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- Mac 101: Eject a stuck disc
Filed under: Hardware, How-tos, Holidays, Mac 101
Now that the holidays are approaching, you'll probably be asked to service your relatives' computers. "You like computers, right? Will you take a look at this for me?" Prepare yourself, it's coming.
Some fixes are easy, including the stuck disc. It can happen for a variety of reasons that we won't go into here. After all, when the Titanic is sinking, you don't stop to yell at the iceberg. So let's just eject the disc.
The fix is simple. After trying the obvious (hit the eject key, drag the disc into the trash), restart the machine and as it starts up, hold down the mouse button (or trackpad button if the offending Mac is a laptop). The disc should now eject as the Mac continues to start up. If not, you may have optical drive issues to worry about. But chances are you'll get mom's extended edition Murder, She Wrote DVD ejected safe and sound.TUAWMac 101: Eject a stuck disc originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple - Macintosh - TUAW - Optical disc drive - Mac 101
Переслать - Found footage: 6 iPhones almost make a full keyboard
Filed under: Software, Odds and ends, Found Footage
A piano has 88 keys, and this arrangement of iPhones comes pretty close (we counted 84). The pianist has six iPhones laid out in a row starting from a low C and progressing through 5 octaves. As a result, he can play a nice piece of music on very tiny, touch-sensitive keys. That takes a good bit of dexterity. He has obviously been doing his Hanon exercises.
There are a number of piano apps in the App Store, including Pocket Piano [iTunes link], Virtuoso Piano [iTunes link] and Mini Piano [iTunes link]. We can't tell which app is being used here, but the UI closely resembles that of Mini Piano. Budding artists may wish to practice piano with GarageBand '09 or work on sight reading with Key Wiz [iTunes link].
[Via Swiss Miss]TUAWFound footage: 6 iPhones almost make a full keyboard originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Leaked details of Intel's Core i7-980X Processor
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Hardware, Rumors, Mac Pro
You'd think we were on the verge of an old-school Macworld Expo Keynote with all the rumors about this morning. Chinese site PCOnline.com.cn has spilled the beans on Intel's forthcoming Core i7-980x Processor. We're guessing that this processor could reside in future Mac Pros.
Code-named "Gulftown" the 32nm, six-core i7-980X will be labeled as the i7x ("Extreme Edition"), not the i9 as many expected. It will be the first dual-socket, six-core processor from Intel. The image reveals that, with 6 cores and 12 threads, a dual-configured, i7-980X Mac Pro will sport 12 physical cores and 24 logical cores. Expect a top frequency of 3.33GHz.
It's a guess as to if and when these processors will appear in Mac Pros, so we'll keep our eyes peeled. That's going to be one nasty machine.
Earlier this month, the the quad-core Mac Pro was updated to include a 3.33 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" processor.
[Via HardMac]TUAWLeaked details of Intel's Core i7-980X Processor originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Warrior Epic MMO releases iPhone tie-in
This is an interesting trend: Warrior Epic, an MMO game by True Games, has announced that they've released an iPhone app [iTunes link] version for free, featuring "a small portion of the strategy, role-playing and battles found in the online MMORPG," kind of like a taster for the actual PC game. The game itself isn't a 3D action game like the full game, but rather a "stat game," much like many of the minigames being released on Facebook and other social platforms (in fact, Warrior Epic is releasing this game as a Facebook game as well).
Unfortunately, the only real tie between the games seems to be having the same name and being set in the same universes -- we don't have any characters to test, but it doesn't seem that you can transfer your actual characters or items from the PC game across to the iPhone. But this will be a trend to watch -- two other major MMOs have started work on official iPhone apps, and of course the 800 lb. gorilla of the MMO world, Blizzard, maker of World of Warcraft, has shown a strong interest in the iPhone as a platform, even though they haven't quite released any games on it yet. In the future, you can probably expect to see platforms like the iPhone host access (if limited) to your favorite persistent online games even while you're away from your computer. Should be exciting.TUAWWarrior Epic MMO releases iPhone tie-in originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Rumor: Toshiba's 64GB NAND flash chip for iPhone
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Rumors, iPhone, iPod touch
Last week, a brief tweet from Mobile Review's editor-in-chief, Eldar Murtazin sparked a rumor that Taiwan-based manufacturer Foxconn had received orders to build the next-generation iPhone. This week Toshiba has announced their 64GB NAND flash chip -- the largest capacity in the industry. Is this what Foxconn will be stuffing into future iPhones?
Apple has doubled the capacity of the top-of-the-line model in previous updates. You'll remember that the curent iPhone contains either a single 16GB or 32GB Toshiba NAND module. We're not in charge of production at Foxconn, but it seems that six months is enough time to produce a pile of these. This is speculation, of course, but speculation is fun.
Note that Apple uses a pair of NAND packages in the 32GB or 64GB iPod touch. Can you say 128GB iPod touch? We don't know who would need that much storage space, but Apple sells a 160GB hard drive-based iPod, so what do we know? Apple chews up a substantial slice of the worldwide NAND market, so any tweaks to capacity or manufacturing are definitely noteworthy in Cupertino.
