News update for 9/13/11

OK. I totally changed my mind about the video version of the news updates because my camera sucks and I suck at making videos. So we’re back with the normal posts. I’m still going to use the same format I did last time unless someone complains. If someone else has better presentation skills you should make a video out of this and I’ll post it on the page if you email me the youtube channel link. That would be pretty cool.

So the fist story of the day is…. Microsoft says one thing and does another. Microsoft has long stated that it did not foresee a ‘post PC era‘ but it is now making it’s new operating system work on both tablets and PCs. They’ve announced that they intend Windows 8 to be used on PCs as well as tablets and other mobile devices. This is a good move for them since they don’t know which is going to be more important between tablet and PCs. This way they have a shot at success no matter which way the market swings. Good job Microsoft. Don’t push for change, just wait for it to happen and make sure you’re there to pick it up when it falls on the floor.

Now here’s the kind of news that I really like to hear. AMD chips have broken the land speed record at 8.4GHz. I have long been a fan of Intel chips and generally refused to use AMD chips in any of the computers I design because of their history of less than excellent performance and mediocre longevity. I am beginning to reconsider that stance a little bit as AMD is putting out chips with more cores and now much faster maximum clock speeds. In addition to being oveclocked to incredible speeds using liquid nitrogen cooling they found that it was actually able to sustain a clock speed over 5GHz using only conventional air or water cooling systems that cost under $100. Right now I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on one of the newest AMD unlocked CPUs so I can try to beat their clock. I’m also going to see about overclocking one of the Intel core i7 chips too. Not sure when this will all happen but I’ll post the results on here when it does.

 

More tablet stuff in the news today. Google is continuing it’s push into the smartphone market and announced that it is teaming up with Intel to make the next generation of smartphones and tablets. Google’s android software will now be optimized for the latest of Intel’s Atom mobile processors. As a side note Google’s Android system has remained the world’s best selling smartphone software at 43% market share worldwide last quarter. I personally can’t wait for Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings to go through so they can start making their own phone hardware.

Thoughts on Google making it’s own phone hardware… Making hardware for it’s Android OS would greatly increase the profitability of the Android project, but I don’t think it fits with the rest of Google’s Android business plan. So far they have been giving their Android OS away to any phone manufacturer who wants it and making money off of the app downloads and the increase in search and advertising revenue. It seems to me that when Google releases it’s own smartphones with it’s own OS on them it would be an act of trying to kill a market that they created. It would probably work, but seems like it’s not the most logical way of doing things. Also, when they’re making more money off of their own phones than off of the Android phones that other companies sell what is their motivation to continue giving it’s operating system to those manufacturers. Just seems like an odd plan to me. Sort of like when Apple authorized the Mac Clones back when stupid people were running the company.

In other bad news for Google, it’s search engine market share has dropped to 65% just thought you’d like to know.

No more Nintendo? Nintendo continues to struggle with it’s terribly introduced 3DS handheld. It has, however, released a host of new games that you should Google because I don’t care enough about the games to post them on here. My theory though is that in the future we will either have no Nintendo at all or we will have an Nintendo that only makes games for other consoles and not their own devices.

Please post any comments you have in the comments section because that’s what it’s for. You are also welcome to post links to other stories that you’ve seen that you think I should have posted in this post post post post…. I need to give you an update on this site’s impressions sometime in the future but I don’t feel like typing out the data right now so I’ll wait till a later date… haha that rhymed.

That is all.

September 11th thing…

This is my one day late memorial of the September 11th attacks. I started writing this on the 11th but it just wasn’t good enough until the 12th. It still isn’t really as good as I’d like it to be.

First I’d like to share some of my experiences on the day of September 11th 2001. I was nine years old at the time so I had just arrived at the socialist compound that the adults in my life called school. It was a Catholic school so it was more repressive feeling than any other school I’ve been in. They treated us like we had no capacity to understand what was going on around us and today was no different. Early in the morning, nearest I can figure it must have been around 8:30 the principal of the school announced over the intercom that we were all to head to the church that was attached to our building to pray for some people who had died in an accident this morning. This was only a little bit unusual because the school had us pray for everything that happened. If someone got in a car accident nearby or someone was ill we’d take time out to pray for them. I hindsight it was sort of a nice gesture to do this for people but it was also odd that they would think that forcing children to pray for something they knew nothing about would somehow make their prayers have a greater effect.

So we went to the church and prayed for about a half an hour which was a really long time compared to the other times we had done this, though I didn’t notice that until later. What I did notice though was that the administrative staff all seemed to be very forlorn, or worried about something. It felt as if this incident had some personal consequence, or had just scared the living hell out of them. No joke intended there… I also noticed that all of our teachers seemed to be as much in the dark as we were, and they seemed confused for the rest of the day. You have to keep in mind that Internet was much less of a powerful force in these days and most of the rooms in our building had no outside connection at all. The day continued as normal with only a few students being picked up by their parents shortly after we got out of church. I assumed they had some sort of social function or an appointment.

I had always been an admirer of the architecture and odd symmetric beauty of the twin towers. I’m not sure why, but when I look at them I was sort of awestruck. It was a symbol of human power to me, and the power of thinking, and the greatness of this country. I knew that it was the first thing many people from Europe would see of our country before landing on our soil and I was proud of that. I loved the buildings so much that when we were having a history lesson at school I would always turn to the page in our book that had the picture of the towers on it and just look at the picture and sometime read the text. I had long called them my favorite buildings in the world, though I didn’t know what their function was.

My mom picked me up after school this day and the first thing she said as we were driving away was, “Did they tell you about what happened today?” I said something along the lines of “No. What happened?!” to which she responded,  “Two planes flew into your favorite buildings…” I said, “It was that big?!” Mom, “Yeah. the buildings collapsed and lots of people died.”From what I remember I kind of got sad at this point partly for the loss of the towers and partly because of so many people dying, but I was still really confused. I continued asking stupid questions all they way home and by the time we got there I think I had pretty much put together that the US had been attacked, and that scared me… as I’m sure it did everyone.

What I’m sure I was still confused about was what this meant. I had heard of how wars began and how they played out but my country had never been at war in my lifetime. I was sure this was something like war but I didn’t know what war was. I came home to the TV running replays of the footage and CNN anchors talking about the Terrorists and how the president was safe and hadn’t yet made a comment… I don’t really remember a whole lot after that clearly. Just that I was shaken and scared about the future.

 

Moving on…

 

Being a huge fan of architecture I wanted to post a few pics of the new memorial and the freedom tower which I think may just be my new favorite structures in the world. They are both incredibly beautiful and I hope you all agree.

here they are.

Most moving picture I've seen in a long time...

 

News update 9/12/11 More iPhone stuff…

I would like to preface this post today by tell you all that I am going to be starting a video version of the daily news update starting as soon as my camera has a full charge. The first video will be posted later today. It will hopefully be on wordpress but if that proves challenging it will definitely be on Youtube and I will post the link. The video will have all of the same content as the text post because I’m using the text post as a script but I may add in little bits of info or opinions that I didn’t write down. Let me know if you like the crappy video and I’ll keep doing it! …I’ve also changed the format of the text post a little. Someone should let me know if they like having the mini headlines better. I’m just doing it this way because it seems to be easier….

Moving on…

First story of the day is a hacker who claims to be a 21 year old Iranian engineering student in Tehran who hates dissidents of his country. This guy snuk into the computers of an amsterdam security firm called DigiNotar and created 531 fake certificates for major high traffic websites such as Google, Microsoft, Twitter, and Facebook. He also made certificates for public websites of the CIA and other foreign spy groups. These certificates are blieved to be in the possesion of the Iranian government and were used to redirect traffic to fake versions of the sites. I might write a more full post on this subject later today or tomorrow.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fgw-cyber-attack-20110910,0,5366016.story

Moving on to the the iphone 5. I found when I posted my last story on the iphone 5 that if I would only tag “iphone 5” in each of my posts my site would quickly rise to the top of the wordpress most viewed thing. So I’ve been trying to find more information to give you on the iPhone 5, but classic apple tactics have resulted in very few tid bits being released. But there is one little thing that I noticed today, and that is that sprint is possibly one of the new carriers. Sprint told all of their employees in a recent memo that they would not be allowed to take vacations in early october. So we can guess that sprint is going to be carrying the iphone from it’s release date, and that release date will be in early October.

HTC appears to be considering purchace of HP’s webOS. WebOS is their tablet operating system that they created to compete with Apple’s iOS, but HP abandoned the project shorty after launch and then went on to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder while vehemently denying the diagnosis. This purchase if HTC decides to go through with it could potentially put HTC in a better position against the iphone.

One more Iphone thought. Android has, for some time, had a really good voice recognition software built into the OS. Why doesn’t apple have that. They have the connections that they could strike a deal with Nuance to get Dragon dictation software built into the phone. Perhaps that will be one of the new features in Iphone 5.

Moving on from the iphone to the ipad… I’m noticing a theme for today… Sorry to those of you who hate hearing about Apple news but it seems that the only thing that’s happing today is Apple related. Personally I’m not a big fan of writing it either. I thought it was worth noting that the iPad currently has 73% of the tablet market share or more depending on who you’re asking. Some market analysts however seem to think that number is set to drop in the near future. This is because most people still don’t have a tablet and now that there are more ipad competitors out there on the market some people will opt for other brands. But don’t worry apple’s market share will remain high and the number of users will continue to grow rapidly.

http://www.businessinsider.com/ipad-share-2011-3

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/sep/12/apple-tablet-market-share-set-to-fal

More porn! But not with celebrities names in it. The .xxx domain name that was recently introduced for the porn industry blocks the use of celebrity names in the damain itself. You can still say www.pr0n.xxx/kimkardashian.html but not www.kimksextape.xxx. This limitation was likely put into place because of celebrities like Kim who don’t want their names associated with porn. I’m just surprised that they don’t realize it’s too late for that.

I just had to put the porn bit in there to say that this post wasn’t entirely about apple. I any of you guys have a non apple story that you think I missed please put it in the comments section and I might repost it or make a video about it in the future. All other comments are welcome too though please be respectful. Have a nice day!

DolFin Releases a New Gaming Notebook!

As most of you know already, I am the owner and CEO of DolFin MicroDevices, a small computer company in Hastings Nebraska. I won’t use this blog to plug my brand and I will do my absolute best to keep my investment in DolFin from reducing the quality of my reviews. However, I do want to post the fact that we’ve released a new desktop replacement notebook. To avoid being accused of favoritism I will only post the raw data on this page. Just the specs pictures and other basic information and I will let you guys decide for yourselves weather it is good or not.

Today around 8:00PM DolFin MicroDevices Co. quietly updated it’s website www.dolfinmd.com with a new product that is much different from previous products on the site. The new DolFin RX1 appeared for $3999 and is touted as a desktop replacement gaming notebook. Here are the specs posted on the website:

CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-2720QM @2.2GHz

# of Cores: 4

TDP: 45w

Cooling system TDP: 55w

Cooler type: Copper plate phase change heat pipe.

GPU: NVIDIA® Geforce GTX560M, 1.5GB GDDR5 VRAM

GPU Cooler: Same as CPU

RAM: 16Gb Dual channel 4x4Gb @1333MHz

Display: 15.6″ LED-backlit LCD

Display Resolution: Full 1080p (1920 x 1080)

Storage: x2 256Gb Sata 6Gb/s SSD units

Optical Drive: SuperMulti DVDRW

Wireless: Bigfoot Killer™ Wireless-N 1103

Ports:

Monitor ( VGA ): 15 pin D-Sub x 1

HDMI: 1

USB 3.0: 2

USB 2.0: 2

eSATA: 1

Mic.-in: 1

Headphone-out: 1

Speakers: 2 Speakers: 2W x 2 + 1 Subwoofer

…and there you have it. That’s all I can say on this site. Let me know if you like it. Your opinions will be taken into consideration when I go to build the RX2 or whatever succeeds this one.

Apple iPhone 5!

In the absence of a post yesterday I have decided to make a more interesting post than just news titbits today. Yesterday I was working till six and then chose to hang out with a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time until three in the morning. I may or may not post the normal news bits as well today.

So. On with the article….

Here are fiveish things that I would like to see or think we might see in Apple’s next iPhone.

Apple has been true to it’s roots in saying absolutly nothing to the public about what might be in iPhone 5. They have, however said some things about it’s new version of iOS. So today I’m going to run down some of the hardware features that I think will be in the next iPhone.

1. Pretty, lots of pretty.

All Apple products are pretty. There’s no contest on this one, but we can assume that it will be prettier than the last one. More aluminum and glass stuff going on, but it will probably be sturdier than the iPhone 4 because of the complaints and refused warranty claims that were put forward upon the initial release of the last model.

2. Louder speakers and a radio.

These ones aren’t things that I personally care too much about but they’re things that I have heard a lot about. People weren’t satisfied with the max volume on the iPhone 4 speakers and I must say, the complaints weren’t unfounded. The reason for the cheap speakers, however was the fact that speakers take up a lot of space in the small case of the phone. To install loud, or high quality speakers the would’ve had to decrease the size of the battery or increased the size of the phone.

Also many smart phones as well as some MP3 players have FM tuners in them. Again, this feature matters not to me because I don’t listen to over the air radio. The programming sucks, the quality sucks, and there are much better and more personalized options like www.pandora.com available. However, the fact that I don’t listen to it doesn’t mean that no one out there does. Neither of these things will probably make it into any iPhone because of Apple’s obsession with sleek design, and their investment in the online music industry.

3. Flash!!!!! (haha like that’s going to happen…)

Yeah right. Flash support. I suppose that we can hope that Steve Jobs will be too feeble to keep his employees from putting flash in there… But I’m guessing that Apple still hates flash even with it’s new CEO in place.

4. 3D Camera.

I know that most people really don’t care about how many Ds their camera has. But I just think it’s cool. It was a very short time ago that we couldn’t even see true 3D if we payed to go to a 3D theater. Now 3D glasses have only one color of lens and provide the illusion of a 3D holographic image. A camera that could record in 3D wouldn’t be terribly useful but it’s really fun to play with!

5. 3D holographic display.

This one is actually likely to appear in an Apple product at some point in the future. A ways back I wrote a story on Apple filing patent on a holographic display that didn’t require glasses to view 3D. According to Apple it was “true 3D” not just a 3D illusion, but I question weather or not that claim could possibly be accurate. But I would love to see the iPhone being the first true 3D mobile device, or even the first true 3D consumer device of any kind.

Well that’s about all I can think of that may or may not be seen in the new iphone other than the obvious Apple-ish or of things. Right now the announcement date is slated to be September 30^th so I guess we’ll wait and see.

Tech News Update for 9/8/11

Google buys Zagat
The first story in the news today is that Google has agreed to buy Zagat, the online guide to restaurants around the country. Zagat has provided online localized restaurant search for some time, and the employees and former owners of Zagat seem to be very satisfied with the merger. The price on the transaction has not been disclosed yet but will presumably be disclosed to shareholders future.

Twitter is Growing?

Despite everyone hating twitter for the fact that their service is just so much less good than Facebook, Twitter’s user base is still growing. Twitter said Thursday that it now boasts 100 million active users, half of which tweet to the site on a daily basis. This is a mere shadow in the face of Facebook’s 500 million users, or what ever is now… It seems though that twitters me use your base is from mobile device users as over 55% of the active users contribute tweets from phone.

Google Sells Patents to HTC, HTC Sues Apple.

The web search giant Google, yeah we are back to Google News now, has sold nine key patents to iPhone competitor HTC allowing the Taiwanese mobile phone manufacturer to sue Apple for infringement of intellectual property. Apple has already been in dispute with HTC regarding the number of alleged breaches of Apple patents and android handsets on Thursday HTC countersued against Apple in two courts in the US. This is just more fuel to the fire as Apple and Google along with other mobile device manufacturers are in constant legal battle with each other around their respective smart phones. As a sidenote Apple has succeeded in getting an injunction on Samsung galaxy at 10.1 in Germany which was removed from the IFA trade show in Berlin.

More Good News!

To add to the fire of the lawsuits against AT&T and T-Mobile’s merger, Sprint has now filed its lawsuit to block them now not only must AT&T dispute claims from the US Department of Justice but also dispute claims from Sprint and possibly other companies as well. More good news for the everyday consumer. Things continue to look up.

More 3Tb Compatability and New Benchmarks.

Now to move onto an issue that has been kind close to my business, which is the issue of 3 TB hard drives and their compatibility, or lack thereof, with current motherboards. Right now there are four major players in 3 TB hard drive market. Those being, Western Digital, Seagate and Hitachi. As more UEFI equipped motherboards come trickling on the market to handle the increased storage capacity, the battle continues to heat up. The benchmark enthusiasts over at hothardware.com decided now would be fine time to pit a few of them against each other. So they naturally picked the three main manufacturers. They ran a battery of 28 test on each of the hard drives and found that the Seagate Barracuda XT outperforms the other two by a notable margin. The Seagate Barracuda XT is also tied for most expensive drive in the line up with the Hitachi, at $179.

Tech News Update for 9/7/11

Motorola Droid Bionic!

The Droid Bionic is finally out after eight months of delays. The starting price is $300 with two-year contract and I haven’t got my hands on it yet, but I’m told by the massive media on the Internet that it is a very good phone. I’m going to refrain from passing judgment on it until I can actually see the phone, but if you would like to read some reviews I have found a good news article whose link is right here.

