Wednesday, September 12, 2007

The Apple Blog (20 сообщений)

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The Apple Blog, published by and for the day-to-day Apple user, is a prominent source for news, reviews, walkthroughs, and real life application of all Apple products.
http://theappleblog.com
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  • Image editors are the new FTP application

    Image Editors

    For years, FTP applications have been a genre of software that has overrun itself with options. Generally I believe competition to be a good thing but there really just comes a point where another FTP application in the mix really doesn’t help anybody. As of right now I’ve counted over 100 different FTP applications available to the Mac. Seriously…why?

    Today Gruber posted a quick link to a new image editor supposedly making it’s way to the Mac in the coming months. Just yesterday Acorn was announced and just a few weeks ago the highly anticipated Pixelmator was released in to private beta. For the mathematically challenged, that is three new image editors that have come on to the scene in the past month or so and that doesn’t even include all the other image editors that have been around for ages.

    I think what really turns me off about all of this is that all of these image editors do, more or less, the same thing. Sure, they each have a different UI and will each perform tasks a tad different than the other but for the most part they all just edit images.

    Do all of these developers really believe they are bringing something new and beneficial to the table? Or is it simply a case of jumping on the bandwagon?

    Again, like I said, I believe competition and choice are a good thing. But at what point does it actually start hurting the community by flooding the market with sub-par applications?

    UPDATE: Let me make something clear. I’m not saying people should never develop for the Mac after there is already an industry standard for an app. This post is merely for conversational purposes as all these new apps started my wheels turning on the subject. Of course I don’t think apps like TextMate or SubThaEdit should have never been written. I’m just curious if there is a point where enough is enough. If not…fantastic. But I do think it’s an interesting point of conversation.

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  • Incase iPhone Protective Cover Replacement

    Incase Protective Cover I bought several cases for my iPhone when I got it (on June 29th) and one of my favorites was the Incase Protective Cover which is like a neoprene glove for my iPhone.

    Unfortunately, soon after getting the case, it started stretching and now my iPhone will barely fit inside. I called up Incase and it turns out they had a bad batch of rubber.

    If you have a back protective cover that’s stretched too much to carry your iPhone snugly, fill out a warranty form and they’ll send you a new one.

    P.S. In the meantime I’ve been using a Gelz Case I picked up from RadTech. It’s a fraction of the price and I like the design. Unlike the Incase (which is thick), the Gelz is very soft, thin neoprene. I just have the case to prevent scratches and normal wear, so it works great for me.

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  • Apple sells 1 millionth iPhone

    iPhone

    In just over 2 and half months (10 weeks and 4 days to be exact), Apple has sold its one millionth iPhone.

    Apple’s goal was to sell 1 million iPhones by September and sure enough they hit their goal. Certainly the recent price drop helped push things a bit more in the past few days but only a few of those 74 days included the price drop.

    An interesting fact here is that it took close to two years to sell the first million iPods.

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  • Death to QuickTime Pro

    Death to QuickTime Pro There might have been a good reason, at some point, for Apple to try selling QuickTime Pro. Not that I can remember such a time. While Apple forges new ground constantly in the digital media arena with innovative hardware and software such as the iPhone, iPod, Aperture, and Final Cut, the online store still attempts to sell QT Pro with the taglet “Upgrade from video watcher to video maker.”

    Yeah, right.

    I’ve already alluded once that almost all of QT Pro’s functionality is easily emulated with iMovie ’06 — and I’ve verified that it continues to be with the completely redesigned iMovie ’08. What exactly are QT Pro’s big selling points according to the Apple Store?

    • Convert media formats. So? We can do that with freeware, donationware, charityware, or shareware that is actually worth the asking price.
    • Edit with ease. Isn’t this what iMovie is all about? Did I miss a memo?
    • Create stunning video. Um… Ditto. Also, iMovie ’08 will export directly to YouTube, while QT Pro does not.
    • Build your QuickTime video library. With QT Pro you can save movies from the web. Here’s a hint: You can do that anyway with Safari, Firefox, and most other browsers without even having to open a media player at all.
    • Record your podcast. Now that’s just silly. Apple gives us iMovie and GarageBand for that one.