Last month the Korean Times accused Apple of manipulating flash memory prices. It's been estimated that Apple consumes 25% of the world's flash memory.TUAWRumor: Toshiba's 64GB NAND flash chip for iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Overall Mac sales up 21%, desktops up 74% year over year
Filed under: Hardware, Retail, iMac
There's probably a number of reasons why this might have happened (and we're sure you can come up with more than we can), but nevertheless, here you go: overall Mac sales are up by 21 percent in October and November since last year at the same time, according to Gene Munster (not pictured), analyst at Piper Jaffray. Desktop Mac sales are especially huge, with the rise as high as 74%, which seems like a typo next to MacBook and MacBook Pro increases of just five percent. In fact, those gigantic desktop sales, some reason, might actually be the reason behind the recent iMac delays.
At any rate, no matter why, Apple is making a boatload on Macs this quarter already. Even without the bulk of the holiday season, the desktops were already flying off the shelves in huge numbers compared to last year.TUAWOverall Mac sales up 21%, desktops up 74% year over year originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Best iPhone games of the year picks start to roll in
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, Developer, iPhone, App Store
Gamasutra wins the award for being the first (that I've seen) to pick awards for their best five iPhone games of the year, and the list is respectable, if a little short for such a huge set of possibility. Unfortunately, they don't win any TUAW points for going with Skee-Ball over our preferred Ramp Champ, but Rolando 2 was a worthy sequel to a worthy game, Edge (now Edgy) and Eliss are both great games (too bad you can't play the former, but the latter was underrated for sure), and Space Invaders Infinity Gene deserves to be on almost any end-of-the-year iPhone game list.
Good picks in there for sure. DigitalTrends also has a long list, though strangely, they tend to stick to big names and brands. There are a few gems in there -- Spider, UniWar, and Vay may be a couple good choices that you haven't heard of yet. And here's another top 10 list with some repeats from the ones above and a few more nice picks. I guess with the end of the year upon us, we'll probably have to choose TUAW's favorites of 2009, too, eh? Stay tuned.TUAWBest iPhone games of the year picks start to roll in originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Watch out AT&T: Operation Chokehold is coming
Filed under: iPhone
After Ralph de la Vega, chief executive of AT&T Mobility, stated earlier this week that he wants iPhone users to limit their data usage the web exploded with anger. The New York Times sided with AT&T, but others thought that was bogus. Now Fake Steve Jobs is getting in on the action. Fake Steve is telling iPhone users to go crazy with their data usage this Friday, December 18, to teach De La Vega a lesson in for trying to stifle his customers contract-given-rights for unlimited data usage.
Subject: Operation Chokehold
On Friday, December 18, at noon Pacific time, we will attempt to overwhelm the AT&T data network and bring it to its knees. The goal is to have every iPhone user (or as many as we can) turn on a data intensive app and run that app for one solid hour. Send the message to AT&T that we are sick of their substandard network and sick of their abusive comments. The idea is we'll create a digital flash mob. We're calling it in Operation Chokehold. Join us and speak truth to power!
I'm in the UK where we have multiple providers to choose from (as many countries do), but I can understand the frustration US users have with being limited to only one carrier with poor network performance and then being lectured about their data usage.
So TUAW readers. What's it gonna be? You going to do a little choking come Friday?TUAWWatch out AT&T: Operation Chokehold is coming originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Patent lawsuit of the week: BetaNet goes after Apple and more
Filed under: Apple Corporate
Word from Jim Dalrymple at The Loop tonight that Monday brought a new patent lawsuit against Apple... and 17 other tech companies, including Microsoft, Adobe, Autodesk, Sony, Kodak (!) and more. This time, the complaining company, BetaNet, has a 1993 patent that it says covers a "Secure System for Activating Personal Computer Software at Remote Locations."
While the patent holders clearly feel they have a pretty broad front to attack on, reading the complaint over at Justia makes it seem a little... well, I'm not a lawyer or a patent expert, but there's some confusion here. Have a look at the section of the complaint dealing with Apple:
OK, sure, that's one way you could handle remote registrations and software serialization, but how do we know that's the way Apple does it exactly? It actually sounds more like Sassafras's K2 to me. What 'critical portions' of these apps are supposed to be missing from the downloaded installation content?Upon information and belief, Defendant Apple has been and now is directly infringing, and indirectly infringing by way of inducing infringement and/or contributing to the infringement of the '476 Patent in the State of Texas, in this judicial district, and elsewhere in the United States, by, among other things, using, selling and offering to sell computer software via a process that provides a program file - having a loader segment and a registration shell portion - to a remote computer having a display. The program file lacks a critical portion that prevents the program file from operating properly. User identification information is entered in the registration shell portion, and transmitted from the registration shell to a separate registration program provided in a registration computer. The registration program merges user identification data with the critical portion to generate a unique overlay file that is transmitted from the registration program to the registration shell. The overlay file contains the critical portion originally lacking from the program file, and it is installed in the program file, thereby allowing operation of the program file. For example, without limitation, Defendant Apple is marketing, distributing, using, selling, and offering to sell its iTunes, Aperture, QuickTime, and MobileMe programs. Defendant Apple is thus liable for infringement of the '476 Patent pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 271(a), (b) & (c).