AT&T Sucks!
AT&T still plans to merge with T-Mobile however the Department of Justice is suing to block the merger and the hearing is set for September 21. AT&T keeps saying that there are quote enormous benefits on quote of this merger, I would like to see what those benefits are.  In my view there seem to be no benefits whatsoever for AT&T to merge with anyone. Click here to read the article.

nVidia Sells Lots of Graphics Cards.
Nvidia’s sales are higher than expected and has raised its fiscal outlook for the quarter, which is good news for anyone who’s interested in any video or anyone who just loves Nvidia as I do I think they make some of the best graphics processors.

MORE PORN!
Here’s something that our most of our readers should be very interested in. The domain name service registry has begun has begun limited registration 4.XXX domain names for pornographers. I’m not sure why this was necessary to do. Don’t the.com domain names work perfectly fine for pornography?

Amazon looks weird.
Amazon.com the worlds most popular shopping website has launched a look. The redesigned version of this website is a bit more minimalist than the old one. I can’t find the date on which they plan to begin using this new layout but there is a picture of the new layout in the PCWorld.com article that is linked to below this blurb. It does seem that Amazon.com still has the old layout right now.

AMD get 12-core chips out soon.
AMD or Advanced Micro Devices is poised to released its new generation of quote bulldozer unquote processors and only shipping in major OEM vendor configurations. The list price on the 12 core 1.8 GHz off to wrong is only $873. For me I think 873 is rather high price for an AMD CPU, however, it’s not high price for 12 core processor. I personally use on the Intel processors in my own computers, because I find that they last longer and have more potential for overclocking if you buy the unlocked version of the Intel core I seven processor’s. I do take note that the 12 core 1.8 GHz operon should perform better than the current maximum on Intel being eight cores, but AMD does not support hyperthreading.
That is pretty much all that was in the news today that I really cared about. So I hope you enjoyed it and please feel free to let me know what you think in the comments and if you would like to e-mail me at DEO LF I NMD@Gmail.com, you can tell me what you think should be in tomorrow’s post. You can also tell me what you think should have been in today’s post and I left out.

The New News Office

It has been noted that this site has essentially shut down for the past year. I have gotten busy and have been unable to continue posting entries on a regular basis, but now I have decided to reboot the new site and attempt to bring all of it’s readers back. I have set up a new news office with one of my older DolFin laptops. At the moment it’s a bit messy.

This program will still be sponsored by DolFin MicroDevices and we will begin to post some small advertisements at the bottom of each post. They will be Google advertisements so they will be minimally invasive . I have also decided to do daily news updates that will include all of the technology news items of the day that I thought were cool or interesting in some way. I will also try to do product reviews of every major new item that comes out such as Apple iPods and new laptops of any kind and even gaming desktops and such like that.

You’ve also probably noticed the new layout that is the new minimalist design on the WordPress blogging system. We think this design is more conducive to an effective news blog. It seems to me that it looks like the New York Times website or some other large and well respected news site. It also will make sure that the page loads very quickly because there won’t be a whole lot of extra things to load other than the graphics in the articles themselves. I think this new reboot of the site will be very good for me and good for all of the sites viewers. It should be no to that the sites daily viewership has gone from an average of 300 views per day to about four. Our goal is to get up to 1000 by the end of the year. I look forward to writing the articles and viewing the feedback for this new reboot and I hope you guys all enjoy it .

DolFin T-Shirts now available!

DolFin MicroDevices T-Shirts are now available for purchase on the DolFin online store. They are $15 a piece plus shipping and are currently available in M, L, and XL sizes. If you would like another size or a long sleeved one, email dolfinmd@gmail.com or call (402)469-9610

To buy online click on the picture!

Also check out the new revised version of the DolFin EXTB external hard drive! Still just $85.99 with a four year warranty!

More New Fractal Wallpapers!

These are some random good ones I came up with while working on the three in the last post. They will also be available in the Desktop Pictures page.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Please do not use these images for anything other than personal use as desktop pictures. Unauthorized distribution of these images will be considered theft of intellectual property unless permission is obtained from the copyright owner and citation is posted. Don’t be afraid to email me requesting rights. I will be glad to grant them nine times out of ten.

New Fractal Wallpapers!

Here are three different colors of a fractal that I call “Rings of Saturn” These are in pretty high definition but if you want even higher resolution you can email me at dolfinmd@gmail.com and ask for the torrent of the really big ones! You can also email me to get other colors. I only posted the three primary colors for now but if someone wants others I’ll make them.

Please do not use these images for anything other than personal use as desktop pictures. Unauthorized distribution of these images will be considered theft of intellectual property unless permission is obtained from the copyright owner and citation is posted. Don’t be afraid to email me requesting rights. I will be glad to grant them nine times out of ten.

The Pirate Bay is down!

I woke up this morning to a torrent downloader that couldn’t find most of it’s seeders. I assumed that this was just because of the time of day. Not a lot of people are at home downloading torrents at 10 in the morning on a Friday. But just to be sure I did some checking to see if the trackers were up and sure enough, the Pirate Bay tracker was down. Another check: so was the website.

This sent sort of chills down my geeky spine as the event took me back to 2006 when the grand central station of underground torrents was raided, and taken down for three days! I thought “It’s happening again! Are they coming back up this time?”

I checked the news to find only one article about the site’s downtime on March 25th. The good people at torrentfreak.com are so far the only news people to post an article on this downtime. Their article is posted at this link. They said in the article that it’s probably nothing, and they kind  of put down the theory that they’re down for a big important reason. This is true. Odds are that there’s nothing to worry about, but what if there is?

There are a very large number of things that could take this website down. As mentioned in the article someone could’ve tripped over a cable, or they could be doing maintenance. I don’t think either of those are the case. First of all if you’re running a website of this size usually you’ve learned how to avoid the simple mistakes like tripping over cables and the like. There are also lots of life lines in place to keep the site running even if someone accidentally unplugs a cable. As far as maintenance goes, most sites post something on the site a couple days or more before they go down saying “We will be down for some work between xx/xx and xx/xx.” Now, I was on the site yesterday, and though I wasn’t really looking, I did not notice any notes that said the site would be down, and apparently the people at torrentfreak.com didn’t either.

So, we know what didn’t happen, but the question still remains, “What did happen?” One of the thing that could take the site down is hackers. Three days ago news was released of some hackers getting into The Pirate Bay’s security system and causing lots of trouble. The article is online at this link. Again the torrent freaks do a good job.

So my theory is that either the Swedish government has shut them down again or some hackers are holding the site down for some reason. Could be DDOS or some form of actual hacking. But I’m leaning toward hacking. Whatever it is, lets hope that they’re back up soon so we can start our downloads again! I’m missing out on some new TV shows!

*****UPDATE*****

The Pirate Bay is now back online with no explanation for the downtime. If anyone knows why this downtime happened please comment to let me know. This has been one of my most popular posts and has caused my site to break it’s previous daily traffic record.

*****UPDATE*****

_______________________Advertisement__________________________

Need more space for your torrents? When TPB is back up, buy a really reliable DolFin external hard drive!

New external hard drives from DolFin have four year warranty!

DolFin MicroDevices released a new line of portable USB hard drives today that come bundled with a five year warranty! DolFin boasts that they’re so proud of the reliability of their drives that they just had to prove it by offering such an outrageous warranty.

Though the drives are only available in one size right now DolFin says it will soon be releasing a wide range of sizes from 320Gb- 750Gb. Wait, that seems a lot like another manufacturer of external drives… Seagate? Yep. That’s because DolFin uses Seagate internals for their drives but unlike Seagate themselves DolFin is selective about the drives they ship. There is a 24 hour burn test in which all aspects of the hard drive are monitored while it is at max load. If, while the little drive strains to keep up with demand, it shows any sign of slowing down or giving up the bare drive is boxed up and sent back to Seagate to be used in one of their external disks or a Dell laptop.

This is a first for the industry of mobile drive which is quite impressive no matter how you look at it. There are some complaints about the high price of the DolFin drives ($85.99 for the 500Gb) but most should find it to be a small price to pay for that kind of reliability. If you’d like to buy a DolFin USB hard drive you can do so at the following web page:

http://dolfin.webs.com/apps/webstore/products/show/2196591

New wallpaper

This is a fractal that I created in just a few seconds on the new DolFin Rover 253. I remember creating fractals like this, with this resolution and having to wait days for it to render. I’m going to upload an een higher resolution version in a while. I’m going to see how many pixels can be rendered if I am willing to wait three days. Then I might try it again on the Rover 306. That should do better cause it has twice as much RAM and a core i7 CPU.

DolFiN MicroDevices Co

Today I am announcing that The Technology Development Blog is going to make all of the cool stuff we’ve been working on here at the lab public for all of you to see and read about! We wish to play a more active role in technology development than we have in the past. Now we will build things and do research as well as just report industry news. All of the documents we release will have legally binding copyrights and are not to be reproduced unless you first contact me at loserface1@gmail.com, and gain permission to use the document.

I also am very excited to announce that a company called DolFiN MicroDevices is now going to be producing publicly available devices and products based on the developments we make here at the lab. DolFiN is a separate company from this blog, and this blog is still run as a nonprofit organization. The two entities do, however, share personnel and visions of the future. You may click on the image below to see the company’s newly formed website.

DolFiN currently has two main products available: A $1000 touch screen desktop, and a $299 small workstation. DolFiN will soon be making available products like laptops and handheld devices as well. We think this is going to be a great partnership and enable both this blog and DolFiN to be great innovators.

DolFiN is available on facebook and we would like all of you to “Become a Fan” of what we do. This way we can send you updates and information about new products and or services that you may be interested in. you can also buy our products in the Facebook marketplace! Click on the image below to be taken to our facebook page!

We look forward to showing you the great new products that we create! Until then have a great week!

iPod Posts

As many of you may know, I own an original iPod touch. To tell the truth I have never explored the full potential of my ipod’s capability. You might have expected that I used my iPod to make some of the blog posts on here or to check my blog’s staistics. If you had assumed that you would have been quite wrong. As a matter of fact I hardly ever use my iPod for anything even remotely related to this website. As a result of this I haven’t been posting much of anything lately as my life has been more and more on the road and less in front of the computer. I am making it a point from now on to blog about everything technology related that I see on the road, at school and while working in my lab! This will give all the readers of this blog a near real time set of updates on the stuff I’m working on and the things I see and think of throughout my days.
The mobile posts will not have any images at all unless I add them later but I’ll try to be as descripive as possible. I will also take pictures of things with my phone and put them on the computer at least once a week so that you can SEE what I’m working on if you would like to come back after Reading about it.

This, a Note From Apple: Apple Answers the FCC’s Questions

Today Apple filed with the FCC the following answers to their questions.

We are pleased to respond to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau’s inquiry dated July 31, 2009, requesting information regarding Apple’s App Store and its application approval process. In order to give the Bureau some context for our responses, we begin with some background information about the iPhone and the App Store.

Apple’s goal is to provide our customers with the best possible user experience. We have been able to do this by designing the hardware and software in our products to work together seamlessly. The iPhone is a great example of this. It has established a new standard for what a mobile device can be—an integrated device with a phone, a full web browser, HTML email, an iPod, and more, all delivered with Apple’s revolutionary multi-touch user interface.

Apple then introduced something altogether new—the App Store—to give consumers additional functionality and benefits from the iPhone’s revolutionary technology. The App Store has been more successful than anyone could have ever imagined. Today, just over a year since opening, the App Store offers over 65,000 iPhone applications, and customers have downloaded over 1.5 billion applications.

The App Store provides a frictionless distribution network that levels the playing field for individual and large developers of mobile applications. We provide every developer with the same software that we use to create our own iPhone applications. The App Store offers an innovative business model that allows developers to set their own price and keep more (far more in most cases) of the revenue than traditional business models. In little more than a year, we have raised the bar for consumers’ rich mobile experience beyond what we or anyone else ever imagined in both scale and quality. Apple’s innovation has also fostered competition as other companies (e.g., Nokia, Microsoft, RIM, Palm and Verizon) seek to develop their own mobile platforms and launch their own application stores.

Apple works with network providers around the world so that iPhone users have access to a cellular network. In the United States, we struck a groundbreaking deal with AT&T in 2006 that gives Apple the freedom to decide which software to make available for the iPhone. This was an industry first.

We created an approval process that reviews every application submitted to Apple for the App Store in order to protect consumer privacy, safeguard children from inappropriate content, and avoid applications that degrade the core experience of the iPhone. Some types of content such as pornography are rejected outright from the App Store, while others such as graphic combat scenes in action games may be approved but with an appropriate age rating. Most rejections are based on bugs found in the applications. When there is an issue, we try to provide the developer with helpful feedback so they can modify the application in order for us to approve it. 95% of applications are approved within 14 days of their submission.

We’re covering new ground and doing things that had never been done before. Many of the issues we face are difficult and new, and while we may make occasional mistakes, we try to learn from them and continually improve.

In response to your specific questions, we would like to offer the following:

Question 1. Why did Apple reject the Google Voice application for iPhone and remove related third-party applications from its App Store? In addition to Google Voice, which related third-party applications were removed or have been rejected? Please provide the specific name of each application and the contact information for the developer.

Contrary to published reports, Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application, and continues to study it. The application has not been approved because, as submitted for review, it appears to alter the iPhone’s distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhone’s core mobile telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls, text messaging and voicemail. Apple spent a lot of time and effort developing this distinct and innovative way to seamlessly deliver core functionality of the iPhone. For example, on an iPhone, the “Phone” icon that is always shown at the bottom of the Home Screen launches Apple’s mobile telephone application, providing access to Favorites, Recents, Contacts, a Keypad, and Visual Voicemail. The Google Voice application replaces Apple’s Visual Voicemail by routing calls through a separate Google Voice telephone number that stores any voicemail, preventing voicemail from being stored on the iPhone, i.e., disabling Apple’s Visual Voicemail. Similarly, SMS text messages are managed through the Google hub—replacing the iPhone’s text messaging feature. In addition, the iPhone user’s entire Contacts database is transferred to Google’s servers, and we have yet to obtain any assurances from Google that this data will only be used in appropriate ways. These factors present several new issues and questions to us that we are still pondering at this time.

The following applications also fall into this category.

• Name: GVDialer / GVDialer Lite
  Developer: MobileMax
  info@mobile-mx.com
• Name: VoiceCentral
  Developer: Riverturn, Inc.
  4819 Emperor Blvd., Suite 400
  Durham, NC 27703
• Name: GV Mobile / GV Mobile Free
  Developer: Sean Kovacs
  sean@seankovacs.com

We are continuing to study the Google Voice application and its potential impact on the iPhone user experience. Google is of course free to provide Google Voice on the iPhone as a web application through Apple’s Safari browser, just as they do for desktop PCs, or to provide its “Google-branded” user experience on other phones, including Android-based phones, and let consumers make their choices.

Question 2. Did Apple act alone, or in consultation with AT&T, in deciding to reject the Google Voice application and related applications? If the latter, please describe the communications between Apple and AT&T in connection with the decision to reject Google Voice. Are there any contractual conditions or non-contractual understandings with AT&T that affected Apple’s decision in this matter?

Apple is acting alone and has not consulted with AT&T about whether or not to approve the Google Voice application. No contractual conditions or non-contractual understandings with AT&T have been a factor in Apple’s decision-making process in this matter.

Question 3. Does AT&T have any role in the approval of iPhone applications generally (or in certain cases)? If so, under what circumstances, and what role does it play? What roles are specified in the contractual provisions between Apple and AT&T (or any non-contractual understandings) regarding the consideration of particular iPhone applications?

Apple alone makes the final decisions to approve or not approve iPhone applications.

There is a provision in Apple’s agreement with AT&T that obligates Apple not to include functionality in any Apple phone that enables a customer to use AT&T’s cellular network service to originate or terminate a VoIP session without obtaining AT&T’s permission. Apple honors this obligation, in addition to respecting AT&T’s customer Terms of Service, which, for example, prohibit an AT&T customer from using AT&T’s cellular service to redirect a TV signal to an iPhone. From time to time, AT&T has expressed concerns regarding network efficiency and potential network congestion associated with certain applications, and Apple takes such concerns into consideration.

Question 4. Please explain any differences between the Google Voice iPhone application and any Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications that Apple has approved for the iPhone. Are any of the approved VoIP applications allowed to operate on AT&T’s 3G network?

Apple does not know if there is a VoIP element in the way the Google Voice application routes calls and messages, and whether VoIP technology is used over the 3G network by the application. Apple has approved numerous standard VoIP applications (such as Skype, Nimbuzz and iCall) for use over WiFi, but not over AT&T’s 3G network.

Question 5. What other applications have been rejected for use on the iPhone and for what reasons? Is there a list of prohibited applications or of categories of applications that is provided to potential vendors/developers? If so, is this posted on the iTunes website or otherwise disclosed to consumers?

In a little more than a year, the App Store has grown to become the world’s largest wireless applications store, with over 65,000 applications. We’ve rejected applications for a variety of reasons. Most rejections are based on the application containing quality issues or software bugs, while other rejections involve protecting consumer privacy, safeguarding children from inappropriate content, and avoiding applications that degrade the core experience of the iPhone. Given the volume and variety of technical issues, most of the review process is consumed with quality issues and software bugs, and providing feedback to developers so they can fix applications. Applications that are fixed and resubmitted are approved.

The following is a list of representative applications that have been rejected as originally submitted and their current status:

• Twittelator, by Stone Design Corp., was initially rejected because it crashed during loading, but the developer subsequently fixed the application and it has been approved;
• iLoveWiFi!, by iCloseBy LLC, was rejected because it used undocumented application protocols (it has not been resubmitted as of the date of this letter);
• SlingPlayer Mobile, by Sling Media, was initially rejected because redirecting a TV signal to an iPhone using AT&T’s cellular network is prohibited by AT&T’s customer Terms of Service, but the developer subsequently fixed the application to use WiFi only and it has been approved; and
• Lingerie Fantasy Video (Lite), by On The Go Girls, LLC, was initially rejected because it displayed nudity and explicit sexual content, but the developer subsequently fixed the application and it has been approved with the use of a 17+ age rating.

