The Mac Observer

Games: Gameloft’s GT Racing Motor Academy Arrives at App Store

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:09:12 -0500

Gameloft on Tuesday announced the release of GT Racing Motor Academy at the App Store. It features more than 100 realistic vehicles, from 25 manufacturers, along with a career mode, multiplayer racing for up to six drives, 60 events to compete in, and 14 tracks, including Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

iPad: Apple Job Posting Hints at a Camera in Future iPads

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:27:55 -0500

A help wanted ad in Apple's job posting site suggests that a camera may be a part of a future iPad device. The Cupertino company listed a job posting for a Performance QA Engineer in the iPad Media group at Apple, and the key phrase in the job posting involves skills relating to digital cameras.

Product News: Apple Releases Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.0

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:22:42 -0500

Apple released Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 3.0 Tuesday, an update that adds support for RAW images for several digital cameras to both Aperture 3 and iPhoto '09.

Product News: Apple Updates iLife ‘09 with Aperture 3 Support, Slideshow Performance

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:18:08 -0500

Apple released iLife Support 9.0.4 Tuesday, an update that adds compatibility with Aperture 3, which Apple announced earlier on Tuesday. The update also improves performance in media Browser and iPhoto's slideshow feature.

News: Google Introduces “Buzz” Social Information Sharing Service

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:53:51 -0500

Google announced Tuesday a new service the company is calling Buzz, a social information sharing service the company is building into Gmail. Buzz allows users to share information, links, pictures, videos, etc. to their friends on Gmail. The company claims the service helps users find the signal in the tidal wave of information noise.

Just a Thought: iPad: A Reason For Being

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:19:31 -0500

This is the last article I intend to write about the iPad until I can actually get one in my hands and play with it. Until that happens the only thing I or any tech writer can do is hypothesize, speculate, and fantasize. As fun as that can be I’m about hypothesized, speculated, and fantasized out. So this is it for me until March when I can get a 32GB WiFi iPad and give it a good once over.

News: Google Lowers Nexus One “Equipment Recovery Fee” to $150

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:28:06 -0500

Google has lowered the "equipment recovery fee" it charges for those who buy a Nexus One at a discount with a T-Mobile contract to $150, down from $350. InformationWeek reported that the move was in the face of pressure from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Deal Brothers: Refurbished 13” MacBook 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo: $749

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:27:47 -0500

The Deal Brothers noted that Apple is offering the refurbished 13" MacBook 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo for $749.00, $100 off the company's previous price. That includes free delivery and one year of AppleCare.

Jeff Gamet's Blog: Macworld Expo: It’s Our Show, Not Apple’s

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:31:01 -0500

Macworld Expo kicked off today, February 9, marking the fist year Apple won't have any kind of official presence at the conference. The Internet is full of reports that the event is dead in the water thanks to Apple pulling out, but those reports are flat-out wrong because it's really up to the attendees, vendors and IDG whether or not this is the year Macworld Expo dies.

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Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:31:01 -0500

Quick Look Review: Texas Tea for the iPhone and iPod touch

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:38:07 -0500

Texas Tea is an iPhone app that combines the challenge of matching skills with elements of poker and a timed game. Nancy Gravley put Texas Tea to the test to see if it's a game worth coming back to, or just a quick diversion.

News: Apple Rolls Out Aperture 3 Video Tutorials

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:25:55 -0500

Along with the launch of Aperture 3, Apple released a series of tutorial videos showing how to use several of the new features in the professional image management and editing application.

Hot Forum Topic: Backing Up Your iPhoto Library

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:00:37 -0500

Today TMO readers are talking about the best ways to backup the images stored in your iPhoto library.

Product News: Notebook, iThoughts Add TextExpander touch Support

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:35:52 -0500

SmileOnMyMac announced on Tuesday that Notebook, iThoughts and iType2Go now support TextExpander touch for the iPhone and iPod touch. The announcement brings the number of apps that directly support TextExpander touch up to 16.

