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Feb 03
Apple 'un-pull's iOS devices in Germany in never-...

Apple, which has spent the past day pulling older models of the iPhone and iPad inventory from the shelves of its online store in Germany, is now restoring them.

Apple has pulled several iPad and iPhone models from its German online store after Motorola Mobility enforced a patent injunction against its rival, reports the "BBC" (http://macte.ch/7GmXq). Now in a statement given to "AllThingsD" (http://macte.ch/TVRgM), Apple confirmed that the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and 3G/UMTS-based iPads should be returning to the shelves of its German online store in a matter of hours.

"All iPad and iPhone models will be back on sale through Apple’s online store in Germany shortly," an Apple spokeswoman told AllThingsD. "Apple appealed this ruling because Motorola repeatedly refuses to license this patent to Apple on reasonable terms, despite...

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Feb 03
Forensics firm cracks Apple's FileVault

Apple's FileVault disk encryption can be circumvented in less than an hour, according to a computer forensics firm, reports "The Register" (http://macte.ch/pGMcM). Technology from Passware can purportedly capture the content of a Mac machine's memory, via Firewire interfaces, before extracting encryption keys.

Passware claims the latest version of its toolkit (Passware Kit Forensic 11.3) can recover hashed passwords with rainbow tables and extracting passwords from encrypted Mac keychain files as well as building a password list for its dictionary attack (based on the words detected in a computer memory). It can also reportedly unlock volumes encrypted using TrueCrypt, a disk encryption software that ranks alongside PGP as the choice of privacy-conscious computer users, human rights activists and others, according to "The Register."

Mac OS X 10.7.x ("Lion") includes a new version (2) of FileVault, which...

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Feb 03
Apple pulls iOS devices in Germany in ongoing legal dispute

Apple has pulled several iPad and iPhone models from its German online store after Motorola Mobility enforced a patent injunction against its rival, reports the "BBC" (http://macte.ch/7GmXq).

The move follows a December ruling that Apple had failed to license one of Motorola's wireless intellectual properties. iPhone users in Germany may also face the loss of their push email iCloud service after a separate patent victory by Motorola, notes the "BBC." Apple has said it will appeal.

This is part of an ongoing battle. Earlier this month the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that Motorola's Droid smartphones don't violate three Apple patents. The ruling is preliminary and needs to be approved by the ITC's full six-member commission.

Apple has previously alleged that Motorola infringes 24 of its patents (21 of them with Android-based phones, the remaining three with set-top boxes and...

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Feb 03
Australia: Apple widens its legal claims against Samsung

Apple has widened its claims against Samsung in its ongoing patent battle with the company it was revealed in the NSW Federal Court in Australia, reports "The Australian IT" (http://macte.ch/0XsKN).

Samsung lead barrister Neil Young SC said Apple had "enormously" expanded its patent bid which initially involved three patents of features in the Korean company's Galaxy Tab 10.1, the article adds. The lawsuit now encompasses 278 claims across 22 patents that cover 10 Samsung devices.

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Feb 03
Avid releases video editing app for the iPad

Avid has released its first video editing application for the iPad -- Avid Studio, available immediately at the Apple App Store. The company says it's the first iPad app for video editing to offer frame-by-frame editing accuracy and access to all kinds of media.

As a special launch promotion, Avid Studio for iPad is being offered for US$4.99.
It allows users to begin editing by offering access to any videos, photos and audio already in their iPad library, or media that can be imported from iTunes, cameras and more. Users can then arrange clips in the Storyboard, make edits using the Timeline, and enhance their movie creations with transitions, effects and a soundtrack.

They can then share movies directly to YouTube, Facebook and more -- or export projects to Avid Studio software, where they can continue editing with even more advanced tools on their PC. A how-to guide is included with the app. For more info go to...

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Feb 03
iBooks Author templates available at the Mac App Store

Jumsoft has introduced Book Pallete 1.0, a themes application developed specifically for iBooks Author on the Mac. It requires Mac OS X 10.7.2 or later, costs US$2.99 and is available worldwide exclusively through the Mac App Store in the Graphics & Design category.

Book Palette app contains 10 templates that bring plenty of options to Mac users who wish to publish their own e-books. All templates contain the full range of standard section and page layouts provided in the iBooks Author app, including covers, chapter pages, text pages, tables of contents, glossary pages, and more.

The first version of Book Palette provides templates for various e-book styles -- from slick business publications to a traditional cookbook. Most elements in Book Palette can be recolored, moved, or removed. Users can type or paste in their own text, add and remove text boxes, and change the fonts.

Stock images can be replaced with users' own photos or pictures. Gallery, video,...

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Feb 03
RAGE: Campaign Edition comes to the Mac

Bethesda Softworks, in partnership with Aspyr Media, says RAGE: Campaign Edition is now available for the Mac worldwide.

This new shooter from id Software has been published for the Mac by Aspyr.. The game can be digitally downloaded in English, French or German now via Apple's Mac App Store, Aspyr's own digital store GameAgent.com, and through other supporting Mac digital retailers.

Here's how the game is described: "In RAGE: Campaign Edition you will take on bandit gangs and hordes of mutants with an arsenal of exotic weapons and special items, such as Wingsticks, personal turrets, sentry bots, and remote-controlled bomb cars as you play through the game’s full unaltered single-player campaign.

"The Mac version will also include bonus equipment formerly exclusive to the RAGE Anarchy Edition, including a Double Barrel Shotgun, the Rat Rod Buggy, Fists of RAGE and Crimson Elite Armor. You’ll also have access to the Wasteland Sewers Missions which feature...

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Feb 03
Tunewear releases Security Locker for the iPad 2

Tunewear has released the US$99.95 Security Locker for iPad 2. The iPad 2 can be worn around the neck for in-store, or for back-office applications.

The Security Locker can be secured to desk or table to prevent the iPad 2 from disappearing when used for in-store demos, trade show booth presentations and even school exhibits. The clear polycarbonate hard case is designed with a security lock and wire features. It's built to both prevent theft of iPad 2 and protect it from dirt and scratches.

Tunewear also provides custom logo printing. The Security Locker is now available on Amazon or the Tunewear eStore (http://www.tunewearllc.com/servlet/the-100/tablet-iPad-security%2C-anti-...).

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Feb 03
Jewel Quest The Sapphire Dragon released for the Mac

Macgamestore (http://www.macgamestore.com) has released Jewel Quest: The Sapphire Dragon Collector's Edition, the sixth game in the Jewel Quest series by iWin. It costs US$13.99 and requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher.

Here's how the game is described; "Jewel Quest: The Sapphire Dragon Collector's Edition leads you through 200 brand new jewel boards as you unearth ancient wonders and discover the secret behind the elusive Sapphire Dragon. While piloting his Cessna in a Himalayan snowstorm, Raj crash-lands on a frozen mountain, thus kicking off the adventure.

"While piloting his Cessna in a Himalayan snowstorm, Raj crash-lands on a frozen mountain, thus kicking off the adventure in Jewel Quest 6: The Sapphire Dragon. Raj's crash has led him to a chance discovery of the Temple of Wishes, an ancient complex thought to be only legend! Raj assembles a team to explore the temple, but plans change...