Apple provides explicit language in its agreement with iPhone developers regarding prohibited categories of applications, for example:

• “Applications may be rejected if they contain content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, sounds, etc.) that in Apple’s reasonable judgment may be found objectionable, for example, materials that may be considered obscene, pornographic, or defamatory; and
• Applications must not contain any malware, malicious or harmful code, program, or other internal component (e.g. computer viruses, trojan horses, ‘backdoors’) which could damage, destroy, or adversely affect other software, firmware, hardware, data, systems, services, or networks.”

And we also provide a reference library that can be accessed by members of the iPhone Developer Program that lists helpful information such as Best Practices and How To Get Started.

Question 6. What are the standards for considering and approving iPhone applications? What is the approval process for such applications (timing, reasons for rejection, appeal process, etc.)? What is the percentage of applications that are rejected? What are the major reasons for rejecting an application?

As discussed in the response to Question 5, Apple provides guidelines to developers in our developer agreement as well as on its web site regarding prohibited categories of applications. These materials also contain numerous other provisions regarding technical and legal requirements that applications must comply with, and Apple uses these standards in considering whether or not to approve applications.

Apple developed a comprehensive review process that looks at every iPhone application that is submitted to Apple. Applications and marketing text are submitted through a web interface. Submitted applications undergo a rigorous review process that tests for vulnerabilities such as software bugs, instability on the iPhone platform, and the use of unauthorized protocols. Applications are also reviewed to try to prevent privacy issues, safeguard children from exposure to inappropriate content, and avoid applications that degrade the core experience of the iPhone. There are more than 40 full-time trained reviewers, and at least two different reviewers study each application so that the review process is applied uniformly. Apple also established an App Store executive review board that determines procedures and sets policy for the review process, as well as reviews applications that are escalated to the board because they raise new or complex issues. The review board meets weekly and is comprised of senior management with responsibilities for the App Store. 95% of applications are approved within 14 days of being submitted.

If we find that an application has a problem, for example, a software bug that crashes the application, we send the developer a note describing the reason why the application will not be approved as submitted. In many cases we are able to provide specific guidance about how the developer can fix the application. We also let them know they can contact the app review team or technical support, or they can write to us for further guidance.

Apple generally spends most of the review period making sure that the applications function properly, and working with developers to fix quality issues and software bugs in applications. We receive about 8,500 new applications and updates every week, and roughly 20% of them are not approved as originally submitted. In little more than a year, we have reviewed more than 200,000 applications and updates.

App

Cars are technology too!!!

I was at a car show earlier today taking pictures. I decided to post the pictures on this site because after all cars are technology too!

Corvette Engines:

Corvettes that the engines go in!

A nice black Camaro!

and finally a Nissan 350Z that has been tune quite nicely it has an exposed carbon fiber hood and dual HUGE exhaust pipes! not sure what all is under the hood but you can guess it matches the rest.

See what I mean by huge exhaust? these look like they belong on a bus!

Psystar Open(7): Is it Really Cheaper?

Most of us who follow Apple know about the ongoing conflict between Apple and a new Mac Clone company called Psystar. For those who don’t know here’s a quick brief:

After Apple’s transition of Intel processors in 2006, the founder of Psystar was probably thing thinking something like this, “if the Mac OS runs on Intel chips now, what would be stopping me from building my own Mac clone?” So the company of Psystar began building computers saying that Apple’s Macintosh computers were over priced and that theirs were cheaper. Apple then sued Psystar saying that it was unlawful to install Mac OS X on any computer or other device not designed by Apple itself. Psystar counter sued and the outcome of said counter suit is yet to be decided.

So… back to the main topic. Psystar has done a very good job of making their new Open(7) computer appear cheaper than it counterpart at Apple, the MacPr, however when I looked at their site and priced out an Open(7) customized to my specifications, I thought it seemed a little high. Behold the price of a MacPro of similar specs is about $100 cheaper. Why is this? or was it just that configuration?

For all intents and purposes the two computers are about the same. they both run the Mac OS and both run it fast and have loads of storage. When I went looking for a high end mac desktop I wanted at least 600GB of storage and i wanted the fast 3GB per second hard drive. I wanted lots of firewire ports that come on every Apple Mac. I wanted 6GB of RAM and an aluminum enclosure. Everything else standard.

The final thing on my list left me with no option but to buy a Mac Pro from Apple, but I decided to check Psystar to see how much money I was wasting. Here’s what I got:

On the Mac Pro:

• One 2.66GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon
• 3GB (3x1GB)
• None
• 640GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
• None
• None
• None
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 512MB
• One 18x SuperDrive
• None
• None
• Apple Mighty Mouse
• Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (English) and User’s Guid

$2,499

On the Psystar Open(7) I learned that I could not just buy one hard drive to get to my 600GB minimum. So I bought two of the High speed drives. This was what jacked up my price. but here it is:

2.66GHz Quad-Core Xeon Nehalem

two Fast! 300GB 10,000RPM SATA2 Hard Drives.

20x DVD±RW DL

// <![CDATA[// 802.11n (PCI-E 1x)

USB Bluetooth adapter

Firewire ports.

$2,907.98

The reason the Open(7) looks cheaper than the Mac Pro is the fact that with the Mac Pro many of the items that I would’ve had to pay extra for from Psystar, come standard on the Mac. Things like the Keyboard and mouse, bluetooth, extra firewire ports, and then there’s the fact that the hard drives were more expensive because I couldn’t buy just one! Bottom line, Psystar is cheaper in it’s base configuration and probably in some other configurations too, however not in all or even most configurations. Also when you buy an Open(7) you can expect a cheap plastic case held together by screws and filled with lose wires and scattered parts held down by screws and clamps. When you buy a Mac you can expect a sleek Aluminum case held together firmly by Torx bits, with an equally sleek and accessible design on the inside. With the Mac it is simple and quick to replace or upgrade parts. With an Open(7) it would be a long frustrating experience involving many tangled wires and stripped screws.
MacPro insides!

Forrester’s New ads

What Steve Said

The original article can be found at http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-9964230-37.html. My thoroughly non-professional annotations will be at the bottom.

The second chapter of Apple’s iPhone era is almost ready to begin, and it’s already clear that things will be a little different this time around.

Few people who pay even scant attention to the technology industry could claim to be shocked by the introduction of a faster iPhone earlier on Monday by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Apple has sold 6 million iPhones since June 2007, Jobs said, and will likely sell a few more once the new model arrives on July 11 with a faster networking chip, GPS capabilities, and a software upgrade that’s an IT manager’s dream for a mobile device.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils the 3G iPhone. For more photos from the event, click on the image.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET News.com)

From a features point of view, the new model delivers on what iPhone customers want and need. Yes, you still can’t do mobile messaging, and I still don’t think you can do cut-and-paste, which is just bizarre. But Apple has added just about everything else people have asked for or complained about in iPhone 1.0: faster networks, secure access to corporate e-mail, precise location-based services, and third-party applications.

What’s perhaps more interesting is what Apple has learned about the mobile phone business. It’s not all that surprising that Apple, which has a proud legacy of product design and software development, would have created an excellent product that has the rest of the industry scrambling to overtake.

But several developments later on Monday indicate that Apple has had to learn just as many lessons about playing in the mobile phone market over the past year as it has taught the mobile phone industry about product development.

About 90 minutes after Jobs concluded his keynote, AT&T held its own press conference to announce some major changes in the way iPhones are sold. You now must immediately agree to a two-year contract with AT&T whether you buy the iPhone in one of Apple’s stores or one of AT&T’s stores, and there will be no online ordering. AT&T and Apple have ended their revenue-sharing agreement, and Apple also said that the “vast majority” of its new carrier agreements overseas do not involve revenue sharing. To top it off, iPhone data plans are now $10 more expensive.

This just might be the aftereffect of the unlocked iPhones. Apple executives downplayed the actual number of unlocked iPhones several times this year, claiming they couldn’t estimate how many iPhones had actually been unlocked and that in any event, it just demonstrates demand for the product.

But Apple’s carrier partners sure cared about that number. Apple negotiated extremely favorable deals for iPhone 1.0, getting a piece of AT&T and other carriers’ revenue for data services while retaining complete control over what applications would appear on the device.

Apple held up its end of the bargain in one sense–delivering a solid product that enticed people to switch networks and drove data usage–but failed to secure its product against those who wished to unlock it from its designated networks, forcing some carriers to watch their rivals reap the benefits of iPhone data usage. Wireless carriers may be opening up their networks in new and interesting ways, but their influence on the mobile market isn’t waning just yet.

It’s not clear whether Apple will introduce technology changes into the new iPhone that makes it harder to jailbreak, then unlock, but it will at least require U.S. iPhone buyers to sign a two-year contract and activate the iPhone on AT&T’s network before they can take it home. This won’t eliminate unlocking, but could discourage it to some degree.

The faster speeds, additional countries–and a tweak to Apple’s business model–should help the company hit its goal of shipping 10 million iPhones in 2008.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET News.com)

Of course, compromise is part of any good partnership. In exchange for giving up revenue sharing and its novel at-home activation service, Apple is getting a subsidized iPhone. That will lower the price of entry into the iPhone world and should accelerate sales without dinging Apple’s product margins to the degree that would be result if Apple absorbed the cost decrease itself. The increased sales should also offset the loss of the shared revenue.

So the big question: will the iPhone 3G–and new business model–enable Apple to meet its sales target for 2008 of 10 million units? If Apple has sold 6 million units to date, as Jobs said in his keynote, that means the company has a long way to go, having sold just 2.3 million iPhones so far in 2008.

The fact that the new iPhone won’t be available until July 11 was one of the most surprising things to emerge from this morning’s keynote. Apple, of course, never put a finer grain on when it expected to ship iPhone 3G beyond “next year,” which Jobs quoted a few times in response to questions about the issue in 2007. But few expected the company to miss the one-year anniversary of the iPhone’s debut with the new model, and at the very least, Apple itself had promised the iPhone 2.0 software by the end of June.

That means Apple will have shipped almost no iPhones from roughly the middle of May to July 11: about two whole months, although AT&T stores took longer to run out of their supply. We’ll get a more precise number for iPhone shipments during Apple’s third fiscal quarter, which ends in June, during the company’s earnings call in July. But no matter how you slice it, that’s a large gap that points to a bit of a supply chain snafu at some stage along the way.

Apple’s Greg Joswiak, vice president of worldwide iPod and iPhone marketing, reiterated Apple’s 10 million shipment goal in an interview after Jobs’ keynote, so it’s not like Apple is backing down. There are two main reasons why the company can still be confident: the combination of 3G and the cheaper price will spur potential customers who have been sitting on the sidelines in countries where the iPhone already exists, and a total of 70 countries will get official access to the iPhone, including major new destinations like Canada and Australia. In addition, Jobs hinted to CNBC later in the day that the big prize–China–could be coming sooner rather than later.

It’s always interesting to watch a company try to make its way into an entirely new business; those who fail far outnumber those who succeed. The most common reason why many fail is because they forget to learn from their initial experiences, or assume they know better based on their past successes.

Apple may not proclaim it from on high in the Stevenote, but today the company showed that it’s willing to learn from its mistakes, and to adjust its business model when prudent. So far in its iPhone era, Apple has wisely tackled the hard problem first–making a great product, and continuing to improve it–and is now making the kinds of changes to its business model to make sure the iPhone really does turn into the third leg of the company’s business some day.

=============================================================

Strictly non-professional Annotations From a Non-professional Annotator.

Unlike what I had before speculated. Apple did announce Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard. This however got about 5 words of the keynote and was later demonstrated on Monday. As everyone expected the 3G iPhone was announced and demonstrated and the AppStore took a large portion of the keynote. The rumors of .mac being changed were right and the Macworld podcast guy even got the name right. See the full picture at http://www.me.com. Everything was pretty cool but I was hoping for some hardware announcements other than the iPhone.

l8er

Laptop Cooling

I have been spending a lot of time working on making my ibook run cooler. Yes I know ‘it’s an ibook! how hot can it get?’ but believe me. It gets hot. I have a G3 600 MHTZ iBook with 16 Mb video RAM and a 20Gb hard drive. This is the main reason for my hoping for donations to keep this free blog up. The reason for my laptop’s overheating is probably due to the fact that I have the processor clocked at 800mhtz instead of 600 but it run’s fine under that clock speed.

My mother’s MacBook has similar issues to the ones mine is developing only it get’s to the extreme of actually causing the machine to slow down to less than the performance of mine! That’s pretty bad… I have been working on cooling these computers with out any major ‘under the hood’ investigation and I thought that I would share with you some of my findings. These will go into the options if you want to take the whole damn thing apart and if you don’t. I do however recommend that if you know how to take your machine apart that you should. There are some minor changes you can make to the insides of the machine that will collectively make a large difference in heat output.

SMC Fan Control (for Intel Macs)

SMC fan control (download) is a great solution for people with Intel macs that don’t like getting their lap burned every time they use their computer. It enables you to set the minimum speed at which your fans run. It also shows you the temperature of all of your components. Unfortunately there is no solution like this for PPC machines at this point. The downside of using an application like this is that your battery life will decrease the faster you run your fans. This works great if you don’t have any problem plugging your computer in a little more often.

Cooling pad

There are cooling pads available for all types of laptops. They can be found in almost all computer stores and in most department stores. You can also search on Amazon.com or other online retailer for ‘laptop cooling pads’ The one on Amazon that I like the best can be found here. Laptop cooling pads usually plug into your USB port and run 1-4 fans off of USB power. This will drain your battery less than using SMC fan control but usually provides for less cooling. This option will work on any computer Mac or PC.

Underclock the processor

Underclocking the processor decreases the CPU performance thereby decreasing the heat it generates. This also increases your battery life. This is great for anyone with a computer of which they do not require all of the power most of the time. To do this on a G3 you can download the application called iCook. It enables you to change your clock speed on the fly. On any other Mac I can tell you how to do it but I’m sure there is a way. On a PC there is usually a setting in the startup bios that you can tweak to get a new clock speed but you can’t do it on the fly

Heatsink/Thermal Compound

The braver of us may wish to make a more perminant change to our computer by taking it apart and tweaking it. These people may try replacing the heatsink or thermal compound or both. I have no personal experience doing this with anything other than my G3 iBook so I won’t give detailed instructions. you can get instructions on how to fully dismantle your computer at a number of places on the web. I recommend that you have a friend help you if you haven’t done this before so that you may blame all of your mistakes on him/her. The theory behind this procedure is that Apple usually puts way to much thermal compound on their processors so that it ends up smothering the processor. Thermal compound and heat sinks also do ware out. You can buy new heatsinks on ifixit.com.

If anyone has any other experiences in cooling down their hot Apple laptops please share in a comment to this post.

What Will Steve Say? -as usual noone knows….

The following article was found on technewsworld.com. I give my annotations and outlooks at the bottom.

On Monday, Steve Jobs will take the stage at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference and announce … something. As usual, it’s a mystery, and as usual, there’s plenty of speculation and expectation in the blogosphere. Hopes for a new iPhone are running high, though ideas on how it might be priced fall all over the map. Indeed, some say the 3G iPhone is a big red herring.

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This week, the Apple-focused blogosphere’s eyes are cast forward to Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) Worldwide Developer Conference, where nearly everyone expects Apple CEO Steve Jobs to announce the iPhone App Store and iPhone 2.0 software, not to mention a new version of the iPhone itself.

In still more iPhone speculation, debate over possible AT&T (NYSE: T) subsidies has been raging — mostly on the hope that it could drive down the cost of acquiring a new iPhone. Still others are speculating that Jobs has something even more interesting up his sleeve for the conference — like a multi-touch Mac tablet device.

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App Store on the Way

“A source at a software company that has been working on a native iPhone application tells us the company is getting ready to launch that application on Monday, which could also imply that Apple’s App Store will be up and running that day,” noted Cnet.com’s Tom Krazit, writing on his One More Thing blog.

While the news isn’t exactly surprising, it does lend a bit more weight to the idea. Jobs could possibly announce the App Store, meaning delivery could happen in late June, around the one-year anniversary of iPhone. All the developers who’ve been working away with Apple’s iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) might have to wait a while longer before their third-party applications hit iPhone and iPod touch consumers.

“There are already a great number of applications already available for the iPhone (and iPod touch). However, you do have to jailbreak your iPhone. Developers have been using the installer programs to distribute beta versions of their software among the more technical iPhone users. There are some wonderful programs out there and next week there will be even more!” commented jypeterson on the One More Thing post on the subject.

There’s also hope that if the App Store is ready, a 3G iPhone might be ready as well. This, however, seems to be a slightly bigger leap of faith. Apple might think the iPhone’s one-year anniversary is a better time to launch a new iPhone, and that won’t happen for three more weeks.

Either way, the App Store is a huge leap forward for iPhone lovers and the ecosystem Apple is trying to build.

“The launch of the App Store represents the coming of age of the iPhone platform. You will see thousands upon thousands of developers begin to release new and innovative applications for iPhone and iPod touch,” Raven Zachary, a research director for The 451 Group, told MacNewsWorld.

“Consumers will no longer perceive these devices as just phones and music players. I think the market is underestimating the impact of the App Store launch. We’re talking about a single platform dominating portable music, telephony, gaming, personal productivity and, over time, enterprise applications,” he explained, adding that the App Store will be a highly disruptive move.

