Archive for Tech
Time to Hope Again? Contest to Dual-Boot XP and Mac Begins
Michael Santo of RealTechNews writes:
As we said in our earlier article, word was that Windows XP would not boot on an Intel Mac, due to the use of the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) instead of BIOS. That information hasn’t changed yet, but an enterprising person, who apparently fibbed a little and told his boss that a MacBook Pro “would replace my IBM desktop and I could boot Windows XP on it”, has started a contest, with $100 of his own money as a seed stake, hoping to get some hacker types to fix the problem for him.
More on the Dual-Boot Contest Here
Tags: os x, windows xp, realtechnews, michael santo, intel mac, macbook pro
Comic Life - A Masterpiece of Mac Software
What do you get when you combine a group of smart developers, mixed with a great idea and a lot of hard work? Under the right conditions you get a truly unique piece of software that was deemed worthy of the prestigious Apple Design Awards, specifically named as the Best Product New to Mac OS X. The accomplishment is all the more notable when you consider that the runner-up is the also amazing Delicious Library. Such a product would look at lot like Comic Life from Plasq.
Sound Studio 3: A Great Compromise for Podcasters
When I started podcasting with my Mac I used Audacity, a freeware program for recording the podcast. But when I upgraded to Tiger, Audacity and Tiger did not play well together and I was experiencing more then my share of crashes. I was not comfortable using Garageband because of the lack of post production capabilities. After spending a month of so trying very expensive programs, ($200.00-$500.00) I finally decided on spending the $199.00 and getting Sound Track Pro from Apple. Click to Read the Full Post »
Fly Gestures from Flying Meat Software
Think Different — It’s more than just a clever former marketing slogan of Apple Computer, it’s a line that many of it’s independent developers take to heart when coming up with innovative new ideas for their applications. Today’s review focuses on just such a developer, Gus Mueller of Flying Meat software and one of his latest creations, Fly Gesture. Click to Read the Full Post »
The Ultimate Freeware Package For Your iPod
The Mac developer community has given us Mac users a ton of great software for our iPods. I’ve talked about many of my favorite programs in the past. Most of these, like Pod2Go and Podlock are shareware and commercial. But what if you wanted the best that freeware had to offer for your iPod? What if you wanted a core of freeware programs that would offer you the ultimate package for your iPod? I decided that I would wade through the freeware programs available and offer you a small group of five applications that would make your iPod work for you. Click to Read the Full Post »
A Browser Worth Flocking To?
Browsers are ever-changing, or at least the good ones like Firefox are. The stale, dead ones like IE are stagnant. What is the browser world going to look like in 2006? To get the answer, all you need to do is to check out the new beta browser called Flock.
Flock takes browsing to the next level, it integrates it with your online persona via RSS, you are now reading articles while blogging the same articles in your WordPress, TypePad, or Blogger account. Then when you decide that you want to bookmark a Web site, it just doesn’t bookmark it the old-fashioned way: It uses your del.icio.us account and syncs the bookmark with it, also. You are sharing your online experiences with the world. Click to Read the Full Post »
Database Got You Down? I’ve Got An Answer
If anyone has ever used a Web hosting firm to host their own domain name, you’ll know that if you need to create a forum on your Web site, or if your Web site is a blog with WordPress, or any php blogging program, you’ll need to understand how to set up and maintain a MySQL database.
A database is an essential part of any searchable or interactive Web site. Unfortunately, taking care of a database is not always easy. Many times you’re asked to add tables, delete tables, and manipulate the data in the database. Doing this with the software provided by your host can be described by many names, but intuitive is not one of them. Then what happens when you decide to leave this host and move to another? Manually moving your database is like a root canal, just too painful to even describe. Click to Read the Full Post »
If You’re a Blogger, You Need This.
A year or so ago, I would of had serious doubts about doing an article on a third-party blogging tool. But since that time I think that most everyone that reads this may already use a blog, or thought about starting a blog, or at least, know what a blog is. I have about 5 or 6 blogs that I post to, most are my own, but others are blogs such as Lockergnome, or GeekNewsCentral which I contribute articles from time to time. Although I love to post stories, reviews, and articles on the blogs, I hate the idea of logging into the backend of a website and using those ugly, awkward, and hard to use control panels of blogging software in order to post my pieces online.
Read the entire article at Surf-Bits.com
Tags: lockergnome, api, ecto, surf-bits, macreviewcast, blogs, blogger
RSS Rules, and FeedForAll Rules RSS.
