Thursday, January 31, 2008

The Apple Blog (19 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.
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  • MarsEdit Update Kicks Your Blogging Up A Notch

    MarsEdit

    I’m not one to get excited about dot-update releases from a software vendor, but a tool that was mentioned in my “must have” post – MarsEdit – has just updated from version 2.0 to 2.1, with that “0.1″ adding far more than a tenth of new features.

    One of my major complaints about the previous version has been the horrendous preview feature. While you could connect MarsEdit up to your site CSS style sheets fairly easily, rendering of your entries was always slow and buggy. The new preview feature is fast, responsive and (so far) bug/crash-free. This makes creating entries more fluid and enables you to trust what you see locally rather than having to preview posts on your site before publishing.

    One other great, new feature is the ability to search your posts locally. If you contribute to a number of blogs (public or private) or just post quite a bit, this can be a great way to go back and see if you’ve already hit upon a topic before. It can also be a great way to gather support materials for a new post. Since you can use MarsEdit as a note-taking system (you don’t have to post drafts to a server), this can also be a fantastic way to organize small bits of info you keep promising to find a place for.

    Finally – for Movable Type and WordPress users – authors have the ability to do free-tagging instead of picking from a list of defined keywords. I’m a huge Drupal fan, and Drupal does have free-tagging support, so perhaps Dan will read this humble post and work on interfacing with the Drupal API’s.

    MarsEdit is not free, but it’s a bargain at $30. Dan is very responsive in the ME forums and both he and the app have a presence on Twitter (when Twitter is actually up, that is).

    If you have any good/bad experiences with MarsEdit please drop a note in the comments and if you have alternative blogging client/post organization suggestions let us know as well (always good to hear from those three ecto users out there).

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  • Community Activity: January 28, 2008
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  • Fix for Office 2008 Security Issue

    For those that have installed Office 2008, you may have seen some news floating on the internets about improper permissions — that were created by the installer — potentially allowing another local user to access your documents. It’s not a remote exploit issue and most folks are probably not vulnerable (you only need to be concerned if you’ve created another user on the system).

    Erik Schwiebert posted instructions for a temporary fix over at Mac Mojo and Microsoft will be issuing an official patch/update to address the issue as well. Erik’s instuctions require some Terminal-fu, so I wrapped them into an executable – Fix Office 2008 Permissions.

    Just download/extract the archive and run the executable. You will be prompted for your password since the fix requires elevated privileges.

    If you have any issues with the executable or following Erik’s instructions, post them in the comments and I’ll see if your particular install requires any tweaking.

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  • Using Your Mac Wisely: Video Content

    When it comes to harnessing your Mac's power for video encoding, you're left with two choices: digital or physical.

    Digital

    Handbrake is the go to source for creating digital copies of your video. With Handbrake you can pop in a DVD and select the appropriate preset. You can encode straight to iPod, iPhone or Apple TV. Handbrake is open source, and completely free.

    handbrake_vdot9.png

    iSquint is great for converting DivX/XviD to Mp4. It's freeware for basic use, or you can purchase Visual Hub which offers a variety of services. For basic use, iSquint works well and converts fairly quickly. For the best iPod TV out settings, select:

    • Check Optimize for TV
    • Check H.264
    • Scale the slider to the quality setting of your choice

    isquint.jpg

    Quick tip for your iPods. If you want to import a video without transferring it to iTunes. Be sure your iPod is set to "Manually Manage" and you can now drag and drop files right onto the iPod icon in iTunes and transfer straight to it.

    Physical

    MacTheRipper allows you to import DVD Vob files right to your Hard Drive. Couple it with Dvd2OneX and you can shrink the file down to 4.4 gigs so it will fit right on a single layer DVD-R. Personally, if you can find it, I prefer the original version of Dvd2OneX, not the new Dvd2OneX2. Also Dvd2One isn’t freeware and requires purchasing.

    cover.jpg

    Toast 8 will take your Dvd2One or MacTheRipper file and burn it for playback on DVD players. Toast 8 is not freeware and will require purchasing to unlock all its features. Be sure to select UDF in Toast 8 to ensure proper playback.

    toast-8.jpg

    iTunes
    When dealing with importing videos into iTunes, it’s a simple drag and drop. If the video you copy doesn’t go into the proper category (Movie, TV Show, etc) be sure to edit the Metadata as follows:

    • Right click and select ‘Get Info’
    • Click the ‘Video’ tab
    • From the drop down select: TV Show, Movie, or Music Video

    itunes.jpg

    Comment any questions, I’ll see if I can answer them. Also if you use any other resources or methods for converting your videos, I’d love to hear about them.

