Apple ID - now you can change it !
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Apple have updated the My Info part of their website. For a long time now, I have wanted to change my Apple ID, as it contained a very old email address. Although you could change your email address for contact purposes, you couldn't change your Apple ID. Well now you can, thank you Apple !
MyTVPal offers Mac TV Streaming
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
If you have ever fancied streaming TV on your Mac to another Mac or PC, or perhaps even over the internet to a hotel room, then it could be on the way. Gizmodo report on the myTVPal... "Matrixstream 1080p IPTV streaming has made it to the next level, now calling itself MyTVPal and offering a beta version of its software video player for free download."This is well worth a read, so check out the full article here.
Apple ready Keyboard with iPod Dock
Sources over at ThinkSecret have reported that "Apple may be preparing to release a new USB keyboard with a built-in iPod dock, sources report."
We certainly hope this will come to fruition, as not only would it look the part, but we would also regain a USB port. Come on Apple, you know we want it.
Read the full article here.
UK Get Apple Friday Sale
Following the Apple Store US 'Black Friday' sale last week, here in the UK we are being treated to a one day sale event too. The Apple Store states "Come back to the Apple Store on Friday, December 1st for a special one-day only shopping event where you will find dozens of great gift ideas." Let us hope there is some bargains to be had... support us by clicking the link and be sure to check the Apple Store UK site on Friday.
3 New Get A Mac Ads from Apple
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Apple have today made available three new 'Get A Mac' adverts. They continue the Mac & PC theme with 'Sales Pitch' and 'Meant for Work', both very funny. Their 'Gift Exchange' advert, they also gets into the Christmas spirit. All three are available to view in Quicktime format here.
Quark Xpress Windows & Mac in One Box
Friday, November 24, 2006
Quark Inc. have announced the introduction of platform-independent licenses and packaging for QuarkXPress 7. This change is a result of the company’s on-going commitment to improve licensing policies and procedures for customers and channel partners. “In an effort to provide our customers with the most efficient and effective way to use QuarkXPress at home and at work, we are providing platform-independent licensing,” said Jürgen Kurz, Quark senior vice president of desktop products. “Creative minds should be free to design and innovate on any platform, and Quark is continuing to provide that freedom with our creative tools.”
Quark has listened to customer needs by introducing the platform-independent licensing. Now, individual QuarkXPress users can double-activate one license on different platforms at no additional cost; customers can use the same QuarkXPress 7 license on Windows or Mac OS — or both. In addition, because of another recent change regarding Quark licenses, previous versions of QuarkXPress can run under the same license when users are upgrading to QuarkXPress 7.
To learn more about QuarkXPress 7 and how to purchase or upgrade, click here.
A fully functional 30-day evaluation version of QuarkXPress 7, including the new Universal release for Intel based Macs, is available for download here.
Apple MacBook Pro Core2Duo Full Review
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
My recently completed full review of the Apple MacBook Pro Core2Duo has been published over at MacNN. This was a very important review for me, because on a personal note, I have had my fair share of problems with the first batch of MacBook Pros, so I was eager to see if Apple had put right some of the early problems.Excerpt from the review, courtesy of MacNN... "There are some distinct differences in the upgraded MacBook Pro. The built in iSight camera is the same, but the indicator LED has changed. There is no longer a pinhole in the bezel surrounding the LCD screen. The LED lights up behind the bezel, which is very finely machined with tiny wholes that make this part of the bezel thinner. When the LED is off, it blends into the finish of the rest of the MacBook Pro casing."
Read the full review here.
Labels: Reviews
Slim Devices Squeezebox Review
Head on over to read my review of Slim Devices Squeezebox at MacNN. I really enjoyed reviewing this product, it offers a great way of streaming music from your Mac or PC, whilst delivering the very best in audio quality.Excerpt courtesy of MacNN... "The nicely designed Squeezebox hardware is a mix of brushed aluminum and high gloss smoked plastic. You can choose a model with a white or black finish on the back. The unit comes supplied with a power adapter, analogue RCA audio cables, a remote control complete with batteries, and a printed user manual."
