As you know, the moment that Kindle appeared in the market, the e-readers are getting a lot of attention from companies and users. And the iPad is not an exception, there are a lot of projects involved to develop some interesting features to transform it in a Kindle competitor; but I guess none of them compared with Penguin project.
In this video you can check it out:
You’ll get some nice games for your kids, and an amazing coloring book options. Working with the human body in an anatomy section; a travelling guide; and also “Star Finder” an encyclopedia of the solar system and universe.
One of the strangest options is the “Vampire Academy” that represents a vampire novel that includes a live chat. Not sure if this one will make any difference.
According to MacRumors, the iPad could very well go on pre-order as early as next week. Excited Apple fan boys/girls are surely getting ready to plunk down their hard earned money on a device that people just haven’t figured out if they really need or not. Nevertheless, the pre-order frenzy will surely create buzz and further articles on customer’s experience.
The iPad, which was recently announced by Apple, is supposed to fill the void between our laptop/desktop and our mobile device. Not sure if you really need one? No worries you’re not alone. But rest assured that thousands upon thousands of people will still order the device only to later realize if they really needed it or not.
According to the article the US wi-fi model is the first up, but according to Jobs presentation, the shipping date was still 60 days away. Could the pre-orders be taken this early? Sure they can, and fans will just have to wait to be the first on the block with their new device. What many looking out for is the release of previously unmentioned additions. It’s not unheard of for Apple to add something at the last minute, so fans are looking forward to that opportunity. Right now it’s not a guarantee to even happen, but Apple fans can dream.
Forgive the biblical format of the title, but an announcement of biblical proportions has been unleashed upon the public. Steve Jobs is authorizing a personal biography. After years of reading unauthorized books, years of wondering, years of rumors and speculation, the “official” book has been given the Steve Jobs blessing.
Is this going to be the honest look into his life that we want? Probably not, the unauthorized books will probably hold more truth then anything blessed by him, but for now, it’s an interesting topic.
Personally, as much of a fan of Apple I am, I also can’t deny the presence that Steve Jobs holds. While the company is definitely innovative, I see Steve Jobs walking down a hallway to the sound of the “Imperial March” from Star Wars, with guards on either side. Rumors of new hires being warned not to say “Hi” to Mr. Jobs or else they’ll be fired seem extreme, but not out of the realm of possibility. Do we really need an authorized book? Sometimes the mystique is better than the reality, but according to Macrumors.com we’ll be getting a look into his life sooner than we thought.
Unauthorized books have made him so mad in the past that he’s removed that entire publishing company’s line off of their stores shelves. Should be interesting to see just what he’ll allow us to understand, and perhaps we’ll become sympathetic to his processes.
There’s nothing like finding that application that helps get you through your day. Whether it’s a productivity application, or a business appliation, or a creative application, whether the need, it’s nice to know that there are alternatives to the costly pay versions. Sometimes freeware or shareware is just as good to get the job done and we turn to the internet for those downloads.
Now I admit in the past I had been going to Download.com, and found what I needed on there. But recently I was introduced to Softonic, and it’s equally as impressive as Download.com, but I’m just not a fan of the interface. I found it confusing, kinda clunky, and Download.com seems to have gotten the site structure of its heirarchy better laid out.
Still there’s tons of great apps on the site, which also features apps you should have. Sometimes you find apps that you didn’t now you needed, and that’s when you know that a site is bringing value to you. That value comes in what Softonic covers; Windows, Mac, Phones, Palm OS and Pocket PC’s. Seems like a healthy library, and growing everyday.
Give it a try and let us know which one you like better.
Gone are the days when a humble mobile phone and a stand alone PC were all the high profile office worker, self-employed person or whiz-kid had. Now, we all have at least three or four devices ranging from laptops, to cell phones, to smart phones to MP4 players. And the demand for them all to work together has never been higher. This is where syncing come into question. Syncing same-brand and compatible devices may be easy but using generic programs to sync items such as MacBooks and Windows Mobile smart phones that are from two opposing companies is no easy task.
SyncMate, which is mate by Eltima is available at the domain www.syn-mac.com holds the answer to syncing you Macintosh with several smart phones such as Windows mobile and Nokia S-Series phones.
The software is downloaded to your Mac and used to sync organisers, meida, contact info, e-mails and other such useful data. One user, Ann Clifford said:
“I am using SyncMate mainly to synchronize my Todos, my Google calendar and my contacts. SMS Manager Function is very useful too. Oh, almost forgot! The new iTunes synchronization is very cool. It syncs all my music, which is very important to me. SyncMate is a total ActiveSync for Mac replacement.”
The software is available here and I highly recommend it for the power-users with a Mac.
The iPhone is the most recognisable smart phone in the world. Its popularity meant that it was the first phone that really was built for apps. There are now literally thousands of companies churning out hundreds of thousands of apps for both the iPhone and the iPod Touch. Many people have hundreds of apps on their iPhone for every task imaginable such as splitting up the cost of a bill, getting your horoscope or booking flights. But organising them can be an issue which can result in you messing up your app pages.
Now, a new program called ‘Movement’ has been released for Mac computers which allows you to sync all of your apps with your computer and rearrange them on a big screen with easy to use tools. Then, just transfer the info back to your iPhone and all of your apps will be just how you like them such as in alphabetical order, popularity or in different sections depending on what they’re for.
I think this is a cool piece of kit for anyone with an iPhone or an iPod Touch. There is a catch for users however, their device must be jail broken to allow the sync to take place.