A Cheaper iPhone?

Bloggers have also been poking at the possibility that AT&T may subsidize the cost of the iPhone, which would let it retail for as low as US$200. AT&T subsidizes most every other phone it carries, so this isn’t such a wild idea. However, it still may be just a pipe dream. Apple most likely isn’t keen on the subsidies because it undermines the consumer perception of value for a product, making it much harder to roll out new devices — independent of subsidies — at the premium prices Apple is used to.

Still, given iPhone’s strong sales despite the relatively high starting cost, would it really behoove AT&T to subsidize it?

Some think so.

“I’ll speculate that the subsidy happens because the ‘fan-boy’ crowd and early adopters are already on their network and the iPhone. This round is to tempt all the rest of us over, which will require lowering the cost of the phone since it won’t have any features that aren’t already available at lower costs,” Gando commented on InformationWeek.com’s Over the Air blog.

Not everyone agrees. “iPhone has shown that they do not have to subsidize the device in the U.S.,” William Ho, a research director of wireless services for Current Analysis , told MacNewsWorld.

“The numbers that it puts up [are] certainly enviable. This is a trend that carriers want to acclimate the general public towards — at least the higher-end ones — as open access comes into play a few years down the road. No subsidy equals a lower acquisition cost, which means ultimately margins are better for AT&T,” he added.

Drooling Over ‘One More Thing …’

Cult of Mac blogger Leigh McMullen took a striking different turn this week by speculating that Jobs may have something even cooler than a 3G iPhone to deliver at WWDC.

“Personally, I think this whole 3G iPhone business is a red herring. Sure, it’ll be announced, and people will love it. But the leaks abound so much. I find myself hoping that it’s part of a disinformation campaign; to keep us distracted so we don’t guess too closely at what new cool products Apple might unveil, and that there will be a terrific surprise for all of us at WWDC,” McMullen wrote, linking to a previous post and artist mockup of a possible multi-touch Mac tablet device.

Some readers hoped for new cinema display, Blu-ray Apple TVs and free .Mac service. Several seemed to concur with McMullen’s tablet desire.

“It’s going to be a tablet. Or something touchscreenie. Why else would microsoft otherwise rush to show windows 7 with touch screen capabilities. They wanted to be the first to claim it. Although it didn’t make a lot of impact …,” airwin commented.

“WWDC is about development, not really hardware. Sure, hardware has been announced in previous WWDC’s, but it’s not a common thing,” Sven Rafferty, director of Internet technology for Hypersven and editor of Svenontech.com, told MacNewsWorld.

“After two years of Leopard, Leopard and just Leopard, it’s easy to ignore the fact that there might be more than just the iPhone next-gen and firmware 2.x. Rumors are seeping of 10.6, which I wouldn’t be surprised by, as well as the tablet,” he said, noting that the tablet is less likely.

“It’s a niche market … I’d say a mini-PC, like that of the ASUS, would make more sense. Now is that a tablet? I don’t know …” he added. “I say the next-gen iPhone will be center stage along with the SDK and all the apps.”

========================================================

less professional speculations from a non-professional writer

I am very sure we will see a 3g capable iPhone. The iPhone has been struggling in Europe because of the EDGE network’s inability to match the speeds of their existing 3g network and that would solve the problem. Also there is the fact that apple seems to have shipped over 1 billion brown boxes out to their retail stores in anticipation of a product release. I realise that this could be anything but the boxes appeared to be the correct size and I just have a hunch I know what’s in them.

Business Stuff

Apple had a special event a while back about business apps for the iphone. This was at the same time they announce that the AppStore would be released ‘sometime in June’. Therefore it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that there will be something about said AppStore.

‘Rumors are Seeping of 10.6′

That would surprise me greatly considering only a few well known facts. First: Apple just released 10.5 this January! There is no way in hell that they would announce a new OS so soon. It took them 3 years or so of tiger to get around to releasing leopard. Second: If history is a guide (it usually is for Apple) they will release many more patches to leopard before releasing another. Third: It’s obvious that they might crank it to 11 sometime. You can’t expect the X to stick around forever do you?

I will probably use these points in a more detailed article written entirely by myself later on. Till then this is what I have for you. Goodnight and good luck…and stuff the end.

Pronographic Message Found on Library Kiddie phone line

Someone hacked into a California library’s dial-a-story phone service and replaced a fairy tale with a pornographic, profanity-laced message, according to The Associated Press.

The director of the public library in Benicia, which is about 30 miles northeast of San Francisco, says a four-digit passcode is required to change the recording. The offensive message was immediately removed after it was reported last week.

I know you’re probably wondering what the message was. It reportedly involved a dog and a pig. Enough said.

Info found on CNET

YouTube law fight ‘threatens net’

The following article caught my interest on the BBC. @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7420955.stm\

A one billion dollar lawsuit against YouTube threatens internet freedom, according to its owner Google.

Google’s claim follows Viacom’s move to sue the video sharing service for its inability to keep copyrighted material off its site.

Viacom says it has identified 150,000 unauthorised clips on YouTube.

In court documents Google’s lawyers say the action “threatens the way hundreds of millions of people legitimately exchange information” over the web.

The search giant’s legal team also maintained that YouTube had been faithful to the requirements of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act and that they responded properly to claims of infringement.

In papers submitted to a Manhattan court, Google said it and YouTube “goes far beyond its legal obligations in assisting content owners to protect their works”.

Viacom disagreed that either firm had lived up to that standard and said that they had done “little or nothing” to stop infringement.

Abuse

In a rewritten lawsuit filed last month, Viacom claimed YouTube consistently allowed unauthorised copies of popular television programming and movies to be posted on its website and viewed tens of thousands of times.

It said it had identified more than 150,000 such abuses which included clips from shows such as South Park, SpongeBob SquarePants and MTV Unplugged.

Interview with one of the founders of YouTube, Chad Hurley, first broadcast on 21 May 2007

The company says the infringement also included the documentary An Inconvenient Truth which had been viewed “an astounding 1.5 billion times”.

Viacom, which is asking for damages for the unauthorised viewing of its programming, said its tally represented only a fraction of the content on YouTube that violates its copyrights.

“The availability on the YouTube site of a vast library of the copyrighted works of plaintiffs and others is the cornerstone of defendants’ business plan,” Viacom said.

Viacom originally started legal action last year and filed an amended version last month. Earlier this month Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone told Dow Jones: “When we filed this lawsuit, we not only served our own interests, we served the interests of everyone who owns copyrights they want protected.”

He added: “We cannot tolerate any form of piracy by anyone, including YouTube…they cannot get away with stealing our products.”

For its part, Google said the only way the legal action would be resolved was in court.

Google’s vice president of content partnerships David Eun has said: “We’re going all the way to the Supreme Court. We’ve been very clear about it.”

After the legal action was first started, YouTube launched an anti-piracy tool that checks uploaded videos against the original content in an effort to flag piracy.

New Forrester GX1000!

Forrester Technologies, a company that we have worked very closely with for the past few years has finally released it’s long awaited gaming computer under the name GX1000. With two Intel Xeon quad core chips clocked at 2.6-3.12 Ghtz it blazes through everything that you can throw at it. It has the same great Ubuntu linux that was well loved with the C100 and it has an optimized OpenGL platform for developers. OpenGL can be used at a kernal level on this linux based system so that the graphics that your working with as a developer are faster than ever. It has up to 4Tb hard drive space with an option of SSD drives, and up to 32Gb RAM. Oh and did I say that it looks really awesome too…

New iMacs!

The more powerful iMac. Now running at speeds up to 3.06GHz.

Just when you thought iMac had everything, now there’s even more. More powerful Intel Core 2 Duo processors. And more memory standard. Combine this with Mac OS X Leopard and iLife ’08, and it’s more all-in-one than ever. iMac packs amazing performance into a stunningly slim space.

Wide-eyed wonder.

Photos, movies, games, videos, and applications with palettes. Anything you see on the 20- or 24-inch glossy widescreen display will be a perfect pixel experience. iMac features a flat-panel LCD screen with 1680-by-1050 resolution (20-inch) or 1920-by-1200 resolution (24-inch), giving you vivid colors and breathtaking clarity.

Power duo.

The latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors run at speeds up to 3.06GHz with advanced 45-nm process technology and 6MB of shared L2 cache. Translation: iMac runs your applications faster and more efficiently than ever before.

View the iMac Application Performance Chart

iMac Application Performance. Up to 28% faster than previous iMac.

When looking at how the new iMac performs with real-world applications, you can clearly see its advantage over the previous generation. Now with iMac, you’ll enjoy new levels of performance with tasks across the board, whether it’s creating web pages, movies, or music, or organizing and enjoying your favorite pictures and music.

Testing conducted by Apple in April 2008 using preproduction 24-inch iMac units with 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors; all other systems were shipping units. All systems were configured with 2GB of RAM. Photoshop test file size = 120MB. HTML and JavaScript benchmarks based on VeriTest’s iBench Version 5.0 using default settings. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of iMac.

Final Cut Pro. HDV render and encode

28% faster

iPhoto. Common application tasks

27% faster

Adobe Photoshop. 45-filter function test

22% faster

iMovie. Common application tasks

21% faster

iTunes. Convert for iPhone

21% faster

Safari. HTML, JavaScript, Java VM

17% faster

iMac with 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo. (previous generation)

Baseline

The best iMac graphics yet.

With ATI Radeon HD graphics standard, iMac delivers smooth video playback and realistic visual environments. And now you have the option to upgrade to the most powerful graphics ever available in an iMac. With the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS and 512MB of dedicated video memory, this 24-inch iMac configuration reaches a whole new, blow-you-away level of detail and realism in games, three-dimensional graphics, high-resolution photos, and high-definition video.

View the iMac Graphics Performance Chart

Graphics Performance. Up to 2.2x faster with NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS.

Quake 4 performance: 1920-by-1200 High Quality

Configure-to-order 24-inch iMac with 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo

NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS 2.2x faster

Standard-configuration iMac with 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo

ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO Baseline

Testing conducted by Apple in April 2008 using preproduction 24-inch iMac units with 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of iMac.

Massive storage. More memory standard.

iMac has up to 2GB of 800MHz DDR2 memory standard so you can run more applications simultaneously. And with a Serial ATA hard drive up to 320GB, you can load up on photos, videos, and music. The 24-inch model has a remarkable hard drive option — up to 1TB — for just about anything and everything you want to pack in.

	Standard Drive	Optional Drive	Standard Memory	Optional Memory
20-inch 2.4GHz	250GB	320GB or 500GB	1GB	2GB or 4GB
20-inch 2.66GHz	320GB	500GB or 750GB	2GB	4GB
24-inch 2.8GHz	320GB	500GB, 750GB, or 1TB	2GB	4GB

iMac ins and outs.

Bring on your iPod, digital camera, mobile phone, and external hard drive. If it has a cable, iMac has a place for it. You’ll find three USB 2.0 ports on iMac itself and two on the Apple Keyboard. Connect faster peripherals to the FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 ports for even more possibilities.

Built-in freedom.

Turn your house into a wireless wonderland. High-speed 802.11n wireless technology is built into iMac. And with Time Capsule or the AirPort Express Base Station, every computer in every room can connect to iMac, the Internet, and each other. Over this network, everyone can print, surf the web, and even play music from the iTunes library through your home stereo — wirelessly.

iSight camera.

Built into the top of iMac is an iSight camera. You’ll hardly notice it’s there until you want to launch iChat, Photo Booth, or iMovie. iSight is easy to use and highly advanced. The remarkable picture quality and color accuracy make this tiny feature huge.

SuperDrive.

iMac doesn’t have a disc tray. CDs and DVDs slide right into the slot-loading SuperDrive. What makes it super? You can burn your own CDs and DVDs — including double-layer DVDs — to back up data or create your own music mixes. With the SuperDrive and iDVD, you can even burn the movies you make onto a DVD and watch them on your TV.

Slim, all-in-one design

Setting the highest standards for elegance and simplicity, the all-in-one iMac packs all its components — from processor to video camera — into an astoundingly thin, anodized aluminum frame.

Faster Intel Core 2 Duo processor

At speeds up to 3.06GHz, the latest-generation dual-core Intel processors powering iMac are faster than ever, offering greater performance for everything from enhancing photos to playing games and more.

Dazzling display

The glossy widescreen display on every iMac delivers incredibly rich, vivid color. And you can configure a 24-inch iMac with a new option — the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS — to enjoy up to 2.2X faster graphics performance.

iLife ’08: Home of your life’s events

With the latest versions of iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, and GarageBand included, you can create a photo book, make a movie, build a blog, compose a song, and much more.

Built-in iSight camera

Have a video chat with friends or family,³ record a video at your desk, or take fun pictures with Photo Booth — everything you need is built right in.

I said I would post Apple’s description of the thing so here it is.

Battlefield 2142 © 2008 EA Digital Illusions CE AB. All rights reserved. Battlefield 2142 is a trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. EA and the EA logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

New Apple iMacs

Apple’s low end computers were speed bumped recently and now their specs don’t look very low end. The latest 24 inch iMac has a 3.06Ghtz Intel Core 2 Duo chip and a 1Tb hard drive. Speeds and sizes reminiscent of the highest end desktops a year or two ago. The slowest model has a 2.4Ghtz version of the same chip. We’re waiting on reviews and benchmarks of these machines and they will be posted when we get them. Today I will also post the full specs and description that Apple provides, complete with links and stuff.

Ubuntu iz cool.

I just set up Ubuntu on one of my computers and it’s really good. I like some of the new features of version 8.04. Here’s a screenshot

Psystar Mac Clone!

A California based company named Psystar has created a Mac clone. The Mac clone market was killed by Steve Jobs back in the 90′s when the plan didn’t work out for the company and the couldn’t make any money off of their software alone. The Mac clone market may be starting up again, however. Psystar has built the open mac, which is a $399 Mac with better specifications than the $599 Mac Mini.

The question remains however “Is this legal?” Psystar says ‘yes’ because Apple is running a monopoly by not allowing people to install Mac OS X on non-apple hardware. They believe Apple does not have the right to tell it’s customers what hardware they can put Mac OS X on. Apple believes that it does have the right to say that and that it is not running a monopoly.

Apple’s philosophy has always been ‘people who are really serious about software should make their own hardware’ for that software. The outcome of this case may compromise the ideal which Apple was founded on.

A Mac user, Chuck Maunder, says this about the situation “When apple sells a computer they aren’t just selling a computer they are selling the Mac OS.” He later went on to say “Apple should probably win this case if it ever goes to court.” and “I don’t think it will make it to court.”

Another concerned consumer says “Apple can only say that they will not honor the warranty.”

No matter what the outcome Apple will continue to make great products and high profit margins.

Earth Hour

Earth Hour 2007 was a Sydney event. Earth Hour 2008 is a global movement.

Created to take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.

About Earth Hour

On March 31 2007, for one hour, Sydney made a powerful statement about the greatest contributor to global warming – coal-fired electricity – by turning off its lights. Over 2.2 million Sydney residents and over 2,100 businesses switched off, leading to a 10.2% energy reduction across the city. What began as one city taking a stand against global warming caught the attention of the world.

In 2008, 24 global cities will participate in Earth Hour at 8pm on March 29. Earth Hour is the highlight of a major campaign to encourage businesses, communities and individuals to take the simple steps needed to cut their emissions on an ongoing basis. It is about simple changes that will collectively make a difference – from businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty, to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby.

We’re Now Hosting the Store!!!

We are now hosting the Forrester store on this site to increase traffic on both this site and forrestertechnolgies.googlepages.com. Forrester Technologies is the company behind most of the money that supports this site. I (the writer) am the CEO of Forrester and use most of my paycheck to make sure this site is running and kept updated all of the time.We wanted a way to attract attention to both this site and the commercial site for Forrester Technologies without combining them or making them maintained for the same purpose. This is the first of many integratios you will see in the coming months but rest assured the site will not change dramatically outside of the store page.

Quad Core Intel Notebook

I found this article on wired.com about an Intel quad-core notebook chip. It will be on our ‘intel’ page as well. Don’t forget you can always see the latest on intel stuff by clicking ‘intel’ at the top of your page.

Intel Prepares a Quad-Core Notebook Chip

By Bryan Gardiner 03.17.08 | 7:30 PM

Intel’s widely expected to release new quad-core laptop processors this fall, but even the chipmaker admits it could be years before the chips really go mainstream.
Courtesy Alienware

Stanford president John Hennessy calls parallel programming for multicore processors the biggest challenge computer science has faced in more than 50 years. But that’s not stopping Intel from moving ahead with plans to bring even greater core counts to your laptop.

According to trade-media reports, Intel is readying a new breed of quad-core mobile processors for release this fall, marking what could be the first concerted effort by the chip giant to aim its high-end multicore processors at the general mobile market.

Just don’t expect quad-core laptops to become an industry standard anytime soon. As DigiTimes notes, these chips won’t come cheap, and will also suck down significantly more power than today’s mainstream mobile Core 2 Duo processors — a big no-no in the mobile space.

Intel has previously stated its intention to release quad-core notebook processors, but the company would not confirm the details reported by DigiTimes.

“I’ve always used the adage, the hardware is ahead of the software is ahead of the user,” says Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates, who says that quad-core processors in notebooks will not be suitable for mainstream consumers for quite some time.

“I can imagine a small niche [of adopters] on the notebook side, but I still think it’s going to be three to four years before [quad-core laptops] become mainstream,” he says.