I hope you enjoy the full review here.
Link to product here.
Labels: Reviews
Griffin EarThumps Review
Monday, November 20, 2006
When you buy an iPod, whether it is a full size version, Nano, or perhaps the miniature sized Shuffle, more often than not you crack open the packaging, load it with music and listen with the supplied headphones. This is all well and good, but believe me, things can sound better. It is possible to invest from around £10 upwards for a replacement set of headphones. Here we take a look at the lower end of the market in terms of price, with Griffin Technology's EarThumps.The EarThumps, which weigh in at just 12 grammes, are available in a black or white finish. The cable is 120cm long, which is more than enough. They also come supplied with three different size ear inserts, to ensure a comfortable fit. The ear inserts feel more rubberised, rather than the gel appearance of more expensive brands, though I am sure the material used is very similar. The 3.5mm jack (where you plug the headphones in) is has a small plastic surround, so it fits nicely when your iPod is in a case. Some headphones have an angled larger plastic surround, which causes problems with some cases, so this was nice to see. The EarThumps are supplied with a tiny zip case, with three internal pockets. This is great, as you can store the headphones plus the ear inserts to keep them safe.
Fitting the EarThumps into my ears with the medium size rubbers was easy, and provided a nice comfortable fit. Unlike the Apple supplied headphones, they do not just sit in front of the ear, they actually go inside a little way. Some isolating headphones seem to go too deep inside the ear, but I am happy to say that the EarThumps do not go too deep and still provide a nice seal against external noises. The sound delivered is a definite improvement over the Apple supplied headphones. The bass is a little deeper and the detail in the high and mid-range is noticeable. If you want to improve the sound of your iPod without breaking the bank, the Griffin EarThumps are well worth a look.Griffin EarThumps
Supplied by: Griffin Technology
MSRP: $29.99
Link to product
Labels: Reviews
iPod Nano Product Red + Nike... soon
Friday, November 17, 2006
Just a little teaser for you all. My review of the iPod Nano (Product Red) is coming soon, followed by a look at the iPod+Nike kit. Yes, that's right, we are all going to get fit for Christmas.
EazyDraw 2.1.3 Review
When I stumbled upon the EazyDraw stand at this years Mac Expo in London, I was intrigued. As a long time Freehand user, I had dabbled with Illustrator and earlier this year reviewed Lineform. Finding another alternative drawing and illustration package that claims to 'bring the fun back into drawing' was well worth taking for a spin.Installation is as simple as dragging the application icon over to a suitable place on your Mac. The version I am reviewing here is 2.1.3 and upon first launch you are asked to enter your license code (or indeed use in demo mode). The interface presents itself with large, colourful icons, and right from the start you know you are in for a treat.
All of the basic drawing tools are available, for creating squares, boxes, ovals, text, bezier curves and the like. The icons within your tool panel are very colourful and almost comic-like in appearance, with each really needing no explanation of what they do. If you do need extra information, hovering your mouse pointer over each tool shows you a text description of the tool function.
Where EazyDraw differs (and adds in that fun element) is in the way you manipulate these objects. Just take a look at my screenshot of rotating an object, this is just superb, you just click and drag to select two control points, release the mouse button, then rotate the object to the desired angle. The function is so well designed and so intuitive it allows even the most inexperienced user to understand what they are doing. For this alone, EazyDraw should be commended.
If you want to dig deeper into the more advanced features of the application, there is a folder of tutorials that you can refer to. The tutorials explain things like creating blends, flowcharts, using grids, and using transparency, the list of topics covered is very thorough. The 'Road and Intersections' tutorial was of personal interest, as I create a lot of maps. It shows you how to create a simple intersection, but also a really neat timesaver in the form of the Ribbon tool. When you cross one road with another, the Ribbon tools creates an open intersection, something I always had to do manually in Freehand. If you need more information about an object in your work area, you simply select it and then click on the Details icon, which shows you the various attributes for the object.