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Feb 03
Umotion 2D is new Mac compatible, 2D animation tool

NuOxygen Game Publishing has released Umotion 2D (http://macte.ch/ZFHth), a new 2D animation tool for Macintosh and Windows systems. A demo version is available.

Using this tool you can create 2D animations and export them directly into Unity, Umotion 2D comes with tutorial videos and a short user guide.

You only need to work with the separate elements from your texture Atlas and not the whole animation sequence. Furthermore, you can use Umotion to resize complex 2D games with bigger 2D animations with Unity for iPhone and iPad. The final result is similar to what you get when creating animations with a 3D software like Maya or 3DMax, only you are working into a 2D environment.

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Feb 03
Tech Transitions released exclusively for FCP X

Noise Industries has added Idustrial Revolution's XEffects Tech Transitions to its repertoire of products for FxFactory 3. The new visual effects package, made exclusively for Final Cut Pro X, lets editors add transitions to projects without layers, key framing, or complex mattes.

Tech Transitions offers 28 transition effects, all with adjustable settings. Effects can be slipped, lengthened, shortened and cut and pasted like any other transition.

Almost all transitions include freeze versions, which holds the last frame of the outgoing media and the first frame of the incoming media, performing the transition between the two stills. Effects harness the power of GPU processing within FCP X for fast previews and renderings.

Offered at US$49, users can download a free trial version of XEffects Tech Transitions (http://www....

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Feb 03
PDF Nomad for Lion adds watermarks feature

SintraWorks has updated PDF Nomad, a PDF editor for Mac OS X 10.7 ("Lion"), to version 1.2. The upgrade adds features such as watermarks and "exploding" into chapters.

PDF Nomad is available as a single-user license for the introductory price of US$19.99 from both the Mac App Store and from the SintraWorks website (http://macte.ch/uiF4v). A demo is available from the latter.

PDF Nomad's features include simple text search and extraction, file merging, page splitting, form creation, markup and annotation, booklet/magazine creation and more. You can create and fill out PDF forms, mark-up text and annotate pages with rectangles, ovals, arrows, lines and more.


With PDF Nomad, you can resize whole documents to a different page size with a single command, or resize individual pages with drag and drop, shifting page contents as needed. You can export individual pages as bitmaps (jpg, png etc.) or...

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Feb 03
CameraBag 2 released for the Mac, PC

Nevercenter has released CameraBag 2 for Mac and PC. It's an update of the desktop photo app.

Redesigned from the ground up, CameraBag 2's new Analog Engine pairs a full suite of photographic tools with the filters and vintage simulations of previous versions. According to Nevercenter President Tom Plewe, the key innovation in version 2 is a straightforward approach to layering, rearranging, and tweaking all of these effects in realtime. CameraBag 2 ships with 100-plus, adjustable filters and 25-plus professional controls

With CameraBag 2, you don’t have to know what look you want to get started, Plewe says. It lets you see all the possibilities at once: old-school instant film or modern high-contrast portrait, subtle color adjustment or complete artistic overhaul. You can choose from side-by-side comparisons with the fullscreen Quicklooks, or get large, instant previews on mouseover.

Once you’ve chosen a filter, its components are all in the tray to tweak...

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Feb 03
Avadon: The Black Fortress updated to version 1.0.4

Spiderweb Software has updated Avadon: The Black Fortress (http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/avadon/index.html), an indie fantasy role-playing game for Mac OS X, to version 1.0.4. The upgrade fixes bugs and typos and improves performance with the Magic Trackpad.

Avadon: The Black Fortress requires Mac OS X10.5 or later and costs US$19.99, though version 1.0.4 is a free upgrade for registered users. You can download the game from the Mac App Store or the Spiderweb Software website.
Here's how the game is described: "Avadon is in epic adventure in a strange and dangerous world. You are a spy and warrior who must fight the enemies of your homeland. As a servant of the Black Fortress, your word is law. Gain power and influence, experience an exciting adventure, and battle a conspiracy to destroy your people.

"You are an agent of Avadon. The...

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Feb 03
AAS updates ready for Lion

Applied Acoustic Systems has released updates for all of their instruments (except Chromaphone) that bring full compatibility with Mac OS X 10.7.x ("Lion").

The updates include Tassman 4 v4.1.7, Lounge Lizard EP-3 v3.1.5, Ultra Analog VA-1 v1.1.5, Strin Studio VS-1 v1.1.4, Lounge Lizard Session v3.1.5 and Ultra Analog Session v1.1.5. For more info go to www.applied-acoustics.com .

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Feb 03
My Living Desktop for OS X revved to version 5.0.2

Amuse has released My Living Desktop 5.0.2 (http://www.mylivingdesktop.com/) for Mac OS X, a new version of their video desktop and screen saver utility. More applications are now automatically added to the Auto Deactivation feature.

My Living Desktop is a cross between a video desktop (moving wallpaper) and screen saver. With its built-in video importer, users can import their own movie scenes for use as video desktops. Anyone can have family movies, movies of friends and special events, vacation movies and more as their desktop -- or as a screen saver.

My Living Desktop boasts a variety of high-definition movie videos shot from all around the globe, accompanied by nature sound effects. Upon purchase, download access to additional hi-def movie videos are available from within the software itself.

The application also sports Automatic Serenity Breaks. This feature allows the...

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MacNews Blog

Feb 03
IWant an iDesk

I always enjoy the annual article "Mac/Life" on products Apple should/could develop. In their latest feature, I was particularly intrigued by the iDesk.

The iDesk is a conceptual re-imagining of the desk. Not the Mac OS X Desktop, but an actual, physical desktop.

Here's how "Mac/Life" describes it: "Imagine an entirely adaptable workspace that doesn’t just hold your equipment, but enhances and interacts with it. As with Microsoft’s Surface technology, the entire desk would be a touch-sensitive display capable of running several simultaneous apps, some of which--such as a calendar, phone, and digital Post-It notes—would replace their physical counterparts entirely. Notifications, to-do lists, video conferencing, Adobe tool palettes, and countless widgets such as calculators and weather reports would all appear right on the surface of your desk, literally putting your entire working world at your fingertips."

The article says that the iDesk would sync with your...

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Feb 02
Apple patent hints at touchscreen Mac

Although the late Steve Jobs dismissed talk of a Mac with a touchscreen display, an Apple patent (number 20120030626) at the U..S. Patent & Trademark Office shows that the company has considered/is considering the idea. The patent is for a computer with a touchscreen.

Per the patent, a control object including a knob element is displayed in a GUI [graphical user interface]. A first user input can be detected that indicates selection of the knob element. In response to the first user input, the knob element can be visually augmented. The visual augmentation can include displaying text labels of range limit values and a slider element with the knob element.

The slider element can include a fill bar to indicate the current value of the knob element. A second input can be a linear motion on or near the slider control. In response to the second user input, both the fill bar of the slider element and a fill portion of the knob element can be visually augmented to...

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Feb 02
Apple patent involves programmable magnets and assembly tech...

A new Apple patent (number 20120028480) has appeared at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Among other things it would facilitate the assembly of Apple devices via programmable magnetic devices.

The patent involves alignment and connection for devices. relate generally to programmable magnetic devices, and more particularly to multi-part devices that may be joined or separated through programmable magnets. A plug or connector including a coded magnet and an electrical contact is disclosed.

