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MacintoshFrom: Apple Section - Ars Technica
This Friday's Apple links talks up EyeTV's latest software update, Steve Jobs' beard, Twitter references hidden in Quartz Composer, and how unlocked iPhones are hurting at least one US company. A lot.
Apple has come a long way in improving its environmental efforts and publicly disclosing them. But Climate Counts' latest climate policy scorecard shows that Apple has a long way to go when it comes to global warming.
iBook and PowerBook users are all too familiar with the sparking power adapters of yore. Apple has now reached a preliminary settlement over the failed power adapters, and will soon offer between $25 and $79 to eligible parties.
From: MacNN | The Macintosh News Network
Syncro Soft has released the v9.2 update to Oxygen XML Editor, a cross-platform, WYSIWYG XML toolset, which provides a variety of services including XQuery debugging. It is available solo, or as an Eclipse IDE plug-in. The new version of the software improves DITA support, with a new DITA maps manager, and a toolchain for generating DITA output i...
In Brief: MacNN has posted reviews for the Maximo IP-HS2 iMetal Isolation Headset, and several Artwizz iPod accessories, Flashforward2008 Film Festival nominations have opened, and author Deborah Shadovitz will host MacDayLA at the CBS Studio Center. Mobile music listeners often assume that decent sound quality can only be achieved through high pri...
Google is hosting a new extension for Mac OS X Leopard, called AppMenuBoy. Like Quay, the program addresses an interface change to Leopard, in which Apple removed hierarchical menus in the Dock. This has been partially restored in Mac OS X 10.5.2, which lets users set the Applications menu to list mode when dragged into the Dock, but this is not ...
From: MacInTouch
Save $55-$105 off Apple's latest iMacs with Amazon rebates and discounts; cut $35 off the Mac's best voice-recognition system ever: MacSpeech Dictate. Amazon has Photoshop Elements 6 on sale at $79.99; VMware's on sale at $39.99. MacBook Airs are in stock for $1744, or save $75-$250 on MacBook and MacBook Pro models (including the last close-outs). Amazon rebates chop $150-$380 off the Mac Pro Quad and new Quad-Core models. Save on AppleCare, too! Kindle, Amazon's revolutionary wireless book, is back in stock after its initial sell-out, and Garmin's Nuvi 660 GPS navigator is on sale at a 57% discount. Amazon discounts iPods, too, plus a huge selection of digital cameras and HDTV's. Leopard is just $109, and ".Mac" 5.0 is only $69.99, while Office 2008, iLife 08 and iWork 08 are also on sale. And, while you're saving yourself money, you're also providing critical MacInTouch support just by clicking through our links to purchase!
Our review of this unique wireless book/reader covers features, technology, Mac integration, available content, Amazon's publishing system and more, along with helpful links and tips. [Updated with new links, graphics and a few more details.]
From: Mac OS X Hints
There are a number of ways to see and/or copy the path to a given selection in the Finder. Rob Griffiths explores your options.
Discover two ways to use more than the 10 provided solid-colored desktop backgrounds.
Learn a simple way to access title bar icon menus (proxy icons) in Leopard.
From: Macworld
While the wireless functionality of the Genius BT-03A Bluetooth headphones works well enough in most situations, this isn't going to be your one pair of headphones to rule them all.
Path Styler Pro helps you produce high-quality logos and title graphics in either Illustrator or Photoshop with a noticeable ease of use. James Dempsey takes a closer look at the plugin.
Will Henderson?s MultiClutch is a utility you have to see in action to appreciate. Dan Frakes takes you on a visual tour of the program that extends MultiTouch gestures to other apps.
From: CNET News.com
The company that in many ways created the modern video games industry has seen its fortunes fall about as far as possible.
Capitol Hill politicos aren't alone in considering new antipiracy mandates for schools. Tennessee just passed the first such law, and universities are bracing for other states to follow.
The potential for U.S. solar energy looks bright, but what hurdles are standing in the way of its broad adoption?
From: Wired Top Stories
TorrentSpy lawyers said the torrent-tracking service won't pay the $111 million judgment a U.S. judge levied against it. Attorney Ira Rothken said he would appeal one of the nation's largest copyright penalties. The search engines' owner, he said, has filed for bankruptcy.
The eco-geeks aboard the carbon-neutral, biodiesel-powered Earthrace trimaran have completed the first leg of their trip around the world. And they're on pace to do it in record time.
The social networker plans to allow its customers to share their personal data with websites operated by Yahoo, eBay and others, a move that would change the nature of social networking.
From: Gizmodo
Unless you want to spend money on replacing your AV gear or replacing your pet, you're going to have to protect one from the other. Sound and Vision Mag has four suggestions on how to do just that. Among them are wrapping up your rat's nest of wires behind the TV, placing a ScatMat (not what it sounds like) to gently shock little animals that step near your goodies, shielding your screen and hiding your remotes. Sounds like a pretty good warmup for when you have to baby-proof your AV gear a few years down the line. Especially with that ScatMat thing. [Sound And Vision]
Did you get stuck with weekend duty at work? Are you just plain bored at your job? Sitting in an office all day may not be the most exciting way to spend your time, but that does not mean that you can't make the most of it. And when I say "most of it" I am definitely not referring to increasing your productivity—the following gadgets will destroy any chance of that. However, they will certainly help keep you entertained until quittin' time—especially on a Friday afternoon.