    Disclaimer: This article is not intended for any illegal activity. What you do with it is your problem.

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  • A Look at Native KDE 4.0 for OS X

    OS X - KDE LogoThis week Slashdot (and many, many others) reported that KDE 4.0 has been released for Windows and OS X. KDE (K Desktop Environment) has been a popular GUI for *nix systems and there have been ways of getting it to run (mostly) on OS X prior to this native port if you were willing to use X11 on OS X). RangerRick (of OpenNMS “fame” did much of the heavy lifting for the Mac side of this project, including the package distributions.

    To start, you’ll need to grab the torrent download – I picked the one labeled “everything,” weighing in at over 2GB. Once the download eventually finishes (it was slow for me, but I may have been a bit impatient and started mine before all the primaries were seeded), mount the KDE dmg file and double-click on the kde.pkg installer. It will do most of the heavy lifting and put the base packages and applications on your system. One bit of annoyance is that installer stores everything in /opt, so you’ll have to ⌘-Shift-G (goto folder) in the Finder and enter /opt/kde4/bin to get to the apps (alias this into the /Applications folder for faster access).
    (more…)

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  • Why Mac Security Matters: OS X Rootkit Hunter

    OS X Rootkit Hunter LogoAfter blogging about the need to use and maintain an anti-virus solution for your OS X systems, an anonymous reply questioning the need to use security tools at all on OS X systems gave me pause. You do not need me to link to the numerous articles flying around the internets that report on how one reason switchers are flocking to OS X is because of the lack of prevalence of malware. Folks are tired of viruses, worms, trojans, etc. hammering their systems. They are even more harrowed by having to maintain vigilance over their anti-virus programs, hoping they are not too far out of sync with the current “DAT”. However, switching to run OS X to avoid running anti-virus programs may not be the wisest choice.

    To answer the “do we really need security tools for OS X?” question in a slightly different way than you’ve seen from many technology pundits, I’d like to turn your attention to utility called rkhunter or “rootkit hunter”. As most TAB readers should know by now, OS X has it’s origins in Unix (the “darwin” base comes from FreeBSD), and most folks believe *nix variants (linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, etc) to be extremely secure, free of the problems that plague those sad, sad Windows users. If you fall into that camp, please take a moment and browse the Secunia FreeBSD 5.x artchives. Secunia reports show over 91 vulnerabilities, with critical ones impacting core services such as file sharing and remote access. This should not be surprising since Unix systems have been favorite targets for hackers as they provide such a powerful base to launch further exploits. One of the more gnarly hacks is the installation of a rootkit - a program that can take surreptitious control of your system. And, guess what: your Mac OS X workstation/server is susceptible to rootkits just like any other Unix system, even with Leopeard’s enhanced security features. How can you fight something you can’t even see? You need a tool to help. Modern anti-virus products can and usually do cover rootkits, but the rkhunter tool may cover additional rootkits and may update rootkit signatures more frequently than a traditional vendor.

    I wouldn’t recommend trying to get rkhunter installed on your Mac since it will require some enhanced Terminal-fu. Thankfully, Christian Hornung understood the need for such a tool and built a wrapper for it called (surprisingly enough), OS X Rootkit Hunter [dmg], complete with installer. After installing the package, navigate to Applications->OSXrkhnter and run the “Rootkit Hunter” app.

    It’s good practice to update the rootkit database (similar to a virus engine DAT update) before each scan since there may be new rootkit signatures from new or altered exploits. When you start the scan, you will see a password dialog - just as you would with any operation that requires additional privileges to run - since OS X Rootkit Hunter needs to look in places your normal account user account cannot. You will also see Terminal windows displaying a running report of what rkhunter has or has not found (since this front-end does not free you from all the gory details of what lies beneath Aqua).

    OS X Rootkit Hunter (large)

    While you can download and run OS X Rootkit Hunter, I would strongly suggest that less technical users obtain one of the commercially available malware scanners since the output from OS X Rootkit Hunter can be a bit daunting. The presence and history of this tool should be enough justification for the need to run security software on your systems.