As the plug approaches a corresponding port, the coded magnet interacts with a magnet within the port. The interaction between the plug coded magnet and the port coded magnet provides a force to connect and/or align the plug with the port. Once the plug is received within the port, if a process is completed, the coded magnets polarities are altered to eject the plug from the port.

“Correlated magnets” or “coded magnets” are magnetic structures formed of multiple...

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Feb 02
THIS is why I'd love to ditch satellite/cable TV

Here's one of the reasons why so many people want Apple (or Netflix or someone) to break the stranglehold the cable and satellite companies have on us:

My DishTV account jumped US$20 in one month. I didn't order any extra channels, but evidently some appeared anyway -- and we were billed. It seems to be part of what I consider a scam. For a short period, you're have access to some channels beyond the basic package (such as HBO and Showtime) for free. But if you don't specifically tell Dish TV that you don't want them, the channels continue past the free period, and you're billed. 

I did battle with Dish TV over this, something I hoped wouldn't occur. I switched to Dish after Comcast raised my cable TV bill about 150% in 24 months.

Currently, I subscribe to Dish TV's "America's Top 120" package. Of those 120 channels, there's maybe 20 that my family watches. I'd love to be able to pay only for those channels, not the other 100 we never tune into.

There are...

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Feb 02
Apple patents involve audio playback, notifications, more

Apple has been granted several patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Following is a summary of each.

Patent number 20120026403 is for facilitating audio playback during display sleep mode. The disclosed embodiments relate to a system for managing power for a display. During operation, the system receives a video-blank command, which specifies that the display is to enter a video-blank mode wherein the display outputs a blank screen. In response to the video-blank command, the system causes the display to output a blank screen, and powers down display components associated with outputting a display signal to the display.

In some embodiments, the display additionally comprises audio components including an audio-output device, and powering down the display components involves maintaining an existing power state for the audio components, so that the audio components can continue to output an audio signal while the display components are...

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Feb 01
The Northern Spy: Tempus Fugit

By Rick Sutcliffe

Or "Time flies like an arrow" ...

If we would marry Virgil's observations on its irretrievability to the unidirectional dictum of modern physics. "Time's a wasting," is an apt observation in any day and age, and for all that a week now seems a relative eternity in Internet time, we assume that the flight of time still takes place at the same speed in some external time-inertial frame of reference, call it eternity or what you will.

Certainly investors seem to have concluded that time has already flown for RIM, which benighted company resolved to solve its market share problems by appointing a company insider to be its great helmsman, only to see its shares plummet. Excuse us, but the Spy fails to see how someone who's been part of the problem these last several years can suddenly morph into the solution. It is for situations like this that the expression "changing deck chairs on the Titanic" was coined.

... | Read more »
Feb 01
2012 looks to be a great year for Apple in the enterprise

If you think Apple had a great year in 2011, you ain't see nothing yet. While still firing on all cylinders in the consumer market, the company is also making great gains in the enterprise arena.

Forrester Research's (http://www.forrester.com) latest "Global Tech Market Outlook" states that enterprises will spend US$19 billion on Apple hardware in 2012 -- which is 68% more iPads and 45% more Macs than purchased in 2011.

"Apple's products are much more visible in business environments than they used to be," writes analyst Frank E. Gillet. "To quantify Apple's business presence, Forrester surveyed almost 10,000 information workers -- workers that use a computer for work an hour or more per day -- across 17 countries globally and more than 3,350 IT hardware decision-makers in North America and Western Europe. We analyzed the data to profile how information workers use Apple products for work, how...

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Jan 31
Apple patents involve iOS, Macs, retail stores, more

Apple has been granted several patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. They involve everything from iOS devices to Macs to Apple retail stores. Following is a summary of each.

Patent number 8104911 is for a display system with a distributed LED backlight. Per the patent, each tile LED light source has a tile and a plurality of similar LED light sources on each tile connected for emitting light therefrom. The inventors are Michael D. Hillman, Gregory L. Tice, William Sauway, Sean Bailey, Ann Torres, Efrain Alcorta and Perry Anderson.

Patent number 8106630 involves a method and system for operating a portable device in a power-limited manner. Per the patent, improved techniques to manage operation of a portable electronic device having a substantially depleted battery when power is available from an external, power-limited source are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, the substantially depleted battery can be...

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Jan 31
Should the government help Apple move jobs back to the U.S.?

Last week I asked (http://macte.ch/rxr8P) if Apple should be doing more to help the U.S. economy. Some readers, including my long-time friend, J. Scott Anderson, asked the flip side of the question: should the U.S. government be doing more to help companies like Apple move jobs back to this country.

"I think it is the other way around," says Scott. "The US should do more that would attract companies to bring more manufacturing and other business functions back to the US. This is a complicated issue that has a lot of components. However, the bottom line is that Apple should do what is best for them and their customers."

President Obama touched on this subject last week in his State of the Union address. he recommended proposals for tax breaks benefiting companies that keep jobs in the United States, and eliminating tax breaks for companies that move jobs overseas.

-- Dennis Sellers

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Jan 30
More and more folks watching video online

Here's another good reason to think that Apple may be planning an Apple HDTV: more and more people are watching video online.

Online video continues to increase in popularity, with 143 million Americans watching content online in 2011 according to the latest report from media analysts Nielsen (http://www.nielsen.com). The "2011 State of the Media Report" looked at how consumers in the USA watched video and found that although viewing content on a traditional TV is still the most popular method of watching programs, online video is reaching millions of consumers. An "iTV" could serve the best of both worlds.

The most popular video website is YouTube, which received 126.5 million unique visitors in 2011 but in terms of the time spend on the website the Google owned site comes second after Netflix. YouTube viewers spend an average of 2 hours and 52 minutes watching content on the site, compared to...

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Reviews and Kool Tools

The Aegis Netdock is a near-perfect MacBook Air companion
Apricorn's (http://www.apricorn.com) Aegis Netdock -- Mac Edition is making me rethink some future purchases. It actually has me considering a MacBook Air as my main Mac. As for the Apple US$79 SuperDrive, forget it.... Read more »
Kool Tools: swimming with the Bluefin
MeshWe has announced the Bluefin (http://meshwe.com/products.html), a device that turns your "Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Trackpad" into the ultimate wireless control device for you Mac." It connects the two Apple... Read more »
Browse your movies on OS X with this VideoBuffet
With iMovie and QuickTime on all our Macs, plus lots of video download sites and options, most of us have a plethora of videos on our Macs. A cornucopia. A veritable buffet, if you will. Browsing through them to find... Read more »
ColorMunki offers wizard-driven monitor/projector calibration
By Aaron Westgate X-Rite’s (http://www.xritephone.com) new version of the US$169 ColorMunki Display not only calibrates your display, but it will also calibrate projectors, measure ambient light, and correct for display... Read more »

News Scanner

Saturday February 4

19:25
AT&T drops bar for throttling unlimited data to...
MacNN

At least some anecdotes from AT&T subscribers have shown that its throttling practices for unlimited data plan users have started to take effect at low levels. John Cozen claimed to have seen the throttling take effect with as little as 2.1GB of data used in the month, or just over the pre-increase 2GB tiered plan's cap. He escalated complaints about the issue to levels where he could confirm the throttling wasn't a mistake....