Hidden Dimensions: The Killer Surprises Waiting for Steve Ballmer

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:00:30 -0500

Computing, as we know it is going to change dramatically over the next decade. A slew of new technologies, appliance computing, better security models, Android, and mobile computing will fundamentally change the nature of our computer experiences. All of this new technology is being formulated by Apple and Google, and Microsoft, with questionable leadership, is in a very poor position to react.

Product News: Aperture 3 Adds Faces Support, More [Updated]

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:50:29 -0500

Apple introduced Aperture 3 on Tuesday, adding an enhanced version of iPhoto 09's Faces and Places features to the professional digital image management and editing application. According to Apple, Aperture 3 offers over 200 new features.

TMO Quick Tip: Fixing iPhone and MobileMe Sync Headaches

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:30:16 -0500

Apple's MobileMe may be a handy way to make sure your contacts and appointments are always synchronized between your computer and iPhone or iPod touch, but the service isn't all that useful when syncing stops working. If your aren't making their way to your iPhone, the fix can be as simple as resetting the sync process.

News: Apple Store Offline, Rumors Point to New Laptops

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:12:30 -0500

Apple's online retail Web site went offline Tuesday morning, leading to speculation that the company is about to introduce updated versions of its MacBook Pro lineup.

TMO Appearances: TMO’s Bryan Chaffin and the Atomic Love Bombs Perform During Macworld Expo

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:00:32 -0500

The Mac Observer's Bryan Chaffin also happens to be a member of the Atomic Love Bombs, and the band will be performing at a special concert during Macworld Expo 2010 to raise funds for Haiti earthquake victims. The concert will be at the Red Devil Lounge on Friday, February 12, and starts at 8PM pacific time.

News: Juniper Readies Software to Improve Cell Carrier Networks

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:37:57 -0500

Network equipment vendor Juniper Networks is planning to unveil software it says will greatly improve network performance for cell carrier networks. Dow Jones Newswire reported that Juniper will unveil the software that allows carriers to automatically prioritize traffic at next week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

Macworld Expo: Macworld Expo 2010 Hess Party List Goes Online

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:17:30 -0500

The Hess List is a popular resource for Macworld Expo attendees looking to stay on top of what's going on at the conference, and the freshly updated version for the 2010 show hit the Web on Monday, available just in time for the multi-day event.

News: Survey: iPad Announcement Increased Awareness, Fails to Convert New Buyers

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:11:10 -0500

A survey from online consumer electronics shopping site Retrevo found that Apple's iPad media event significantly raised awareness of the device, but failed to convince those who were not already interested in the device that they needed one. On the other hand, the survey also found a marked increase in the percentage of customers who would like to buy an iPad, from 3% to 9%.

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Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:11:10 -0500

TMO Appearances: Dave Hamilton Keeps Your Mac Lean and Clean at Macworld Expo

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:30:14 -0500

The Mac Observer's Mac Geek Gab co-host, Dave Hamilton, will be presenting a session at Macworld Expo 2010 on Thursday, February 11, on keeping your Mac running in top shape. Dave's Running Your Mac Lean, Clean & Mean session starts at 3PM pacific time, and is open to User Conference attendees.

TMO Appearances: Mac Geek Gab Live Recording at Macworld Expo

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:10:36 -0500

The Mac Observer's Mac Geek Gab co-hosts, Dave Hamilton and John F. Braun, will be recording a special podcast on Thursday, February 11, at Macworld Expo 2010 in San Francisco. The special Macworld Expo edition of Mac Geek Gab will be recorded live on the Macworld Main Stage at 12:30PM pacific time.

Deal Brothers: Western Digital 750GB My Passport Essential SE Portable Hard Drive: $129

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:39:50 -0500

The Deal Brothers found a deal on the Western Digital WDBABM7500ABK 750GB My Passport Essential SE Portable Hard Drive for $129, including delivery.

Product News: nova media Intros FoneSync for LG Handsets

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:46:07 -0500

nova media announced the immediate availability of FoneSync for LG phones on Monday. The utility lets LG handset users sync data with their Mac.

