or at all Apple Stores. Apparently, there is a possibility of a prong breaking off in an outlet that could cause fire or shock hazard. See the Apple site for more information. I have about six of these myself.

My Favorite iPhone Apps - UPDATED!

Stephen Antonucci — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:58:06 -0500

With over ~~3,600~~ 4,000 apps available in the App Store now it is a bit daunting to find the best ones. I have tried so many it is not funny. I decided to compile a list of my favorites. Many of these are also on my iPod touch. Several of these apps are on sale at reduced prices right now. Take a look:

MS: Want Fries With That McZune?

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:48:41 -0500

Microsoft doing what it does best these days, introducing another "me too" deal, has partnered to bring song downloads to Zune at MickyDees. Since the Zune has no browser, no email, or any app that can really use the Internet saying it is offering free WiFi at participating McDonalds is a bit over the top. All Zune owners can really do with this is, buy songs while they chow down on their favorite McProduct. Sure seems like Microsoft tried to copy Apple / Starbucks with their speciality, "years later and not as good!" The entire Zune update is a bit underwhelming if you ask me. I may be a bit bias of this one, however. Hey did you ever notice you never see Steve Ballmer and Ronald McDonald together? You don't think they are really the same....? Nah!

Google Gears Comes to Safari

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:43:58 -0500

Google has announced an official release of Google Gears for Safari, its open source browser extension that adds support for local data storage and helps web application developers manage resources to make web applications work offline. Gears-enabled sites include Google Docs, WordPress, and Zoho Office. Google Gears for Safari requires Safari 3.1.1 with Mac OS X 10.4.11 or Mac OS X 10.5.3 and up.

VMware Fusion 2.0 Released

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:32:11 -0500

Just updated my MacBook Pro today. Seems like a nice update that is free to current registered users. See the details at the Team Fusion blog.

iPhone 2.1 Comes To Smash Bugs

Stephen Antonucci — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:21:38 -0500

Apple has brought us iPhone users much needed fixes with Tuesday's arrival of iTunes 8 and today's iPhone 2.1 update. These updates should make much of iPhone users pain go away. Here is what it fixes add changes. Apple actually gave us some more information than what has become the usual "Bug Fixes" in the updates description. Don't get used to this, but I was happy to see what it was supposed to fix. This is what Apple claims iPhone 2.1 fixes: * Decrease in call set-up failures and dropped calls * Significantly better battery life for most users * Dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes * Improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts * Faster installation of 3rd party applications * Fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes for users with lots of third party applications * Improved performance in text messaging * Faster loading and searching of contacts * Improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display * Repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages * Option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts * Genius playlist creation I updated my iPod touch on Tuesday and the iPhone 2.1 this morning and both updates went well. I installed about 95 third party apps along with the 2.1 update on my iPhone 3G. Yes that is a lot. Broken Apps What I found so far is that Last.fm and SpeakEasy Voice Dialer are totally broken. I try to delete them and reinstall, but they do not work. Not big deal as I expect the third party developers will need to update their apps. I have tested quickly over 90 plus apps, so far these were the only ones I had problems with on the iPhone 3G. Here is a list I compiled of what I noticed with this update.

3G and EDGE logo changed
You can now see how much space Apps take up in iTunes 8 on the status bar in the Summary section with the iPhone attached
It seems you can now sync apps with one Mac and Music with another
You can pause the installation of apps by clicking on the icon when installing them directly on the iPhone
When listening to music with your headphones you can click the mic 3 times to go back a track
The camera is now part of the parental settings
New status indicator for videos - Half circle next to partially watched tv shows, podcasts or movies
App icons stay put after an update so you can keep the order you setup
Apps install faster directly on iPhone or with iTunes
Backups and syncs are much faster - took only 4 minutes to backup my iPhone with 95 apps and 5 email accounts
In iPod under songs it now has the name of the album and artist under the song name
Pass code exploit is now fixed. Double tapping the home button does nothing until you enter in your pass code
BIG ONE for me - play visual voice mail audio over Bluetooth headset. I could not get this to work in the past
It might be me, but the speaker volume sounds louder or improved
Genius playlists feature is a killer feature for me. I had hoped for something like this since I made my first playlist on my first iPod