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16:40
AMD won't rule out ARM in the future, wants...
MacNN

AMD in conversations at the end of the week wouldn't discount the possibility of making ARM-based processors. When pressed by Wired, CTO and former Apple executive Mark Papermaster made the unusual non-denial that "the answer is not no." The company's long-term plans were aiming for a modular chip design that could drop in ARM or another architecture without losing Radeon graphics or other AMD-specific touches....

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16:10
Apple Overturns Motorola's German iPad and...
SlashDot


SpuriousLogic sends this excerpt from a BBC article detailing the suspension of a sales ban on certain Apple products in Germany:
"Motorola Mobility had forced Apple to remove several iPad and iPhone models from its online store [yesterday] after enforcing a patent infringement court ruling delivered in December. An appeals court lifted the ban after Apple made a new license payment offer. However, Germany-based users may still face the loss of their push email iCloud service after a separate ruling. 'A suspension like this is available only against a bond, but Apple is almost drowning in cash and obviously won't have had a problem with obtaining and posting a bond.' ... A statement from Apple said: 'All iPad and iPhone models will be back on sale through Apple's online store in Germany shortly.'"
...

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16:01
The best Super Bowl ad you (Canadians) will see
The Loop

CBS Sports:
This is your regular beer-league hockey game and the small rink gets filled with a rabid fan base complete with body paint, thundersticks and banners. The looks on the players’ faces is priceless.
This video will touch the hearts of every beer league player out there. It’s a shame it will only be shown in Canada during the game.
∞ Permalink

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15:16
Why Apple’s A5 is so big – and iPhone 4 won’t get...
The Loop

CNET:
Apple’s A5 processor includes noise-reduction circuitry licensed from a start-up called Audience, and a chip analyst believes that fact resolves an iPhone 4S mystery and explains why the iPhone 4 lacks the Siri voice-control system.
Audience revealed details of its Apple partnership in January, when it filed paperwork for an initial public offering (IPO) of stock. Teardown work from iFixit and Chipworks revealed a dedicated Audience chip in the iPhone 4, but the iPhone 4S integrates Audience’s “EarSmart” technology directly into the A5 processor, the company’s S-1 filing said.
The explanation make sense even as it disappoints those of us with the iPhone 4 who were hoping to get Siri retroactive on our phones.
∞ Permalink

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15:00
Motorola wants 2.25 percent of Apple sales to...
TUAW

The ongoing patent spat between Motorola and Apple has reached an interesting crossroads. Just recently a German court granted an injunction against sales of many of Apple's 3G-bearing products, including older model iPhones and the iPad. That injunction held for less than a day, however, pending further review of Motorola's claims against Apple. Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents found new information that suggests Motorola has offered to end the patent dispute and license its wireless patents to Apple -- in exchange for 2.25 percent of Apple's sales. It's unclear whether this is a percentage of all Apple revenues or, more likely,...

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14:15
Game of Thrones
The Loop


iTunes:
Trouble is brewing in Westeros. For the inhabitants of this world, control of the Iron Throne holds the lure of great power. But in a land where seasons can last a lifetime, winter is coming…and beyond the Great Wall that protects them, a forgotten evil has returned.
If you are a fan of the “Game of Thrones” series, these free behind the scenes videos might tide you over until the show comes back to HBO in April.
∞ Permalink

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14:00
Week in Apple: post-Macworld|iWorld edition
Ars Technica

This week, we wrapped up our coverage of the 2012 Macworld|iWorld conference in San Francisco just as Apple issued an update to Final Cut Pro X and gave the AirPort Utility an iOS makeover. Additionally, Tim Cook offered some strong words in response to doubts about Apple's attitude toward worker conditions in China, Neil Young recounted stories about Steve Jobs working towards higher-quality music downloads, and more. Need a recap? You're in the right place.

Rethinking iPhone UI and getting things done with Clear to-do app: Realmac is set to launch an iPhone to-do list app in a few weeks that breaks list making and maintaining down to the barest essentials, eschewing some common...

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14:00
Former Apple employee recounts how Jobs motivated...
TUAW

Bob Borchers used to be an iPhone product marketing engineer for Apple. Part of the team that brought the first iPhone to market in 2007, he's now a venture capitalist with Opus Capital. Borchers recently gave a talk to students at a California school talking about the thought processes that were involved in the iPhone's development. Borchers says that Steve Jobs didn't have a specific device in mind, but instead gave the team a mission: create a phone that people would love so much that they'd never leave the house without it. Borchers believes that Apple has been so wildly successful with the iPhone because the company focused on fundamentals -- breaking the rules, but in an exceptionally well manner; paying attention to details; and making people focus on the relationship they have with their device. Jobs wanted the phone to be revolutionary...

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13:55
Weekly Wrap: Lion bugs, iBooks Author, Final Cut Pro...
Macworld

Once a week, we gather together to recap the best stories published on Macworld over the past seven days. This week, those include software updates from Apple--and the problems that go along with them--tips on using your Mac more efficiently, and plenty more.




...

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13:20
Apple drops Mac OS X 10.7.3 regular update in favor...
MacNN

Apple has temporarily solved problems with the CUI bug in the Mac OS X 10.7.3 update by changing the download users get. Anyone who checks Software Update, along with seeking the usual download, now gets the combo update to Lion (1.3GB, link may not work) instead. The full installer is known to work properly at the expense of a much larger file size....

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13:00
Hands on with AnyPlay: Live Comcast video on your...
TUAW

Haven't heard of AnyPlay? That's not surprising. It's a small initiative slowly being introduced by Comcast into select cable markets. With it, you can watch live television over your home network on your iPad. So if your spouse is hogging the HDTV during your CW night, you can watch Supernatural using your local Wi-Fi. (Cablevision and Time Warner have similar apps on the App Store now.) AnyPlay consists of two parts: there's the standalone box ($10 one-time charge) and the iPad software, which is built into Comcast's existing XFINITY TV app. To get them to work together, you must sign into the app with your Comcast credentials and enable AnyPlay using the app's settings. On the hardware side...

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12:35
Your Phone Use in the Bathroom May Be Influenced by...
digg

Android users were on the top of the list with 87% of their owners admitting they have used their smartphones while sitting on the throne. 84% of the BlackBerry users admit to doing it (smartphone use in the bathroom) and iPhone users checked in at 77%.

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12:24
MacOS KenDensed: Patent Wars & Microsoft, Buyer...
Mac Observer

What do you get when you have patents of money and piles of money? Apple versus the world in patent fights, Microsoft paying for iPads in schools, and lots of iPhones. That, and Mac OS Ken’s Ken Ray with plenty of opinions.




...

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12:04
iMovie vs Avid Studio
The Loop

iMovie vs Avid Studio
iMore:
Avid Studio may be iMovie’s newest competitor for video editing on the iPad, but it’s not a fair competition. Avid Studio is the clear winner. iMovie doesn’t offer any significant features that Avid does not, but Avid can do much more than iMovie. Since they both cost $4.99, it’s almost a no-brainer.
∞ Permalink

| Read more »
12:00
The Week in iPhone Cases: iLove
Macworld

It's nearly Valentine's Day, and what better way to show you care than by helping to protect a beloved iPhone?