News: Pwnage Tool 3.1.5 Adds iPhone OS 3.1.3 Support

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:15:31 -0500

The iPhone Dev Team released Pwnage Tool 3.1.5 on Monday, only days after Apple released its iPhone OS 3.1.3 update. Pwnage Tool is a utility that "jailbreaks" the iPhone and iPod touch so users can install and run applications that aren't available at Apple's iTunes-based App Store.

News: Mobily Adding iPhone Tethering Support in February

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:35:42 -0500

Saudi Arabia iPhone users are about to get a feature that U.S. customers are still waiting for: Tethering. Medhat Amer, Mobily's CIO, made the announcement via Twitter.

Hot Forum Topic: Apple, Google and the Evolution of the Smartphone Market

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:00:46 -0500

Today TMO readers are talking about APple's iPhone, Google's Android platform, and the impact both are having on the smartphone market.

Monday's Mac Gadget: Want to Secure Your Data Across Platforms? Check out TrueCrypt!

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:30:33 -0500

John F. Braun checks out TrueCrypt, a cross-platform solution for encrypting and securing your data.

News: ITC Investigating Apple in Nokia Complaint

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:50:55 -0500

The United States International Trade Commission has decided to pursue an investigation into possible patent violations on Apple's part based on a complaint cell phone maker Nokia filed in December 2009. As part of its complaint, Nokia requested that the ITC block Apple from importing and selling most of the products the company makes.

Product News: Reference Tracker 1.6 Adds AGPS Harvard Reference Style

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:16:07 -0500

Malkinware announced the immediate availability of Reference Tracker 1.6 on Monday. The update for the academic reference management and research application for Mac OS X added support for the AGPS Harvards reference style.

News: Flurry Estimates that Google Sold 80,000 Nexus One Smartphones in First Month

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:29:18 -0500

Google sold approximately 80,000 of its Nexus One smartphones, according to analytical firm Flurry. If true, it would mean that the device is off to a slow start, despite the hype surrounding the leadup to the device, and the fanfare with which it was greeted after its release.

Just a Thought: Nuthin Up My Sleeve But This Little Ol’ iPad

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:02:07 -0500

Vern Seward is wondering what Steve Jobs was holding in his other hand at the iPad announcement

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Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:02:07 -0500

John Martellaro's Blog: Particle Debris (week ending 2/5) Regrets and Delights

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:25:21 -0500

In this week's congeries of technical news debris, John looks at regrets and delights. Will Apple ship a whole line of tablet devices? Will Apple regret not including the iSight camera in the iPad? Will Apple have enough iPads to meet demand in March? Does Sir Patrick Stewart regret passing on Twitter? (But he loves his iPhone.) And why did Dan Frommer give up his 'Hulu Household' and cave for cable?

Free on iTunes: Even More EReader Stuff: Stanza

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:58:56 -0500

In this week's installment of Free on iTunes, Vern Seward takes an in-depth look at one of the most popular eBook readers available, Stanza.

Deal Brothers: Toshiba 640 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive: $89.99

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:36:48 -0500

The Deal Brothers are keeping an eye on storage for you with this deal on the Toshiba 640 GB USB 2.0 HDDR640E04XR Portable External Hard Drive for $89.99.

Editorial: A Personality Trait that Drives Corporate Innovation

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:00:30 -0500

For a company to remain great, its leaders must have a certain kind of passion: one that leads to sacrifice and true leadership. But for many companies, executive power is merely an end in itself: a means to acquire more power. That will cripple any company that depends on high tech innovation. How did Apple preserve that passion and Microsoft lose it?

Games: Game Development Survey: iPhone App Store Focus Double That of DS, PSP

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:57:00 -0500

Game Developer Research, the sister service of game development news site Gamasutra, on Friday announced the release of its 2009/2010 State of Game Development Survey. It revealed a large jump in development for mobile platforms, with nearly 75 percent of those respondents targeting the App Store and its iPhone and iPod touch, more than double the support for the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP.

iPad: Need an iPad Today? Try LEGO

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:20:28 -0500

Stephen Colbert isn't the only person outside Apple lucky enough to get their hands on an iPad before it ships in March -- assuming a LEGO-build iPad counts, too. Flickr user jmenonemo took the time to build his own iPad to scale with the popular building blocks, and then shared pics of his LEGO iPad online.

