Infinitec intros USB stick that allows streaming, sharing
Infinitec recently announced the upcoming release of its so-called Infinite USB Memory (IUM) device, which allows users to share content and stream media from any connected device. The company promises all file formats are supported, regardless of extension or type and users can stream files from their computers to Blu-ray players, gaming consoles or most any multimedia-capable device with a USB port. Streaming of full HD files is also said to be one of the capabilities of the system....
published on Thursday, the 18. February 2010, macintosh-news-network
iPhone likely to stay with AT&T for another year?
A "75 percent probability" exists that AT&T will hold onto the American iPhone during 2010, claims Credit Suisse analyst Jonathan Chaplin. The odds stem from a lack of "compelling" evidence that AT&T exclusivity ends this year, with an overlapping one-in-four chance that AT&T will bid and win a one-year contract extension. Rumors of a Verizon iPhone have accelerated in recent weeks, but have mostly been tied to a January 27th event which turned out to be the iPad debut....
published on Thursday, the 4. February 2010, macintosh-news-network
First look: Google Voice's improved Web app for iPhone
Google still can't seem to get a Google Voice application onto the iPhone, so the company went ahead and launched it as a Web app. The mobile page was rolled out on Tuesday, optimized for both the iPhone and Palm's WebOS devices, bringing users some of the same functionality that Android users already enjoy natively. The Web app is an extension of Google's already-existing mobile offerings for Gmail and Google Calendar, and requires the user to log in using his or her Google account. We gave the offerings a run through on an iPhone and came away happy with what Google has been able to accomplish without a native app.
published on Tuesday, the 26. January 2010, ars-technica
Apple moves to improve OpenGL support in 10.6.3 builds
After taking a brief holiday break, Apple managed to release the first developer beta of Mac OS X 10.6.3 last week. Among the 221 code changes, there appears to be some initial support for parts of the OpenGL 3.0 spec, though Apple will have a long way to go before Snow Leopard is OpenGL 3-ready. OSx86 contributer netkas, known for his work in enabling graphics card support for non-Apple GPUs, noted over the weekend that the developer test build of 10.6.3 contained a number of OpenGL 3.0 extensions, as well as a few for the updated 3.1 and 3.2 specifications. Mac OS X has essentially been stuck at OpenGL 2.1 support for some time, even though GPUs in most newer Macs support the newer standards. Part of the issue with bringing OpenGL 3.0 support is that the newer versions deprecated many older functions from OpenGL 2.x in an attempt to modernize and simplify the overall API. All three revisions of OpenGL 3.x also include revisions to the shader language as well. Updating all the support requires work on Apple's part as well as the cooperation of GPU vendors to get drivers into shape. OpenGL 3.1 and 3.2 were released last year, well into Snow Leopard's development cycle, and drivers offering beta support for those versions of OpenGL were the norm on Windows Vista. For those who need OpenGL 3.x support, however, the good news is that most of the necessary functionality brought by OpenGL 3.0 is included by way of extensions. Shading language 1.30 still isn't supported, and support for 3.1 and 3.2 is still in the early stages. Later revisions of Snow Leopard may include full support for the updated standards, but chances are good that 10.7 will definitely include full support.
published on Tuesday, the 12. January 2010, ars-technica
Possible Apple TV subscription service faces uphill battle
Two major TV networks are considering joining Apple's plan to offer TV subscriptions over the Internet in a venture that could put Apple in direct competition with cable and satellite providers. Disney and CBS are both taking a liking to the deal, according to sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal. However, the rumored details of the service may keep other networks away, and with cable providers looking at a potential hit in the wallet from the service (and even buying broadcast networks), it faces an uphill battle before seeing the light of day. News about Apple's plans leaked in November, with multiple industry insiders saying that Apple may eventually launch the subscription service for a $30 monthly fee which would allow subscribers to watch whatever TV they like. The service would supposedly be an extension of the iTunes Store and not just limited to the Apple TV, although the set-top box would make perfect sense and give it a little more purpose than it currently holds. At the time of the leak, no TV networks had gotten on board yet, but Apple's VP of Internet Services, Eddy Cue, had been charged with drumming up interest.
published on Tuesday, the 22. December 2009, ars-technica
Use FileMerge to diff PDF files
As a university teacher, I often get to read new versions of student essays, and I want to be able to quickly see what changes there are from the old version. Here's how to use the FileMerge application (included in the Xcode developer tools) to view PDF files. In addition, you'll also need the command line utility pdftotext, which you can get from MacPorts. First you need to install the pdftotext command line utility. It's included in both the Poppler and the Xpdf rendering libraries -- either one will do. With Macports installed, just open a Terminal window and execute one of these commands: $ sudo port install poppler $ sudo port install xpdf Launch FileMerge (in Developer » Applications » Utilities), and open its Preferences. On the Filters tab, create a new filer by clicking in an empty row. The Extension should be ...
published on Tuesday, the 1. December 2009, macosxhints
Apple breaking Atom chip support in 10.6.2?
Apple may have taken out support for Atom processors in its latest beta seed of Mac OS X 10.6.2, one user says. Those testing it claim Apple has changed support in a way that breaks compatibility with the small Intel chips, including their ability to enter sleep mode through an unofficial extension. If it reaches the final build, the move leaves those making "Hackintosh" systems with little choice either to stay with 10.6.1 or else to wait for an unofficial fix....
published on Monday, the 2. November 2009, macintosh-news-network
Adding FM to iPhone/iPod touch an easy bone to throw users
A new rumor this week suggests that Apple is developing an FM tuner app for iPhone and iPod touch users. Though not every device has the capability to receive FM signals, building the app is a simple way to add an extra feature to the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and second- and third-gen iPod touches. An anonymous source for 9to5Mac says work on the app is mostly done at this point, and will likely take cues from the FM tuner interface of the recently introduced fifth-gen iPod nano. However, Apple is reportedly still working on integrating mobile iTunes Store purchasing into the app. This is an obvious extension to iPod nano's song tagging feature, which allows a user to tag songs they like for possible later purchase via iTunes. Integrating direct purchasing would increase the impulse purchase factor.
published on Thursday, the 15. October 2009, ars-technica
10.6: Make some older FireWire drives work again
A small number of users lost the use of their older FireWire 400 disc burners (and perhaps other FireWire peripherals) after installing Snow Leopard. I have a fairly new Pioneer DVD burner installed in a circa-2001 LaCie enclosure, and I was one of the victims. The 10.6.1 update did not address this issue. Until Apple remedies the situation, here is a solution that works without any obvious side-effects: Locate IOFirewireSerialBusProtocolTransport.kext in /System/Library/Extensions, and store it in a safe place. Replace this item with the same extension from Mac OS X 10.5.x Leopard. The date stamp on my copy was October 9, 2007. (You may still have a copy in your Time Machine backup.) After replacing the file, use Disk Utility to Repair Permissions. This step is vital, or else the replacement extension may not be recognized by the System. Finally, restart your ...
published on Tuesday, the 13. October 2009, macosxhints