...

| Read more »
11:46
The Internet makes you stupid, but this app might...
digg

Undisputed fact I just made up: The more time we spend online, the dumber and more myopic we get.

Hacker Noah Litvin set out to combat that observable phenomenon with DailyPag.es, an app that wo...

| Read more »
11:30
Snow Leopard security update revised to fix Rosetta...
TUAW

As noted yesterday, many of the users who updated their OS X 10.6 systems with Apple's most recent security patches found themselves unable to run PowerPC legacy apps via the Rosetta compatibility layer. Today a new version of that update (Security Update 2012-001 v1.1) is now available, and it should resolve the issues. The latest build removes the patch to the ImageIO code that was included in the original version; this, apparently, was the cause of the breakage. 10.6.8 users can download the new version from Apple's site or via Software Update. [via MacDailyNews]...

| Read more »
11:25
Motorola wants 2.25% cut of Apple sales to end...
MacNN

Newly uncovered documents from Apple's opposition to a Motorola attempt to silence its requests have uncovered Motorola's demands for a 3G patent license. In explaining why it needed to get details of Qualcomm's patent deal with Motorola, Apple mentioned that Motorola had wanted a 2.25 percent royalty on Apple product sales as its attempt at a FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) patent licensing offer. Florian Mueller, who unearthed the details, saw it as likely an excessive rate given that Apple wouldn't only be licensing from Motorola and that it coul...

| Read more »
10:26
Apple removes standard Mac OS X 10.7.3 download due...
9 to 5 Mac

Apple’s latest Mac OS X 10.7.3 release is a pain for some users due to its bugs surrounding CUI issues and the crashing of applications. Apple has already been investigating the issues with test groups, and it has apparently decided that the best thing to do at this point is remove the standard 10.7.3 update from its servers and provide users with the ability to only download the combined installation. This combo installer is not riddled with the CUI and app crashing errors as explained in our report from yesterday. Read on for all of the details:

//

Apple removed its online...

| Read more »
10:07
Khush Tries Teaching the World to Songify Live (...
AllThingsD

We spent a lot of time at the D: Dive Into Media conference talking about the way entertainment gets distributed. But it was also important to talk about the way it gets created. App-maker Khush’s pitch is that it lets everyone become an entertainer, via its music apps that let even the most tone-deaf mumblers create a song.
Here, co-founders Prerna Gupta and Parag Chordia show off some of their creations, including Songify Live, a new app that will let you make music in real time with an iPhone, even if you’re a tone-deaf mumbler like myself.
I do sort of wish we’d kept audio warrior Neil Young onstage just a few minutes longer, so we could have captured his reaction to all of this:
[...

| Read more »
09:13
Apple iPad Split Keyboard Features a Few Hidden...
digg

You may be familiar with the iPad’s split keyboard, introduced along with the roll out of the iOS 5. The wonderful keyboard has some more hidden features...

| Read more »
09:00
Motorola seeking 2.25% of Apple's sales for...
AppleInsider

Recently uncovered court documents from Motorola's legal complaints against Apple have revealed that the handset maker is seeking 2.25 percent of Apple's sales of wireless devices in exchange for a patent license covering its standard-essential intellectual property.

| Read more »

Rumor Scanner

Saturday February 4

16:24
ARM-Based MacBook Air Unlikely Based on Analyst Talk with...
MacRumors

There had been some interesting claims last year that Apple had been actively testing an ARM (A5) based MacBook Air. The ARM processor is the same one that is used in the iPhone and iPad. An ARM-based MacBook Air, however, would raise a number of questions about what kind of device it might actually be. Would it run OS X, or iOS? Would it be closer to a Mac or an iOS device? One of the main advantages of using an ARM processor would be a reduction in power-requirements, but with a corresponding drop in computing power. Using ARM, however, would abandon binary compatibility with existing Mac OS X applications.

CNet reports on a research note from...

| Read more »
15:24
AT&T Starts Throttling Unlimited Data Users after 2GB...
MacRumors

In October, AT&T announced that they would start throttling data usage amongst mobile Unlimited Data Plan users. While AT&T no longer offers an Unlimited Data plan to new customers, many of the original iPhone purchasers are still grandfathered into that plan. Those iPhone users have been able to retain these Unlimited plans, even though AT&T has since moved to a tiered data plan structure.

When AT&T announced their plan to start throttling users, the company said that they would only be throttling the top 5% of users. Early reports of affected users had pointed to 10GB-12GB per month users as the initially...

| Read more »
15:02
Apple Revises Snow Leopard Security Update and Pulls 10.7....
MacRumors

After a couple of issues with some software updates, Apple has made some quiet revisions to address the problems.

The first was a Snow Leopard security update which inadvertently caused problems with Apple's PowerPC emulation layer Rosetta. Macworld notes that Apple has since released Security Update 2012-001, version 1.1 for Snow Leopard. The new version seems to fix the PowerPC crashing issues described with the original update.

Meanwhile, the crashing/CUI errors with 10.7.3 Delta updater has also been addressed by Apple....

| Read more »

Friday February 3

16:52
Uploaded iTunes Match Songs Inaccessible for Some Users
MacRumors

Some iTunes Match users are encountering difficulties when attempting to download songs they have previously uploaded to iTunes Match. Matched songs appear unaffected for most users. Threads on both the MacRumors Forums and the Apple Support Communities detail the issues.

I keep getting the "error = -2114" and "Please check that the connection to the network is active and try again." It then moves to the next download and most times is succsesful. I am getting this error in the last few hours and to about 10-20% of my downloads.The Verge confirms that the issue occurs in both iTunes 10.5.2 and 10...

| Read more »
15:00
Genius Recommendations for Movies and TV Shows Appearing o...
MacRumors

Several Apple TV users have reported a new addition to the menus of their devices, with the new option bringing Genius recommendations for movies and TV shows in their libraries. Curiously, early reports noted that rather than carrying a correct menu title, the movie option carried the name "ATV.Menu.MOVIE.GeniusItem", suggesting that the new feature may have appeared prematurely. Apple seems to have fixed the issue, however, with the menu option now showing properly as "Genius".

Improperly-displayed (left, via @cthielen) and properly-displayed Genius option for Movies on Apple TV

Despite the strange display of the menu option, the feature does appear to have been functional since its initial appearance yesterday, with users being able to access Genius recommendations for their content.

Genius movie recommendations...

| Read more »
13:01
Apple Clarifies iBooks Author Licensing Situation in New S...
MacRumors

Following Apple's release of iBooks Author last month to support creation of iBooks Textbooks, significant controversy arose regarding the software's licensing, which specified that the output from the software could only be sold via the iBookstore and not any other marketplace.

Some confusion had resulted from Apple's language, with some believing that Apple was claiming rights to all content used in the production of the iBooks Textbooks, perhaps attempting to exclude books from being published in any other form.

Apple has now addressed the issue by releasing an update to iBooks Author that includes a modified licensing agreement to clarify that Apple claims rights only to the .ibooks document format itself, with authors being free to distribute their content in non-.ibooks formats however they...

| Read more »
12:02
Apple's Share of Profits Among Top Mobile Phone Vendo...
MacRumors

asymco's Horace Dediu has released his latest calculations of revenue and profits in the global mobile phone industry, finding that Apple has increased its share of the top vendors' profits to 75%. Samsung followed in second place with 16% of industry profits while no other vendor accounted for more than 4% of profits.Apple reached 75% of profit share, nearly 40% of revenue share and 9% of units share.

