Digital Technology for Digital Living.
January 15, 2008
Steve Jobs Announces the MacBook Air at MacWorld
I hope you didn’t buy a new Apple laptop recently. Steve Jobs announced the MacBook Air at Macworld today.
The MacBook Air is the “World’s Thinnest Notebook” - even thinner than the Sony TZ, which is 0.8 to 1.2 inches thick. It’s so thin it fits in a manila envelope. Seriously. See the image below! Apple’s goal was to make a high performance 3 pound laptop, with a full size keyboard, and large display.
The MacBook Air is so thin, it only has 4 ports: USB 2.0, Micro-DVI, headphone jack and a MagSafe 45w power adapter plug.
So what did Apple leave out? An optical drive. If you really want one, Apple is selling an optional external USB powered SuperDrive for $99. So how do you install software or get files off of CD/DVD? Apple has a new piece of software called Remote Disc which can be installed on any Mac or PC on your wireless network and will let you borrow that machine’s optical drive.
MacBook Air features:
- Magnetic latch
- 5 hour battery
- multi-touch gesture trackpad
- 13.3-inch widescreen
- LED-backlit display
- built-in iSight for videoconferencing
- full-size keyboard
- 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
- 2GB RAM standard
- 80GB drive (1.8-inch hard drive. Same as in iPods.)
- 64GB SSD option
- 802.11n standard WiFi (N is the most advanced wireless on the market).
- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
You can pre-order the MacBook Air today. Apple starts shipping them in 2 weeks.
In addition to the MacBook Air, Steve Jobs also made the following announcements at MacWorld today:
- Time Capsule - a wireless backup hard drive companion to Time Machine
- iPhone & iPod Touch 1.1.3 software update - adds cell tower and WiFi location triangulation data amoung other things
- iTunes Movie Rentals - ability to rent new movies in HD
- Apple TV Take 2 - new Apple TV software allows you to instantly start watching movies you rent from iTunes
methodshop | Comments (0) | Portable
December 06, 2007
Dell D630 run over by car - Still boots
As someone who has just ordered a Dell Latitude ATG (All Terrain Grade) Notebook today - this video is rather reassuring ;-)
D630 run over by car - Still boots
I wonder how Dell’s complete care warranty handles this?
Gadgetman | Comments (0) | Portable
April 10, 2007
iPod reaches the 100 million mark
100 million iPod’s sold, that’s quite an achievement. In fact that makes the iPod the fastest selling music player in history.
It took just five and a half years for Apple to reach that number when the iPod was launched in November 2001 and since then has spawned more than 10 new iPod models including smaller versions, low cost shuffle versions and premium video versions.
Not only has the iPod improved and expanded but so has the amount of accessories that hope to make things easier for you such as covers and hard cases to head phones and speaker systems and now more than 70% of 2007-model US automobiles currently offer iPod connectivity.
The question is will Apple have the same success with the mobile phone market when it launches its iPhone or will the gadget prove too costly?
Reference for posting: http://www.i4u.com
AndyD | Comments (0) | Portable
February 14, 2007
Add Videos to Your PSP
Can’t get enough of your favorite TV show or movie? Why not take it with you on your Sony PSP? The internet is full of PSP encoded video files ready to be downloaded onto your Sony Memory Stick. But you have to know where and how to name the files in order for the PSP to read them properly.
Here’s a short tutorial that expalins how to add videos to your Sony PSP.
BeSocial: digg story | methodshop
methodshop | Comments (0) | Portable, Video
February 09, 2007
Garmin GPS Review
Sometimes it’s not just about what should you bring, but how in the hell you get there. If you’re like me (a guy) you can proabably make it from Point A to Point B in record time. The problem is, Point B is not actually your destination, but somewhere a mile or two from it. Now, I’ve been wanting a GPS for years but was concerned my wife thought it too expensive of a “toy.” So I did the next best thing… I bought her one for Christmas. (Kind of like Homer buying Marge a bowling ball) And the funny thing is, she has this amazing internal compass. She hardly ever needs the GPS, so it usually resides with me.