Also, I might draw your attention to the examples of allegedly infringing software at the bottom of the paragraph... the " iTunes, Aperture, QuickTime, and MobileMe programs" that are of such concern? Well, as we all know, two of them are free, which means they aren't sold or serialized at all (if they meant QuickTime Pro, they should have said QuickTime Pro), and one of them isn't a 'program' but rather an online service. Nice research work, lawyers of BetaNet; you should feel proud.
We'll run this one by our resident legal eagles and get their take. Another week, another patent case!TUAWPatent lawsuit of the week: BetaNet goes after Apple and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Переслать - Checking In, an app for when you're stressed out
Filed under: App Review
Too much stress can kill. According to the American Medical Association, stress is a factor in over 75% of sickness and the World Health Organization has stated that stress is America's number one health problem. We all experience some degree of stress and that's on the increase due to information overload, the increasing complexity of our lives and a litany of reasons too numerous to count. We all know this on some level, but what can be done about it?
One possible solution can be found in a very intriguing app called Check In: The 5 Tools of EBT [iTunes Link] $.99 US. EBT stands for Emotional Brain Training, a method that was developed over the last 30 years at the University of California, San Francisco, to act as an appetite suppressant for obese children. Eventually, in response to new discoveries in neuroscience (the study of the nervous system) EBT reached its present form. EBT is a brain-based emotional response training method that purports to teach people how to effectively process stress so that their stress level returns to one of well being.
The method involves 5 specific levels of stress ranging from 1: feeling great, to 5: totally stressed out. Once a level is determined you are given systematic and repetitious tools to raise your level. With enough practice transitory results can become longer lasting as you, in effect, rewire your brain to deal with stress in a positive manner.
When the app is first run, you'll see the screen at the top of this post. There are two major components of the app: one that determines your current brain state and another that helps you raise the brain state, eventually getting to 1.
Tapping on the Brain State Finder runs a video of Laurel Mellin, one of the developers of the method, who explains each brain state in a brief video and presents a series of multiple choice questions involving thinking, feeling, relationships, spirituality and behavior. When that's done, another video of Laurel runs telling you your current brain state, and explaining it fully. Whenever you get through a task, you'll get another video of Lauren (these can be turned off), which is uncannily specific to what you just did. It's not the like having a therapist in the room with you, but more like a coach who, amazingly enough, always seems to have your number both literally and figuratively. Since there is so much video, the app is quite large (weighing in at 106 MB).
The next step is tap on Get To One, which asks you to tap on the number you were given, plays a video summarizing your state and presents you with one of number of tools. In this case it's a number of sentences to finish. When done, you reevaluate your number and if it changed, you tap once again on Get To One which will take you through another tool.
There are added smaller options that don't contain videos. Sanctuary is a audible relaxation exercise that talks you through relaxing your body and offers you positive EBT oriented affirmations. This takes about 10 minutes. The voice is soothing and the narration is effective, but the recording quality is horrible. There is an annoying buzz permeating the soundtrack and the occasional sound of something banging into the microphone. You'll have to set your iPhone/iPod touch not to go to sleep since with the usual minute or two sleep setting, the app will not stay open, and the audio will stop; this reduces any positive effect of the exercise. This needs to be corrected quickly by either having the app stay open or just keeping the audio going.
There is a Progress option telling you how many times you checked in, and what your brain state averages out to be. Another button brings up an RSS feed of EBT news. The most interesting small option is called Grind In, which simply asks you to type in powerful message that you really want to take to heart. This is remembered and new messages can be added to the list. When you tap on the Grind In Now! button, you are asked to say the message out loud, then tap the Say It Again, button. To finish this task you need to repeat the phrase 10 times. This is a very simple, but quite effective way of taking on new beliefs through repetition.
This is a lot to get for a buck, but there is a reason that this app is so inexpensive. Although potentially useful by itself, it's an appetizer meant to get you interested enough in the method that you'll consider buying a series of 6 courses at $100 each. I see nothing wrong with that since what you are given is complete unto itself but limited. You soon realize that regardless of what you are asked, the video that comes up on a particular level is always the same. 5 levels with 5 videos talking about 5 tools are what you get. But you also get enough information and (although this isn't a game) play value to get a strong feeling of whether this is beneficial for you and whether you are interested in pursuing EBT further.
I would really recommend this app to anyone feeling the pangs of too much stress. For a dollar I don't think that anyone will get to brain state 1, but it's already lowered my personal stress level noticeably.
Here are two videos. The first is a tour of the app and the second, if you're interested, is an overview of EBT.
TUAW is commonly provided with not-for-resale licenses or promo codes to permit product evaluations and reviews. For more details, see our policy page.TUAWChecking In, an app for when you're stressed out originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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