Warpia Easy Dock lets notebooks become desktops
Source R&D has announced the upcoming release of its Warpia Easy Dock, which lets users access the processing power of their notebooks via a desktop interface. The dock relies on Wisair's Wireless USB and includes a dongle that plugs into the notebook as well as a receiver that connects to a display, mouse, keyboard and speakers. The image from the notebook, along with peripheral data automatically transmitted to the desktop setup from up to 30 feet away, with resolutions as high as 1400x1050....
published on Tuesday, the 9. March 2010, macintosh-news-network
Valve: full "Steam" ahead on Mac OS X with free syncing
Valve has stopped with the teasing and has officially announced that its online gaming service Steam is coming to the Mac. As a bonus, the company also plans to make the Mac a "tier-1" platform, promising simultaneous release of games on Mac OS X, Windows, and Xbox 360. Valve has developed a Mac-native version of its Source engine, using the cross-platform OpenGL. "We looked at a variety of methods to get our games onto the Mac and in the end decided to go with native versions rather than emulation," John Cook, Director of Steam Development, said in a statement. "The inclusion of WebKit into Steam, and of OpenGL into Source gives us a lot of flexibility in how we move these technologies forward." Beginning in April, Mac users will be able to access games via Steam, including Left 4 Dead 2, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike, Portal, and the Half-Life series. The Mac Steam client is based on the latest version for Windows that is currently in beta, which is where the first hints of Mac OS X compatibility were discovered. That version includes a new Steam Play API that will allow users to access and play games from either a Windows PC or a Mac. Progress on one platform is automatically updated and synced when using the other, meaning all the fragging you do on your work PC (on your lunch break, of course) will be reflected when you log in from your Mac at home. Playing games on either platform won't cost extra. The Mac compatibility extends beyond Steam Play, however. All future games, beginning with Portal 2, will be available for the Mac the same day as the Windows version. "We are treating the Mac as a tier-1 platform so all of our future games will release simultaneously on Windows, Mac, and the Xbox 360," Cook said. Players on all platforms will be able to play each other in online multiplayer setups, as well. "We fully support a heterogeneous mix of servers and clients." These announcements are surely music to Mac gamers' ears. Besides Steam and Valve's own titles, making Source cross-platform also means other developers using Valve's engine can easily create Mac-compatible versions of games without much additional effort. Read the comments on this post
published on Monday, the 8. March 2010, ars-technica
The best electronic key is the one you always have with you
"The best camera is the one you have with you" is an old photography adage, and Apple may be looking to extend that principle to its iPhone. And it's not about the iPhone as a camera, either—if you always have it with you, an iPhone could serve as a remote control device for any number of uses, including as a wireless electronic key. Using the iPhone as an electronic key is part of a recently published patent application titled "Motion Based Input Selection." It's important to remember that the patent application itself merely describes a unique way of using motion detection to generate an input, such as turning a virtual combination lock-style dial. Still, it's the suggested uses of a unique numerical sequence or other combination of input that is generating excitement. The Telegraph says that the patent is already being referred to as the "iKey" patent, based on the suggestion that a "device" such as an iPhone could use the motion-based input method to generate a combination which is then "transmitted to an external device to unlock the external device." Such an external device could be anything, including an "electronic lock that may be used to access a door, car, house, or other physical area." The patent in particular describes methods in which the input could be selecting combinations of numbers, letters, colors, or images, or even a combination. In fact, if the external device is suitably capable, it can send an application the necessary configuration of input needed to unlock it. The possible inputs can also be randomized, and the transmission between the mobile device and the external device could encrypted for greater security. Since the iPhone is the kind of device you tend to always have with you, it could be a great all-in-one control device. For instance, Apple also recently filed a patent application for using the iPhone as a sort of advanced universal remote—one that can dim the lights, adjust the surround sound, switch the TV to "cinema mode," all in preparation for watching a movie at night. The company already offers an app that can control iTunes or an Apple TV remotely, and other apps exist to control home automation systems or a DSLR tethered to a WiFi-equipped computer. Car security firm Viper also offers an app to lock, unlock, and remotely start a vehicle that has the company's SmartStart electronics installed. Though many remote applications already exist for the iPhone—including one that locks and unlocks a car—perhaps Apple could leverage the patent's motion sensing to build an app with a consistent interface that is designed to communicate with a wide variety of lock devices, making the iPhone an out-of-the-box electronic key. Read the comments on this post
published on Monday, the 8. March 2010, ars-technica
Latest MacScripter Posts 1.2
NOW TIGER COMPATIBLE! GROWL ENABLED. See the latest posts to the OS 9, OS X, Xcode, Automator and Xchange forums. View your last 30 posts as well as the last 30 unanswered posts. Reply to posts or search with ease. Sort by column. Help doc shows how to use this simple but effective program. Please send feedback, feature request or bug reports to craigw@macscripter.net.