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  • Nothing But Air?

    I think Apple made a few too many assumptions when creating the MacBook Air (MBA), but will that translate to a failed product? I highly doubt it.

    nothing-but-air_smaller.jpg

    The Developer Assumption

    I think Apple made three assumptions when developing the MBA for the subnotebook demographic:

    • Subnotebook users regularly use WiFi hotspots
    • Subnotebook users will not use their notebooks at home
    • Subnotebook users have another computer at home

    I've found free WiFi hotspots in my area and I seem fortunate enough to be surrounded by a few, but I imagine the average traveler would rely more on an Edge/3g card than a hotspot. So while you're MBA may be completely wireless, I would argue not as many folks will use it now as in the future.

    As a subnotebook, I imagine the MBA will suffice for day to day chores: internet surfing, document editing, etc. Does that mean I can't use this at home more heavily? Will I not be able to edit photos? Edit films with iMovie? Maybe I'm an extreme case, but from Panther to Tiger, I ran my life around nothing more than an iBook G3 with 900 MHz. Slow yes, but it worked. So I have a bit of faith for the MacBook Air. Will it work as well as a MacBook Pro? That's a resounding "NO." So why differentiate into this new market? Frankly, because of the third assumption.

    What People Expect Isn't What They Need

    Apple has to assume you have another computer at home to make use of the MBA. I think that's another reason people are puzzled over it. People seem to equate SUBNOTEBOOK for a CHEAP entry into the Mac lineup. You want cheap and entry you get a Mac Mini. You want thin and portable, you get the MacBook Air. That said people may think Apple has stepped too far too quickly. In doing so they short-sided functionality with form. So I question, if you're unhappy with the MacBook Air, why? What would you add to it that wouldn't have you opt for a MacBook or a MacBook Pro instead?

    People said the same thing with the Smart Phone market when the iPhone was released. It faced strong criticism that the market was too small for any new, dominant player to take over. So why can't the same be said for the subnotebook market? Perhaps with Apple's entrance into it, a revitalization will occur, and people will begin to find niche uses for it. Think of the student. I could see the MacBook Air becoming the dominant dorm staple. It'll get you to class, it'll write your papers, it'll hook up to an external monitor, and it'll edit a movie or song for you. It won't do it as well as the MacBook Pro, but it will do it in an extremely small, justifiable space. I think cost then, would be the only deterrent for this product. If cost is an issue, why aren't you settling for a MacBook?

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    Комментарии к сообщению:
    http://theappleblog.com/2008/01/22/nothing-but-air/#comments



  • Multi-touch on the MacBook Pro

    A rumor surfaced on the internet this weekend hinting that the next revision of the MacBook Pro will have the same multi-touch abilities as the Air. That’d be logical, after all - the MacBook Pro’s haven’t been updated in a while, and that would be a nice feature, right?

    gestures.png

    The only problem with that is that they’ve already got it. Doubt me? Check out the page on Apple’s website discussing the various multi-touch gestures. (For everyone’s convenience, I’ve copied that picture here.) There are ten gestures, outlined below.

    Scroll: This gesture is simple; place two fingers on the trackpad and slide them around. Easily done on the MBP. (It even does sideways and - in Leopard - diagonal scrolling, provided the appropriate checkbox is ticked in System Preferences > Keyboard and Mouse > Trackpad.)

    Swipe: This seems like scroll - two fingers and sliding. However, in the demo, it is used to slide quickly between images. This one, I cannot get my MBP to do; it will scroll happily to the right or left of the selected image, then stop.  Further study does make this look like three fingers.

    Pinch and Expand: The name is pretty explanatory - pinch to zoom out, and expand to zoom in - and the gestures look just like the iPhone! Sadly, also a no-go on the MBP.

    Rotate: Again, obvious.

    Screen Zoom: Hold the control key and slide two fingers forward and back on the trackpad. The MBP does this perfectly.

    Tap: I don’t know why Apple even bothered listing this as a multi-touch gesture, but okay. Again, the MBP is more than capable of it. (It needs to be selected in System Preferences.)

    Click and drag / click, drag, and lock: Two gestures on the Apple demos, one on here, and again, the name is explanatory. The MBP can do both of these, provided the user has checked the appropriate boxes in the Trackpad preference pane.