Apple and Samsung combined for about 91% of profits with RIM third at 3.7%, HTC fourth at 3.0% and Nokia last at 1.8% of a $15 billion total for the quarter.Dediu's analysis covers eight top mobile phone vendors: Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Research in Motion, HTC, LG, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson. While the numbers do not include a few major players such as China's ZTE for which public numbers are not available, his analysis does provide a relatively solid picture of the...

| Read more »
08:49
Snow Leopard Security Update Kills PowerPC Apps Using Rose...
MacRumors

While the odd "CUI Error" experienced by some users after upgrading to OS X 10.7.3 earlier this week has garnered a fair amount of attention, it appears that a security update released for Mac OS X Snow Leopard at the same time is also causing major issues for users who rely on older PowerPC applications that run under Apple's Rosetta framework.

Security Update 2012-001 was released alongside OS X 10.7.3 on Wednesday in order to bring some of the security fixes found in OS X 10.7.3 to users still running Mac OS X Snow Leopard. But as noted in several discussions at Apple's forums (1, 2,...

| Read more »
07:11
Apple Pulls All 3G Devices Except iPhone 4S from German On...
MacRumors

Bloomberg reports that Apple has removed all non-iPhone 4S devices with 3G technology from its German online store following a win by Motorola in the ongoing patent dispute between the two companies. The devices, which include the 3G iPad 2, iPhone 4, and iPhone 3GS, remain available from Apple's physical stores and other resellers in the country.

iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS removed from Apple's German online store

The removal is related to enforcement of a December injunction focused on a Motorola patent on 3G GPRS technology.“While some iPad and iPhone models are not available through Apple’s online store in Germany right now, customers should have no problem finding them at one of our retail stores or an...

| Read more »

Thursday February 2

14:00
Apple's New SVP of Retail Went Undercover as Regular...
MacRumors

Apple CEO Tim Cook earlier this week explained that new Apple's new Senior Vice President of Retail, John Browett, was hired not to "bring Dixons to Apple", but instead "to bring Apple to an even higher level of customer service and satisfaction." In the initial press release announcing the hire, Cook went even further, saying that "John shares that commitment [to customer service] like no one else we’ve met."

Showcasing part of John Browett's dedication to customer service, MacRumors reader Paul Harmer passed along this story of a run-in he had with Browett in the UK:

Just a quick note about John Browett -

About a year ago I was with a friend in our local branch of PC World (part of the Dixons group) looking at plasma TVs. We were...

| Read more »
11:34
iMessages Going to Wrong iPhone "Isn't a Bug...
MacRumors

In December, an apparent bug appeared in Apple's iMessage service that allowed iMessages to be sent to a stolen iPhone. Earlier this week, Gizmodo reported that a customer who went to Apple's Genius Bar began receiving iMessages to and from the Genius who helped fix their phone.

It appears that the Genius took his personal SIM card and inserted it into the customer's iPhone as part of a series of unofficial and unapproved diagnostic efforts to fix the customer's phone. An Apple representative explained to The Loop's Jim Dalrymple that the issue in the Gizmodo story wasn't a bug, but instead was the result of the Genius not following protocol.

“This was an...

| Read more »
11:17
No Apple Event Scheduled for February
MacRumors

Earlier today, Japanese blog Macotakara claimed that Apple will be holding an "unusual" event in February, backtracking somewhat on its earlier claim of an early February iPad 3 event.

The Loop's well-connected Jim Dalrymple now reports that Apple will not hold an event in February, indicating that observers waiting for the iPad 3 or other major announcement from Apple will need to hold out until at least March.This is not going to happen, according to my sources. Apple will not hold an event in February, unusual or otherwise. That’s it.Dalrymple has in the past quashed inaccurate rumors regarding...

| Read more »
11:06
Apple's Town Hall Meeting Emphasized Corporate Philan...
MacRumors

Last week, following Apple's blockbuster earnings report, the company held an internal town hall meeting with employees to discuss "exciting new things". While one piece of information about new employee hardware discounts did surface, little else from that meeting has made its way off of Apple's campus.

The Verge now reports that it has been hearing that discussion of the company's philanthropic efforts was a notable focus of the event, with Tim Cook spending "quite a bit of time" talking about the company's work in that area. One of Cook's first visible actions as CEO was to institute a...

| Read more »
08:55
Apple Poised to Benefit from U.S. Government's Five-Y...
MacRumors

The Associated Press reports on a new initiative from the U.S. government to help push schools and textbook companies make the transition to digital textbooks over the next five years. With Apple pushing itself to the forefront of the digital textbook discussion with its iBooks Textbooks launch just two weeks ago, the company stands to significantly benefit if its iPad hardware becomes a primary tool in the move to digital textbooks.Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski on Wednesday challenged schools and companies to get digital textbooks in students' hands within five years. [...]

Tied to Wednesday's announcement at a digital town hall was the government's release of a 67-page "playbook" to schools that promotes the use of...

| Read more »
08:31
New Virtual Controls from Apple Point to a Future iMac Tou...
Patently Apple

On February 2, 2012, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that describes new virtual controls for a desktop with a touchscreen. This once again illustrates that Apple may be working on an iMac Touch desktop computer. Considering that a company by the name of ...

| Read more »
08:15
OS X 10.7.3 Update 'CUI Error' Fixable in Many C...
MacRumors

Following yesterday's release of OS X 10.7.3, a number of users in our forums and at Apple's discussion forums began reporting issues with the update. The most serious of these issues seems to be widespread crashing of apps generally accompanied by an artwork error in the crash notice window in which the window's buttons are replaced with graphics showing "CUI" and question marks.

In general, users have found that applying the combo version of the OS X 10.7.3 update rather than the standard delta version typically offered via Software Update will fix the issues. The combo update can even be applied over an existing installation that is exhibiting the problem.

With the crashing...

| Read more »
07:46
Avid Takes on Apple's iMovie with Avid Studio for iPa...
MacRumors

While companies such as Avid and Adobe have attempted to capitalize on Apple's Final Cut Pro X missteps by wooing users in need of professional video editing and production software, AllThingsD notes that Avid is pushing forward on the mobile "prosumer" front with its just-launched Avid Studio [App Store] app for iPad.

The iPad obviously imposes some limitations on what can be done with the software compared with the full Avid Studio for Windows, but Avid suggests that it is full-featured enough to be used for editing on the go and is ideally suited as a companion to the desktop app.The idea is that the iPad app and the desktop software are complementary, [Avid vice president Tanguy]...

| Read more »
03:05
iPad 3 Event in March, An 'Unusual' Apple Event...
MacRumors

Japanese blog Macotakara has posted a follow-up to their previous claim of a February iPad 3 media event.

The original report had claimed that Apple would hold an iPad 3 media event in February with product launch in March. We had expressed some doubts about the long lead time between event and launch. Macotakara has had a mixed track record in the past, but has had enough hits that they continue to warrant attention.