Text entry was a mixed bag for me, mainly because it works a little differently to what I am used to. You have to draw a text box out on the page, making a container for your text. This is OK, except when I then tried to apply a fill to my outline text, it filled the whole container. You can correct this, but I am so used to just being able to click an area on my work area and start typing. So, this is not necessarily a bad thing, just not very intuitive. On a more positive note, EazyDraw offers some great text features. It can spell check what you type on-the-fly, underlining any suspect words. You can also get it to spellcheck a whole text entry after you have finished typing, or even get it to speak back what you have typed. All these extra features are really nice touches and the spellchecking is really useful. Handling of file formats is great too, with all the major formats supported including PDF, EPS, TIFF and JPEG to name just a few, you can also import from MacDraw and ClarisDraw.
Whilst you are using EazyDraw you find yourself drawn into (excuse the pun) the application and actually enjoying what you are doing. Drawing actually becomes fun again and the way many of the features work brought a smile to my face, leaving me thinking "Now why didn't Freehand do it like that". Anything from basic illustrations, right up to very technical drawings can be achieved. EazyDraw is suited to the beginner, at any age, right up to the more demanding user. If you want to use an alternative to the mainstream applications and re-introduce some fun to your work, the you should really check out EazyDraw.
EazyDraw is the work of Dekorra Optics. The application is a universal binary, supporting both PowerPC and Intel based Mac. It retails in various forms, with licenses ranging from $20 for a 9-month version, $95 for a full license and $119 for a CD version.
Supplied by: Dekorra Optics
MSRP: $95 full version
Link to product.
Labels: Reviews
PS3 in USA Tomorrow
Thursday, November 16, 2006
The Playstation 3 hits USA shores tomorrow and it looks like it is destined to be a sell-out. Check out this BBC report and check back on Geekanoids at the weekend for a UK hands-on with photos.
iPod & iTunes or Zune & Zune
A lot of reports flooding in that the Zune is just "Not that great" from all over the web. Check out Gizmodo's coverage here, comparing the Zune software to iTunes, it makes a very good read.
Fidelity Media update DJ software - MegaSeg
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Fidelity Media today announced an update to their MegaSeg DJ software. Version 4 brings universal binary support and over 100 new features and improvements."The new version includes interface enhancements that allow you to deselect features to customize and simplify your user experience. Among other enhancements are a robust set of color coding options, and new library display options, including hierarchical folder tree navigation. Users will enjoy faster access to iTunes playlists, and OS X Tiger users will appreciate faster importing from iTunes using Spotlight search technology."
Check out the full details here.
Apple & iPod have Take Off !!!
Apple Teams Up With Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM & United to Deliver iPod IntegrationApple today announced it is teaming up with Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM and United to deliver the first seamless integration between iPod® and in-flight entertainment systems. These six airlines will begin offering their passengers iPod seat connections which power and charge their iPods during flight and allow the video content on their iPods to be viewed on the their seat back displays.
“There is no better travelling companion than an iPod, and now travellers can power their iPods during flight and even watch their iPod movies and TV shows on their seat back displays,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. “We’re excited to work with Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM and United to offer iPod users an even better in-flight experience.”
In-flight iPod connectivity will be available to Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM and United passengers beginning in mid 2007. Additionally, Apple is working with Panasonic Avionics Corporation to bring even more leading airlines in-flight iPod connectivity in the future.
Proporta shipping USB Mobile Device Charger
Proporta are now shipping their USB Mobile Device Charger (USB Rechargeable Battery) which charges from any standard USB port (so it works with ALL Proporta power/charging products in your car, home, office) and stores an impressive 3400 mAH of power for when you need it.You can then plug any USB powered mobile device (phone, iPod, digital camera etc.) into the battery's standard USB port and recharge anywhere. Even power hungry devices like the iPod 5G will recharge and play for up to three times longer when connected to the Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger (USB Rechargeable Battery) and you can recharge your mobile, Smartphone or PDA anywhere.
Shipping now for £39.95 + postage, you can check out the full details here.