In addition to high prices and power constraints, there’s still a dearth of software (and programmers) that can properly take advantage of four processing cores, a fact that will make selling multicore laptops an even harder prospect for Intel in the near term.

Nevertheless, IDC analyst Bob O’Donnell says the decision to relocate quad-core from the desktop to the laptop may actually make sense when you look at future industry trends.

“If you look at where the market is going, we have notebooks sales surpassing desktops on a worldwide scale in 2009,” says O’Donnell. “Notebooks are clearly the platform of the future; hence all the movement by Intel and others into the mobile space recently.”

In the not-too-distant future, O’Donnell also says that notebooks may even become the platform of choice for which chipmakers will develop new technologies, platforms and, yes, even new multicore processors.

For its own part, Intel seems to be well aware of the challenges it and the rest of the industry face in creating software that can take full advantage of multicore chip technology.

Intel and Microsoft are expected to announce a partnership on Tuesday with the University of California-Berkeley and other universities. The venture will see both companies funding new research into parallel programming techniques.

“Given the many attempts at salting parallel computing in the industry over 40 years, there have only been relatively modest successes to date,” says David Patterson, a professor of computer science at Berkeley.

Because the entire industry is now betting on multicore processors, it’s also realizing that unless the software community catches up, there remains no compelling reason for consumers to buy 4-, 8- or any other multicore processor.

As Jerry Bautista, director of technology management for Intel’s Microprocessor Technology Lab, puts it: “It’s not the hardware that’s really compelling. It’s what you can do with the hardware that really is the interesting stuff.”

Computer Sale at Forrester!!!

The Forrester C100 is on sale for 299 dolors for a limited time only. To buy it you can go over to forrestersoftware.googlepages.com/c100info/ and click buy. This is a great computer for very cheap and most of the profit will go to the maintenance of this site. Good way of donating if you need a computer. Supplies are limited.

click to enlarge.

New desktop pics!!!

Here are some new desktop pictures for free download. Click on images to enlarge.

Crazy Illusion!

I just found this amazing optical illusion and thought it would be fun to put it up on the website.

click to enlarge

Taking Donations!

    If any of our returning users want to see more content on our website please send us a donation. We don’t have the money to keep paying for domains and storage, so we need your help! We want to continue providing High-Resolution desktop pictures and news of the latest tech stuff. So please, if you have some money and want to see us continue to improve help us by donating.

You may donate if you have a wordpress.com blog by going to your dashboard, and clicking ‘upgrades’ then, ‘gifts’ then send the gift of what ever amount you like to ‘thehastingsband’

If you don’t have a wordpress weblog or would like the donation to go toward the hardware we use to maintain the site, you may go to paypal.com and send any amount of money to forrestertech@gmail.com.

Your donations will go to making sure we are providing the newest information and that we have enough storage space to post the images and stuff that we want to post. We also want to provide video and audio posts in the near future and we can’t do that without money to pay for format support.

Thanks

Leopard Desktop

This is the leopard ‘space’ desktop picture it is free for download and use on any mac or PC

Apple Patents Holographic Display

 On March 20, 2008 Apple was granted a patent on a holographic display technology. This would enable Mac users to display images in true 3-D. They stated that to do so would require much more computational power and bandwidth than most current computers. They also said in the application that the current 2-D systems are not adequate because, even with 3-D rendering they appear unrealistic and flat. Below are images and text clips from the actual patent application.

Click images to enlarge.

Claims include:
A three-dimensional display system, comprising:providing a projection screen having a predetermined angularly-responsive reflective surface function;determining the left and right eye locations of at least one observer;projecting left and right three-dimensional sub-images toward the projection screen; andmodulating the sub-images respectively in coordination with the predetermined angularly-responsive reflective surface function to respectively direct the left and right sub-images substantially exclusively to the respective left and right eye locations.

A three-dimensional display system, comprising:providing a projection screen having a spatial filter defining a predetermined angularly-responsive reflective surface function;determining the left and right eye locations of at least one observer substantially facing and in proximity with the projection screen;projecting left and right sub-images of a three-dimensional image toward the projection screen; andangularly and intensity modulating the left and right sub-images respectively in coordination with the predetermined angularly-responsive reflective surface function to define respective discrete light paths that respectively direct the left and right sub-images to reflect from the projection screen substantially exclusively to the respective left and right eye locations to provide a three-dimensional viewing experience.

Descriptions include:
Although much more realistic, a dynamically presented holographic image also requires far greater computational ability and bandwidth than is generally required for a two-view stereo display. Effective means are also noticeably wanting for dynamically recreating the original wavefront, or an acceptable facsimile thereof, in real time and at commercially acceptable costs. Thus, a need still remains for highly effective, practical, efficient, uncomplicated, and inexpensive autostereoscopic 3D displays that allow the observer complete and unencumbered freedom of movement. Additionally, a need continues to exist for practical autostereoscopic 3D displays that provide a true parallax experience in both the vertical as well as the horizontal movement directions.

iPhone SDK

Apple has finally released the iPhone software development kit. This will enable third parties to write applications for the iPhone in the same environment Apple uses to write their applications. The only drawback is that you have to host your application though Apple’s online AppStore. There is a video available on http://www.apple.com of the announcement. In the announcement they talked about the structure of the iPhone system software and demoed many apps including SuperMonkeyBall, on the iPhone. I found the following article on infoworld.com.

iPhone SDK exceeds developer expectations

Apple also bolsters the iPhone’s enterprise chops with ActiveSync, remote data wiping and better VPN support
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Apple’s iPhone SDK offers far more than many developers expected, according to developers that InfoWorld spoke with after the long-awaited SDK unveiled today. “It looks like this is what everybody wanted,” said Tony Meadow, principal at Bear River Associates, a mobile application development vendor. “Apple is doing it the right way.”

Forrester Research analyst Simon Yates, concurred, saying that the Apple SDK should please three core constituencies: Developers, enterprise IT and consumers.

“This is direct competition for RIM BlackBerry, and it gives Apple access to millions of Exchange and Outlook users, said Yates.

“This is a giant step toward the business market,” concurred Rado Kotorov, technical director of strategic product management at business intelligence vendor Information Builders.

[ Get the whole scoop on the iPhone SDK, how to make the iPhone fit in the enterprise, and the latest security issues that the popular smartphone raises in InfoWorld’s special report. ]

Developers get a solid database and a familiar API tool set
What pleased Meadow and other developers was a set of functionality that will let them write native iPhone applications through access to the iPhone APIs.

In addition, Meadow thought Apple hit the right note by offering SQL Lite as the built-in database layer. SQL Lite, an open-source database, is widely used by the mobile developer community and runs well on small devices. “It will make it easy to store data,” he said.

Cocoa Touch, the built-in set of APIs that re-creates the Cocoa tool set used to handle the user-interface-generated events in Mac OS X is targeted at the iPhone’s and iPod Touch’s unique touchscreen as well as their gesture-based UI. “It’s an elegant way to deal with the interface paradigm,” said Meadow.

IT gets better, more secure connections
Also garnering praise from mobile industry watchers is the planned inclusion of Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, the technology required to synchronize mail, calendar, and other data directly with Microsoft Exchange rather than use third-party gateways or synchronization services. Apple licensed the technology from Microsoft and will include it in the iPhone 2.0 software planned for release this June. (All the additional features described here will be released with that software update, Apple said.)

The iPhone also will gain remote wipe and lock and on-device data encryption, two features that caused much IT criticism. Plus, Apple will enhance the VPN capabilities it added to the iPhone in late 2007, adding support for Cisco IPsec and two-factor authentication, certificates, and identities. Information Builders’ Kotorov said he was particularly enthusiastic about iPhone’s deepened support for VPNs. Apple will also provide a way for IT to enforce security policies on the iPhone, though the mechanism was not described at the Apple press conference.

Users get push messaging and desktop equivalency
The licensing of ActiveSync benefits not just IT but users in Microsoft Exchange-based environments. They not only can access the same calendar, contacts, e-mail, and other data as they can from their desktop, but they also gain push e-mail. In push e-mail, the iPhone gets a new message almost as soon as it is sent — a feature beloved by users of the BlackBerry, which pioneered the concept. Previously, the iPhone had to poll the server periodically, typically at 15-minute intervals, so unless users manually polled the server, an urgent message might not be seen for some time.

Still, IT won’t be completely happy
As welcome as the SDK and enhanced business-oriented features are, people still have more they want Apple to offer.

A common request is availability from more than one carrier. Currently, the iPhone only works on the AT&T network. “Companies don’t want a single carrier for voice and data,” said Forrester’s Yates.

Second, the iPhone isn’t supported by management tools like LanDesk and lacks a consistent set of management tools like those from Credant Technologies and LanDesk, which support BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Palm OS devices. This means that IT has to manage the iPhone separately from other devices as well as separately from PCs. “What [Apple] needs to do is natively integrate into management tools that companies already use for their other mobile devices,” Yates said.

Perhaps worse, the iPhone requires IT and developers to push applications to users through the Apple iPhone store. Apple says it is doing so in a way that will be IT-friendly, though it did not specify any details: “We’re working on a model for enterprises for them to distribute applications to their end-users, specifically with a program for them to target their end-users. We have a model we’re building for that,” said Phil Schiller, a product marketing exec at Apple.

Ephraim Schwartz is editor at large at InfoWorld. He also writes the Reality Check blog.

New Podcast Episode!!

We have finally, after a long wait, released a new podcast. This is in my opinion our best one yet and it is the first to be wirtten recorded and edited using Apple’s Garageband 6. This edition includes tales of our lab’s building a G3 iBook from spare parts, A short review of the Apple iPod Touch, information about the recently announced USB 3.0 and much more. This podcast was recorded with corresponding visual effects, and high quality compression. Will work on any iPod and almost every other MP3 player. This edition also contains a new theme song that works best onvery high quality headphones. For any comments or questions you may email me at forrestesoftware@hotmail.com.

You may download it by clicking the following link.

Click Here.

Intel Announces USB 3!!!!!!

Here are two articles written by other bloggers then edited by me. If you are one of the other bloggers and do not want this content on this site you may email me at forrestersoftware@hotmail.com to tell me. I will take your content off imeadiatly.

Intel announces, demonstrates USB 3.0

By Joel Hruska | Published: September 18, 2007 – 10:12PM CT

One of the announcements to come out of the IDF keynote this afternoon was Pat Gelsinger’s discussion and demonstration of USB 3.0 technology. Although still in the prototype stage, USB 3.0 is aiming for 10 times the bandwidth of current USB2.0 solutions, or approximately 5Gbps. Since this requires fiber optic cabling, USB 3.0 will add a length of optical data cable to the mix, though USB 3.0 will retain full compatibility with USB 2.0 (and, one assumes, USB 1.0 as well).

Gelsinger expects the final version specifications to be finished by the first half of 2008, with USB 3.0 peripherals realistically appearing in 2009 or 2010. There are an increasing number of devices that could potentially take advantage of the additional bandwidth, including external hard drives, flash readers, video cameras, and the all-new USB-compliant llama expected to be genetically delivered from the Andes sometime in late 2011. Obviously a USB llama wouldn’t be much use without a USB 3.0 device—ever tried downloading from a llama over an old 10BaseT network? Yeah. It’d be worse.

As for the other, official features of USB 3.0, there remains quite a bit of information we don’t know, and it would have been nice for Intel to have included additional information. USB has long been criticized for relatively high CPU usage. This has inevitably become less of an issue as CPU performance has improved, but devices capable of using USB 3.0′s higher bandwidth capabilities could make CPU usage a problem again unless the issue is addressed during spec development. Issues like cable length, available power provided, and the number of devices per channel are all unrevealed as yet, and possibly unresolved. The Inquirer has a few more details on the spec (and the rest of the keynote) if you’re interested.

As far as future market competition, its target of 5Gbps puts USB 3.0 ahead of current eSATA (3Gbps), which is really the only other device protocol under active development that might challenge it as a peripheral interconnect. Although an IEEE 1394c protocol has been developed and published as of June 8 2007, no company has announced an intent to produce a product or chipset that utilizes the standard. FireWire remains supported in certain sectors, but I’d personally be surprised if the combination of USB 3.0 and eSATA doesn’t push FireWire out of the market completely. As for the nascent specification, the proposed 5Gbps speed is great and all, but hopefully the development committees will acknowledge some of the other concerns regarding the USB 2.0 protocol and incorporate solutions for them, rather than carrying them over into another product generation.

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Gelsinger demos USB 3.0, PICe 3.0 and other new toys
Intel Fall 007 Kicking ass

By Charlie Demerjian in San Francisco: Tuesday, 18 September 2007, 10:46 PM

PAT GELSINGER GAVE the afternoon keynote at IDF today, and it started off with some rather tame enterprise parts, then moved on to the fun stuff. First up was virtualisation, and a show and tell of the virtualisation vendors.

The one interesting one was presented by John Fowler of Sun with its upcoming, unannounced VM on its unannounced Tigerton/Caneland box. The most interesting bit is that, because it is running on Solaris,and you run Windows under that, the IO and storage are Solaris based and simply exposed. If you run Windows under Solaris, you get a real fault-tolerant file system on a toy OS.

The one time Itanium was mentioned was in a new Hitachi Virtage blade. This blade is running Montvale, aka Montecito v.07. Other than that, the red-headed step-chip was absent from just about everything.

Next was security, and they gave the quick rundown of VPro 2007 aka Weybridge. We told you all about it here, check it out if you are into virtualisation security. The next-gen VPro is called McCreary, coming in 2008. It will have a TPM v1.2 on the chipset, AMT 5.0 and a technology called Danbury. We will have a full write up on Danbury later today.

Going to I/O, we have the announcement of PCIe 3.0, Quickassist and USB3.0. PCIe 3.0 has twice the bandwidth – that would be 10Gbps – dynamic power management and supports accelerators. This used to be called Genesseo, but now has some marketing name related to Quickassist.

USB3.0 is probably going to be the biggest one of the bunch. They are aiming for 10-times the bandwidth, which would put it at about 5Gbps. For this you need optical, and USB 3.0 cables have an optical link in the current form. Backwards compatible, loads of bandwidth, optical and hopefully available in 1H/08.

Another optical link was the FCoE announcement, aka T11. It does just what it sounds like; puts fiber channel over vanilla ethernet. Intel has 10GigE adapters in copper and fiber for that, buy 12.

Then comes storage. Intel is getting into SSDs and they were showing of prototypes and vague specs. The specs were SATA 3.0, 10-50x the IOPs and a 4.5x power savings, all with twice the write speed. What this is over was not stated, but I don’t think it will be all that slow in any case.

Gelsinger then mentioned Skulltrail and pointed to a box without any more comment. There are several of these boxes at the show, so more info will be forthcoming.

The system diagrams for Nehalem were also shown off, but that is old news, see here and here. They then demo-ed probably the most important bit of the show, a 2S Nehalem system running. Getting one CPU up is easy, the second is much much harder with a new interconnect. Intel did it.

In general, there was a lot new here, more than can be covered in a single story. Much of it will be on your desktop in a year or two, most of it not esoteric server side technology. All I have to say looking back to the spring IDF is …. Yo! µ
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My thoughts.

My initial reaction to the new USB is wow 5 gb!!!!! Holy shit that’s a lot of data to go in one second. Then I thought about it and realized: Ya that’s fast but that number is not the actual speed you’ll get it is the original data throughput. Also I don’t think they will be able to deliver something quite that fast right away. From just over 400 megs to 5 gigs is a long way to jump overnight. I must admit that no matter what it’ll be fast and well worth installing in a machine. It’s just questionable weather they will actually deliver something as good as they say it is.

Good new computer for cheap

    The Forrester model C100 is auctioning on ebay for a reserve price of $300! This computer is very good for a casual gamer and is great for anyone who just wants to serf the web and get their job done. This computer is also excellent for those people who like to do lots of customizing, because it is a low priced machine that still has very good specs.

Here’s a list of the features:

80 gig hard drive

1 gig or high speed ram

2.66 ghtz processor

6 USB 2 ports and built-in networking

Auto overclocking that will automatically speed up your processor to get optimal performance and reliability

Logic board is specially designed so that the parts in the computer will not make very much noise and will last a very long time.

Here’s the link to the page on ebay!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK…

2000 Views!!!! yay…

We already have 2000 total views to this site and more on the way. Today is our best day so far. We had 33 views at 6:50 this morning and the number has been growing ever since. I would like to thank all of the people who have found our site useful. I would especially like to thank those of you who have come to this site more than once because you liked what you saw. I will try to continue posting all of the newest technology news. There will most likely be more post to come today in order to boost the number of views over the next few days. Thanks!

Christopher Maunder

Owner/CEO

Forrester Technologies

Mac OS X Leopard

    On the 26th apple released it’s new OS 10.5 Leopard to the public. This will be the new most powerful operating system in the world. As Mac OS X is every time they release a major update. I took this short list of 300 new features of leopard from apple’s website…

There are a few screen shots below this short list…

Google Map AddressesView a detailed map of any address in Address Book. Just hold down the Control key while clicking any address and select “Map of” and Safari will show you its location in Google Maps.

 

 

Synchronize with Yahoo!Synchronize Address Book on your Mac with your Yahoo! address book. Just enter your Yahoo! account information in Address Book preferences to get started.

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AppleScript

 

Full Unicode Support for AppleScriptCombine strings from multiple languages, now that all text is fully Unicode.

Scripting Bridge for Objective-CQuery and control applications with integrated AppleScript support using other languages such as Ruby, Python, and Objective-C — thanks to the new Scripting Bridge architecture.