published on Saturday, the 6. March 2010, scriptbuilders
DJMixersoft releases DJ Mixer Professional 2.0
DJMixersoft has released an update to DJ Mixer Professional. The software provides tools for mixing music or video, along with a variety of effects and filters for altering media. Version 2.0 brings new tools for mixing video and audio together, while BPM detection enhancements are claimed to help synchronize tracks. Support has also been added for either automatically or manually mixing tracks....
published on Tuesday, the 2. March 2010, macintosh-news-network
Apple's ITC complaint names HTC phones, 10 other patents
As we reported, Apple filed a federal lawsuit against HTC Tuesday claiming infringement of 10 of Apple's patents related to smartphone technology. Apple said that HTC violated 20 of its patents, and the remaining 10 are covered under a parallel complaint with the ITC. That complaint also names essentially every current HTC product as infringing devices. The complaint, unlike the federal lawsuit, specifically calls out HTC smartphones by name. Devices suspected of infringement include the Nexus One, Touch Pro and Pro2, Touch Diamond, Tilt II, Pure, Imagio, Dream (aka T-mobile G1), myTouch 3G, Hero, HD2, and Droid Eris. Several of the devices run Google's Android operating system, though the rest run a version of Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating system. Neither of the complaints specifically target either Google or Microsoft, however. Likewise, Apple has yet to file any complaint against Palm over its webOS-based Pre or Pixi smartphones, though COO Tim Cook alluded that could happen last year. The 10 patents in question in the ITC complaint include: 5481721: Method for Providing Automatic and Dynamic Translation of Object Oriented Programming Language-Based Message Passing Into Operating System Message Passing Using Proxy Objects 5519867: Object-Oriented Multitasking System 6275983: Object-Oriented Operating System 5566337: Method and Apparatus for Distributing Events in an Operating System 5929852: Encapsulated Network Entity Reference of a Network Component System 5946647: System and Method for Performing an Action on a Structure in Computer-Generated Data 5969705: Message Protocol for Controlling a User Interface from an Inactive Application Program 6343263: Real-Time Signal Processing System for Serially Transmitted Data 5915131: Method and Apparatus for Handling I/O Requests Utilizing Separate Programming Interfaces to Access Separate I/O Services RE39486: Extensible, Replaceable Network Component Systems Those patents are related to technologies used in the iPhone and iPod touch as well as Macs running Mac OS X. Notably, they are all software patents, and software patents have a contentious status in the US. However, Apple states in its complaint that these patents have some litigation history and that a number of companies (the list of which is redacted as confidential) license these technologies. The federal case, in contrast, requests the 10 patents listed in the suit be declared as valid, suggesting they have yet to be tested in court. One tidbit that caught our eye in the ITC complaint is that NeXT remains a separate, wholly owned subsidiary of Apple. Both Apple and NeXT are named as complaintants. Read the comments on this post
published on Tuesday, the 2. March 2010, ars-technica
Logitech adds entry Harmony remotes, notebook speakers
Logitech took advantage of the opening of CeBIT to add a spate of accessories to its lineup. The Harmony 650 and its monochrome sibling, the 600, provide a newer mainstream jumping-in point for universal remotes. While they don't have the touchscreen of the Harmony One, they now have one-button presets for common tasks like watching a movie or playing music that will handle all the associated steps at once. Their displays still provide a visual guide for less automated functions or for picking a favorite TV channel by its logo....
published on Tuesday, the 2. March 2010, macintosh-news-network