Steve Job is taking a leave of abscence from Apple after being plagued by rumors of his serious health issues. To date pundits, blogs, and news agencies have speculated over the mysterious weight loss Steve has suffered over the past two years. His abscence from many of Apple’s major events, and this official stance on pulling out of MacWorld futher fueled the idea that Steve Jobs was on his death bed.
While that is not the case based on the official statement, there is no doubt that Apple stock will take a serious hit due to this announcement, and speculation will continue on regarding the validity of this statement.
I personally wish him well. As fan of Apple Inc., their computers, their consumer product, and their innovation in the market. I truly hope we see this amazing man come back before 2009 closes.
Here is the official word from Steve Jobs himself which can be found HERE on Apple’s website:
Letter from Apple CEO Steve Jobs
Dear Apple Community,
For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.
Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.
I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.
As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.
Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.
The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.
I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Apple’s CEO. I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first.
So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this.
My writings, my podcasts, and basically my predictions have come true. Today it was announced that Apple will no longer be a part of MacWorld Expo, the very event that was almost defined by the very company.
“Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, will deliver the opening keynote for this year’s Macworld Conference & Expo, and it will be Apple’s last keynote at the show.”
This is monumental ladies and gentleman, MacWorld was defined as the definitive spot where Steve Jobs, Apple, black turtle necks, and Mac fanboys. Whether it’s the economy, or the reason they state in the press release, it’s not surprising that Apple would make this move.
For those of us that have been around long enough to look fondly on this Expo, this is indeed an end of an era. Without the draw of Apple, what will become of this once dominant conference?
Too often music information is ignored once it’s been put into a player. For casual listeners, information like song title, track number, or even album art seems irrelevant in light of the actual song playing. For those of us that truly love our music, enthusiasts of digital music if you will, ensuring that all of our music is organized, labeled, tagged, and played correctly is like an art form.
In the old days music was catalogued by hand, hours spent finding names, album art, and meta-information that music needs in order to show correctly on the player. Those days are long gone, and many small plugins to iTunes, Winamp, and the other major players have come out to assist users with this tedious but necessary task. For those of us that still hang out onto iTunes, TuneUp has finally made its way to the Mac, and it’s really making an impact.
TuneUp uses the Gracenote database of over 90 million songs to correct the information. The interface is simple and offers a bevy of choices for taking care of your digital music library. With simple drag and drops, your music is referenced against the Gracenote library, but information such as release date and genre is even included for all of your tracks to give you the most depth for your query.
The application also plugs you into other social sites like YouTube. By clicking the “Now Playing” tab you are offered other media that is associated with the track you are playing. If the band has any videos, or fans have done something related to the song your listening to, you will be notified through this feature. To offer even more incentive, the “Now Playing” selection will also provide you concert information for your favorite artists, current, concise, and useful.
Now all of this does come at a small price. Installing the plugin will allow you 500 song corrections and 50 album art updates, but afterwards there is a pay model to keep the application funded. For $12 you can get full access to the application for 1 year, but for $20 you get a lifetime membership that will allow you for correct your entire digital library for life.
Critics will say that paying for this service would be useless especially when most users only adjust their library once or twice in a lifetime. I don’t necessarily agree with that, but nevertheless, even if that were true, the addition of the “Now Playing” features is reason enough to keep this little application handy.
Netflix, an extremely popular online movie renting site, has done what other sites have been unable to do so successfully, bring the end of brick and mortar video renting locations. Not only have physical video rental locations dwindled, but other online competitors simply could not get the following that Netflix was able to acquire with its extensive selection and quick mailing turnaround.
But even with all of its successes, Netflix was still marred by one fact, their streaming option was not supported by Apple computers. Earlier this year Netflix announced that members of their site would be able to directly stream content from their site, making it easier on the user to view as opposed to having to wait for the mail out. This easily accessible option drove streaming use through the roof, but only for Window’s users. Mac owners were left out in this major announcement until now.
Last week it was announced by Netflix, Inc. that testing was being done to ensure that Mac users would be able to stream content by the end of this year. The announcement which many members thought would never come, came with a catch. The streaming technology would only be available for Intel based Macs, and not be supported by older models.
Thanks to Microsoft’s Silverlight technology, Netflix is able to bring it’s streaming library of over 12,000 movies and TV shows to non-windows users. I personally find it ironic that the only way streaming media could have been brought to the Mac was via a windows bridge, ala Silverlight. Nevertheless, those holding onto older Macs have a reason to ditch it for the Intel based models.
Currently there is a Mac media player that is available for beta testing. The product, now available for public beta testing can be downloaded by anyone. The beta as admittedly experienced several bugs that may interfere with the quality of the movie played, but plans from Netflix are to have most if not all of these bugs worked out by the end of the year.
Personally I love Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” choice, and have longed for support on the Mac. Interestingly though, the DRM only allows a certain number of machines that you can watch your streaming media on. This limitation is similar to what iTunes has with its account set up. I’m not necessarily sure this will be much of a problem for most of us, but the limitation seems silly to begin with.
Thus far the player has worked fine on my machine, but even with my limited use I may not come across all of the bugs that are expected to pop up. If you are using the public beta software to stream movies on a mac, I’d like to year about your experiences and whether this was a good move for Netflix, Inc. Make sure to leave your comments and be heard!
There’s nothing like finding that application that helps get you through your day. Whether it’s a productivity application, or a business appliation, or a creative application, whether the need, it’s nice to know that there are alternatives to the costly pay versions. Sometimes freeware or shareware is just as good to get the job done and we turn to the internet for those downloads.
Gone are the days when a humble 
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