TMO Appearances: Bryan Chaffin Talks About the Road to Macworld Expo on MacVoicesTV

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:02:24 -0500

The Mac Observer's Bryan Chaffin joined host Chuck Joiner on MacVoicesTV to talk about the upcoming Macworld Expo 2010 event, the iPad, and more.

In-Depth Review: Tenqa SP-109 Stereo Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:34:56 -0500

The Tenqa SP-109 is a Stereo Bluetooth speaker that lets you listen to audio from any device equipped with stereo Bluetooth A2DP such as most Macs, iPhones, and other mobile smartphones.

Mac Geek Gab Podcast: MGG 242: Keychains, Admin Accounts, Personal Finance, Virtualization

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:13:06 -0500

Dave and John are back for a second time this week, talking about Keychain passwords, the pros and cons of admin accounts, personal finance software options, comparing VirtualBox with others, and more! Don't miss it, download today!

Hot Forum Topic: Reader Discussion: Will iPhone OS 4 Unlock US iPhones?

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:13:02 -0500

Apple's recently announced iPad multimedia tablet and ebook reader will run iPhone OS 3.2 and isn't locked to specific cell service providers. Today TMO readers will include support for multiple U.S. carriers for the iPhone, too, when iPhone OS 4.0 rolls out.

News: Hachette Joins Ebook Pricing Game

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:27:09 -0500

Hachette Book Group is throwing its support behind changing how publishers charge customers for electronic versions of books, according to GalleyCat. Hachette is the second major publisher to toss its hat into the agency pricing ring following Macmillan's high profile clash with Amazon.com.

News: eBay: Where Everyone Buys Their iPad Line Holder

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:48:37 -0500

If you really want an iPad right away, but are too lazy or busy to stand in line at the Apple Store, one budding entrepreneur is ready to take on the job for you.

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Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:48:37 -0500

Product News: Houdah Software Intros ACTRocket iPhone Search Engine App

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:15:06 -0500

Houdah Software announced the immediate availability of ACTRocket 1.0 for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad on Friday. ACTRocket is an app that queries multiple online search engines without requiring users to first launch Mobile Safari.

News: Former Microsoft VP: Microsoft Has Created a Dysfunctional Corporate Culture

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:34:57 -0500

Microsoft has created a "dysfunctional corporate culture," according to former vice president Dick Brass. In an opinion piece for The New York Times, Mr. Brass laid out the case that Microsoft is coasting on the success of only two products, Office and Windows, and that the company's culture today discourages innovation and change.

News: Chinese Manufacturer Accuses Apple of Ripping Off iPad Design, Threatens Lawsuit

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:58:33 -0500

A manufacturing company in China is accusing Apple of ripping off the design of the iPad from a tablet it introduced in Berlin in 2009. Shenzhen Great Loong Brother Industrial (SGLBI) of Shenzhen, China, thinks the iPad is copied from its own Windows tablet, the sexily named P88 (see image below). The company said it would sue Apple if and when the iPad was introduced to the Chinese market.

Games: New App Store Games: Rhyme Player, Vanitas, More

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:41:39 -0500

The App Store continues to be a place for everything from the latest titles from big publishers to experimental slices of gameplay delivered by small studios, and the latest batch of games is no different. Konami has released Rhyme Player, a rhythm game featuring Lady Gaga, the Jackson 5, and other artists, while Tale of Tales has published Vanitas, in which random objects appear in a box while cello music plays.

Apple Stock Watch: AAPL Tumbles on Market Sell-Off; Verizon Downgraded on Lack of iPhone

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:45:48 -0500

Shares in Apple Inc. tumbled amidst a broad market sell-off as investors worried about the state of the global economy. Also making news was a research note from Credit Suisse, which said there was a 75% chance that AT&T would keep its exclusive contract for the iPhone throughout 2010, locking out Verizon. The firm then downgraded Verizon on that assessment.