The site is now reporting that while there will be an event in February, that it would be a "strange" (or unusual) event rather than the usual product announcement event:I reported that Apple was going to hold Special Event in...

| Read more »

Documentation Scanner

Friday February 3

15:16
Final Cut Pro X trial: FAQ
Apple - All P...

Learn more about the Final Cut Pro X trial with these frequently asked questions.

| Read more »
14:49
Shape shifting Office objects
Office for Ma...

What? No egg shape? If you want to fine-tune a shape in Office for Mac 2011, or even create a different shape altogether, you can edit its points.
For example, turn a circle into an egg shape. Or rearrange the points in a freeform shape that you created with the drawing tool.
To see the points on the shape, right-click (or hold down CONTROL and click) the shape, and then click Edit Points. Then drag a point wherever you want.

Tips Zoom in 200% or 400% for more precision. To move the object with finer control, hold down COMMAND and press any arrow key.
For more information about changing shapes, read the following Office for Mac Help topic:... | Read more »

10:17
OS X Lion: Fonts list
Apple - All P...

Learn about the fonts included with OS X Lion.

| Read more »
10:14
Time Machine: How to transfer backups from the cur...
Apple - All P...

If you want to switch to a different backup drive, use this article to learn how to transfer your existing Time Machine backups to the new backup drive, and then use it for regular Time Machine backups.

| Read more »
10:11
OS X Lion: How to create and deploy a recovery key...
Apple - All P...

Learn how to create and deploy a recovery key for use with FileVault 2 in order to recover encrypted data after a lost user password, in this advanced article.

| Read more »
08:30
10.7: Auto-copy Photo Stream images to a folder
Mac OS X Hint...

To get the Photo Stream working on my MacBook I found out that I had to BUY an upgrade for an application that I don't want: iPhoto.

Looking for a solution I found that iPhoto stores its pictures in a specific location and the Photo Stream is updated even if iPhoto is not running. The goal was to create a script that copies all of the images from many sub-directories into a single folder.

As there are many people who know a lot more about OSX I would welcome improvements and feedback. Some areas to look at:

  • Using 'without replacing' which would only copy the missing pictures.
  • A Folder action which monitors changes and runs the script automatically.

Here's the script:

tell application "Finder"
set this_folder to "Macintosh HD:Users:duittenb:Library:Appl ...

... | Read more »

08:30
10.7: Fixing a stuck application in Mission Contro...
Mac OS X Hint...

I finally upgraded to Lion on my work computer and bid farewell to the wonderful Hyperspaces application. I used all 16 spaces and was loathe to make the jump to Mission Control.

After upgrading many apps were not respecting being assigned to specific desktops or to all desktops. At first I tried unassigning them in the Dock and reassigning them to their previous desktop or all desktops, but it didn't work.

Here is the solution I found:

  • If an app assigned to a particular desktop wasn't staying put, I had to assign it to all desktops, and then reassign it to desktop N.
  • If the app was not respecting assignment to all desktops, I had to assign it to a specific desktop, and then reassign it to all.

Apparently setting it to 'None' does not clear the previous assignment.

[crarko adds: I haven't tested this one.]

... | Read more »

Thursday February 2

11:23
Lion Server: When creating a system image with add...
Apple - All P...

In Lion Server v10.7.2 and later, you can use System Image Utility to add packages to a NetBoot or NetRestore image.

| Read more »
08:55
Backing Up and Reindexing The Profile Manager Data...
krypted

A common task when scaling databases is to reindex tables within the database. This process makes lookups faster and databases run butter. Reindexing becomes a pretty easy step before or after backing up the database as a general housekeeping step. To backup the database, you’ll use the pg_dump command, defining the user with -U and then the database with -d. In the case of Profile Manager, the database is device_management. Given that data is distributed across a lot of tables in the device_management database, the below script will backup the device_management database and then reindex each of the tables.
If you follow previous articles to enable the Postgres user, you would use the enabled user to access the database, editing the pguser variable to set that user. The paths to the binaries have also been made variables. This same concept could also be used with the collab, caldav,... | Read more »

08:30
10.7: HTML5 Video Display Sleep Workaround
Mac OS X Hint...

The just released OS X 10.7.3 has a new Safari version but the old FDisplay Sleep Issue on HTML5 Video was still not fixed, so I started to look around for a solution and it seems that it is a WebKit Bug, and I made a workaround for this.

Go to the WebKit Project home page and download the latest Nightly Build; it has worked for me so far.

Put it into your Applications Folder and launch, and the browser launches as Safari containing all settings and features, so go to Settings and make WebKit your default browser.

Next download and install the RCDefaultApp PrefPane launch it and go under the application pane to WebKit and enable all file associations and actions.

Safari is no longer the default, now go to the Extensions Pane and search for the safariextz Extension, set it to open with WebKit as well, now you are done, Safari is still there a ...... | Read more »

08:30
Digital audio-in passthrough with AppleTV2
Mac OS X Hint...

I have an Apple TV2 hooked up to a DVI monitor by HDMI, an arrangement which doesn't support audio.

As the Apple TV2 also has SPDIF optical out, I connected this into my 2011 iMac's optical input so I could hear the ATV sound from the Mac. Looking at the sound input in System Preferences, I could see the connection was working, but I heard nothing from the iMac speakers, even though they were chosen for output. Then it dawned on me that the iMac likely didn't support audio passthrough.

I recalled that QuickTime Player could record audio from an input. So in QT I chose New Audio Recording, chose 'Digital in' as the input, and then slid the volume slider so I could monitor the audio. Works like a treat. There's no need to actually record anything in QuickTime Player.

[crarko adds: A clever solution. I have my Apple TV2 hooked up using the standard HDMI setup, so I did not test this.]

... | Read more »

Documentation Scanner

Friday February 3

15:16
Final Cut Pro X trial: FAQ
Apple - All P...

Learn more about the Final Cut Pro X trial with these frequently asked questions.

| Read more »
14:49
Shape shifting Office objects
Office for Ma...

What? No egg shape? If you want to fine-tune a shape in Office for Mac 2011, or even create a different shape altogether, you can edit its points.
For example, turn a circle into an egg shape. Or rearrange the points in a freeform shape that you created with the drawing tool.
To see the points on the shape, right-click (or hold down CONTROL and click) the shape, and then click Edit Points. Then drag a point wherever you want.

Tips Zoom in 200% or 400% for more precision. To move the object with finer control, hold down COMMAND and press any arrow key.
For more information about changing shapes, read the following Office for Mac Help topic:... | Read more »

10:17
OS X Lion: Fonts list
Apple - All P...

Learn about the fonts included with OS X Lion.

| Read more »
10:14
Time Machine: How to transfer backups from the cur...
Apple - All P...

If you want to switch to a different backup drive, use this article to learn how to transfer your existing Time Machine backups to the new backup drive, and then use it for regular Time Machine backups.

| Read more »
10:11
OS X Lion: How to create and deploy a recovery key...
Apple - All P...

Learn how to create and deploy a recovery key for use with FileVault 2 in order to recover encrypted data after a lost user password, in this advanced article.

| Read more »
08:30
10.7: Auto-copy Photo Stream images to a folder
Mac OS X Hint...

To get the Photo Stream working on my MacBook I found out that I had to BUY an upgrade for an application that I don't want: iPhoto.