Enhanced Application Object ModelEasily create scripts that are both generic and portable, now that script statements can target applications by name, bundle identifier, creator code, or POSIX path. New application properties can be used to determine if an application is running and whether it is frontmost.

 

Read/Write Property ListsCreate and edit Mac OS X property lists. Support is built into Leopard.

Scriptable System Preferences & ApplicationsDo more with AppleScript. A number of system preferences in Leopard are now scriptable, including the Dock, Security, Exposé, Accounts, and Networking — as well as a number of features in iChat.

 

Updated Language GuideHave examples and constructs of the AppleScript language at your fingertips. AppleScript Language Guide, updated for Leopard, is the essential guide for scripters and developers.

Descriptive Error MessagesDetermine the cause of script errors more easily with improved descriptive error reporting.

Updated Folder Action SupportEnjoy greater reliability with folder actions, which are triggered by the file system instead of the Finder. Folder actions now have their own server, and each folder action now runs its own copy of the new Folder Actions Dispatcher application.

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Automator

 

Starting PointsStart creating workflows more easily than ever. Starting Points automatically displays a sheet in new workflow windows, from which you choose categories representing the things you want to do. Then select options from contextual pop-up menus.

Improved Automator InterfaceQuickly create and edit workflows with new interface improvements. Choose actions from category groups, custom groups, and smart groups, view results of actions inline, view the workflow log with a single click, and access iLife content with the iLife media picker.

 

UI Recording and PlaybackAdd even more capabilities to your workflows. Use a new action called Watch Me Do that lets you record a user action (like pressing a button or controlling an application without built-in Automator support) and replay as an action in a workflow.

Command-Line Utility for AutomatorGain access to other languages for running Automator workflows, as well as the ability to set the initial value of variables contained in the targeted workflow.

 

Workflow VariablesAutomate more productively by creating workflows that can store and retrieve data during execution. Workflow Variables let you use the same information at different steps of the workflow, giving you added functionality and flexibility.

Workflow LoopingRepeat a workflow for a specified number of times or a specified time duration. No more need to save as an iCal plug-in or use the Automator Loop Utility.

New Automator ActionsCreate more useful Automator workflows with actions for RSS feeds, iSight camera video snapshots, PDF manipulation, and much more.

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Boot Camp

 

Boot CampRun Windows XP and Windows Vista on your Mac at native speed with full compatibility. (Windows not included.)

Boot Camp AssistantInstall Windows without affecting your existing files. Boot Camp Assistant carves out the necessary disk space required by Windows automatically.

Copy Files Between Mac OS X and WindowsCopy, open, modify, or delete files in Mac OS X that you saved to your Windows partition. Leopard understands the Windows FAT32 disk format.

 

Restore to Mac-Only PartitionEasily delete Windows and restore the disk space being used by the Windows partition back to Mac OS X.

Microsoft WHQL-Certified Windows DriversEnjoy the unique hardware features of your Mac including the iSight camera, trackpad scrolling, keyboard backlighting, and volume keys using fully compatible Windows drivers.

 

Automatic PC Key RemappingUse whatever keyboard you wish. Boot Camp automatically detects Apple keyboards and remaps PC key commands to appropriate keys.

Convenient Boot Camp Task Bar ShortcutUse the Windows task bar to restart your Mac into Mac OS X, change Boot Camp settings, and access Boot Camp-specific help.

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Dashboard

 

Web ClipClip out any portion of a web page and turn it into a Dashboard widget. Just click the new Web Clip icon in Safari and select the portion of the page you want, then click Add to see your Dashboard spring to life with a brand-new widget. The widget is “live” and will update as its page of origin does. You can even customize your widget’s frame.

 

Movies Widget in DashboardWatch movie trailers right in Dashboard, then click to buy tickets. A cool new movie widget puts movies and showtimes just a click away.

 

Sync Dashboard Widget Settings with .MacUse widgets the same way on all your computers. Just sync Dashboard to your .Mac account and the settings for your widgets can follow you from Mac to Mac.

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Dashcode

 

Dashcode IDEQuickly design, code, and deploy your Dashboard widget. Dashcode is a completely integrated development environment.

Code SnippetsDrag and drop commonly used blocks of source code into your project, giving you a head start implementing your custom widget.

Widget UI Layout CanvasDrag and drop components from an included library of GUI controls to assemble a working widget that looks the same during design and runtime. No artistic ability required.

 

Instant-On JavaScript DebuggerKeep your development time creative, productive, and rewarding without interruption with Dashcode’s instant-on JavaScript debugger.

Advanced Source Code EditorBe more productive with professional features such as syntax highlighting for CSS, HTML, and JavaScript, as well as Code Sense code completion.

 

Automatic Packaging and DeploymentDeploy your widget in one click. Dashcode organizes all the files that make up your widget, including images, stylesheets, and JavaScript. Adding new files is handled automatically by the project manager.

Widget TemplatesHit the ground running by choosing one of Dashcode’s included templates, each a fully functioning widget ready for customization. No need to write any code.

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Desktop

 

New LookEnjoy an elegant, distinctive new look across the entire system. The semitransparent menu bar and reflective Dock frame your desktop picture. The active application window stands out with a deeper drop shadow and a distinctive toolbar color. One look at Leopard and you’ll know you’re in for something special.

StacksOrganize files in a neat stack on the Dock. One click and the stack springs open, revealing items in an elegant arc or an at-a-glance grid.

 

Downloads StackFind your downloads quickly in one dedicated stack. Downloads from Safari, iChat, and Mail are automatically saved to the Downloads stack. Say goodbye to desktop clutter.

Sorting StacksOrder the files in your stacks any way you wish: by filename, date added, date modified, date created, or file type. Just Control-click the stack and pick an order.

.Mac Sync for Dock ItemsMake your Dock look the same on all the Macs you use. Change the Dock on one and it will automatically be updated on the others.

 

Spring-Loaded DockItems in the Dock are spring-loaded. Just drag a file, hover over any application in the Dock, and press the Space bar — the application opens instantly. For example, to add a picture to your iPhoto library, just drag the image file and hover over the iPhoto icon in the Dock. Press the Space bar, and once iPhoto opens, you can drag the image into your iPhoto library. If you drag a file and hover over a stack, pressing the Space bar opens a Finder window showing the contents of the stack.

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Dictionary

 

Wikipedia in DictionaryHarness the power of Wikipedia when you’re connected to the Internet — it’s built right into Dictionary. You get a great Mac OS X user interface with super-fast searching and beautifully laid out-results.

Apple DictionaryGet to know your Mac even better. A dictionary of Apple terms is built into Dictionary.

 

Front and Back MatterAccess a wealth of content found in the front and back matter for the New Oxford American Dictionary, such as grammar, spelling, and pronunciation guides. Or access reference materials such as the chemical elements, weights and measure, and conversions.

Japanese-English DictionaryTranslate English to Japanese and vice versa. This capability is now built into the Leopard Dictionary.

 

Japanese Language SupportIn Leopard, the Dictionary application supports the Japanese language right out of the box, with an industry-leading Japanese dictionary and thesaurus provided by Shogakukan. The dictionary contains over 200,000 words with rich descriptions and examples, and the thesaurus contains 25,000 words covering 6,000 categories.

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DVD Player

 

Improved Full-Screen InterfaceEnjoy DVD Player’s dramatic new full-screen interface, which puts all your DVD’s features right at your fingertips. Mouse over the top or bottom regions to access onscreen semitransparent displays for a wealth of controls and settings.

Image BarWith the new Image Bar in DVD Player, you can watch a movie in full-screen mode and still have access to all your chapters and bookmarks. Just hover at the top of the screen and jump to a chapter, bookmark, or video clip of your choice.

Time SliderGo exactly where you want to be in your DVD. Use your mouse to scrub forward or backward in the new Time Slider, or choose a specific point in the movie to start playing.

 

Auto ZoomFill the whole screen with a movie in DVD Player. Just turn on Video Zoom and click Auto Zoom to remove your media’s pillarbox or letterboxing.

Chapter ThumbnailsSee dynamically generated thumbnail images representing each chapter of a DVD. You can even create your own chapter thumbnails as you watch, using any frame from the movie.

Time SkipSkip ahead or skip back five seconds to replay that moment you missed or just see something one more time.

Scratched Disc RecoverySmoothly play back even DVDs that may be damaged. New technology in Leopard can locate and avoid scratched areas of the disc.

 

Float Above Other ApplicationsWatch a DVD while working in another application. Leopard DVD Player lets you keep your movie at the front of your desktop no matter what else you need to do.

Parental ControlProtect children and other users from inappropriate content by requiring authorization to play movies.

Video Quality ImprovementsEnjoy even higher-quality video with Adaptive Video Analyzation technology that applies deinterlacing and inverse 3:2 pulldown on demand.

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Finder

 

New SidebarUse the sidebar to do even more. Now items are grouped into categories (places, devices, shared computers, and searches) just like the Source list in iTunes. Start finding what you want with a single click.

Cover FlowFlip through your files in the Finder just like you flip through your album art in iTunes. Cover Flow displays the first page of every document. You can also click through multipage documents and play movies.

Back to My MacConnect to any of your Mac computers at home from any Mac on the Internet. Your home computers appear in the shared section of the sidebar. Just click and you’re in.

 

Instant Screen Sharing from the FinderStart an interactive screen sharing session with other Macs on your network. Just select the Mac from your sidebar and (if authorized) you can see and control the Mac as if you were right in front of it. Change a system preference, publish an iPhoto library, or add a new playlist to iTunes.

Icon PreviewSee files for what they really are. Leopard displays icons that are actual thumbnail previews of the documents themselves.

 

Path BarSee the path of a file when you view it in the Finder. Just choose Show Path Bar from the View menu and the path is visible at the bottom of the Finder window. You can also drag files to any location in the Path Bar.

New Folder of OptionsTake control your view options. Adjust the grid spacing to move icons closer together or further apart for the currently viewed folder, or with one click make this view the default for all your folders.

Folder SharingTurn any folder on your Mac into a shared folder. You can share any folder in your home directory from the Sharing system preference. You can customize access privileges and even authorize specific contacts in your Address Book.

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Fonts

 

Printable Font BookPrint out comprehensive previews of your fonts, including sample text in varying sizes or all available glyphs. Just select fonts in Font Book, choose Print from the File menu, and select any of the three built-in report types.

 

Language CollectionQuickly access the fonts you use most often. Fonts are grouped according to your default language preference.

System Font ProtectionNever worry about accidentally deleting a system font. Leopard will warn you when you’re about to perform an action that will remove a required font.

New FontsUse new built-in fonts such as Arial Unicode, Microsoft Sans Serif, Tahoma, Papyrus Condensed, and Wingdings.

 

Font Auto-ActivationAutomatically activate fonts as you need them. When an application requests an installed font that’s currently disabled, Leopard activates that font and keeps it active until the requesting application quits.

Braille SupportTake advantage of new Braille support for VoiceOver with Apple Braille Regular, Apple Braille Outline, and Apple Braille Pinpoint fonts.

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Front Row

 

Front RowSit back and enjoy all of your digital media full screen on your Mac with Front Row. Now built in to Mac OS X Leopard.

AppleTV like interfaceSit back and be amazed. Front Row works just like Apple TV. You control it from a distance using the elegant six-button Apple Remote that came with your Mac. Simple menus, elegant transitions, and beautiful content previews make your digital media shine.

 

DVD Playback in Front RowFront Row works like Apple TV so you can enjoy all of your digital media on your Mac using the ultra simple Apple Remote. Front Row in Leopard includes playback of DVD movies as well. Just pop in a DVD and enjoy.

Streaming iTunes ContentEnjoy your iTunes library — and more. Front Row lets you play iTunes content located on other Macs and PCs in your house.

 

Movie PreviewsWatch previews of Hollywood blockbusters directly from Front Row.

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Graphics

 

Core AnimationCreate incredible animated user experiences in your applications, combining 2D graphics, OpenGL rendering, and video.

Updated OpenGLRun even the most up-to-date OpenGL-based applications that take the most of the latest technologies.

 

New Core Image FiltersTake advantage of over 20 new Core Image filters built right into Leopard, including Disc Blur, Linear Bump, Comic Effect, Hexagonal Pixellate, and Spot Color.

Multicore EnhancedGet optimum performance from Core Image, Core Animation, and OpenGL, all tuned to tap the power of your Mac’s multicore processor.

 

EXIF Color Space SupportEnjoy improved color reproduction of digital photos, as ColorSync now recognizes the EXIF sRGB information embedded in image files by many popular digital cameras.

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iCal

 

Improved iCal InterfaceEnjoy a cleaner look that gets out of your way so you can focus on your calendars. The new iCal toolbar has the Leopard look, running across the top of the application window. The search bar is where you’d expect it, in the upper right corner.

Inline Editing in iCalEffortlessly add attendees or change an event’s time directly on the event itself. The new Inline Inspector window appears when you double-click any event, making it faster and easier to change details on the fly.

Event DropboxShare the information you need for a successful meeting. Simply drag photos, video, or any kind of document into an event. Send email invitations to attendees and your attachments go along for the ride.

CalDAV Group SchedulingSchedule a meeting with colleagues, check availability, and book conference rooms when using iCal with a compatible CalDAV server like iCal Server.

 

Auto PickFind the earliest time that everyone is available for your meeting — with a single click.

Availability WindowCheck availabilities before you invite people to a meeting and find the best time for everyone. If your calendar is administered through a CalDAV server, just click Show Availability to open the Availability window.

DelegationPut a colleague or assistant in charge of your calendar if you’re out of the office.

Offline Calendaring View your calendar, modify events, and queue invitations even when you don’t have Internet access. iCal syncs your changes the next time you get online.

Office HoursSpecify your working hours for a given week so that others know when you’re available for meetings.

 

Reserve Rooms and EquipmentReserve meeting rooms and equipment as you create your meeting invitations. If your calendar is administered through a CalDAV server, iCal automatically displays availabilities when you add a room or resource to your meeting.

Default AlarmsHave iCal automatically create an alarm for each event that you create.

Turn Off All AlarmsDisable alarms for all your events with a single preference setting.

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iChat

 

Photo Booth EffectsTransform your video chats using new Photo Booth effects. Choose among the dozens of effects built right into iChat — distortions such as Squeeze, Stretch, and Bulge, or other video effects like Sepia, Glow, and X-Ray.

Backdrop EffectsDrag an Apple-designed backdrop or your own photo or video into the video preview window to create an effect that will fool your buddies into thinking you’re chatting from your living room, the beach, or the moon.

Screen SharingCollaborate with a buddy via iChat. Work on a Keynote presentation together, surf the web as a team, or help each other with an iMovie project. iChat initiates the connection (asking permission first) with an audio chat so you can talk things through as you work or play. Trade views of each other’s desktops. Even drag files from one computer to the other.

New Message ViewsSee chats in new ways. In addition to the balloon and text-based views, Boxes allow you to view your chats as rectangular boxes stacked on top of one another. Compact view shrinks the text and buddy icon so you can see more text in your chat window.

Custom Buddy List OrderCustomize the order of your buddy list with a drag and drop if you have groups enabled in your buddy list.

Disable AlertsTurn off alerts for a particular chat by disabling “Use Alerts in this iChat” in the View menu. This is especially useful when you’re in a busy chat room.

AppleScript AlertAutomate iChat tasks using scripts. Use scripts to check the status of a buddy, select menu items, or set iChat properties.

 

RecordingSave your audio and video chats for posterity with iChat recording. iChat asks your buddies for recording permission before the chat starts, then stores completed audio chats as AAC files and video chats as MPEG-4 files — so you can share with others or sync to your iPod.

Multiple LoginsIn Leopard, iChat allows you to log in to all your chat accounts simultaneously, whether you use .Mac, AOL, Google Talk, or Jabber.

InvisibilityChange your status to “invisible” in iChat, and you won’t be seen by anyone. But you can still see the status of anyone on your buddy list.

AAC-LD CodecEnjoy crystal-clear audio with AAC-LD compression technology. It combines the advantages of perceptual audio coding with low delay that’s optimal for real-time audio and video conferences.

Animated Buddy IconsUse an animated buddy icon in iChat. Select any animated GIF, or better yet, create one yourself using Photo Booth.

Persistent Chat WindowsPick up right where you left off by choosing to have iChat remember open chat windows and their contents even if you quit and restart.

iChat Theater Show nearly any file on your system through an iChat video conference. Put on an entire photo slideshow, click through a Keynote presentation, play a movie, and more — in full screen, accompanied by a video feed of you hosting.

More SmileysHave fun with the cool new collection of smileys built into iChat.

Watch for My Name…Receive an alert when someone calls your name in a group chat. And never miss a comment directed to you.

 

Clear TranscriptImmediately clear the conversation in your iChat window. Just select the iChat conversation you want to clear, then choose Clear Transcript from the Edit menu. If iChat is saving your chat transcripts, your subsequent chats will be saved to a new file.

SMS ForwardingRegister for AOL’s Mobile Forwarding service and receive instant messages on your phone when you’re away from your computer.

Tabbed Chat Consolidate your chat windows into a single tabbed window. Each chat is represented by a tab on the left side of the iChat window. Turning on tabbed chats is as easy as selecting “Collect chats into a single window” in iChat preferences.

File Transfer ManagerManage your transferred files in one central place. Monitor transfer progress, locate transferred files in the Finder and open them, directly from the File Transfer Manager.

Hide Local VideoRemove the picture-in-picture view from your iChat video conference if you prefer not seeing yourself in the chat. Just select Hide Local Video from the Video menu.

iChat Hot KeyBring your iChat window to the front anytime with a dedicated keyboard shortcut.