I’ve been using it for a little over a month and it works flawlessly. The touchscreen makes inputting destinations a snap. Due to the small size and many functions, I don’t ever see myself having to buy my wife another one… till next year.
BeSocial: amazon reviews | whatshouldibring
methodshop | Comments (0) | Wireless, Portable
February 01, 2007
Zune Screen Cracks
Here’s an important tip for Microsoft Zune owners: don’t let your Zune charge overnight!
According to Engadget, Microsoft’s customer support center has received a flood of angry phone calls from Zune owners. For some reason if you let your Zune change for an extended period of time the screen will crack. A recent post on Mac Daily News conjectures that the issue is with the lithium ion battery located directly behind the Zune’s screen. When the battery gets too hot it expands and cracks the screen.
You’d think that Microsoft would consider this issue a major design flaw and offer to replace the cracked screens. So far there hasn’t been an official statement from Microsoft yet and unfortunately cracked screens are not currently covered under the Zune’s warranty. So where does that leave Zune owners with busted screens? They can either wait for Microsoft to address this issue or pull out their wallet and have a 3rd party like iPodMods repair their cracked Zune screen.
With all the screen scratching and battery life complaints about the iPod, it’s nice to see the Zune having a little trouble too.
Be Social: digg story | methodshop
methodshop | Comments (5) | Music, Portable, Video
January 12, 2007
iPhone: Cisco vs Apple
If you were paying attention to all the hype building up to the Apple iPhone announcement on Tuesday, then you might recall the little snag concerning who actually owns the “iPhone” name.
Even though Apple unveiled the iPhone in San Francisco this week, Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems Inc., announced a product called the iPhone on December 18th, 2006. The Linksys iPhone is a Web-enabled telephone handset capable of making calls over the Internet using voice over Internet protocol (VOIP).
So how can two different companies lay claim to the “iPhone” name? That’s the problem… they can’t.
Linksys, actually owns the “iPhone” trademark because of a Cisco acquisition. A company called Infogear registered the “iPhone” name in 1996. Then Cisco then absorbed the “iPhone” trademark when it acquired Infogear in the year 2000.
So what happens now? It’s all up to the lawyers. Cisco filed a lawsuit against Apple yesterday in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco. Basically Cisco and Apple need to reach a settlement or Apple will have to call their iPhone something different like iChat Mobile.
According to the NY Post, Cisco thought it had reached a deal with Apple. The two companies were reportedly engaged in heated talks over the “iPhone” name the past few weeks leading up to the Apple iPhone announcement.
“We sent them final terms on Monday, but we never got approval back,” Cisco spokesman John Noh told The Post. “We’re very open to sharing the trademark. We made that clear. But then they went ahead and used the name without our permission.”
Apple has been trying to get the iPhone name away from Cisco since 2001 when they first released the iPod. Will Apple finally be successful? They obviously have something up their sleeve or they wouldn’t have halted talks with Cisco and just announced the iPhone this week. It will be interesting to see what happens these next few months.
Apple plans on releasing the iPhone in June 2007.
methodshop | Comments (1) | Mobile Phone, Music, Wireless, Portable, VOIP
January 08, 2007
Colorful Transcend USB Flash Drives
Tired of grey and black colored Flash drives? USB flash drives are now candy colored thanks to Transcend’s Jetflash V60.
The drives are available in four colors, with each color corresponding to a different storage capacity: orange is 512MB, blue is 1GB, red is 2GB and green is 4GB. All the Transcend drives come with basic security software including a program capable of locking your PC from prying eyes and wayward fingers alike.
A Transcend press release for the Jetflash V60 claims that “Now everyone can transfer to a paperless society.” Yes, Western civilization was just waiting for the V60 to appear in order to be convinced that a paperless society was viable.