Speck See Thru Case protects your MacBook Pro
Monday, November 13, 2006
One of the first things Mac owners want to do after firing up their new purchase is to protect it from scratches. MacBook, PowerBook and iPod owners from all corners of the globe (if only it were square) spend money on cases, skins and bags. Well, in the form of Speck Products 'See Thru' case, I think they are on to a possible winner here, so let's take a look.To date, the only shipping See Thru case for laptops is the MacBook Pro version, the Core2Duo revision and the MacBook will follow. This is a hard case, made of translucent plastic and is available either completely transparent, or as reviewed here in red. The red is a very punchy colour and really looks superb.
The case itself comes supplied in two halves. You fit the top half first to the back of your screen, it just slips on and four small clips hold it in place. The bottom half is a little more tricky, with four clips securing the back, near the heat vents on the MacBook Pro. The back has to be put in place first, then the rest of the case is held on with two smaller clips. These small clips do not prevent the MacBook Pro from closing in the normal way, so you don't even notice they are there.
Once in place you have to be ready for the wow factor. It really shines and makes the MacBook Pro look even sexier than it did before. All of the ports remain accessible with the case on, nothing is obscured at all. It even made the screen/lid of the MacBook Pro feel more rigid, so may go someway toward preventing any warping in the future.
If you are worried about heat, there are plenty of vents on the bottom of the See Thru case, so no worries there. Removing the case, if you really need to is a bit worrying. I suppose the fear is that one of the little tabs will scratch the MacBook Pro casing, but fear not, so long as you are careful, the See Thru case can be easily removed, leaving no damage at all.
Everything about the See Thru case made me smile. The fit is spot on, the finish is excellent, no sharp edges and it makes your laptop look really great. The all important factor of protection is also addressed, any knocks or scratches will be taken by the See Thru instead of marking the silver finish to your MacBook Pro.
I can highly recommend this product and hope to bring you a review of the MacBook version when available.
Supplied by: Speck Products
Price: $39.95
Contact: 650-463-8918
Link to product.
Epson Perfection V100 Photo Scanner Review
Sunday, November 12, 2006
It brings me great pleasure to share with you the review of the Epson Perfection V100 Photo Scanner that I wrote over at MacNN."The V100 is a nice slim line off-white unit, with silver plastic on the lid. It sports four brushed metal quick buttons on the front that provide access to the Epson scan software, or to scan directly to print, email or a PDF file. A hinge opens the lid along the long edge, which is a little different from other scanners."
Head on over here to read the full review, enjoy !
Link to V100 product page at Epson UK.
Labels: Reviews
Two monitors in one case ! Dual Display.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Soyo Group on Thursday announced dual screen LCD monitors in both 17-inch and 19-inch models. Imagine all that dual screen goodness in one neat package. They will be available under the Soyo and Go Video brand names, with suggested retail prices of $999 and $1,199 respectively.
Take a look at the 17-inch here and the 19-inch here.
Yojimbo 1.3 available today !
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Bare Bones Software today released version 1.3 of Yojimbo, the reliable, effortless information organizer, which we previously reviewed here.Yojimbo 1.3 now supports tagging for powerful grouping and retrieval of items stored in Yojimbo. The new version also brings several more significant refinements and addresses reported issues. The update is free for all registered Yojimbo customers.
Tidy Up version 1.2 available
Tidy Up helps you find duplicate files on your system and keep your hard disks nice and clean. It allows you to search for duplicate files and packages. These can be searched by the owner application, content, type, creator, extension, date modified, date created, name, label, visibility and more.
New to this version is the ability to automatically check for updates, numerous changes of the graphical interface, performance improvements and some bug fixes.
Tidy Up ($30) is a universal binary application and can be downloaded here.
Tavi 030 - 30Gb PMP Goodness
I reported about a Tavi device right back when Geekanoids first started. Well the new 30Gb version is on the horizon. Offering well, errr, 30Gb of storage. On top of the nice capacity, you get a 3.5-inch LCD screen, 5.1 surround sound, and 5.5 hour battery life. Source Gizmodo UK.