Auto-Start iChatSet your iChat status to Available the moment your computer starts up. In iChat preferences, select “At user login, set my status to Available.”

Set Default IM ApplicationSet your default instant messaging application from within iChat.

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Imaging

 

Improved Tethered Camera SupportControl your camera directly from Image Capture, allowing you to take pictures and download them in a single, convenient step. More camera models from Canon and Nikon are now supported.

 

Enhanced Wireless CaptureWirelessly import images from many 802.11-enabled digital cameras and Bluetooth devices.

 

Network Scanning SupportTake advantage of new Bonjour-based network scanners. Leopard leads the way with the technology required to allow scanning over a network.

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Instruments

 

Analysis TemplatesSelect one of the built-in Instruments templates to perform specific analysis tasks, or choose your own collection of instruments and save your layout as a custom template you can use again later.

Record and ReplayRecord your application user interface events to easily create an ad-hoc test harness you can replay over and over.

 

Create Instruments with DTraceMonitor system activity from high-level application behavior down to the operating system kernel, all thanks to the power of DTrace and the instrument builder.

 

Visual AnalysisImprove the performance of your applications by viewing the relationships between UI events and performance metrics such as CPU load, network and file activity, and memory usage.

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International

 

Russian LocalizationMac OS X Leopard is fully localized in the Russian language.

Polish LocalizationMac OS X Leopard is fully localized in Polish.

Portuguese (Portugal) LocalizationMac OS X Leopard is fully localized in Iberian (Portugal) Portuguese.

Enhanced International Font SupportEnjoy enhanced support for international fonts. Several fonts have improved Russian and Polish support; the Korean system font now supports the full set of modern Hangul; there are two new fonts in Tibetan; all built-in Arabic fonts now support Persian; and Leopard supports three additional Arabic-based scripts in Geeza Pro, Uyghur, Kurdish, and Jawi.

 

JIS2004 SupportLeopard is fully compliant with the JIS2004 standard, as UI elements in all applications are rendered using JIS2004 characters by default.

Expanded Font Set in JapanesePut updated Japanese fonts to work. The included Japanese font families, Hiragino Gothic and Hiragino Mincho, are considered among the most beautiful of Japanese fonts, and they now support Hyogaiji, the new standard for Japanese character sets defined by the National Language Council and Japan Industry Standards.

Spotlight Language SupportEnjoy even more language support with Spotlight. A new Chinese tokenizer intelligently parses the search characters to factor in their relationship and meaning with one another, ensuring the most relevant results. Spotlight also has improved support for German and Thai and faster indexing in Japanese.

 

Expanded Keyboard SupportTake advantage of over fifteen new international keyboard layouts, including Tibetan, Kazakh, and Persian-QWERTY.

New Input MethodsTake advantage of new input methods for Chinese, Arabic, and Japanese languages. Leopard also offers two new input methods for Chinese — Pinyin and Zhuyin. Enable the Input menu in the International pane of System Preferences to bring up Character Palettes for several languages. Advanced predictive input for Japanese guesses characters based on context, with improved accuracy in Leopard. And localized help is provided for all of the CJK input methods, including English.

Russian Spell Checker

Danish Spell Checker

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Mail

 

StationeryChoose from more than 30 professionally designed stationery templates that make a virtual keepsake out of every email you send. Templates feature coordinated layouts, fonts, colors, and drag-and-drop photo placement. Stationery uses standard HTML that can be read by popular email programs for Mac and PC.

Forward as AttachmentForward an email as an attachment instead of an inline message. Select the message or group of messages you’d like to forward and choose “Forward as Attachment” from the Message menu. You can also drag and drop Mail messages into applications like iChat and they’ll be sent as attachments.

Duplicate a Smart MailboxMake a Smart Mailbox work even harder. Duplicate it if you want to access your Smart Mailbox from more than one Smart Mailbox folder or if you want to create a similar Smart Mailbox with slightly different criteria. Just hold down the Control key, click the Smart Mailbox you’d like to duplicate, and select Duplicate.

To-Dos Create to-do items directly from email messages or notes in Mail. Simply highlight text in an email, then click the To Do button to create a to-do from a message.

 

RSSSubscribe to an RSS feed in Mail and you’ll know the moment an article or blog post hits the wire. Even better, you can choose to have new articles appear in your inbox.

Data DetectorsAct on information in Mail immediately. Mail automatically detects text fragments like appointments and addresses, and lets you choose smart actions with a click: create a new contact, map an address, or create an iCal event.

Improved SearchFind the right email at the top of the search results list, thanks to smarter relevance ranking in Spotlight. And everything you create in Mail — to-dos, notes, and, of course, email messages — appears in a Spotlight search of your system.

Rich Formatting OptionsAdd style and layout to your email messages with richer formatting in Mail, such as bulleted and numbered lists, indentations, and background colors.

Photo BrowserQuickly and easily browse your entire iPhoto library to find the photo you need for your message.

Custom StationeryCreate your own stationery templates with graphics and attachments and reuse them to your heart’s content.

 

Simple Mail SetupAutomatically configure new email accounts. Just enter your email address and password. Mail knows the email settings for 30 leading email providers, including Yahoo!, AOL, Gmail, Verizon, AT&T, British Telecom, and Comcast.

Safari RSS IntegrationAdd news feeds to Mail directly from Safari. If you’ve already read an article in Safari, it will show up as read in Mail.

.Mac Sync for NotesAccess notes from anywhere, including your other computers, by syncing them with your .Mac account.

NotesWrite handy notes you can access from anywhere — including graphics, colored text, and attachments. Group notes into folders or create Smart Mailboxes that automatically group them. Your notes folder acts like an email mailbox, so you can retrieve notes from any Mac or PC.

Archive MailboxCreate an archive of your mailbox to back up important messages or to transfer your mail to another computer.

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Networking

 

New AirPort MenuGet a clearer picture of your surrounding networks in the AirPort menu. Secure wireless networks are identified by a lock icon.

 

Self-Tuning TCPLet Leopard adjust TCP buffer size automatically. Get optimum application performance, especially in high-bandwidth/high-latency environments.

 

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Parental Controls

 

Simple Account SetupEnable parental controls for any account and create a safe environment for your child to work, play, and communicate on the Mac.

Time Limits and BedtimesControl exactly how much time your children spend with the computer each day. Limit total daily usage and define hours the computer can or can’t be used (set differently for weekdays and weekends). Built-in flexibility allows you to make adjustments on the fly as schedules and schoolwork change.

 

Dynamic Web FilterProtect your children from websites with unsuitable content. Apple technology automatically trys to detect inappropriate content and prevents those web pages from appearing. You can override the filter by identifying sites you wish to explicitly allow or disallow certain websites.

Activity LoggingKeep an eye on your children’s computer activities. Leopard logs websites visited and applications used. It also maintains a list of people who have chatted with your child using iChat and a transcript of each text chat session.

 

Remote Control & MonitoringEasily set up and monitor parental controls on your child’s Mac from any Mac on your home network.

Web Filter OverridesOverride the dynamic web content filter to allow your children to view certain blocked sites or prevent them from viewing sites that normally aren’t blocked by the filter.

Wikipedia Content FilterLimit access to profanity in Wikipedia.

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Photo Booth

 

Control EffectsEnjoy more control over some of the Photo Booth built-in video effects. Change the focus of the distortion with a click of the mouse. If you see a slider in live video, you can adjust distortion level as well.

BackdropsReplace the background of your scene with a picture or video, making you appear somewhere you aren’t. Photo Booth includes photo and video backdrops that you can use, but feel free to use your own.

Proof SheetsSelect one of several proof sheets to use when printing a snapshot using Photo Booth’s built-in print layouts. Just choose the proof sheet in the Print dialog.

 

Video RecordingUse Photo Booth to make movie clips. Capture those precious moments and send them to your friends in an email message. You can even choose a frame from your movie to use as your account picture or iChat buddy icon.

Photo Booth with Burst ModeCapture multiple shots during a brief moment in time with Photo Booth Burst. Four successive shots are taken and presented in a unique four-up layout that’s completely interactive.

 

SlideshowShow off your Photo Booth pictures by viewing a full-screen slideshow. You can even view your photos as an index sheet so you can see them all at once.

Export MoviesExport your four-up photos or movie clips as an animated GIF to use on your website. Or use it as an animated iChat buddy icon.

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Preview

 

New User Interface for PreviewEnjoy powerful new features wrapped in a simple and elegant user interface — striking the perfect balance between simplicity and capability.

Smooth Zoom and ScrollSmoothly zoom and scroll through even the largest image files. Preview uses the power of Core Animation.

Improved PDF AnnotationsTake advantage of new PDF annotations in Preview. Add Stickies-style notes and links to websites or other pages within the PDF. Mark important areas in ovals or rectangles and highlight text. All annotations are saved with the PDF so you can share them with others.

Relevancy Ranked PDF SearchHarness the power of Spotlight. Preview now uses Spotlight to perform relevancy ranked searches on PDF documents, making it easier to find what you’re looking for.

Personalized AnnotationsFacilitate collaboration by automatically including your name in annotations.

 

Improved Color AdjustmentEnhance your image files using several Core Image-powered adjustments for easy control over color, exposure, and sharpness. The semitransparent control panel is reorganized for ease of use and now includes Tint control.

More Image Manipulation OptionsEdit your images in Preview. Crop, rotate, resize, and save images in a range of image formats. Selection tools make it a snap to cut and paste images from Preview directly into other applications.

Instant Alpha Background RemovalEasily remove the background from an image, leaving just the subject. Simply select Instant Alpha from the Tool Select button on the toolbar and click and drag in the area of the background you wish to remove. You can also use the Extract Shape tool to select a specific area of the image to keep, automatically excluding the rest.

More Image Printing OptionsEnjoy more printing options in Preview. Print several different images on a single sheet of paper. Or print multiple copies of the same image to cut out and share with friends.

Auto LevelsSee the best picture. Preview will intelligently analyze your image and apply the appropriate white and black level corrections.

 

PDF Manipulation in PreviewRe-create your PDF as you like. Move individual pages around, or remove pages altogether. You can even combine PDFs with a simple drag and drop.

Batch Image OperationsSave time when rotating or resizing a group of images in Preview. Just click the thumbnails in the sidebar and you can change multiple images simultaneously.

Send Images to iPhoto or ApertureFile away your photos directly from Preview. Use Preview to inspect an image, then send it to your iPhoto or Aperture library in one click.

GPS Metadata SupportGet real information from your photos. If your image has embedded GPS metadata, Preview will show you exactly where that perfect photo was taken. Open the Image inspector and select GPS. Preview pinpoints the location where you took the photo on a world map. From there you can even open the GPS location in Google Maps.

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Printing

 

Simplified PrintingGet the best-quality printouts with the least effort. The Print dialog is preconfigured for the most common print settings, while powerful presets optimize your settings without cluttering the screen with unused options. For most documents, simply click Print to produce great output.

Quick Print PreviewGet a live preview of your document in the Print dialog so you know how it will look before you print it.

Printer SupportJust plug in your USB printer and you’re ready to print. Leopard now supports over 2,000 of the most popular models from vendors including Canon, Epson, HP, Lexmark, and more.

 

Authenticated PrintingManage printer access with the Kerberos network authentication protocol.

Location-Aware PrintingPrint in multiple locations with ease. Leopard detects when you’ve changed locations. So as you move your Mac between work, school, and home, Mac OS X figures out which printer to use and sets it as the default printer. You can choose another printer whenever you want.

Enhanced Precision PrintingGet the best quality from select Canon and Epson printers. Leopard can use enhanced numerical precision to unlock the printing potential of pro-level color ink jet printers, using up to 16bits per color channel.

 

CUPS v1.3Tap the power of CUPS v1.3. It gives Mac OS X Leopard powerful print job spooling capabilities and enables CUPS-based printer driver development.

Printer Drivers via Software UpdateMake sure you always have the latest printer drivers. Download directly to your system using the familiar capabilities of Software Update.

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Quick Look

 

Quick LookLook inside any document without launching an application. Use Quick Look with documents, images, songs, and movies and get a large-size preview of the file. Flip through multipage documents, preview movies, even add images to iPhoto. You can use Quick Look in Finder, Mail, and Time Machine.

 

Full Screen PreviewPreview files full screen.

Multi-selectQuickly preview multiple files at once in a light table view or individually with slideshow controls.

 

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Safari

 

Fastest Web BrowserBrowse briskly. Safari is the fastest web browser on any platform.

Enhanced Find Instantly and graphically locate any text on the current web page. Safari highlights every instance of the word you’re searching for and even dims the rest of the page so you can focus on the results of your find.

Movable TabsRearrange your tabs with just a drag and drop. Change the order in which they appear or separate them out by pulling them into a separate window.

Pull Tab into New WindowSeparate a tab into its own window with a simple drag and drop.

 

Easily Create Tabbed BookmarksSet a bookmark for an entire set of tabs so that you can view them later, all at once.

Merge All WindowsCombine all your open browser windows into one single, tabbed window.

Full History SearchEasily find web pages you have visited. Safari indexes all of the text in websites that you browse. Even weeks later, Safari will be able to find a web page that matches your search.

Reopen WindowsGo back to a set of windows you were viewing after closing them or even after quitting Safari.

Resizable Text FieldsResize any text field to the size you want because the original design was too small or you just have a lot to say. The contents of the web page will reflow to make room for the resized text field.

 

Preview Controls for PDFsGain new control over PDFs you see on the web. With Preview controls built into Safari, you can zoom in and out, navigate PDF pages with the sidebar, even open the PDF in a separate Preview window.

Remove History Items PeriodicallyChoose the time interval at which you’d like your browsing history to be automatically deleted.

Desktop PictureTurn any photo you find on the web into your Desktop Picture with one click.

Warning Before Closing Tabbed WindowHave Safari warn you before closing a window with multiple tabs, just in case you meant to close a single tab.

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Screen Savers

 

Arabesque Screen SaverFill your screen with a multicolored, never-ending work of Arabesque art with the new Arabesque screen saver.

Shell Screen SaverEnjoy the display of colorful shell patterns with the Shell screen saver.

 

Word of the Day Screen SaverExpand your vocabulary with the Word of the Day screen saver. Each day the screen saver will offer up five new words for you to learn.

Clock Overlay on any Screen SaverKeep track of the time on any screen saver by overlaying a digital clock. Just select the “Show with clock” option in the Desktop & Screen Saver pane of System Preferences.

 

Collage for Picture Screen SaversMake an amazing screen saver collage. Choose any picture screen saver or one of your iPhoto albums, and watch as the images gently fall on your desktop, one at a time, to form a stunning collage.

Mosaic Display for Picture Screen SaversCreate a screen saver mosaic. Choose any picture screen saver or one of your iPhoto albums and Leopard will turn it into a beautiful mosaic on the fly.

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Security

 

Tagging Downloaded ApplicationsProtect yourself from potential threats. Any application downloaded to your Mac is tagged. Before it runs for the first time, the system asks for your consent — telling you when it was downloaded, what application was used to download it, and, if applicable, what URL it came from.

Signed ApplicationsFeel safe with your applications. A digital signature on an application verifies its identity and ensures its integrity. All applications shipped with Leopard are signed by Apple, and third-party software developers can also sign their applications.

Application-Based FirewallGain more control over the built-in firewall. Specify the behavior of specific applications to either allow or block incoming connections.

Stronger Encryption for Disk ImagesGive your data even more security. Disk Utility now allows you to create encrypted disk images using 256-bit AES encryption.

 

Enhanced VPN Client CompatibilityConnect to a broader range of VPN clients. Leopard supports Cisco Group Filtering as well as DHCP over PPP, which allows you to dynamically acquire additional configuration options such as static routes and search domains.

Sharing and Collaboration ConfigurationShare any folder on your Mac by setting it up as a shared folder in the Get Info window or in the Sharing pane of System Preferences. You can also create and edit access control lists, share with individuals in your network directory, or contacts in Address Book.

SandboxingEnjoy a higher level of protection. Sandboxing prevents hackers from hijacking applications to run their own code by making sure applications only do what they’re intended to do. It restricts an application’s file access, network access, and ability to launch other applications. Many Leopard applications — such as Bonjour, Quick Look, and the Spotlight indexer — are sandboxed so hackers can’t exploit them.

 

Multiple User CertificatesHave more flexibility in choosing a digital certificate for encrypting email messages. With support for multiple user certificates, you can use the Keychain application to associate your certificates with various email addresses.

Enhanced Smart Card CapabilitiesLet your smart card do more. Now you can use a smart card to unlock FileVault volumes and your keychain, and configure your Mac to lock the screen when a smart card is removed. Leopard supports the PIV standard for Federal employees and contractors.

Library RandomizationDefend against attackers with no effort at all. One of the most common security breaches occurs when a hacker’s code calls a known memory address to have a system function execute malicious code. Leopard frustrates this plan by relocating system libraries to one of several thousand possible randomly assigned addresses.

Windows SMB Packet SigningEnjoy improved compatibility and security with Windows-based servers.

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Spaces

 

SpacesOrganize your activities into separate spaces and easily switch from one to another. Make a space for work or play. Choose from a number of convenient options that make moving from space to space fast and easy.

Bird’s-Eye ViewView all of your spaces onscreen at the same time. With a drag and drop you can move an application window from one space to another or reorder your spaces.

 

Add and Remove SpacesEasily add or remove spaces in the Spaces pane of System Preferences.

Application BindingAssign an application to a specific space. Anytime you run that application, it will open in its assigned space.

 

Bump Over to Adjacent SpaceMove a window to another space by dragging it to the edge of your screen. Spaces will switch to the new space and take your window with it.