In the past year we’ve seen the popularity of both blogs and podcasts explode. There are fewer and fewer websites that do not have an RSS feed available for their customers and/or visitors. In fact, if you are a business on the web, an RSS feed is a necessity. RSS started out as being Rich Site Summary, then it migrated to RDF Site Summary, and finally most of us now know it as Really Simple Syndication. RSS allows online users to see the content of your website without the need to actual visit your website in their browser. RSS also allows enclosures which are now used to attach podcasts to a feed. The idea is that a user can take the RSS feed, which is XML code, and place it in a aggregator, or RSS feed reader program and then receive the headlines, or articles or attached audio or video files directly onto their computer through this aggregator. As an example, here are the RSS feeds for my website and podcast. Surf-Bits Switcher Blog, and The Mac ReviewCast Podcast.
Now that we have the background covered, I’ll explain to you why we are discussing RSS. Notepage, Inc. has developed a program for PC and Mac called FeedForAll. FeedForAll is a RSS feed creation tool. Now the first thing that crossed my mind is , “I use Wordpress and another blogging program which automatically creates RSS feeds via PHP when new articles are added. Why do I need a third party program?” I found out that many of these auto-generated RSS feeds are missing tags or in the case of podcasts, are not iTunes compatible. Let’s look at FeedForAll’s features and I think you’ll see why everyone can use this program.
Read the entire article at Surf-Bits.com
Trouble With my New iMac
Stuff happens, and stuff happened to me and my new iMac the last two days. It started when I was having trouble getting the printer setup utility to recognize my Canon i860 printer. Then all the setup utility would do was to crash when I tried to add any printer. Something was wrong. After I talked to some folks on the Apple forums I decided to download Onyx and run it and see if it found any problems that the disk utility could fix by repairing permissions.
The software told me I had a volume error. Well that was either a software or a hard drive problem, so I received TechTool Deluxe in my Apple Care package I purchased with the new iMac and I gave it a try. I booted up to the TechTool CD and ran the diagnostic program. It checked all the hardware and gave me the thumbs up, but it reported an error while checking the disk volume. This took several hours to check the volume and so when I decided to let TechTool fix the error, it took another long period of time before it told me the volume should be changed and it I want to fix the volume, I agreed and it fixed it. Well I assumed it fixed it.
Read more at Surf-Bits.com
A Dummy’s Review of Adobe Photoshop CS2
As I opened the box and started going through the packaged materials I remember the feeling of being overwhelmed by the size and power of the new Adobe Creative Suite 2. Where do I even start to give you my view of the product? After all, it contains new versions of Photoshop, Illustrator, inDesign, GoLive, and the full, latest version of Adobe Acrobat. If this wasn’t enough, the suite also had a new program called “Bridge” and a new “Version Cue” project management program.
Here I am, a website designer and Mac Geek that maybe only used 10% of all the capabilities the programs offered me. I understood about half of the functionality, but just never used it in my everyday life. I then remembered something I heard that rang especially true in this situation. Someone once told me that most people only use 10% of the features in Microsoft Office and look how successful of a program Office had become. So I realized that we can’t all be Bert Monroy, so let’s take a look at the features that impressed me the most in the new CS2 programs.
In order to show just the slightest hint of a plan in tackling this project, I decided to take each product separately and split it with the Mac ReviewCast podcast. Therefore, lets start with a look Adobe Photoshop CS2. What’s new and what did I think about it?
Read the review at Surf-Bits.com
Creating Websites With Style (Master)
Although I’ve designed websites for years, I never enjoyed working with CSS style sheets. Whenever I could, I used tables or layers and avoided CSS like the plague. Along the way there have been a few CSS editors I tried but there was nothing I found that made working with style sheets any easier. Along came the new Style Master 4 from Westciv and I am actually editing and designing style sheets.
One of the reasons I decided to look at Style Master was the fact it’s cross platformed. You can work in the Windows version and when you switch over to the Mac, you can work in Style Master for the Mac. It’s a $59.99 program in either the Mac or the PC version, but we’ll get to that a little later. The reason you need to purchase Style Master 4 is because it will allow you to edit and design style sheets even if you never looked at a style sheet in your life. Well maybe you have to understand computer basics, but if you’re new to designing style sheets, you’ve got to have Style Master. If you know CSS and need a good hand editor, Style Master can do that, but where it really shines is in it’s design mode. You will be able to view the webpage your editing, click on any part of the webpage and see the CSS code associated with it. All this in a WYSIWYG view with color pickers and wizards, templates, and browser previews to allow you instant gratification.
Read the rest of the review at Surf-Bits.com.
More Unique Mac Software: FlySketch
While I’m on the subject of unique Mac software, does it surprise you that another of my top ten picks is also from Flying Meat? It shouldn’t because Flying Meat has what so many Mac software companies have, and that’s imagination. If VooDooPad wasn’t impressive enough for you, just take a look at FlySketch.
