Archive for January, 2008
January 24, 2008 at 10:41 pm · Filed under Miscellaneous
On Apple stock that is. Since a 52 week high north of $200 Apple (AAPL) has fallen back to a close today of $135.60 per share.
The loss of over 30% took place in less than a calendar month as Apple’s high of 202.96 was recorded on December 27th, 2007.
Buy or sell?
Tags:AAPL, Apple, MiscellaneousShare This
January 23, 2008 at 3:20 pm · Filed under Mac for PC Users, Tips, Support
When I converted from Windows, I was used to quickly locking my computer buy hitting Ctrl-Alt-Delete and then selecting the ‘lock computer‘ option. On a Mac, there isn’t a direct equivalent to Ctrl-Alt-Delete, but there’s another method that let’s you lock your desktop quickly without having to put the computer to sleep or log off.
The method involves setting your screen saver to require a password upon waking, and assigning a ‘hot corner’ so initiating the screen saver takes no time at all. It also assumes that your user account requires a password to log in.
It only takes a minute to set it up. Here’s what you need to do:
- Open System Preferences (if it’s not in your Dock, you can go to
> System Preferences at the top of the screen)
- From the System Preferences screen, click the “Desktop & Screen Saver” icon under “Personal” settings.
- There are two panels, “Desktop” and “Screen Saver“. If the Screen Saver isn’t the active panel, select it.
- Click the “Hot Corners…” button at the bottom left-hand corner of the panel.
- The four select controls represent the four corners of your screen. Set the top left-hand select control to “Start Screen Saver“.
- Click the “OK” button.
You can now start the screen saver any time you like by putting the mouse at the top left of the screen and not moving it for two or three seconds. Now lets make sure your computer will require a password when it wakes from the screen saver:
- If you closed System Preferences, open it.
- Click the “Security” icon under “Personal” settings.
- There are three panels: “General”, “File Vault” and “Firewall.” With the “General” panel selected ensure the “Require password to wake this computer from sleep or screen saver” checkbox is checked.
- Close System Preferences.
That’s it! Now, to lock your Mac at any time all you need to do is drag your mouse to the top left-hand corner of the screen. Your screen saver will automatically start in two or three seconds. Then, when you later wake the computer it will prompt you (or anyone else!) for a password to unlock it.
Tags:Hot Corners, Lock Computer, Mac for PC Users, OS X, Screen Saver, Support, System Preferences, Tips, WindowsShare This
January 20, 2008 at 10:49 pm · Filed under Software, Hardware
The iPhone’s Safari browser allows browsing of any web site. Sites designed specifically for the iPhone’s form factor often provide a better experience by eliminating the zooming gestures and focusing on the most important content and functionality the visitor needs. Here’s a few big web properties gone small-screen for the iPhone and iPod touch:
Tags:Hardware, iPhone, iPod Touch, Safari, Software, Web AppsShare This
January 17, 2008 at 10:29 pm · Filed under Games
It’s official, the Mac version of Spore will be a Cider port. From an Electronic Arts press release this week:
“We couldn’t be happier to bring Spore to the Mac at the same time as the PC version. Spore is a highly creative game and I look forward to seeing what the players come up with to fill the universe they design,” said Will Wright, Chief Designer of Spore.
[…]
Spore for the Mac will be made possible through TransGaming’s Cider Portability Engine, with experience gained from the past EA Mac titles.
Tags:Cider, Electronic Arts, Games, Spore, TransGaming, Will WrightShare This
January 14, 2008 at 11:28 pm · Filed under Predictions, Rumors
The web’s abuzz with speculation about what secrets tomorrow’s MacWorld 2008 Keynote holds. Here’s a few things that will definitely not be announced:
- Black MacBooks cost the same to manufacture as white MacBooks
- Serious gaming does, in fact, still suck on a mac
- Apple was wrong all along about the one-button mouse
- The real Steve Jobs is the fake Steve Ballmer
- RAM price-matching
Tags:MacWorld 2008, Predictions, Rumors, Steve JobsShare This
January 10, 2008 at 12:20 am · Filed under Predictions, Hardware
Apple doesn’t have a formal presence at CES, but there were third-party Apple accessories scattered throughout the event. One that caught my eye was Creative’s Xdock HD which is more than your average dock. Beyond providing an intuitive Front Row like interface to access to your iPod’s content (videos, music, photos and podcasts) by way of a wireless remote, the unit focuses on heightening the quality of that experience. For video, that means upconversion to HD quality: 720p or 1080i.
While I predict the iTunes Music Store will start offering video at 720p or better this year (maybe even this month), for those who have amassed a collection of 320 or 480 line iTunes video, the Xdock might be worth a look. What about the audio? The Xdock’s “upconverts music to X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity(R).” X-what? From Creative’s Xdock HD press release:
Creative’s award-winning X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity is produced with X-Fi Crystalizer and X-Fi CMSS-3D technologies. The X-Fi Crystalizer makes MP3s sound better than CDs by analyzing and identifying which parts of the audio stream have been truncated or damaged during compression. It then selectively restores the highs and lows from instruments and vocals that are lost during the compression of MP3s. X-Fi CMSS-3D creates virtual surround sound through speakers or headphones. It expands audio for superior headphone listening so music completely surrounds the listener.
Creative claims the Xdock is “the only iPod dock that upconverts your video to 720p or 1080i resolution and your music to X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity(R).” True? A few booths over from Creative’s, Marvell used Meridian’s iRIS dock to show off its Qdeo digital processing engine. What does Qdeo do? It upconverts lower definition signals to HD. iRIS was announced last Fall at CEDIA, quoting a November 2007 shelf date and $379 price tag.
So does Meridian’s iRIS dock beat Creative’s claim? Well, the iRIS does 720p, 1080i and 1080p. So, it would seem Creative is late to the party. But, read that sentence; they cleverly bulked X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity into the mix. With some word play in their press release, they’ve made themselves first. And, what did happen to the iRIS anyway? November 2007 came and went, and several weeks later the iRIS is no where to be found.
Tags:CES 2008, Creative Labs, Front Row, Hardware, HDTV, iPod, iTunes, Predictions, VideoShare This