Setting up Genius Playlist: First you need to turn it on Genius in iTunes 8 and allow it to update and then you must "Sync" your iPhone (after installing 2.1) in order to use the Genius feature. In vertical orientation while playing a song, tap the album art and you will then see the Genius icon appears under the scrubber. Click and you will be given a instant playlist based on the song you choose. Other than the many bug fixes in 2.1, Genius is probably the biggest new feature. In my opinion this update should have been what shipped on the iPhone when it was launched. While it was obvious that Apple rushed the iPhone 3G to market they have at least making up for it with this release. Some users will be a bit disappointed as they were looking forward to Apple including a list of desired features. We will have to wait for these in a future update. Stability may end up being the MOST important feature of this update. I will be testing this update extensively over the next few weeks and will be reporting back here. What's still missing: Global Copy Cut Paste Sync Notes back to computer Video recording with camera MMS - sending pics cell phone to cellphone Flash support in Safari Stereo Audio over Bluetooth Voice Recorder with syncing back to iTunes Turn by turn voice GPS - think Garmin Landscape mode for texting and mail apps Call filtering Still can't get subscribed calendars on the iPhone, but this is more of a MobileMe problem than iPhone. Update instructions : http://www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate/ iTunes 8 iTunes 8 has fixed what I considered a major bug in iTunes 7.7 where every time you updated an app from the App Store the app file would add a new the file instead of overwriting the old one. You end up with incremented copies of the same app filling your hard drive in the iTunes -> Mobile Applications folder. iTunes 8 ads a new feature that allows for adjusting podcast settings per podcast now. Apps that are really for the iPhone will no longer install on the iPod touch. Their are several changes in Preferences and of course their are the thumbnail and grid view that has been added. The Good Part With these updates of the iPhone and iTunes I can finally recommend the iPhone. After the pain of being an early adopter and the constant crashes and some 40 restores I could not in good conscience tell anyone to buy an iPhone. Well that is all changed now. I can honestly tell you now that the early frustrations seem to be resolved, the iPhone is the best cell phone, iPod, and mobile device I have ever owned. I would like to mention I own a Windows Mobile smartphone, a Blackberry Curve and a Nokia. I have owned Palms and many other mobile devices. The iPhone is the closest thing to having a Mac, iPod and a phone all rolled into one in your pocket. With its multi-touch user interface, App Store, superior browsing, push email and multi-media capabilities I doubt I could ever go back to a plain smartphone again.

Pre-order SlingCatcher Today

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 19:31:20 -0500

After an extremely long time Sling Media is finally ready to ship SlingCatcher $299 and you can pre-order now. If you own a Slingbox, SlingCatcher is a no brainer. Why pre-order? Sling claims limited supply and that SlingCatcher may sell out fast. You can pre-order SlingCatcher from this Amazon link and help support ReelSmart at the same time.

MobileMe Control Panel for Windows Updated

Stephen Antonucci — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 08:41:25 -0500

Apple has brought and update to the MobileMe Control Panel for Windows users now version 1.1. The update is free and available for download at the Apple Support web site.

“Let’s Rock” Keynote Now Available

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:47:31 -0500

Apple has made today's "Let's Rock" keynote available via streaming from Apple.com.

iPod classic the Mature iPod Sorta Updated

Stephen Antonucci — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:22:57 -0500

The iPod classic has always had a place in my heart as this was the iPod that is well as close to my original 5G iPod that I bought on launch day October 23, 2001. Seems so long ago. I own a 160GB iPod classic now I carry on long car trips. It was great a few weeks ago on my 2,000 mile trek thru Canada. Well now my 160GB iPod classic is really a classic as Apple has scaled back a bit on the classic and will now only offer one model in black or white with 120GB of storage which can still hold 30,000 songs or about 150 hours of video. "One Size Fits All. The New iPod classic" is the new tagline. This is the first time Apple has updated an iPod with less storage. The new 120GB unit offers the new Genius feature creates a playlist of tracks in your library that go great together. Battery life is 36 hours music or up to 6 hours when fully charged. The new unit looks to be mostly unchanged as compared to the 80GB and 160GB units it replaces. No word yet if owners of the previous models can expect a firmware update to add the new Genius feature that now is present in iTunes 8 and across the new iPod lineup.