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Spotlight

 

Search Shared MacsSearch any Mac on your network. Use Spotlight to find files just like you do on your Mac — by name, contents, or even metadata. You can search any connected Mac with Personal File Sharing enabled or a file server that’s sharing its files.

Advanced SearchesUse a richer search vocabulary. The Spotlight search field now supports Boolean logic with AND/NOT/OR and parenthesis syntax. Search category labels such as “author” or “width.” Use ranges in your search including “greater than” and “less than.” Spotlight also understands quoted phrases and dates.

Dictionary Definitions in SpotlightQuickly find the definition of any word by entering it in the Spotlight search field.

 

Calculations in SpotlightFind answers fast. Just activate Spotlight and type in a simple or sophisticated equation, and Spotlight will instantly show you the result. Enjoy support for over 40 functions ranging from simple math to logarithms to trigonometry.

Spotlight Application LaunchingLaunch applications quicker. The Spotlight default item is now the Top Hit, so if you search for an application, all you have to do is press Return to launch it.

 

Web History SearchSearch your recently visited web pages with Spotlight. Spotlight indexes the names of the websites you have visited as well as the content in the sites themselves. Search any attribute of a recently visited web page and you can go right back to it in Safari.

Search by FilenameFind files faster. If you know the filename you’re looking for, narrow your search results so that Spotlight searches only filenames.

Search System FilesUse Spotlight to search system files.

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System

 

Icon Mode in Open and Save PanelsView your files as icons in the Open and Save panels, just as you would in the Finder.

iLife Media Browser in Open PanelAccess iLife content from any Mac OS X application. Now the iLife Media Browser is integrated into the Open panel.

Live Partition Resizing in Disk UtilityYou may be able to gain disk space without losing data. If a volume is running out of space, simply delete the volume that comes after it on the disk and move the volume’s end point into the freed space.

 

Help Menu SearchEnjoy more helpful Help. A new search field in the Help menu displays all relevant menu items in the active application. Highlight one and Leopard opens the menu and highlights the command.

Guest Log-In AccountsAllow anyone to surf the web and check email as a guest on your Mac. When they log out of the guest account, Mac OS X purges the account, removing any trace of their activity. So each time someone logs in as a guest, he or she gets a fresh, unused account.

 

Grammar CheckLet your grammar set a shining example. A built-in English language grammar checker helps ensure that you don’t make errors in grammar.

Scroll Non-Active WindowsScroll any open window, even if it’s not active. Simply position your mouse over the target window and scroll.

Empty Trash ButtonEmpty the Trash from the Trash itself with the Empty Trash button.

Eject All PartitionsEnjoy greater flexibility when ejecting a partitioned USB or FireWire volume. You can eject just one of the volumes or all the volumes at once.

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System Preferences

 

New Parental Controls PreferencesConfigure all aspects of parental controls — content filters, curfews, and remote control — in one central place.

Improved Network Preferences InterfaceEnjoy a simpler, more elegant view of your network preferences. Network status and configuration details are combined into a single, easy-to-understand view.

.Mac Sync for System PreferencesGet yourself a .Mac account and your System Preferences can stay in sync across all your Macs. No matter what Mac you use, you’ll feel right at home.

 

Advanced Account OptionsMake changes to the user ID, login shell, and home directory for any account. Just hold down the Control key and click an account in the Accounts pane of System Preferences.

Hot Corner for Sleep DisplayGet more use out of those hot corners. In addition to launching Exposé or starting a screen saver, you can now use hot corners to put your display to sleep.

 

Mouse Controls for ExposéControl Exposé with any button on your mouse. Specify the mouse controls in the Exposé and Spaces pane in System Preferences.

Mouse Controls for DashboardLaunch your Dashboard widgets with any button on your mouse. Specify the mouse controls in the Exposé and Spaces pane in System Preferences.

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Terminal

 

Improved International SupportGet more out of Terminal. The Core Text API for text layout reduces setup time and makes Terminal behave flawlessly for international users, with an increased character set.

InspectorEnjoy convenient access to window information, display settings, and advanced options with the Inspector window.

Merge All WindowsCombine all your open Terminal windows into a single window with multiple tabs.

 

Movable TabsRearrange your tabs with just a drag and drop. Change the order in which they appear or separate them out by pulling them into a separate window.

Window SettingsSave the window settings and shell configurations to a profile that you can reuse later.

Pull Tab into New WindowSeparate a tab into its own window with a simple drag and drop.

 

Tabbed WindowsKeep multiple Terminal sessions going in a single, tabbed window.

Adjusting Window SettingsCustomize the look and feel of Terminal with new window settings. You can set the background color, text color, and opacity of your windows.

Window GroupsSave the configuration of all your open windows as a window group. The location, window settings, and shell configurations of multiple windows can then be recalled instantly.

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Text Edit

 

AutosaveEnsure that your edits aren’t lost. Have TextEdit automatically save copies of your document at a specified time interval.

OpenDocument and Word 2007 FormatsTake advantage of TextEdit support for the Word 2007 and OpenDocument formats for reading and writing.

Smart LinksHave TextEdit automatically turn Internet addresses in your document into clickable links.

 

Select Line PanelJump to a specific line in your document if you know its number. Or jump forward or backward by a specified number of lines.

Print Header and FooterPrint page numbers, the date, and the document title on each page of a TextEdit document.

 

Smart QuotesMake your document look more professional with curly (“smart”) quotes. TextEdit can automatically substitute smart quotation marks for straight quotation marks as you type.

Smart Copy and PastePreserve proper spacing around copied text.

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Time Machine

 

Back Up EverythingAutomatic backup, built right into your Mac. Never worry about losing a file again. Time Machine stores an up-to-date copy of all your Mac’s files on an external hard drive, personal file sharing volume, or Mac OS X Server. That includes system files, applications, accounts, preferences, music, photos, movies, and documents.

Automatic BackupEnjoy effortless setup. The first time you attach an external drive to your Mac, Time Machine asks if you’d like to use that drive as your backup. Say yes and Time Machine takes care of everything else. Automatically. In the background. You’ll never have to worry about backing up again.

Go Back In TimeSee what your computer looked like in the past. Select a specific date and let Time Machine find your most recent changes, or do a Spotlight search to find exactly the file you’re looking for. Once you do, click Restore and Time Machine brings it back to the present.

 

Automatic Stop and ResumeNever skip a beat. If your Time Machine backup is interrupted — because you took your portable on the road or put your Mac to sleep — Time Machine will simply stop backing up. When you reconnect to your backup drive again, TIme Machine automatically picks up where it left off.

Do Not Back Up ListBe selective. By default, Time Machine backs up your entire system. But you can also select items to exclude from a Time Machine backup to save space on your backup disk.

Browse Other Time Machine DisksBrowse other Time Machine disks with your Mac. Just plug in the drive and your Mac will recognize the Time Machine backup volume, even if it has backed up a different Mac.

Migration Assistant SupportMigrate easier. Move individual users and folders from an existing Time Machine backup to set up new systems with ease. Then just start up the new Mac and you’ll be right where you left off on the previous one.

 

Manual BackupCreate a new incremental backup at any time. Hold down the Control key and click the Time Machine icon in the Dock.

Quick Look Before RestoringQuickly preview your files before you restore them to make sure those documents are really the ones you want.

Restore Your MacRestore everything on your Mac. Time Machine will put all the files right back where the originals were — as if nothing ever happened. You can even restore your files to set up a brand-new Mac.

Preserve Access PrivilegesBack up the entire system and all users at once, while maintaining the access privileges associated with your files.

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Universal Access

 

Alex — A New VoiceGive yourself a new voice. Meet Alex — a new English male voice that uses advanced, patented Apple technologies to deliver natural breathing and intonation, even at fast speaking rates.

Plug-and-Play Refreshable Braille Display SupportQuickly set up popular, refreshable Braille displays. VoiceOver detects and configures as soon as you plug them in. No additional software or setup is required.

Braille Output During OS InstallationFor the first time ever on a desktop computer, you can use a Braille display while installing or upgrading your operating system.

The Braille PanelSee a virtual Braille display — a visual representation of VoiceOver Braille output onscreen along with an English text translation.

Customizable Braille Display Input KeysCustomize a Braille display more easily than ever before. Just choose a VoiceOver command, then press and hold the input keys. A tone sounds to let you know the command has been assigned successfully.

 

Contracted and Non-Contracted BrailleOutput Braille in standard contracted format or non-contracted “computer Braille.” VoiceOver automatically converts contracted Braille under the cursor so it’s easier to edit, then contracts it again when the cursor moves.

NumPad CommanderControl VoiceOver using only the numeric keypad just like JAWS and Windows-Eyes. This makes it easier for screen reader users to switch from a PC to a Mac and provides easy access to your favorite VoiceOver commands.

Portable VoiceOver PreferencesInstantly reconfigure your VoiceOver preferences. Just plug in a flash drive containing your preferences and Leopard instantly reconfigures to work and act just like your Mac — without leaving a trace when you leave.

Faster Web and Page NavigationQuickly navigate long documents or web pages. Jump to key elements like headers, tables, and links and by text attributes like underlining, bold, italics, and color — even text phrases.

Hot SpotsMonitor up to ten different areas onscreen and be alerted when there’s a change. Then jump directly to any hot spot to investigate or take action.

 

Drag-and-Drop SupportUse drag-and-drop actions by keyboard only, in accessible applications.

Integrated Interactive TutorialLearn VoiceOver unassisted in a safe environment. A built-in tutorial lets you practice as you learn.

Misspelled Word DetectionHear when a word is misspelled while reading text. Choose a tone or a spoken description.

Positional Audio EffectsBenefit from many new sound effects in VoiceOver. Audio cues provide an improved sense of location.

Highlight by Word or SentenceSet the VoiceOver cursor to highlight each word or sentence being read as it is spoken.

New VoiceOver UtilityCustomize VoiceOver more easily. A new VoiceOver Utility layout includes many new options and preferences for customizing VoiceOver.

Improved Application AccessibilityDo more with VoiceOver. Bundled Leopard applications and utilities have been enhanced for improved accessibility.

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UNIX

 

UNIX® CertificationMac OS X is now a fully certified UNIX operating system, conforming to both the Single UNIX Specification (SUSv3) and POSIX 1003.1. Deploy Leopard in environments that demand full UNIX conformance and enjoy expanded support for open standards popular in the UNIX community such as the OASIS Open Document Format (ODF) or ECMA’s Office XML.

DTraceMonitor virtually any aspect of your application with DTrace, integrated into the Darwin kernel. Ruby, Python, and Perl have also been extended to support DTrace, providing unprecedented access for monitoring the performance characteristics of those languages.

Cocoa BridgesUse Ruby and Python as first-class languages for building Cocoa applications, thanks to Objective-C bridges as well as full Xcode and Interface Builder support.

 

AutoFSAutomatically mount and dismount network filesystems on separate threads to improve responsiveness and reliability.

Wide Area BonjourAccess your Macs, at home or on the road, with a single consistent host name. Use this host name whether you’re behind a NAT gateway or hopping across DHCP servers.

Kerberized NFSSecurely connect NFS clients and servers using MIT’s Kerberos, rather than trusting system-reported IDs.

Directory UtilityGraphically manage all local and remote directory entries and services in one place. You don’t have to rely on complicated command-line operations.

Streaming IOSet up high-bandwidth data transfers in your applications, without having to worry about different hardware architectures and optimal caching strategies.

 

Multicore OptimizedTake full advantage of modern architectures with multiple processor cores with improved scheduling, memory management, and processor affinity algorithms.

Scripting BridgeUse Objective-C, Ruby, and Python programs to automate Mac applications. The new Scripting Bridge enables them to easily generate AppleEvents using a concise, AppleScript-like syntax.

Ruby on RailsWork in a developer’s dreamland. Leopard is the perfect platform for Ruby on Rails development, with Rails, Mongrel, and Capistrano built in.

64-Bit ApplicationsMake use of all your existing devices. Leopard is the first mainstream operating system to completely and seamlessly support both 32-bit and 64-bit applications on the same platform.

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Xcode 3

 

Code FocusEasily visualize your code’s structure as you type with a unique highlighting effect, or use your mouse to select a code block to fold out of the way.

Improved Performance EditorGet work done quickly with the improved editor in Xcode with snappier searching and the ability to load large files at least four times faster.

Instant-On DebuggingEliminate the jarring transition from coding to testing with the instant-on debugger, moving smoothly from writing your code to running to pausing at any point to start debugging.

 

Interface Builder with AnimationsCreate powerful user interfaces and add great effects to your applications.

Message BubblesView your build errors, breakpoint definitions, and debug values right alongside the relevant source code.

Objective-C 2.0Take advantage of Objective-C 2.0 — easier to read, faster to code, and more secure than ever.

Organizer WindowDevelop your next project more easily, regardless of language and without a project. Just drag a folder into the Xcode Organizer window and click Build.

 

Project SnapshotsExperiment without fear. Record all the files of your project at any point in time as a safety net. Experiment with the confidence that you can always restore your project to a past working state.

RefactoringSafely restructure or rename components of your source code with a single operation that affects your entire project, without risk of changing application behavior.

Research AssistantView context-sensitive documentation that appears just as you need it. Research Assistant provides API overviews, source code references, related APIs, and more.

 

Screenshots:

Download page has been updated!

Our download page was rendered out of date when mydatabus.com deleted our file. I just now began reconstruction of the page but I got it back to where it is usable. All of the links on the downloads page are unbroken and work. The problem is that there are now only two links, but I intend to continue to fix it later.

New Podcast Edition!

There is finally a new podcast out. We had some trouble finding a way to publish it now that http://www.mydatabus.com decided not to support us anymore, but we did it. We are now using a service by orbitfiles.com that is much faster and easyer to use. We now also have an RSS feed for the Podcast, thanks to our switch to orbit files.

Here is the link.

http://www.orbitfiles.com/download/id2123998295.html

Apple’s iPhone gets Hacked!!!

(CBS) The Skinny is Keach Hagey‘s take on the top news of the day and the best of the Internet.

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It didn’t take long. The iPhone has been hacked, according to the New York Times. A team of computer security consultants said they could take control of a person’s iPhone through a WiFi connection or by tricking users into going to a Web site that contains malicious code.

Although Apple built considerable security measures into the device, according to Charles Miller, the main analyst for the firm, “Once you did manage to find the hole, you were in complete control.”

So far, there’s no evidence that the flaw has been exploited, and the firm generously offered to sell Apple a plug-in to fix the leak. Which would ease our worries completely, except Miller is described as “a former employee of the National Security Agency,” and we all know how hesitant that agency has been to spy on American citizens.

Turkey’s Ruling Party Gets Roasted

Turkey’s Islamic-inspired governing party’s harder-than-expected pummeling of the secular opposition in Sunday’s parliamentary elections topped the Wall Street Journal’s newsbox and, at least visually, the front pages of the The New York Times, and Los Angeles Times today.

While the LA Times seemed most concerned about of the “specter of bitter quarrels over the feared erosion of Turkey’s secular traditions” that would arise from the ruling party’s new mandate, the WSJ focused on the silver lining, emphasizing that “the wide margin of victory paves the way for more pro-Western and business friendly policies.”

Meanwhile, the New York Times asks, but doesn’t answer, the question at the heart of it all: “Can an Islamic-oriented government that is popularly election be democratic and aligned with the West?”

Perhaps it was the absence of an answer to this question that relegated the story, teased with a colorful lead photograph women in headscarves waving celebratory flags, to A3.

Iraq Update: Not So Fast

Meanwhile, there remains a little less than nothing to celebrate in Iraq. In the latest wholly depressing dispatch, a top U.S. training official told USA Today that “military offensives and a changed focus on increasing security” (Um, does this mean we weren’t focusing on security before?) have slowed the training of Iraqi forces. Admitting the news was “a hard pill to swallow,” the general said American troops would need to remain in Iraq for at least two more years to prevent “a bloodbath.”

Democrats: The New Money Party?

Downers like this do have an upside – if you are Democrat, reports the Wall Street Journal. With more than a year to go before the elections, Democratic candidates have raised $100 million more in campaign contributions than Republicans, putting them on track to win the money race for the White House and Congress for the first time in recorded campaign finance history.

The reason? “Democrats have taken the lead by exploiting widespread disapproval of President Bush and the Iraq war to develop a more robust online network of new, small donors, as well as to gain traction with deep-pocketed business contributors.” That, and Democrats are way better at surfing (and milking) those wild and crazy “internets.”

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Teen Hackes iPhone to work on other networks!

    seventeen-year-old George Hotz of Glen Rock, NJ has finally found a way to make the iPhone run on other networks besides AT&T.

When Apple release this amazing smartphone in june Steve Jobs also announced that until the two-year contract with AT&T ran out the iPhone would only work on AT&T’s cellular network. Hotz changed all of this by making a way to put it on any other network. Hotz says that he will leave instructions on how to do it yourself on the internet, however I haven’t been able to find it yet.

After he made the public release of this hack there were many companies wanting to buy his hacked gadget. He finally did sell the phone to a company called CertiCell for a Nissan 35z and three more 8gb iPhones. [Terry] Daidone, who’s the co-founder of Louisville, Kentucky-based CertiCell, has apparently also offered the young man a paid consulting job, but stresses the company doesn’t have ‘any plans on the table right now to commercialize Mr. Hotz’ discovery’.

1000 views!!!!

Today this blog has exeded 1000 views!!!!! Yay!!!!!! This is not a very big number but looking at the graph we are growing in average number of views per day fairly rapidly. Thanks to all those who have viewed this blog.