    Even the QT Pro product page reads like it hasn’t been updated in two years. I honestly wonder how many people have ever chipped in the $30 Apple asks for the Pro license. QT Pro is superfluous and it couldn’t possibly be contributing to Apple’s profitability. All new Macs come with iLife pre-installed. I rushed out and bought iLife ‘08 the day it dropped, like many others; the $80 price tag for iLife is reasonable, but $30 for QT Pro is inane. Can they even continue to justify the costs of sustaining development and marketing?

    I say the answer is a big, flat thud of a no. So I call today for Apple to drop QuickTime Pro from their software offerings, and instead of duplicating code across products, to spend those person-hours on more innovation. While there are probably few person-hours spent on QT Pro, why spend any at all? What scarce features still unique to Pro (if any are left) could, and should, be integrated into QuickTime and iLife.

    Death to QuickTime Pro! Who’s with me?

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    Комментарии к сообщению:
    http://theappleblog.com/2007/09/10/death-to-quicktime-pro/#comments



  • Apple.com Redesign Emulates OS Functionality

    Apple.com Search
    If you don’t know that Apple thinks-through every minute detail of the things they do, you haven’t been a fan long enough. Take a long look at the hardware, the software, and the retail stores and your appreciation for the level of thought Apple puts into every thing they do should grow immensely. Then just when you think you’ve got Apple figured-out there’s something right in front of your face that makes you go, “Duh!”

    The more I peruse the redesigned Apple.com the more eye candy I discover. Of course being the [unofficial] Mac Evangelist that I am, I should know better than to call anything Apple does, ‘eye candy’ - almost without fail there is function behind the beautiful form in anything that comes out of Cupertino, CA. Apple.com is no exception since its redesign not so long ago.

    Those of us already rocking OS X may have taken notice (although possibly subconsciously) of the website features that tend to mimic our favorite operating system. But the really ingenius point here is that users who are yet to make The Switch are already being introduced to some of the functionality they’ll find in OS X. There may not be anything earth-shattering, but opening up your first Mac and seeing something familiar in an otherwise foreign operating system can be a very welcome feeling. And that’s really what Apple’s all about, isn’t it?

    The coordinated features between the website and the operating system that I’ve noticed thus far can be found in the following two screencasts. (Please note, that there’s not supposed to be audio, it’s just a visual aid.)
    So here are the screencasts of the features on Apple.com, and the similarities in OS X.
    But allow me to list the features here anyway:

    • Search - Spotlight functionality is so similar, even the colors match!
    • Product Page and side bars - Hello CoverFlow!
    • Quicktime Trailers - ‘Save’ your view preferences as in iTunes.
    • Icons & Colors - Even the design elements on the website mimic that of OS X.

    If you’ve found other functionality on Apple.com that mimics something in OS X, let us know in the comments.

    This coordination between Apple’s products is nothing new of course. Case in point, the [now] Classic iPod and the previous generation of iMac had a very similar appearance, the new iMac design and the iPhone, Apple Retail Store aluminum interior design and Apple’s Pro line of hardware. There are so many parallels between Apple’s products and so much more thought than probably any other tech company that it’s no surprise that they stand out such as they do.

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  • iPods being liquidated at Costco

    Apparently today Costco has various iPods at insanely low prices while they try to liquidate their stock of them.

    Here are the supposed deals available:

    • 2GB Nano: $49.97
    • 4GB Pink Nano: $99.97
    • 4GB Silver Nano: $99.97
    • 8GB Black $149.97
    • 30GB White/Black: Unsure
    • 80GB Black/White iPod: $229.97

    Head over to your local Costco and see if there are any still available. I can’t imagine they’ll stay around very long at these prices.

    Props to my lovely wife for spotting this one.

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  • Belkin wastes no time and releases new iPod cases

    Belkin iPod classic Case

    Within a day of Apple releasing their new line of iPods, Belkin has announced the release of 3 new iPod cases/armbands to fit the new styles.

    The new cases start at around $20 and aren’t really anything industry revolutionizing. Though the new iPod classic armband they are releasing does include a nifty little “cable capsule” to give you a convenient place to store your headphones.

    All their new cases/armbands are expected to be released in early October 2007.

