November 2007
66 posts
Nintendo Records Biggest Sales Week in History →
Coming in 2008: GPS-enabled cameras? →
Reheated GDrive rumors surface →
It’s unclear if the Wall Street Journal is reporting on old rumors or have new sources that are actually familiar with the planned launch of GDrive, but they say we can expect see this new service early next year.
Google is preparing a service that would let users store on its computers essentially all of […]
Does the Asus EeePC violate the Linux GPL? →
Human observation of dark energy may shorten the... →
Apple's iTunes unlocks iPhones in Germany →
The Search for My Ideal GTD App →
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been looking for an online service to help me stay organized. My system at the moment is a patchwork of paper, desktop apps, and willpower that has worked well enough in the past but has begun to come apart at the seams as I take on a growing number of responsibilities. Since I work at several different locations, I need to be able to access a single source where I...
I’m down again with flu.
Weight Tracker 1.2.1 - Track your weight and more.... →
Weight Tracker 1.2.1
Weight Tracker helps adults (and youths) track their weight and keep a freeform log of sugar readings, diet, exercise, etc. Short, medium and long term trends are displayed. Progress is compared to your personal weight goal and to an “ideal weight” based on your height (for adults) or age (for youths).More information
Women are better multi-taskers than men →
Multi-tasking, or doing more than one activity at a time, is a way of life for everyone these days. Between work, family and social life, people are finding themselves busier than ever. But the results of a recent global online survey conducted by Nokia indicated that women are better at multitasking than men with 60 percent of respondents, both men and women. Only six percent of women believe
eBook Library 6.1.1 - Practice speed reading... →
eBook Library 6.1.1
eBook Library supports speed reading plus an eBookshelf. You can practice your speed reading skills using plain text eBook files with speeds between 50 wpm and 1500 wpm. Reading speed is set using four ranges (very slow, slow, medium, and fast) and a slider is provided to adjust the speed within each range. Speed settings are saved between sessions. Any plain text file may be...
News: Hotmail co-founder launches online office... →
InstaColl, a company co-founded by Sabeer Bhatia of Hotmail fame, has introduced an online office productivity suite.
10.5: A Page Down and Page Up Quick Look shortcut →
As another hint has pointed out, hitting the Space Bar when in Quick Look usually closes Quick Look. But when you’re in Quick Look’s full-screen mode for a PDF or Word document, pressing the Space Bar will page down, just as it does in most web browsers. And yes, Shift-Space Bar pages up.
10.5: Compare Time Machine backups to original... →
I wanted to see how good Time Machine was at keeping a complete backup, so I ran a diff between my disk and its latest backup. I was quite shocked to find that there were differences in places other than caches, logs, etc. which Time Machine does not back up. Time Machine has forgotten to backup (i.e. the latest backup still contains the old version) two of my applications that I updated by...
99% of All Gadgets Unneeded, Spend Wisely This... →
Inflatable Bikini Life Jacket Harnesses The... →
The “Bay Watch” bikini life jacket concept is brilliant on three levels: It can help save lives, it is much more attractive to wear than traditional life jackets and your likelihood of being saved by a male lifeguard in the area probably increases ten-fold when you are wearing it. Plus, it looks as though there is some additional padding in the rear to achieve J-Lo levels of buoyancy....
Dell 24-inch Widescreen Monitor for $399... →
Looking for a new monitor? Well, take a gander at this 24-inch widescreen monitor from Dell. The E248WFP features a 1920x1200 native resolution, 5ms response time, DVI with HDCP and a 92% wide color gamut for colors that pop. The best part? It’s only $399, which is a total steal for a widescreen monitor of this size. You can’t go wrong at that price. [Product Page]
Top 15 Leopard Hints at Appletell →
10.5: Create high-quality audio books →
Using the new ultra-realistic Alex voice in Leopard, you can create an audio book out of any text. Open Automator and add the following steps:
Text: Get Contents of TextEdit Document
Text: Text to Audio File (using Alex as the voice)
Music: Import Audio Files (I use AAC encoder)
[Optional] Music: Set Options of iTunes Songs — check Remember Playback Position
[Optional] Music: Set Info...
10.5: network setup command-line utility has moved →
There have been several hints in the past about the contents of ARD and the networksetup command line utility. It is a very nice tool, and in OS X 10.4, it was found in /System » Library » CoreServices » Remotemanagement » ARDAgent » Contents » Support » networksetup. It is no longer there, but now instead, it is stored in /usr/sbin/networksetup. So, if any of...
Set the Gmail IMAP prefix for better Mail.app... →
What bothered me about the new Gmail IMAP arrangement was having “[Google Mail]” separately in the folder tree, with “all mail” and “starred” from the other folders that correspond to the labels set up on Gmail. In order to avoid this, first move all the folders you have into the [Google Mail] folder at the top of the sidebar. Then, in the account settings,...
10.5: How to use screen sharing remotely and... →
OS X 10.5’s screen sharing feature works nicely on local networks. But to control your computer over an internet connection is easy, too.