I cannot even imagine a piece of software like this in the PC half of my brain. It’s not only unique, useful and elegant, but only $19.95. FlySketch does many things such as screen captures, photo manipulation, sketching, highlighting, drawing and more. Then you can easily take your creation and export it to PDF, PNG, TIFF, and JPEG.
Flying Meat says this about it’s product..“When called upon, FlySketch will show its main drawing window above all other windows in the system. Change the transparency of the canvas, and you can trace, draw over, highlight, and capture just about anything that shows up behind FlySketch. Open up FlySketch’s workflow folder to drop in aliases of applications or folders, and they show up in the workflow menu. Send your creations to your desktop, or Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Entourage, or even a custom script.”
There are just so many uses I am finding for VooDooPad and FlySketch that the PC side of my brain is hurting. If you are a new switcher or thinking about switching to a Mac, just take it slow with these two products, this much imagination and free thinking can be dangerous when absorbed too quickly.
Read More at Surf-Bits.com
Prosoft’s Drive Genius Provides Plenty
While I was at MacWorld Expo, I was able to visit with the Prosoft folks and get a new product they had called Drive Genius. I gave it a test drive last weekend and although I ran it through the list of analyzing, repairing, testing, benchmarking and data checking functions, the true test would be on a new or damaged hard drive.
I was very impressed with the list of advanced tools for resizing and moving of volumes without reformatting. Drive Genius also provides a sector editing tool to modify the data on any sector of the drive. These features alone make it a program many of us could use, but it does so much more.
I will list it’s features below, but if you want to get a quick glimpse of how it compares against other disk utilties out there in features and functions, here’s a chart.
You can read the rest of article at Surf-bits.com.
Why can’t iTunes Find My Songs?
I have an iTunes/iPod problem. In August I created a library on one of my
computers with about 150 songs. I then created another library on a different
computer. I now want to put my old songs from the first library back into my
iPod. So, today I opened my first library and hooked up my iPod. For all the
songs I clicked (most) I got a message that said “This song could not be used
because the original file could not be located. Would you like to locate it? “
I was so confused. Have I lost all of my songs? The library hasn’t been opened
in a while but is that a reason to mess up all the songs? Please help me!! I
want to listen to these songs.
iPod Photo - More Details
As Jeremy Cohn noted earlier this month, Apple has, indeed, launched a new iPod: the iPod photo.
The spanking new iPod comes in 40GB and 60GB sizes, has the same form factor
as the existing full-sized iPod, and supports both Mac OS X and Windows.
Management of images happens, of course, through iTunes. eWeek reveals that
there are several other snazzy new features as well, including “updated
contact, calendar, and game software that exploit the new backlit color
display” and “a docking station with both audio and video out jacks,
allowing users to display slideshows on an external video display.”
That’s right boys and girls. You can now do your family photo display from
your iPod.
“The 40 GB iPod Photo is priced at $499, and the 60 GB version at $599,”
according to eWeek. Look for these beauties at Apple’s retail or online locations (or an authorized Apple reseller) near you. [Jeremy C. Wright]
Tiger (OS X 10.4) For ADC Developers
Apple has announced the Tiger Early Start Kit for Developers. You’ll get the kit free with an ADC Select Membership ($500) and gives you all sorts of goodies like pre-release version of Tiger and Xcode 2.0. If you write apps for OS X get the tiger-like jump on your competition.
BlackBerry’s Finally Sync to Macs
Those of you who are lucky enough to be using both Mac products and an In Motion BlackBerry (www.blackberry.net) will be glad to know that you can now sync your BlackBerry with your Mac running 10.3 or higher.
Unfortunately there are a few more stipulations. First, you have to be running Office 2004 for Mac. Second, its going to set you back $29.95 for the PocketMac BlackBerry Edition you also need to have installed. Click to Read the Full Post »
Rio Carbon - iPod Mini Competition Arrives
Move over mini, or at least make a bit of room for some competition. The new Rio Carbon totes a 5GB, 1in. (Seagate) Hard Drive and claims to get 20 hours of play time. Needless to say that it’s quite the improvement over the iPod mini’s 8 hours.
Only problem I see is that both Rio and Rave-MP (a soon-to-be-released alternative) will be going the Windows Media route completely shutting them off to the iTMS. Click to Read the Full Post »
Plasma Physics To Create 256 Xserve G5 Cluster
ThinkSecret.com reports that UCLA’s Plasma Physics Group has purchased some 256 Xserve G5s in order to build a supercomputer cluster with them. Its code name is “Dawson Project.” For now, the project is still very much under construction as the servers continue to arrive in groups. The collective hope at this point is that they will have everything up and running once the last of the straggling servers finally arrive.
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