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Link Archive

Doug McLean No comments

Apple Design Awards Announced

Macworld is reporting on the results of this years Apple Design Awards Ceremony. The annual event honors applications for the Mac or iPhone whose design is considered to be at the top of their class. This year's winners include (for the Mac) Billings, Things, Fontcase, Versions, and BoinxTV. And (for the iPhone) Wooden Labyrinth 3D, Tweetie, Topple 2, MLB.com At Bat 2009, and Postage.

Tonya Engst No comments

Tonya Discusses Reading Ebooks on the iPhone and Kindle

Take Control editor in chief Tonya Engst chats with MacNotables host Chuck Joiner about file formats and hardware devices for ebooks, with a focus on the iPhone, iPod touch, and the Kindle. If you're curious about where we think the world of ebooks is going, or wondering about what's happening in the minds of ebook publishers, give this podcast a listen!

Doug McLean No comments

Coverage Extended for MacBook Pros with Nvidia Processors

Apple has announced that it will extend service coverage on MacBook Pros housing Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics processors from two to three years from the original date of purchase. The faulty processors, suspected to be found in MacBook Pros manufactured between May 2007 and September 2008, can be responsible for scrambled, distorted, or absent video output.

Doug McLean No comments

YouTube XL Sets Its Sights on Your Living Room

Keeping up with Hulu, whose recently released Hulu Desktop makes it easier to bring streaming content to your TV, YouTube has launched YouTube XL. The new Web-based interface works on any device that can support a browser - including the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii - and offers all of its regular and premium content in a streamlined design tailored for larger displays.

Rich Mogull No comments

The Truth About Apple, Mac Security, and Responsibility

Over at Macworld, TidBITS editor Rich Mogull uses the unpatched Java vulnerability and a recent ComputerWorld troll bait article as an excuse to talk about who is really responsible for Mac security.

Adam Engst No comments

Pricey Punctuation

A picture may be valued at a thousand words, but a single misplaced comma turned out to be worth $2.13 million in a recent contract dispute in Canada. The Globe and Mail has the details.

Doug McLean No comments

Hulu Comes to a Desktop Near You

Macworld reports that Hulu, the streaming media giant sponsored by NBC and FOX, has released a new desktop client for both Mac and Windows. The software, compatible with the Apple Remote, has received favorable reviews thus far for its design and functionality. With no browser needed, Hulu Desktop can be more easily integrated into a home entertainment setup, and offers an enticing substitute for traditional cable TV.

Joe Kissell No comments

Backblaze Promotes Backup Awareness Month with Giveaways

In 2006, Seagate (which had just acquired Maxtor) declared that June was to be known as "Backup Awareness Month." To mark the occasion this year and encourage more people to back up, online backup provider Backblaze is giving away one free year-long subscription to their service each day in June (regularly $50 for unlimited backups), plus holding a drawing for a Nikon P90 camera. Everyone who downloads and installs their software during the month is eligible to participate in the drawings, and a 15-day free trial is available to all.

Doug McLean No comments

Apple Reverses Decision on Eucalyptus

Apple has reversed its position on Eucalyptus, the ebook reading app previously rejected from the App Store because it could be used to access the Kama Sutra via Project Gutenberg (a capability shared by Apple's own Safari). Whether or not Apple regards the initial rejection as a mistake, or what accounts for the change in stance is unclear, though public outcry over the rejection may have played a role.

Adam Engst No comments

The Macalope Disembowels ComputerWorld Security Article

By day, TidBITS Security Editor Rich Mogull runs the Securosis site, which is hosting an article by the pseudonymous Macalope that dissects ComputerWorld's recent troll bait article about Mac security. Read it, it's funny.

Jeff Carlson No comments

Jeff Carlson Discusses Apple Genius on Your Mac Life

What makes Apple a "genius" company: software, hardware, marketing? Jeff Carlson plays Pick Your Topic with Shawn King on Your Mac Life.

Doug McLean No comments

Apple Spiffs Up White MacBook’s Specs

Demonstrating a continued commitment to the low end of its notebook ladder, Apple has again quietly bumped the specs for the $999 white polycarbonate MacBook. Changes include a 2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (up from 2.0 GHz), 2 GB 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (up from 2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM), and a 160 GB hard drive (up from 120 GB).

Doug McLean No comments

Free iPod with Apple’s Back to School Promotion

From 27-May-09 through 08-Sep-09, any Mac purchased with an education discount comes with a rebate for up to $229 - the cost of an 8 GB iPod touch. If eligible customers want an iPod nano, classic, or shuffle instead, they will be granted a rebate for the corresponding purchase price.

Jeff Carlson No comments

Mac Clone Maker Psystar Files for Bankruptcy

Psystar, the company that has been selling Mac OS-based computers, has filed for bankruptcy protection, citing the economic climate and increased component costs. Apple's lawsuit over copyright against the resilient company is put on hold during the bankruptcy proceedings.

Doug McLean No comments

New Yorker Cover Drawn With iPhone

Artist Jorge Colombo designed the cover for this week's New Yorker magazine using nothing but his iPhone and the painting app Brushes. Thanks to the help of Brushes Viewer, an app that captures and replays each mark made in Brushes, you can watch the cover image being drawn, step by step.