ExtraBITS for 11-May-09
Bluetooth Default Setting Poses Risk to MacBooks — Wired.com’s Brian X. Chen reports on a potentially dangerous default Bluetooth setting found on Apple notebooks. The setting enables a Bluetooth device to wake a machine even if its lid is closed. For a user packing a MacBook and Bluetooth mouse into the same satchel, this default could result in an overheated disaster. (Posted 2009-05-08)
Apple Announces Apps Must Work with iPhone 3.0 — In not altogether surprising news, Apple has announced that all newly developed iPhone apps must be compatible with the beta version of the iPhone OS 3.0. In an email to developers, Apple stated that new apps would be tested on the iPhone OS 3.0, and that current apps must be updated to be compatible or will be removed from the App Store after the release of iPhone OS 3.0. (Posted 2009-05-08)
MiFi Offers Portable Wi-Fi Connectivity — Sick of hunting for Wi-Fi whenever you’re out and need to get online? New York Times columnist David Pogue has the skinny on the Novatel MiFi 2200, a portable Wi-Fi hotspot that gets its Internet connectivity via Verizon’s 3G cellular data network. It could be a great tool for frequent travelers, but beware the bandwidth charges if you need to transfer a lot of data. (Posted 2009-05-08)
Adam Discusses the Kindle DX on the Tech Night Owl Live — Is the Kindle DX a ho-hum revision to Amazon’s ebook reading device, or does its larger screen size and support for PDF make it more compelling than the previous models? Adam comes down on the side of “more compelling,” although he also thinks that a color screen would be a boon for magazines and textbooks. (Posted 2009-05-08)
MacBook Pros Edit Video on Mount Everest at 21,000 Feet — The video production guys filming this ascent of Mount Everest are extremely happy with the MacBook Pros they’re using for Final Cut Pro editing. Be sure to note the high-bandwidth SherpaNet they use to send video to the base camp at 17,500 feet. (Posted 2009-05-07)
Myst Comes to the iPhone — Originally released for the Mac in 1993, the classic puzzle-adventure game Myst is now available for the iPhone and iPod touch for $5.99. The original game, which spawned multiple sequels, is currently unavailable for Mac OS X, making its portable arrival all the more appreciated. However, according to CNET’s review, revisiting this gem comes at a price: over 700 MB of precious space. (Posted 2009-05-07)
VMware Fusion Makes Friends with Windows 7 Release Candidate — Microsoft recently made a release candidate of Windows 7 available to the public, and according to this post on VMware’s Team Fusion blog, it works well in the current version of Fusion – but users should make a few tweaks for best results. (Posted 2009-05-06)
Text Message Limits Devised by Clever Committee Head — A German at a typewriter in 1985 figured out the 160-character limit of SMS for GSM networks with no market research. He looked at telexes and postcards, too. (Posted 2009-05-04)