    If you’re just aching to get your hands on some accessories for your new iPods, check out Belkin’s line of products that are already compatible with the new iPods.

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  • iPod shuffle vs. Replacement battery

    One of the web sites I write and podcast for involves a fair amount of travel around the Washington DC region. It’s not uncommon to be in the car for eight hours a week traveling to shows. So my wife and I listen to several different podcasts. Unfortunately, my third generation iPod’s battery has finally gotten super weak. We bought a car charger so we can listen while driving, but that is yet another cable to clutter up the front of the car.

    So after yesterday’s iPod announcement, here are my options for my limited budget:

    • Deal with the clutter
    • Order a new battery for my iPod and install it myself ($25-$40 depending on vendor)
    • Get a refurbished iPod shuffle ($49)
    • Get a new iPod shuffle ($79)

    If you’ve ever replaced your iPod’s battery, I’d love to hear how it went. Or if you use a shuffle to only listen to podcasts, are there any downsides? I’d guess I’d only sync a few podcasts at a time to it. And the related question is how well does iTunes handle having two different iPods syncing?

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  • eMusic: Now it's universal

    eMusic The big news this week is undoubtedly Apple’s announcement of the new iPod product line and the lower price of the iPhone. With new iPods comes a new version of iTunes — 7.4 in this case — but despite The Steve’s Thoughts On Music and NBC’s very public departure from the iTunes Store, iTunes purchases are still heavily bolted to the floor with DRM. Even iTunes Plus purchases are watermarked, if not rights-managed.

    Fortunately, there’s eMusic, the next largest online music retailer behind the iTunes Store. All songs at eMusic are available in pure MP3 format, encoded with the LAME variable bitrate (VBR) encoder, completely unrestricted by DRM. If your musical tastes are like mine, you’ll find eMusic to be indie music heaven. Many artists available there are unsigned or self-promoted through IODA, the Independent Online Distribution Alliance, but eMusic’s catalog of popular names is formidable as well, including the only DRM-free online version of Paul McCartney’s Memory Almost Full.

    Until recently, though, the eMusic Download Manager has been available only as a PowerPC application, and ran a bit sluggishly under Rosetta on Intel-based Macs. But that has all changed. Meet the brand spankin’ new eMusic Remote 1.0 — available for Windows, Mac (PPC, Intel, and Universal), and Linux.

    The new eMusic Remote is built atop the Gecko engine from Mozilla and integrates a browser window with the download manager, allowing eMusic customers to browse, preview, and download all from the same application without having to open a new window or tab in Safari, Firefox, Camino, or other browser.

    So for all you readers who are already eMusic subscribers, go download the Technology Preview of the eMusic Remote; I’d like to hear your thoughts on it! Do you like the integrated experience, or would you rather have a slim application that just does the download? Is it just me, or does it actually run faster?

    If you’re not an eMusic member, you can get 25 free downloads when you sign up at the website, or if email me at tab (at) paXoo -dot- com, I’ll send you a link to double that for 50 free downloads when you sign up.

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  • TextMate: Power Editing for the Mac

    It’s been covered here on TAB before, but not enough praise can be given to my text editor of choice, TextMate, which garners much appeal for its built-in extensibility thanks to Ruby. With that flexibility, though, comes a small feeling of overwhelming panic, like being five miles out in the ocean with nothing but a pair of water wings. Trying to wade through all its features without any guidance beyond developer Allan Odgaard’s in-program documentation is meshuga.

    Fortunately for all of us, James Edward Gray II’s book TextMate: Power Editing for the Mac does a bang-up job of making even the most advanced TextMate functions accessible. Gray begins with simple topics like navigating the editing window, creating projects, and easy keystrokes — copy, paste, select all, etc. He wisely instructs his readers early in the book to learn keystrokes for as many commands as possible, but, at the same time, not to fill their memory with the lesser used ones at the expense of the others. Depending on the bundles one has active, TextMate could have as many as several hundred keystroke sequences available at any given time.

    Before long, Gray moves into automation: what TextMate does best. Beginning with an introduction to some of the built-in bundles and how to use them, he soon shows us how to define snippets: blocks of text or programming code or bloggery that are automatically inserted whenever a given trigger is activated, like a built-in version of TextExpander, only more powerful.