    Secondary click A / secondary click B: As was discussed in another article’s comment thread, all Intel laptops and certain PowerPC ones can support a right click by tapping on the trackpad with two fingers. There also seems to be a correlation between Leopard and this functionality; older iBooks running Leopard have this feature, while newer ones that are still using Tiger do not. (This also requires selecting non-default options from the Trackpad preference pane.)

    Now, according to my calculations, the MacBook Pro can do seven of the actions that Apple describes as ‘multi-touch gestures.’  Those seven are scroll, screen zoom, tap, click and drag, click, drag, and lock, secondary click A, and secondary click B. The other three gestures - swipe, pinch and expand, and rotate - do not. Seventy percent of a feature that it doesn’t even supposedly have isn’t bad in my book.

    However, only one of the unsupported gestures requires more than two fingers, which the MBP has already shown that it can handle.  As was noted by one commenter on this article - thanks, James! - it can detect the difference between two fingers and three.  This, then, makes me assume that we will see the full palette of multi-touch gestures on the MBP - but not as a hardware update. That, in turn, is further supported by the appearance of some limited multi-touch abilities in older PowerPC machines running Leopard - perhaps Leopard even contains the frameworks for all of the above gestures, just waiting to be unlocked. There are also certain third-party utilities, of which SideTrack may be the most well known, that can add some of these functions.

    10.5.2, anyone?

    (All of this research was performed on a 2.16Ghz MacBook Pro specimen, birthdate April 2006, running Leopard 10.5.1, with no third-party enhancements that would affect trackpad functionality. I attempted to duplicate the Apple demos as closely as I could. I opened a folder of pictures in Preview and tried the same finger motions. The presence or absence of gestures was secondarily tested on a 867Mhz iBook, also running Leopard 10.5.1, and also without enhancements.)

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  • Bento: Big On Ease, Style & Stretch

    Bento

    FileMaker's new personal database, Bento is big on style and ease. Watch the tutorial movie and in less than five minutes you will be comfortable using Bento's main features.

    Bento comes with a set of libraries (databases) that relate directly to OS X's Address Book and iCal. Whatever changes you make in these Bento libraries — called, not surprisingly, Address Book, iCal Events and iCal Tasks — appear in OS X's Address Book or iCal and vice versa.

    When you install Bento, it imports your Address Book and iCal data, recognizes what Address groups you've created and calls them Collections that have their own icon in the Source List.

    And by creating additional libraries of your own and using Bento's relational fields, you can extend OS X's functionality: the organizational world you create in Bento will interrelate with and stretch the features of Address Book, iCal, Numbers and Keynote. And you can view it all with one swift glance at the Source List (Bento's left-hand panel).

    The price is easy too, $49 for a single-user license, $99 for a family license — five license keys for use on different computers in the same household.

    You can test it free for 30 days. (Note: Bento only works with Leopard.)
    (more…)

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  • Community Activity: January 21, 2008
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  • My Experience with Renting a Movie on iTunes

    iTunes Movie Rental We received three inches of snow last Thursday, but I wasn’t worried. We had plenty of white supplies (bread, milk, toilet paper) stocked up, so we didn’t have to venture to the grocery store. NetFlix said two DVDs would be delivered that afternoon. So before dinner, I ventured down to the mailbox to retrieve my treasure, when I learned of the tragedy. I only received one DVD from NetFlix. Gasp! When was the last time the shipping estimate was wrong? I stagger through the swirling wind to my home, comforted in the knowledge that I would soon be laughing at the antics of the gang at Cheers (Season 6, Disc 2).

    That is, until I opened the red envelope and removed the disc from the white envelope. The DVD was split in half. Sigh. Whatever would I do? How could I watch a movie without having to drive down to the local video store? I know, I’ll rent a movie using iTunes! Steve Jobs, you’ve saved the day! In the past I’ve purchased episodes of Survivor that the VCR missed, and watched them by hooking my PowerBook to my VCR through my S-video port. It’s awkward, but it works.

    This article details the problems I encountered with renting movies from the iTunes store, and how I attempted to work around the ridiculous DRM restrictions on rented movies (DRM = Digitally Ruined Media).
    (more…)

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  • Reader Feedback: Any suggestions for an app that manages PDF files?