Sleeping:
Generally, when things are slow at work, sleep is the first thing that comes to my mind. This compact Executive Hammock can help you indulge in a serious power nap. Available for $15.99. [1ofakindstuff]
Arts and Crafts:
You might find that downtime at work is a perfect time to indulge in your passions. Take building weapons out of common office supplies for example. It satisfies both your need to create and that stress-induced urge towards violence that is bubbling just underneath the surface. Here we have a lovely rubber band based projectile launcher and a stapler that doubles as a spiked club. [Office Guns and Strange Cosmos]
Desktop Toys/Games:
There are plenty of cool desktop games and toys out there, like the Gangster Shoot Shooting Gallery and the Rollerscape Roller Coaster Construction Set. The objective with Gangster Shoot is simple—you have three lives and a gun. Try and shoot the mobsters before they shoot you. The Rollerscape kit builds on a Tinkertoy theme allowing users to construct complex marble roller coasters. The shooting gallery and the roller coaster construction set are available for $34.95 and $29.99 respectively. [Gangster Shoot and Rollerscape]
Desktop curling? Eh...not so much. Available for around $20. [Alt-Gifts]
Fight Club:
The purpose of Fight Club is to use fighting as a form of psychotherapy. And if you are stuck at work chances are you could use a little stress relief. Pummel your way to happiness by challenging your co-workers to a karate throwdown using these inflatable karate hands and feet or go medieval with the lifesize foam latex warrior weapons set. Available for around $27 and $49-$59 respectively. [Inflatable Karate Set and Lifesize Warrior Weapons]
Throw a Party:
If you are going to throw a serious party in the office the first thing you are going to need is music, which you undoubtedly have stored on a computer or an MP3 player. The next thing you will need is some ambiance. This USB powered Disco Ball and Mirror Ball combo should do the trick nicely. Available for $11.99 and around $21 respectively. [Disco Ball and Mirror Ball]
After ambiance comes beer. The Avanti MBD5L Mini Pub is small enough to fit on a desktop, but it can dispense beer from a standard 5 liter keg and adjust the frostiness of your brew to a temperature of your choosing. Everything you need to get the party started is included for around $200. [Beverage Factory]
How about a little immature live entertainment to keep the party going? The H.E. Fartsalot Musical Butt Puppet plays "Old MacDonald," "Frere Jacques," or "London Bridge," when you insert your hand into his open torso cavity. Available for around $25. [Smutty Gifts]
Pranks:
When all else fails you can always resort to pulling pranks on your co-workers—and this Phantom Keystroker is one of the best by far. Just hook it up to your victim's computer via USB and laugh as it moves their mouse cursor around and types meaningless text at random intervals. If you are not getting anything done, no one is. Available for $24.99. [ThinkGeek via Link]
A White Plains, NY woman who was the victim of burglary, including her MacBook, used the Back To My Mac screen sharing feature to turn on her webcam and capture images of the unwitting culprits using the computer. As a result, police were able to arrest the thieves and recover most of the stolen goods, which included two laptops, two flat-screen televisions, two iPods, gaming consoles, DVDs and computer games.
This plan first launched into action when a co-worker of the nameless woman at the Apple Store noticed her computer online and notified the woman. She was then able to log into her computer and the rest is history. So the moral of the story is this: If you steal a MacBook, please be sure to cover the iSight with some tape. Otherwise, you could also be charged with a second degree felony. [Iohud via TUAW]
From: National Geographic News
 | See a supercell light up the Texas sky, U.S. Marines braving a sandstorm in Afghanistan, the Olympic torch reach the top of Mount Everest, and more. |
 | Tens of thousands of animals are trapped in an ash-covered region of southern Chile after their owners have been forced to flee the still-active volcano. |
 | See how Cyclone Nargis changed the landscape of the Irrawaddy River delta, where massive floods killed tens of thousands. |
From: BBC News | Science/Nature | UK Edition
Great tits in Britain seem to be adapting to climatic change, scientists report, unlike some other birds.
Ten of Greenland's walruses are fitted with sat-tags to confirm whether the blubbery beasts migrate to Canada.
UK government opposition to human spaceflight will be no bar to its citizens becoming astronauts, Esa says.
From: New Scientist - Latest Headlines
A new survey is monitoring a million massive stars to see if any suddenly disappear, imploding to become black holes
All too often movies make shocking science blunders, but here are a few rare gems that make a valiant effort to get it right
Storm damage has washed away Burma's main agricultural land, as its military rulers force the UN to stop shipments of emergency food
Film
Baby Mama (2008)
Kate Holbrook: Yes. Absolutely!
Rob: Wow. Okay! Just to be clear, I was going to say my place...
Kate Holbrook: Uh-huh. I'm 37. I know how this works.
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