Use SSH to establish a tunnel to the computer you want to control. Be sure to use a local port other than 5900 — otherwise the screen sharing app will complain about controlling the local screen is not possible. A good example is:ssh -L...
10.5: See Mail Notes on the iPhone through Gmail... →
Since Leopard’s Mail.app keeps notes associated with a mailbox, if you associate your Notes to your Gmail IMAP account, the Notes folder will then show up in your Folders on the iPhone.
It’s not Notes in the Notes.app, but it gets your Mail.app Notes onto the iPhone where they might be of some use.
EXCLUSIVE: Apple Secretly Tracking iPhone IMEI and... →
Hidden in the code of the “Stocks” and “Weather” widgets is a string that sends the IMEI of your phone to a specialized URL that Apple collects. Time to put on the tinfoil hats.
Amazon Kindle gets official →
Filed under: Handhelds
Although the article doesn’t contain much more information about the Amazon Kindle that we hadn’t seen before, Newsweek’s cover story on the device is the first official confirmation that the device exists. Featuring an interview with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the article lays down the feature set — $399, 6-inch E-ink screen, no backlight, EV-DO...
Terminal Codes for Leopard Tweaking →
Beautify your Leopard with single liner terminal codes.
How to capture a screen shot of a screen saver →
The new Mosaic feature screen saver in 10.5 is amazing, and I wanted to have a screen capture of it. Of course, when you try to screen capture, it exits the screen saver. The way around this is to press Command-Shift first, then hit the Test button in the Screen Saver panel of the Destkop & Screen Saver System Preferences panel. Then wait for the shot you want (still holding Command and...
Dell XPS Available for Pre-Order Now [Xps One] →
Attention all shoppers, attention all shoppers of iMac-wannabe PCs, and Dell fans, whoever you are: the Dell XPS One is now available for order, just in time for the holidays. Prices for the 20” all-in-one computer range from the $1,499 of the Core 2 Duo E4500 with 250GB HD and integrated video to the $2,399 of the top-of-the-line with Core 2 Duo E6550, 500GB HD and 256MB ATI Radeon HD 2400...
Leopard on Eee? Sexy ! →
Whats this ? Leopard on the new Asus model Eee, even more of an excuse to buy one of these lightweight beasts
10.5: Create multi-page PDFs from images in... →
The new Leopard Preview has some great features, including editing and rearranging pages in a PDF file. However, what you might not know is that you can take some number of images and create a single PDF out of those images.
To create a single PDF from multiple TIFF, JPG, or other supported file types, do this:
Open any PDF — single or multi page, it doesn’t matter — in...
10.5: Enable default permissions on shared folders →
So I updated our little network to 10.5, and the ability to share volumes and foelders is just great. However, I had a problem with how to enable a given group’s read - write - delete - execute access to a given shared volumes: for all files that exist in that folder today, and for all files that might be created in the future. There are some hints on this problem, including cron jobs and...
10.5: Change the 3D dock's colors with Automator →
I posted this on the forums, but wanted to share it with those of you who may not read there.
Many people seem to want to change the colour of the dock in Leopard, and doing it manually is a pain. So I created an Automator workflow [original host] that can be saved as an app that will do all the work for you.
Before using the workflow:
I would suggest you back up the PNG files (see below),...
10.5: Parental Controls and authenticating proxies →
If your network is using an authenticating proxy for web access (you need to enter a “proxy password” to access the web), then you’ll have trouble if you turn on Parental Controls, as the controls will prevent you from authenticating to the proxy.
The Parental Controls feature works by directing all web access for controlled users to an internal Apache web proxy (this proxy is...
Dell's XPS ONE now on sale →
Filed under: Desktops
Shortly after being leaked, revealed, unclothed and paraded around in public, Dell’s 20-inch XPS ONE is finally available to the masses. Up now on company’s webstore are four pre-configured systems, with the high-ender rocking a Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 processor, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, Bluetooth 2.0, an 8-in-1 multicard reader, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, 256MB ATI Radeon...
Free download 24 New iChat and Photobooth effects! →
Including Hologram, make your face inside the Statue of Liberty, make yourself a gorilla, a clown, the mona lisa, an iPod commercial and more fun stuff. Very cool.
Leopard on Eee: A match made in heaven? →
Filed under: Laptops
Inevitable? Yes. Super great? Absolutely. Do we potentially derive too much pleasure from answering our own questions? Quite possibly. Asus has really built itself a PC ripe for the tinkering — as Dan at UNEASYsilence points out, there’s a bootable DVD included to restore the thing to factory settings, so the worst that can happen is you blow a few hours on a...
Apple releases Mac OS X 10.5.1 Update for Leopard... →
Apple on Thursday released Mac OS X 10.5.1 Update, its first maintenance and security update to the new Leopard operating system which is recommended for all users. Mac OS X 10.5.1 is available as a 110MB download and includes general operating sy…
Asus Eee PC now out in "Galaxy Black" →
Filed under: Laptops
While the original white of Asus’s Eee PC is no slouch in the looks department, we’re finding the stylings of this “Galaxy Black” version all the more irresistable — maybe it’s just because the screen bezel doesn’t look quite as dramatic this way. The new color was revealed about a week ago, but the good news is that the black...