    My collection of books in PDF form has grown exponentially over the past 6 months or so. The flexibility that PDF offers (especially when it comes to search functionality) just overpowers my desire for a physical copy of a book.

    Unfortunately using a myriad of folders to organize all of these books is just getting out of control.

    So, I was curious if anyone has any suggestions for a way to manage all of these PDFs/books? Any organizational method you’ve found that you like? Or many an application that does the trick?

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  • NetBoot and the Air
    apple-macbook-air.jpg

    Since I heard that the MacBook Air didn’t come with an onboard optical drive, but did come, instead, with this magic virtual disk feature, I’ve been having a very interesting wonder - does this also mean that NetBoot now works - at least for the Air - over wireless?

    And, fresh off the show floor today hot from MacFixIt, is confirmation that this is in fact true. On these machines, at least, NetBoot will work over a wireless network.

    Before I start talking about the implications of this, some quick background on NetBoot, especially for those who’ve never used this. NetBoot is a nifty little tool that lets you create an image of your boot disc, and then mount it remotely on client machines to install it. This requires four things to work: a Mac running some flavor of OS X Server and three processes - NetBoot, afp, and DHCP, a separate network-compatibly Mac, a network cable, and a bit of patience. (The cable is now evidently superfluous.)

    Drop the install DVD into the Server machine, fire up Image Utility, and create your NetBoot image. (This is cake; like many Apple utilities, it fairly well walks you through using it.) Set up your server to host the image, and you’re done with it. Now go to the client machine. Hold down N during boot to cause the client to look for network images, and you’re good to go.

    Because of the need for Server, and because creating an image and installing it takes longer than simply installing it on the client machine directly, you mostly see multi-machine administrator types doing this. The really nifty thing about NetBoot is, in creating this image, you can customize the settings in your image - and then allow access to this install disk to all the machines you want to use it.

    Network capable machines can also run as normal off these disks; and you can also set your client machines to always preferentially boot from the NetBoot server, so that every time they reboot, they use the same clean image. (This is very useful in the context of large public or semi-public groups of computers - think campus computer labs - where you’d rather users not be meddling with settings.) Each individual copy of Server can manage up to 25 different NetBoot images, so you could even theoretically install specific setups on groups of machines. I’ve also seen it used to install Tiger from DVD’s on non-DV-bearing computers.

    So that’s NetBoot. Provided your NetBoot image host doesn’t go splort - and believe me, if you have machines booting every day over the network, you live in terror of that - it’s a very, very shiny little trick. But back to the MacBook Air, and doing it wirelessly.

    Remote Disc evidently contains a NetBoot server, which is in itself interesting. But even more so is that it can be done wirelessly, which must have involved some major changes to EFI, especially in regards to how EFI handles wireless networks. Scuttlebutt is that this will even work on secured wireless networks. That is really interesting. (Working enterprise Mac support has taught me that if there is one thing you can’t depend on with Intel Macs, it’s their ability to find or connect to a given wireless network, especially an exncrypted one.)

    Smoothing those issues out would help all of us - maybe there’s another EFI update in the works for Intel Macs?

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    Комментарии к сообщению:
    http://theappleblog.com/2008/01/18/netboot-and-the-air/#comments



  • Reflections on another Tuesday at Macworld

    This is the fifth year I’ve attended Macworld Expo on the day of the keynote, and it definitely wasn’t as exciting as 2007. But after last year’s introduction of the long-rumored iPhone, how could it be?

    Of course, another big difference is that I didn’t get into the keynote this year. There’s always a disconnect between those who attend the keynote and those who don’t. (more…)

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  • Spore for Mac releasing simultaneously with PC version

    Spore for Mac

    Spore, the game of origin, evolution, and life, is now officially slated to released simultaneously with its PC counterpart.

    Spore has had a number of release date delays and its future with the Mac platform was initially uncertain. It being one of the most anticipated games of the decade makes this a huge announcement for Mac users who are interested in the game.

    Used in previous EA Mac games, TransGaming’s Cider Portability Engine will also be used in the Mac version of Spore.

    No word yet on an actual date…just “later this year”.

    Hat tip: TUAW

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  • Create Snazzy WebClip Icons

    mobile_safari2.jpgThe iPhone 1.1.3 firmware update added some great stuff, including Safari WebClips. I’ve literally added a dozen or more to my home screen in the last 12 hours or so. But the icons for the clips leave something to be desired. Even though I’ve done my best to zoom in as tightly as I can on any logo on any site (like Flickr for example), it can still be difficult to decipher one icon from the other. And some sites just look bad at 57×57. Of course you could read the names of each icon, but what’s the fun in that? I want nice, clean, simple icons on my home screen to help keep it, well, pretty.

    Thankfully, Apple has given web developers a way to create custom home screen icons. Basically all you have to do is create a custom 57×57 PNG, name it “apple-touch-icon.png”, drop it into the root of your web content on your server, and link to it in the head of your content. The iPhone (or iPod Touch) will automatically add the “glassy” overlay to your icon, and pop will pop up when someone adds your site to their home screen.

    You can check it out more in depth on the iPhone Dev Center (look at “Create a WebClip Bookmark Icon”) or Dan Dickinson’s site. A little thanks goes to Daring Fireball for the initial point to Dan’s site.

    Check ‘em out and help keep our home screens looking sexy!

    Update: Some folks are reporting that icons sized to 57×57 are looking “blurry” on the home screen. It seems that 60×60 is working the best for everyone, though your results may vary.

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  • MacSweeper: Keep This Rogue Mac Application In The Broom Closet

    F-Secure is reporting on the first, widespread rogue Mac application that comes in the guise of security software: MacSweeper. It is hosted at www.macsweeper.com, but I do not recommend visiting that site. I’m not convinced this is the first rogue Mac application ever to hit the internets, but the F-Secure folks are top-notch researchers who keep better tabs on such minutiae than I.

    The software purports to be an Ad Aware-type application (that’s a Windows product) and manages to always find a problem on each scan. Freeing your system from those evil discoveries will cost you, though, and the software is almost impossible to remove. While long-time OS X users will probably not be enticed to run such software (since they “know Macs are so secure”…right), recent Windows converts are used to having to run these types of programs on almost a daily basis and are much more likely to fall prey to this attack vector.

    Perhaps the saddest part of this discovery is what the F-Secure researcher heard when talking with a journalist:

    “I visited the macsweeper.com website. I know I probably shouldn’t have but I used a Windows PC so I knew I wouldn’t get infected.”

    Ouch.

    Remember to always double-check the reputation of a company and a piece of software before downloading/installing and make sure you are running with some type of anti-virus program since we can expect more reports of these types of rogue Mac applications as the year progresses.

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  • iPhone 1.1.3 Update First Impressions

    Apple posted the 1.1.3 iPhone update shortly after the keynote (as promised) and I managed to slowly grab it via AT&T’s 3G ExpressCard (~161MB…full firmware load). The upgrade behaves like a standard iPhone firmware update and upon restart, you are greeted with a dialog explaining how to move icons around.

    NOTE: This is the first time I have ever seen a company use the term “wiggle” in official documentation or dialogs, but Apple clearly states that to move icons, you press and hold till they “wiggle”, after which you can then happily re-arrange to your heart’s content.

    It’s a bit like playing one of those games where you need to put numbered squares in the right order (I see a game coming once the API is official). It is very nice being able to put things where *you* want them and it would be even nicer if you had the ability to delete - not just move - some of the default apps/icons (I never use the YouTube one). The addition of multiple screens shows (to me at least) that Apple is serious about the upcoming API since you would not need the extra real estate just for Safari links. You can even move the four standard icons - Phone, Mail, Safari, iPod - at the bottom of the main display (the horrible, built-in Mail has been relegated to screen number four, along with YouTube)!

    Google Maps

    Google Maps has had very clean visual update and the keynote video no doubt shows off the features very well (I haven’t seen it yet). The cryptic direction/location search icon has been replaced with more intelligent named buttons at the bottom. If you’re lost, just press the locator icon in the lower-left corner and you get an approximation of where you are. AT&T/Google seemed to know I was within the city proper [Seattle] but that was about it. I’ll test it in other areas and provide updates if it seems to be any more accurate somewhere else in the greater Seattle area. If you want to toggle the visual display features (traffic, satellite view, etc) just hit the eye button in the lower-right. Apple has added a very slick, semi-transparent page-curl visual candy that really works well for this feature, although I can see it getting very old if it is callable from the API, since many developers will be tempted to use it [incorrectly].