    From there, Gray does an excellent job of leading into macros, bundle editing, the built-in support tools, calling UNIX commands and Ruby scripts, and theme customization. TextMate doesn’t have a bundle for groff? Gray will show you how to build one.

    While TextMate: Power Editing for the Mac doesn’t cover every aspect of TextMate, for less than 200 pages it is extremely efficient in providing readers with everything they need to know to accomplish approximately 99 percent of the tasks that TextMate can perform. The other one percent? You’ll just have to ask around on the TextMate community forum.

    The old vi versus emacs text editor holy wars are still alive on the Mac in the form of BBEdit versus TextMate, and while TextMate has been called “emacs meets the Mac,” I was a staunch vim user until I met TextMate. I still keep vim around, but it’s collecting a lot of dust — especially since I read Gray’s excellent book that helped me develop all the snippets and keystroke preferences I needed in TextMate.

    TextMate: Power Editing for the Mac retails for $29.95 USD / $41.95 CDN / £20.99 GBP / €29,00 EUR. , , ,





  • Current iPhone Customers get $100 Back

    A letter from Steve Jobs on Apple’s site not only apologizes to early iPhone adopters, it promises them $100 in credit to the Apple Store in an attempt to make amends. This will hopefully calm the fires that are burning among many of the Apple faithful that feel “cheated” by yesterday’s $200 price drop.

    Wow. I guess the squeaky wheel really does get the grease.





  • Snag A 4GB iPhone for $299

    ac_iphone_070812.jpg In case the 8GB iPhone is still just outta reach (despite yesterday’s price drop to $399) and you think you can get by on a measly 4GB of memory, you can grab a 4GB iPhone online at the Apple Store for $299.

    I have to say that I’m actually considering it, as I have all the iPods I need and my 2 year old Razr is starting to really act up.

    As with any of the deals at the Apple Store, this is only good “while supplies last”.





  • Apple drops iPhone prices. Users get ticked.

    If you haven’t heard already, at yesterdays event Steve Jobs announced that on top of dropping the 4GB iPhone, the price of the 8GB iPhone would be dropped by $200 to $399 (from $599…for the mathematically challenged).

    The iPhone was released barely 2 months ago and thus a few users (especially those who dropped $600 on a phone) are a bit ticked.

    A few points have been made in regards to negativity towards the price drop.

    I think Gruber summed it up best:

    …for those of you who've already bought one and are pissed about the price cut, if you didn't think the iPhone was worth $599, you shouldn't have bought it. That's how supply and demand works.

    I certainly understand both sides here. I know if I had purchased an iPhone and paid the equivalent of a new computer, I’d be ticked too. Being upset over spending $200 more than what you’d have to pay now is reason to be upset. But you’ve got to take things in to focus here.

    Jobs is being completely honest when he says “that’s what happens in technology.” In a technology age dominated by short product life spans and competitive markets, Apple is doing what they have to to stay competitive in a volatile market like the mobile phone industry.

    As Gruber said, if you didn’t think the iPhone was worth $599, you shouldn’t have paid that much for it. It’s not about customer loyalty or respect. It’s not about you some how thinking your iPhone was any type of “investment” that wouldn’t drop like a rock in value. It’s about business and supply and demand. Period.

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  • Download iTunes 7.4 Now

    iTunes 7.4

    iTunes 7.4 is now available for download on Apple’s site or in Software Update.

    iTunes 7.4 brings with it mainly capabilities for the new iPods that Apple announced yesterday.

    From Software Update:

    With iTunes 7.4, sync your favorite music and more with the new iPod nano (third generation), iPod classic, and iPod touch, plus create custom ringtones exclusively for iPhone with many of your favorite songs purchased from the iTunes Store. You can now also play purchased videos with closed captioning (when available), easily rate your favorite albums from one to five stars, and watch videos at a larger size inside the iTunes window.

    Let us know if you have any issues after your installation.

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    Комментарии к сообщению:
    http://theappleblog.com/2007/09/06/download-itunes-74-now/#comments



  • Goodbye iPod Hi-Fi?

    iPod Hi-Fi

    Since the iPod Hi-Fi was announced almost 2 years ago Apple has seemingly thrown it to the side without so much as a single mention after it’s initial public debut.