Technical Details
- Fully compatible with Hi-Speed USB 2.0
- Easy Plug and Play installation
- Driverless (Only Windows®98SE needs the enclosed driver)
- USB powered. No external power or battery needed
- Partition & Security Function: Create a private partition with password protection
- Write Speed: 2 MBytes per Second
- Size (L x W x H): 61 x 18.6 x 9.8 mm
methodshop | Comments (0) | Portable
January 04, 2007
Copy DVDs for Your iPod
Did you get a lot of DVDs for Christmas? Want to watch them on your iPod? For years, the best DVD ripping program, Handbrake, was only available for Mac. But the unthinkable has happened. Handbrake has been ported for Windows. It’s still in the experimental beta stages, but you can download a PC version of Handbrake now.
If you are unfamiliar with Handbrake, it’s a GPL’d multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 ripper/converter. Here’s a MethodShop.com tutorial on how to use Handbrake.
Features:
- Can encode directly from DVDs (even encrypted ones) or from VIDEO_TS folders
- Supports AC3, LPCM and MPEG audio tracks
- Outputs MP4, AVI or OGM files
- Outputs AAC, MP3 or Vorbis audio
- Supports 2-pass encoding
- Supports encoding of two audio tracks
- Includes a bitrate calculator
- Supports picture deinterlacing, cropping and scaling
Links:
PC users looking for a super DVD-to-iPod easy solution should use DVD Copy by InterVideo.
methodshop | Comments (2) | Portable, Video, Digital TV, Software
December 31, 2006
SnowDrive USB Flash Drive
Our friends over at GetUSB.info stumbled upon this one while researching another product. ACP-EP Memory has teamed up with the best snowboard companies in the industry to create the first and only authentic USB Flash Drive Snowboards. They’ve combined the graphics from actual Forum Snowboards like X-Games Snowboarding Star Eddie Wall’s Signature Series Board.
With a cool rubberized feel, these snow board shaped UFDs also have authentic graphics. At the head of the board there’s even a LED light to indicate activity.
- Forum Recon 2GB SnowDrive USB 2.0 Flash Drive
- Forum Eddie Wall 1GB SnowDrive USB 2.0 Flash Drive
- Forum Recon 512MB SnowDrive USB 2.0 Flash Drive
Capacity ranges from 512MB to 2GBs with 2 year warranty. Prices range from $20-$50USD respectively.
Features
- Forum Graphics w/ Rubberized texture
- Neck strap attachment on USB Drive
- USB 2.0 High Speed Interface (USB 1.1 Compatible)
- True Plug-and-Play connection for hot swap function
- LED indicates when drive is in use
- No drivers required for Windows Me/2000/XP,
- Mac OS 9.0 or later
- Size: 24mm (W) x 4.9mm (H) x 95mm (L)
- Backed by ACP-EP Memory’s 2 Year Warranty
Is surfing not snowboarding more you style? ACP also makes USB surf boards. Check out the 2GB USB 2.0 Black Surfdrive.
methodshop | Comments (0) | Portable, Peripherals
December 07, 2006
Tetran Eats iPod Headphones
Looking for a creative way to wind up and manage your headphone cables? The Tetran is a cable wrap for iPods and other portable media players that allows users to wind an earphone cable around Tetran’s body and use her mouth as an earbud holder. Spikes prevent Tetran from rolling away, and a removable ball-bearing style chain is included for attaching Tetran to a belt loop, cell phone strap, or key ring.
According to Tunewear, the product’s manufacturer, Tetran’s 23 rubber spikes can also massage neck, hands, and feet. Really? Sounds like fun but I think I might pass on that idea. Call me crazy but I don’t really want people massaging their feet with the thing that’s used for holding my earphones.
The Tetran Headphone Cable Winder is a cute and colorful way to manage your earbud cables and accent your lifestyle. It’s available for $9 from Amazon.com. If the Tetran is a little too cute for you, there’s always the cheaper and simpler SmartWrap ($5). The SmartWrap works just like the Tetran, just without the cute spikes. Snap your earphone cord through the top fastener and wrap the length of your cord around the midsection, until you have the desired length.
Other Links: ipod headphones The largest selection of ipod headphones available all in one store. Sale now on, covering all ipod headphones!
methodshop | Comments Off | Music, Portable
October 31, 2006
Buyer Gets Soap Instead of iPod
I was on Jason D. O’Grady’s PowerPage when I saw this article and started cracking up. We’ve all heard of the iPod’s vaunted “clean design,” but this is ridiculous.
Apparently someone named Sean bought what he thought was an iPod from Smalldog.com. However after removing the shrink-wrap and opening the box, he instead found inside two bars of soap and a package of cheap batteries.
As you can imagine, Sean was pretty pissed off. I found a write up of how his conversation with a Smalldog customer service rep went on Consumerist.com.
“I picked up the phone and gave Smalldog a call… I was ready to really tear into someone when a supremely polite and nice customer service rep answered the phone. When I told her about my situation (and not too nicely, I might add), she started laughing. For a second I was shocked! I mean, first you screw up, and then you laugh at me!? But the next thing I knew, I started laughing too. She used just the right amount of humor and seriousness in helping me figure out what had happened… She also wanted to know if I took any pictures, saying that she’d love to have a few to show the other people in the office… It was good to see that someone could have a sense of humor and still be incredibly accommodating at the same time.”
The big mystery to this story is how was the iPod box shrink-wrapped if it had already been opened? There are two theories.
- Someone in the iPod factory swapped out the iPod with the soap and batteries before the box got shrink-wrapped.
- Someone at UPS or Smalldog might have done a homemade shrink-wrap job. All you need is a roll of plastic and a heated cutting device.
We will probably know exactly what happened, but this tale does have a happy ending. Sean got a replacement iPod. The moral of the story: just because something is shrink-wrapped, doesn’t mean it’s actually in the box.
methodshop | Comments (0) | General, Music, Portable
October 26, 2006
Touchscreen iPod Rumors
If the latest round of touchscreen iPod rumors are true, you may want to revise your holiday wishlist.
Touchscreen iPod rumors have been circulating around the Internet for awhile now. Even MethodShop.com posted some touchscreen iPod patent pictures back in February. The new twist to this story is that the touchscreen iPod might have a wide aspect ratio screen. This would make a lot of sense since Apple recently started selling movies on iTunes.
The new widescreen rumor originated from an anonymous executive at an iPod accessories company who spoke to someone at TrustedReviews. How reliable is this anonymous executive? Your guess is as good as ours. Anyway, here’s what Mr. Anonymous had to say:
“In a very matter of fact tone I was told that the product was not designed for the current generation of device, but the official 6G iPod… which is to be released in December. His company’s device only comes onto the market shortly before then and would benefit hugely because the new iPod would sport a screen that filled the full side of the device and consequently offer higher resolution video… This is why Jobs isn’t afraid of the Zune,’ he said, though he had no knowledge of whether wireless would make an appearance.”
This might help explain Steve Jobs dismissive attitude last week:
“Jobs is unimpressed with Microsoft’s Zune, which allows users to exchange songs. ‘It takes forever,’ said Jobs. ‘By the time you’ve gone through all that, the girl’s got up and left!’”
Adding more fuel to the fire, here’s what Gizmodo had to say about the widescreen iPod rumors:
“One thing’s for sure, if this widescreen iPod is released in the next two months, the Microsoft Zune with its old-fashioned 4×3 screen and crippled WiFi will be slam-dunked.”
methodshop | Comments (0) | General, Music, Wireless, Portable, Video
October 23, 2006
Rise In Robberies Blamed on iPod
According to several police chiefs in the UK, the popularity of the iPod may be behind a 5% increase in robberies. Ian Johnston, chief constable of the British Transport Police had this to say last Friday about the iPod and other valuable gadgets, “The mobile phone explosion is continuing. The iPod explosion is continuing. All of these gadgets that people carry around with them are very attractive to robbers, so that puts the opportunities up. We’ve obviously got to respond to that…”
Apparently just wearing an iPod in the UK can make you a target for a mugging. If you are extremely worried about being attacked for your iPod, you should consider not using the white earbuds that come with every iPod. White headphones are a dead giveaway to everyone around you that you own an iPod.
Even though overall crime in the UK has dropped, robbery rose by about 5% compared to last year. Violent crime was also slightly up nationwide mostly due to street brawls and pub fights.
In case you are curious, here’s the breakdown in recorded crime in the UK compared to last year:
- Drug offences up 16%
- Other offences against the person-with no injury up 6%
- Robbery up 5%
- Criminal damage 0%
- Theft of and from vehicles 0%
- Domestic burglary down 4%
- Other burglary down 5%
- Other thefts and handling down 6%
- More serious violence down 13%
- Other offences against the person-with injury down 4%
- Sexual offences down 6%
- Total recorded crime down 2%
methodshop | Comments (0) | General, Music, Portable
October 19, 2006
Some iPods Have PC Virus
Oops. According to a notice on Apple’s technical support site, 1% of Video iPods shipped after September 12 had a little present on their hard drives. It wasn’t something good, like free music or movies, but a computer virus called “RavMonE.exe” that spreads via removable media.
Apple’s response was the following: “As you might imagine, we are upset at Windows for not being more hardy against such viruses, and even more upset with ourselves for not catching it… So far we have seen less than 25 reports concerning this problem…. and all Video iPods now shipping are virus free.”
Mac users can breathe a sigh of relief, the “RavMonE.exe” virus only affects computers running Microsoft’s Windows operating system. If you are a PC user who recently purchased a Video iPod, you can detect and remove the virus using an anti-virus software program like Norton AntiVirus. You should also scan any mass storage devices that you have recently attached to your PC such as external hard drives, digital cameras with removable media, and USB flash drives.
Good luck.
methodshop | Comments (0) | General, Music, Portable, Software
October 16, 2006
Red iPod Helps Fight AIDS
Looks like all the rumors were true. Say hello to the new special edition red iPod Nano.
Bono, Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities have partnered with Apple Computer on a special red-colored iPod Nano to help raise money for a new charity aimed at battling AIDS in Africa called PRODUCT RED.
To help promote the new red iPod, both Oprah and Bono bought 10 red iPods at Apple’s retail store in Chicago. The video aired last Friday on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” (video).
Apple has agreed to donate $10 from the sale of each red iPod to the PRODUCT RED charity to help women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.
The PRODUCT RED charity was created by Bono and Bobby Shriver, Chairman of DATA. They hope to raise awareness and money for The Global Fund by teaming up with the world’s most iconic brands to produce PRODUCT RED branded products. Other companies that plan on offering special PRODUCT RED items include the Gap, Converse, Armani, American Express and Motorola.
According to AppleInsider, rumors of a red-colored iPod first surfaced when Bono was overheard at Dublin’s Patrick Guilbaud restaurant “discussing a new charity red AmEx card and red iPod.”
methodshop | Comments (0) | General, Music, Portable
October 13, 2006
Live News via Treo Phone
When a single-engine plane crashed into an Upper East Side apartment building on Wednesday, Fox News Channel delivered early video to its viewers from the crash site using a hand-held mobile phone with live streaming video.
Scott Wilder, a Fox cameraman, had been about 20 blocks away on another assignment when the crash occurred. Wilder ran uptown and reported live from the scene using a hand-held Palm Treo Smartphone that uses the existing mobile network to transmit video to the Fox News control room. From there, Fox News sent it out live on TV to supplement other video being shot by local traffic helicopters.
The picture quality from the crash site wasn’t spectacular, but it was live. