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- The admin's freeware friend: DeployStudio
Filed under: Enterprise, Software, Cool tools, Freeware
For individual Mac users or small businesses, it's usually not a problem deploying new Macs with a standard image -- as a Mac support specialist, you might just load each machine manually. But imagine if you need to deploy hundreds or thousands of Macs, PCs, or XServes. You'd need a small army of techs or a way to do the job automatically.
That's where DeployStudio comes in handy. This freeware tool can be used to create deployment files using Netboot, external USB or FireWire drives, or any AFP, SMB, or NFS sharepoint on the network.
DeployStudio works with Mac OS X 10.4.11 to 10.5.3 at this point, and is updated regularly to include new OS versions. The package consists of DeployStudio Server, DeployStudio Assistant, DeployStudio Admin, and diffPackageMaker.
DeployStudio Server creates a network based deployment server containing the images. Assistant is used to configure the server and to create the NetInstall sets, while Admin is used to monitor deployments, manage disk images and scripts, enter configurations, and more. diffPackageMaker can look at the difference between two file system snapshots and create installation packages based on what has been changed or added.
Detailed documentation PDFs and screencasts are available on the DeployStudio site.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - 'MacGuard' double-plus ungood, avoid
Filed under: Security
The fine folks at Intego sent out a warning this morning about MacGuard, a bogus piece of software that claims to clean up your system and remove adware, spyware, and trojans. It doesn't.
According to the warning, MacGuard is simply a clone of a Windows app called WiniGuard. The company releasing the software, Innovagest 2000 SL, may be using the credit card numbers they harvest during the purchase process for "nefarious purposes."
WiniGuard "hijacks the user's desktop and typically displays exaggerated or false claims of spyware found to frighten the user into paying for the program," according to Sunbelt Malware Research Labs.
While our fine readers wouldn't get suckered into such a scheme, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles might not be so educated. If you know someone with a Mac who might fall for this, do them a favor and forward them this warning.
The MacGuard website is at macguard.net.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - The Lego Apple Store
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Humor, Retail, Cult of Mac, Apple
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Man, for all of the gadget lovin', excellent software, and community power floating around the Mac crowd, this is the real reason why I'm such a fan of the cult of Mac: someone loved the Apple Store enough to make a Lego version of it. Just awesome -- look at the little nanochromatic iPods, the touches and iPhones, the iMacs and even a Cinema for good measure. The only thing missing, really, is the black t-shirted Geniuses, complete with little credit card swipers so you don't have to go up to the counter.
Really great. I don't know what kind of loyalty exists that would drive a person to recreate a retail space in Lego form, but I'm strangely glad it's out there somewhere.Переслать - AI: 'Snow Leopard' to include rewritten Finder
Filed under: Rumors, Leopard, Snow Leopard
AppleInsider claims that Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard will feature (among other things) a Finder re-written entirely in Cocoa. The Finder has remained Carbon-based for the entire history of Mac OS X so far, but the long journey from those frameworks towards Cocoa seems to be reaching its end for Apple's homegrown apps.
Test versions of the new Finder are being seeded to select developers in revisions of Snow Leopard with build numbers beginning with 10A. AppleInsider notes that seeds could be more broadly available to the developer community as early as tomorrow.
As Ars Technica noted in June, Apple apps will also apparently come "wrapped" in Cocoa. Further deprecation of some Carbon APIs seems likely as well, but it's unclear yet as to how Snow Leopard's support for Carbon apps will differ from plain-ol' Leopard's.
In addition to the Finder, improvements to support for Microsoft Exchange are expected for Mail, iCal, and Address Book. Also included is a new option for booting a Mac called ImageBoot. ImageBoot takes NetBoot a step further, allowing administrators to boot a workstation into Mac OS X directly from an image on a local disk.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - First Look: Create panoramic photos with Pano for iPhone
Filed under: Software, iPhone, App Store, First Look
Debacle Software has just released Pano (App Store link), an iPhone app that creates panoramic pictures from multiple iPhone photos -- up to four in one panorama.
Making panoramas is quite simple. You begin by launching the app on the iPhone, at which time you're asked to take your first picture. Pano prompts you to use or retake the photo, and if you choose to use it, you're given the opportunity to take the second picture. Pano overlays a transparent version of the rightmost portion of the previous picture over the left hand side of the image (see below), providing a guide for aligning the pictures. (Sorry about the ringer icon -- I bumped the ringer volume button while making the screenshot)
The process is repeated for up to four photos. If you take three shots and don't want to take a fourth, you can cancel, at which time you're given the option to quit, continue taking pictures, or make the panorama (see below). The last step displays a "merging" progress bar, during which time Pano's proprietary process is stitching the photos together.
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The final panorama is placed into the iPhone Photos library, where it can be emailed or synced with iPhoto. Pano costs $2.99, well worth the price for what you get.Переслать - Convert any file to iTunes audiobook format
Filed under: Tips and tricks, iTunes
This week, Lifehacker pointed out a handy feature of iTunes 8. Specifically, you can convert any file into audiobook format. That way, it will be categorized as an audio book and more importantly, remember where you stopped listening last time.
Last year, a friend sent me some audio of a conference he attended. I was glad to have it, but it was a single, 40-minute track. That would have been a perfect candidate for this tip.
Lifehacker even explains how to convert multiple files at once. Check it out.
If you want file conversion that's more powerful than this simple trick, consider Switch by NCH Software. Switch converts a great number of file formats into any of several options. For example, convert aif/aiff, gsm, vox aac, mp2, or m4a (plus a lot more) into Mp3 or wav. You can even import video files and extract audio (avi, mov, mpeg). There's both a free and paid version of Switch.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - IPEVO TR-10 designed for iChat, GarageBand
Filed under: Accessories, Internet Tools
While most VoIP devices are made for Skype, IPEVO has made a version of its TR-10 conference phone with the Mac in mind: It can be used with both iChat and GarageBand.
For iChat conversations, the device can be used either as a speakerphone or traditional handset with full-duplex audio and echo cancellation. The buttons on the front of the device can be programmed to start iChat or record calls.
For GarageBand, the TR-10 can be used as an audio input device to record podcasts. The device only works with a Mac.
IPEVO sells the TR-10 for $79.90 in its online store.
[Via Engadget.]
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - TUAW Unboxes the new MacBook Pro
Filed under: Apple, Macbook Pro
It would seem that everyone is buzzing about the new MacBook/Pro, so I went and bought one! Seriously, it was just to do the unboxing photos for TUAW (Really! Stop looking at me like that!). In the MacBook video, Apple tells us that they have reduced the size of the boxes that the MacBooks ship in ... they're not kidding either. The boxes are roughly the thickness of a ream of paper; and they're almost half as short as the old boxes.
Take a look for yourself and see the new box design (it's quite nice). We want to know if you will buy a new MacBook Pro so be sure to take part in our poll below.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Aw, I just bought a MacBook last week ...
Filed under: Retail, Apple, Macbook Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air
When I was faced with the decision of buying a MacBook Pro or waiting, I immediately took the leap of faith without knowing if Apple would be releasing a new unit within the next few weeks or not. As it turns out, I was wrong and Apple did release a new MacBook Pro. However, I did not suck it up and go on ... I went searching for some answers as to what you can do if you are in the same situation. In this post, I'm going to tell you what I found out.
When you purchase a new product from Apple (either through the online store, or though a brick-and-mortar store) you have 14 days to return the product. With this 14-day policy, Apple also gives you price protection. From my understanding this covers both pricing decreases as well as new products coming out.
When I took my MacBook Pro to the Apple Store, they immediately looked at my receipt and asked if I wanted a new one. I thought, "This can't be this easy, can it?" There is a caveat with replacing your old machine with a new model: the Apple Store might charge you a "re-stocking" fee. This is a 10% fee based on the initial purchase price. I questioned them about this and they told me that I would be getting an upgraded product. However, I was able to get my re-stocking fee waived after talking with the manager for a little while.
The Bottom Line
If you bought a MacBook/Pro/Air in the past 14 days and want to upgrade to one of the newer models, it definitely wouldn't hurt to call up your local store (or Apple online customer service at 1-800-MY-APPLE) and talk to them about returning. Don't be surprised if they tell you about the restocking fee, they told me the same story until I took it into the store. Unlike most computer companies, Apple does try to make the situation right, and most of the time, you come out on top of the matter.
Additional Resources
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - 2009 World Wide Newton Conference announced
Filed under: Portables, Other Events, Apple History
It's almost time for the annual tech event we all know and love. Not Macworld Expo, the World Wide Newton Conference! Started in 2004, the WWNC is a gathering of the most vocal and prolific members of the Newton Community. Projects that have come out of the WWNC include Einstein, a Newton OS emulator for Linux-based PDAs, and Newton WaveLAN drivers.
For now, the website has launched and a call for participants has been issued. If you're interested in attending or presenting, you can contact the folks in charge at the official website. WWNC '09 will take place from July 31st - August 2nd in Vancouver, BC, Canada. If you attend, please let us know. Have fun!Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Migration DVD and CD Sharing update available
Filed under: Software, Software Update
Apple has released Migration and DVD/CD Sharing Update 1.1. While Software Update states that the update is recommended for all users, the support page lists the MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008) and MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008) as the affected machines.
According to Apple, this update "... provides enhanced customization capabilities and improved performance for migration over FireWire, ethernet, and wireless networks."
This update is 11.1MB in Software Update. If you experience any trouble after installation, let us know.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - FireWire feedback from readers and Apple
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, Bad Apple, MacBook
Yesterday's discussion post about the exclusion of FireWire from the newest MacBooks generated a tremendous amount of reader feedback and discussion. We decided to take an unscientific straw Twitter poll which generated a large response, underscoring that for the Mac community, FireWire is a big deal.
The responses to the blog post were largely in support of my thesis: that losing FireWire from the MacBook is a big deal and a potential (or actual) deal-breaker for many, many users. This was to be expected, as people who are upset about FireWire's disappearance are more likely to respond to an article sharing that sentiment. On Twitter, however, when we just asked, "Is the lack of FireWire on the new unibody MacBook a deal-breaker for you, yes or no?" the data was less skewed.
A majority of the Twitter users that responded to our poll said "no, it is not a deal-breaker." Many commented that the loss is disappointing, but ultimately it won't prevent them from buying a new MacBook. Still, more than one third of the responses were "yes, this is a deal-breaker." Many users are considering putting off upgrading altogether; others expressed discomfort with being forced to buy a MacBook Pro (either the new units, or the now heavily-discounted older units).
A note to concerned future MacBook Pro users: you can get an inexpensive cable with FW400 on one end and FW800 on the other -- no adapter needed, just a new cord for your camera or audio device. Be warned, however, that the presence of a FW400 device in the chain will drop the speed of any FW800 devices to the older standard.
Reader David sent Steve Jobs (or sjobs@apple.com) an e-mail, expressing his disappointment by the lack of FireWire on new MacBooks. The response (which David forwarded and we verified had the correct mail-header information), is pretty interesting...Continue reading FireWire feedback from readers and Apple
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - NGmoco announces new games, will publish Rolando
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, iPhone, App Store
Ngmoco, the strangely-named iPhone gaming startup that's one of the recipients of the iFund, has announced their first three planned games for the iPhone.
First of all, they're planning to act as publishers for the Rolando game we've been so excited about, a puzzle platformer with touch and physics elements. That could be one reason for Rolando's delay, actually -- hopefully the new partnership will end up being worth the wait. And they have two other "fast apps" in progress -- one is called MazeFinger (and it does what it sounds like, lets you run your finger around a maze), and the other is Topple, a block-building game that looks like it has some physics in there as well. Both of the smaller games were apparently conceived by Ngmoco, and then passed off to iPhone developers, while Rolando, of course, was created by handcircus.
MazeFinger and Topple are scheduled for this month, and they should be priced to go at 99 cents. Rolando now has a date of "Holiday 2008," and there's no price quoted yet. But Ngmoco is definitely making a strong play for getting some premier games in the App Store -- we'll be watching to see how these do and what else they've got planned.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Greenpeace responds to 'Greener Apple' update
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, MacBook
Greenpeace is reacting favorably to Apple's new, environmentally friendlier product line, but chides the company for not reducing the amount of some toxic chemicals more quickly.
According to a blog post on Greenpeace's website, Apple's new MacBooks are not entirely free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a kind of plastic. Apple says that internal cables now contain no PVC, but Greenpeace wants to see the entire computer free of PVC.
Greenpeace also examines Apple's update to Apple's Greener Apple policies, some of which we highlighted on Tuesday. Apple has promised in this update to have its product line complete PVC free by the end of this year.
The environmental activist organization releases a quarterly Guide to Greener Electronics, where Apple scored a 4.1 (out of 10) last month. Greenpeace's blog post hints that these new changes to its product line will increase its score. Nokia has the highest score of any company, 7 out of 10.
Thanks, Tom!
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Apple: 200m TV episodes sold, 1m in HD
Filed under: Apple Corporate, iTS
Apple issued a press release today saying over 200 million television episodes have been purchased through the iTunes store, one million of them in high definition.
High definition episodes have been available since Apple's "Let's Rock" event on September 9. That averages out to over 27,000 HD downloads per day.
The press release also said the iTunes store is offering America's four major networks' fall prime-time lineup in HD for the first time.
Apple was a little late to the HD download game, however. The Xbox 360 introduced HD via Xbox Live way back in November of 2006.
[Via IGM.]
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - TUAW Interview: Milo Bird of Phantom Fish
Filed under: TUAW Interview, Developer, App Store, SDK
On Tuesday, Phantom Fish released an update to Byline, its Google Reader-slash-offline browser app for iPhone and iPod touch.
Byline's developer, Milo Bird, has been hard at work since Byline 1.0 was released, making improvements to the app based on his users' feedback. Last week, Milo took some time out of his vacation to New York to sit down with us (virtually) and talk about Byline and the app development process.
Does Google make it easy to develop an app that interfaces with Google Reader?
Yes and no. The API for accessing Google Reader is straightforward and well-designed, so from a practical point of view it's quite pleasant to work with. However, it's not formally supported by Google, so there's no official documentation. The API has been around for years now and is in use by a large number of third-party apps, so there are several sources of unofficial documentation, but working out the nuances does involve fumbling around in the dark a bit.
Continue reading TUAW Interview: Milo Bird of Phantom Fish
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - APC's ten things you didn't know about the MacBook
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, MacBook
Confirming our reporting from yesterday, APC spoke to an Apple representative in Australia who closed the door on any hope of Target Disk Mode availability via USB on the new MacBooks. Migration Assistant, which has been updated for these machines, will work over Ethernet or from a disk image of your source Mac, but not over TDM. The machines are running a new OS X build (figures); if you break the glass on the screen, you replace the whole screen (ouch!), swapping hard drives is much easier than on previous models (yay!) but if you lock your machine with a Kensington security cable, that will also block access to the bottom case (phew).
APC also notes a new internal feature on these laptops, and presumably on the MBPs as well, that MacMerc, HardMac and the Ars forums have pointed out: immersion sensors at various spots inside the case (previously seen on the iPhone). These adhesive dots change color when exposed to liquid, so the conversations at the Genius Bar where you insist "No, I'm sure that nothing was spilled on it!" just got quite a bit harder. AppleInsider has a diagram showing the locations of all eight sensors inside the machine, if you've got really really good aim with your spilled Dr. Pepper.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - Putting the MacBook through the paces with Warhammer Online
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Hardware, Software, MacBook
Since the new MacBooks were released earlier this week, everyone's been talking a good bit about gaming on the thing, but our friend (and TUAW alum) C.K. Sample III decided to actually load up a game and make the new Nvidia chips put up or shut up. And as you can see above, put up they did: he loaded up XP in Boot Camp, installed Warhammer Online (not a small task, with a 13GB install and all the patching it took about two hours), and entered the Age of Reckoning with all the graphics turned up. The verdict: it worked. And pretty well -- while there was a tiny bit of slowdown on the highest settings (and YouTube compression makes it look worse than it is), the game was clearly playable and actually looked really good. The trackpad wasn't too easy to use, but you already know that for any substantial games, you've got to plug a mouse in anyway.
This was the 9400M running in the new MacBook, with the 2.4 GHz processor and 2GB of RAM. You have to think the MBP would run even better, too. Seems like Apple's done it -- even on the low end machines, gamers should have no problem (assuming they're willing to load up Boot Camp and deal with a permissions error or two) running even the latest PC games. Now if we could only convince game companies to all make Mac-specific versions...Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsПереслать - TUAW Tip: Adobe CS4 cross-upgrading
Filed under: Switchers, TUAW Tips, Deals, Graphic Design
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsLike many of you, I suspect, I still have PC-using relatives that have steadfastly refused to come over to the fairer side of life (and reduce my tech support burden). One of the biggest hold-ups has been their Windows-based software investment, particularly in Adobe applications. Well, with the release of CS4 it's time for upgrades, and I have some new ammunition in the battle to get my folks switched over: Adobe's competitive cross-upgrades.
Adobe allows registered users of their Creative Suite applications to switch platforms at the standard upgrade price (e.g. cross-upgrading from Windows CS3 to Mac CS4 is the same price as a Windows CS3 to Windows CS4 upgrade). So if somebody you know is getting ready to plunk down the cash for the Windows CS4 upgrade anyway, now would be a great time to suggest that they make a complete upgrade and switch to Mac at the same time.
Adobe doesn't seem to advertise the cross-upgrades that much and they're only available when purchasing the upgrades over the phone (800-833-6687). In addition the previous Windows versions must be destroyed and certified with a Letter of Software Destruction (pdf link). Nonetheless, if you have some Windows based hold-outs now would be a great time to get them on board the Mac train.Переслать - RipIt yanks your DVDs right off the disc
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Video, Odds and ends
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsHandBrake handles most of my DVD-ripping responsibilities just fine, but RipIt came to our attention recently, and as a simple one-touch way to get a movie off of a DVD and on to your hard drive (in order to, say, watch it on a laptop without lugging the disc itself along), it looks pretty simple. In fact, it's about as cake as these things get: load up the app, throw a disc in your drive, and press Rip -- a few minutes later (a 7.9gb rip took about 30 minutes for me), you've got a DVDPlayerMedia file on your hard drive to watch at your leisure.
It's $18.99, which is pricey, especially (again) compared to HandBrake, which is conveniently open source, and provides tons more ways to rip things. But if you do a lot of movie ripping and want to have one single button rather than worrying about formats or encoding, that $19 might be well spent.Переслать
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