10.5: Start Time Machine backups now in Terminal →
Backups every hour are fine, but what if you want to run a backup before taking your laptop somewhere? The following command in Terminal will start a backup immediately:
/System/Library/CoreServices/backupd.bundle/Contents/Resources/backupd-helper -auto
The same Resources directory has two interesting .plist files as well. StdExclusions.plist contains a list of all the folders and files that...
Another Nintendo DS Redesign on the Way? [Rumor] →
Gamespot is reporting that a redesign to the mega-popular Nintendo DS is complete and will hit the market when DS Lite sales taper off. Gamespot’s source, financial analyst Evan Wilson, claims the revamped DS will be slimmer, lose the GBA port, add on-board memory and have larger screens. While Nintendo has yet to comment on the matter, it seems about time for some sort of a Nintendo update...
Apple Unloads Dump Truck of Updates, Including... →
In addition to updating OS X Tiger to 10.4.11 for both Intel and PPC Macs, Apple’s pulled out their software dump truck and are updating almost all their apps. iPhoto, Pro Apps, Compressor, Cinema Tools, Color, Motion, DVD Studio Pro, Final Cut Pro, and Soundtrack Pro are all getting updates as well. In addition, there’s a security update for Panther 10.3.9, and a feature update for...
8GB Asus Eee PC To Get Bigger Screen [Upgrades] →
We thought the only difference between the different pricepoints of Asus Eee PCs would be the storage and a few tiny features, like the $299 version lacking the $399 version’s webcam But Asus’s upcoming 8GB model will not only feature an extra 512MB of RAM, but a screen size of nearly 3” over its counterparts—10” in all.
Asus is managing the upgrade without increasing the...
Dell's New 30-Inch 3008WFP LCD Loaded With... →
Succeeding the 3007WFP, Dell’s latest 30-inch deskbuster LCD, the 3008WFP, packs the much-ballyhooed DisplayPort input with its visual-cortex-pleasing 2560x1600 resolution support and 10.8Gbps data rate. (Samsung was actually first out of the gate with its DisplayPort-sporting 30-incher back in July.) The 3008WFP’s more pedestrian inputs are a pair of DVI ports, HDMI, component vid,...
Apple to Roll Out Ultra-Portable 13" Laptop at... →
We’ve heard rumblings about that ultra-portable 13-inch notebook on its way from Apple for a while now, but now AppleInsider says it’ll finally be rolled out at the MacWorld Expo and Conference in the middle of January. Because an optical disc will be reportedly omitted from the design, the new Mac book will be 50% lighter than the 15-inch MacBook Pro, putting it at a featherweight 3.4...
HTC Touch Cruise Is So, So Official [Smartphones] →
We told you about the HTC Touch Cruise back when the specs leaked, but HTC has gone and made the GSM/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA phone official, admitting its affiliation and paying child support. Their third phone in the Touch line, this newest version packs a TomTom Navigator 6 GPS that’s highly viewable on the 2.8” screen. Plus you get Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3MP camera and optional MicroSD...
2007 Weblog Awards Official Results: Thanks,... →
We hate to break the news to you, but it’s official: Gizmodo came in second in the 2007 Weblog Awards competition. It was close. In the final tally, Engadget got 26,347 votes to our 26,027, a difference of a fraction of a percent. You, dear readers, made a valiant effort with a flurry of last-minute votes, but it was all for naught. We’d like to congratulate Engadget for winning the...
Ultra-portable Apple notebook to splash down at... →
Unlike last year, the annual Macworld Expo and Conference that rolls around in January will actually serve as a launch pad for some new Macs, including a chic and ultra-compact notebook design long under development by Apple Inc. The 13-inch portable will arrive in a form-factor that’s approximately 50 percent lighter and strikingly slimmer than th
Intel launches desktop and server-class 45nm... →
Filed under: Desktops
Right on schedule, we’ve got 16 new server and high-end desktop processors based on Intel’s new 45nm manufacturing and Penryn architecture. The procs all deliver more power from less juice while eliminating lead for a more eco-friendly impact over time. The QX9650 desktop proc receives the spotlight, again, as does the “world-record” setting...
AFP for iPhone and iPod touch →
Filed under: iPod Family, iPhone
Insanely awesome iPhone hacker and developer “Core” just finished implementing AFP for the iPhone and iPod touch. This software connects your iPhone (or touch) to your computer using AFP, the AppleTalk Filing Protocol. Your iPhone shows up on your desktop as a disk with full read/write access.
The AFP server is brand new, so it is not yet available...
Web Apps: Seeqpod →
This is the most amazing thing ever. Have you ever been with friends and they asked if you had a certain song and you did not? Well with internet streaming of music through Seeqpod, you have almost every song ever made right at your…