    It’s always been a rather odd product for Apple to have produced as it plays the role as mainly an expensive accessory to the iPod. Apple is really in the business of creating major products and not so much “accessory” products.

    After the Apple online store re-opened today the Apple Hi-Fi appears to have be removed from the catalog. Clicking on the “Buy Now” buttons on the Hi-Fi product page take you to a simple page with a message that says :

    Sorry. The item you have selected is currently not available from the Apple Store.

    Who knows if this is just a simple glitch. I personally see this product falling by the wayside.

    UPDATE: Within a couple of days of publishing this post Apple also removed the “Buy Now” button. This seems to be the official end of the Hi-Fi.


    Комментарии к сообщению:
    http://theappleblog.com/2007/09/05/goodbye-ipod-hi-fi/#comments



  • "The Beat Goes On" Keynote Stream Now Available

    Apple Keynote

    Only a small number of people were invited to “The Beat Goes On” keynote but Apple has quickly made the entire keynote available for streaming here.

    The full video is about 1 hour and 30 minutes long and covers everything from the intro of Steve Jobs to the ending with KT Tunstall playing.

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  • iPod touch Guided Tour

    iPod touch Tour
    It will be a few weeks before Apple’s new iPod touch is available so to help feed your addiction Apple has a fairly thorough video tour of the new iPod.

    At around 15 minutes long, it really does cover just about everything you’d need to know about the new iPod touch.

    You can stream it or download it here.

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    Комментарии к сообщению:
    http://theappleblog.com/2007/09/05/ipod-touch-guided-tour/#comments



  • iPod touch - Multi-touch interface, Wi-Fi, and more

    iPod touch

    Today Apple announced a major addition to their iPod line called iPod touch. It bears significant similarities to the iPhone with touch screen capabilities, wide screen display, and more.

    There are two major new features included in the new iPod touch that have never been included in a previous iPod. Multi-touch interface and Wi-Fi access.

    Multi-touch Interface

    With functionality practically identical to the iPhone, the multi-touch interface really brings a new dimension to Apple’s iPod lineup.

    The iPhone’s finger-flickin’ goodness is now officially on an iPod via the same Coverflow feature that exists on the iPhone and in iTunes.

    Wi-Fi

    Another first for the iPod lineup, Wi-Fi is now built in to the iPod touch. What would you need Wi-Fi for? Well I’m glad you asked.

    The Safari browser that exists on the iPhone is now integrated in to the iPod touch and using any public Wi-Fi network you can now browse the internet, watch YouTube videos or purchase music from the brand spankin’ new iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store.

    Pricing

    There is an 8GB model that will set you back almost $300 and a 16GB model that will set you back almost $400. My initial thoughts are that the pricing is a bit steep, especially for the 16GB model. As with other Apple products, there is a good chance the price will drop after 6-12 months.

    Wrapping Up

    Overall I feel like this is a pretty solid new product. The fact that it looks almost identical to the iPhone does irk me a bit. It just seems like a bit of a copout. Though it could be argued that there is no need to fix what isn’t broken. Touché.

    There is also the new Starbucks partnership that reeks of burnt coffee to me. Sure, the fact that you could be in a Starbucks, here a song you like, and purchase it on the spot is a cool feature but it just seems to be an extra layer of fluff that is unnecessary and just overcrowds Apple’s brand.

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  • Do You Love or Hate the New Nano?

    iPod nano I wanna get your feedback here, loyal TAB readers. What are your thoughts on the new Nano? Love it? Hate it? Luke warm?

    Personally I’m in the hate it camp. I was really crossing my fingers that the spy photos that had previously leaked out on the ‘net where fake. I like the larger screen I guess (320×240), but it just feels like it’s now the bastard child of the iPod line.

    So, what do you guys think?

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  • iPods Galore - "The Beat Goes On" Apple Special Event Overview

    Today at 10AM PST Apple held a special event called “The Beat Goes On” in which a whole slew of new iPod and iTunes announcements were made. The entire iPod line was “refreshed” including the addition of a new iPod Touch model that is similar to the iPhone. Here’s an overview of the new products (many of which are available today).
    (more…)

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