    Safari

    Mobile Safari has a new “+” icon on the bottom toolbar and you use it to either make a bookmark, mail a link to someone or add the current page/viewport to your home screen. This option has made it very easy to add “application” icons for hosted Google Mail (their recent update is slick), Google Reader, mobile Twitter and Meebo. If you already have a URL open in a Mobile Safari “tab”, the home screen icon will switch you to it instead of creating a new one (nice). The bookmark icon used to be near the location text field and a search icon has replaced it which takes you directly to the search text field. Again, very subtle-yet-welcome change.

    SMS Messaging

    While I do not have much need to send SMS messages to multiple recipients, that feature seems to work as advertised (I annoyed a few folks just to test it). It will be interesting to see if the recently developed iPhone SMS backup applications account for what is probably a change in the underlying schema.

    While I would have liked Mobile iChat, an early API release and some other wish-list features, this 1.1.3 upgrade adds some very nice capabilities, tweaks some visual elements in the right way and sets the stage for the February API release. While I haven’t trolled the iPhone hack blogs yet, I’m sure we’ll be seeing the reports confirming that this does, in fact, cause some consternation in that group.

    The Google Mail folks are reporting on enhancements to IMAP mail integration with Mobile Mail and GMail. I’ll take a look at that once I get on Wi-Fi. It may be worth switching back to Mobile Mail, but the Mobile Safari interface is way too feature rich to toss aside. Similarly, I’ll take a look at the new lyrics feature of the iPod portion of the iPhone once I get back to my full music library.

    If you’ve found any additional features I’ve missed, have some suggestions for good Mobile Safari home screen additions or want to sound off on your 1.1.3 update experience, definitely drop a note in the comments.

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  • MacBook 13-inch Toffee leather sleeve

    Toffee Leather Slipcover I recently got the red leather sleeve for the 13″ MacBook from Toffee. Toffee is an Australian company whom I hadn’t heard of until I saw this product. They make a whole array of sleeves like this one, even for the larger MacBook Pro.

    Material/Build quality

    There’s only so much you can say about leather - it’s a great material, and obviously has a level of class to it (and adds to the price). If you love the luxurious “feel” to leather (though it’s hard to describe), then you’ll love this case. It has the “rough” texture in the leather, and feels very thick and durable, like a very strong piece of material.

    The “toffee” name is embossed into the back, bottom left corner of the case. The inside stitches with white thread hold the entire thing together, and seem to be fairly strong. Now, I don’t know much about fabrics or sewing, but it seems to be built like the Jansport backpack that I’ve had since my high school days. We’re talking a good 8 years. I’d imagine, under fair day-to-day gentle use, this case will outlast the MacBook it’s meant for.

    Protection

    The durable leather feels thick enough, and from my light tests, seems that it could hold up to what I would imagine would be normal use. For instance, I stick my MacBook Pro into an Incase slipcover, which then goes into a bag with the power supply and a whole array of pens, pencils, and other things which could be pointy enough to damage the case. The Incase slipcover, however, allows for sharp objects to cause damage to the computer - I have a couple dings on my MacBook Pro to attest to that fact. However, it’s good at softening minor bumps, drops, and blunt hits.

    The Toffee leather slipcover is the other way around, it seems. My mechanical pencil wouldn’t be able to affect the computer (although the MacBook’s plastic is also better at avoiding that damage). However, the inside of the case isn’t as soft and “spongy” - which means it may not protect the computer from those bumps and bruises. This is just my guess… what, you thought I was going to test this theory out on my perfectly working computer?

    Where to buy

    I found my way over to the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue here in Chicago, but they only had the Incase and a couple other versions in stock - not the Toffee.

    Fortunately, you can find them on Toffee’s site. I got the red one for the MacBook, but they have numerous colors - even for the old iBook and Powerbook models. Not-so-fortunately, the price is a bit more than I’d like - $85. Now, this is a leather case, so the price makes sense. The 17″ cover costs $7 more.

    If you like the leather look (it’s pretty stylish), then the Toffee leather slipcovers will be a great fit for you. If you’re looking something cheaper, one of the other neoprene cases out there would probably be better, and are quite a bit cheaper.

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