Looking for a solution I found that iPhoto stores its pictures in a specific location and the Photo Stream is updated even if iPhoto is not running. The goal was to create a script that copies all of the images from many sub-directories into a single folder.

As there are many people who know a lot more about OSX I would welcome improvements and feedback. Some areas to look at:

  • Using 'without replacing' which would only copy the missing pictures.
  • A Folder action which monitors changes and runs the script automatically.

Here's the script:

tell application "Finder"
set this_folder to "Macintosh HD:Users:duittenb:Library:Appl ...

... | Read more »

08:30
10.7: Fixing a stuck application in Mission Contro...
Mac OS X Hint...

I finally upgraded to Lion on my work computer and bid farewell to the wonderful Hyperspaces application. I used all 16 spaces and was loathe to make the jump to Mission Control.

After upgrading many apps were not respecting being assigned to specific desktops or to all desktops. At first I tried unassigning them in the Dock and reassigning them to their previous desktop or all desktops, but it didn't work.

Here is the solution I found:

  • If an app assigned to a particular desktop wasn't staying put, I had to assign it to all desktops, and then reassign it to desktop N.
  • If the app was not respecting assignment to all desktops, I had to assign it to a specific desktop, and then reassign it to all.

Apparently setting it to 'None' does not clear the previous assignment.

[crarko adds: I haven't tested this one.]

... | Read more »

Thursday February 2

11:23
Lion Server: When creating a system image with add...
Apple - All P...

In Lion Server v10.7.2 and later, you can use System Image Utility to add packages to a NetBoot or NetRestore image.

| Read more »
08:55
Backing Up and Reindexing The Profile Manager Data...
krypted

A common task when scaling databases is to reindex tables within the database. This process makes lookups faster and databases run butter. Reindexing becomes a pretty easy step before or after backing up the database as a general housekeeping step. To backup the database, you’ll use the pg_dump command, defining the user with -U and then the database with -d. In the case of Profile Manager, the database is device_management. Given that data is distributed across a lot of tables in the device_management database, the below script will backup the device_management database and then reindex each of the tables.
If you follow previous articles to enable the Postgres user, you would use the enabled user to access the database, editing the pguser variable to set that user. The paths to the binaries have also been made variables. This same concept could also be used with the collab, caldav,... | Read more »

08:30
10.7: HTML5 Video Display Sleep Workaround
Mac OS X Hint...

The just released OS X 10.7.3 has a new Safari version but the old FDisplay Sleep Issue on HTML5 Video was still not fixed, so I started to look around for a solution and it seems that it is a WebKit Bug, and I made a workaround for this.

Go to the WebKit Project home page and download the latest Nightly Build; it has worked for me so far.

Put it into your Applications Folder and launch, and the browser launches as Safari containing all settings and features, so go to Settings and make WebKit your default browser.

Next download and install the RCDefaultApp PrefPane launch it and go under the application pane to WebKit and enable all file associations and actions.

Safari is no longer the default, now go to the Extensions Pane and search for the safariextz Extension, set it to open with WebKit as well, now you are done, Safari is still there a ...... | Read more »

08:30
Digital audio-in passthrough with AppleTV2
Mac OS X Hint...

I have an Apple TV2 hooked up to a DVI monitor by HDMI, an arrangement which doesn't support audio.

As the Apple TV2 also has SPDIF optical out, I connected this into my 2011 iMac's optical input so I could hear the ATV sound from the Mac. Looking at the sound input in System Preferences, I could see the connection was working, but I heard nothing from the iMac speakers, even though they were chosen for output. Then it dawned on me that the iMac likely didn't support audio passthrough.

I recalled that QuickTime Player could record audio from an input. So in QT I chose New Audio Recording, chose 'Digital in' as the input, and then slid the volume slider so I could monitor the audio. Works like a treat. There's no need to actually record anything in QuickTime Player.

[crarko adds: A clever solution. I have my Apple TV2 hooked up using the standard HDMI setup, so I did not test this.]

... | Read more »

Technology Showcase

Dec 16
Appcelerator offers '4 Steps to creating a mobile...

Appcelerator has published a white paper on "4 Steps to creating a mobile development strategy."

"Companies now have a window of opportunity to think about how mobile can transform their business as radically as the web did," says AppCelerator. "By making mobile a part of their overall digital strategy, companies can transform their relationships with their customers in even greater ways than they did with the web."

The white paper tells you how this can be accomplished. Appcelerator (http://www.appcelerator.com/) is a company that helps web developers create mobile, tablet and desktop applications.

| Read more »
Sep 19
InterMapper publishes white papers on network...

InterMapper has published four white papers on network monitoring, mapping and alerting and InterMapper. You can find them all at
http://www.intermapper.com/resources/whitepapers.aspx .

The papers look at "Top 8 reasons SMBs need to monitor their networks," "top 8 considerations for selecting SMB network monitoring software," "10 steps to streamline the deployment of network monitoring software for SMBs," and "6 ways to calculate returns from your networking monitoring investment."

InterMapper is Mac OS X compatible network monitoring software. It uses SNMP to monitor the network infrastructure, and has probes for monitoring many kinds of servers, including web, mail, LDAP, FTP, etc. More information and a free 30-day demo are available at the product Web site (...

| Read more »
Aug 11
Video tour of new Data Rescue Center headquarters...

The Data Rescue Center, a a data recovery company founded in 2009 and a division of Prosoft Engineering, recently opened a new state-of-the-art headquarters in Livermore, California. You can get a video tour of it at http://www.thedatarescuecenter.com/company_background.html .

In June of 2010, the Data Rescue Center and Prosoft Engineering finalized the purchase of a building in Livermore near the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Work immediately began on the design and construction of the new recovery lab facility.

In late January of 2011, both The Data Rescue Center and Prosoft Engineering moved all operations to this new facility. It boasts a Class 2 UL-Listed Vault and extensive security features.

The ISO 5 / Class 100 Cleanroom exceeds all manufacturers specifications for cleanroom recovery environments, according to...

| Read more »
Mar 11
Video looks at 'Fixing Flat Color in Final Cut...

Future Media Concepts has posted a video on "Fixing Flat Color in Final Cut Pro." It teaches you how to make your colors "pop" in footage in Final Cut Pro. You can find it at
http://www.fmctraining.com/fmc.asp?w=blip_AYHdkS4C .

Future Media Concepts is a digital media training center representing the leading software manufacturers, including Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Boris FX, Digidesign, NewTek and Softimage. Headquartered in New York City, FMC now operates 5 additional digital media training facilities located in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Orlando and Chicago.

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Oct 04
Video showcases Zco's services

Zco Corp. (http://www.zco.com) has posted an overview video for their technology showcase. You can view it here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzE89z-jexA .

Zco can help you build custom software, as well as market it. The company developsb oth industrial strength backend applications using .NET, PHP and Java as well as apps for all major mobile platforms, including the iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone 7, WebOS and Symbian.

Zco can also help you promote your products and services using search engine optimization and social media optimization techniques, HD video, stunning graphics, 3D animation and video effects, press releases, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Google, Yahoo and Bing.

| Read more »
 
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Reckless Racing 2 Review
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Five For Friday: Week of February 3
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GHOST TRICK: Phantom Detective Review
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Panorama 360 Camera Review
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Windosill Review
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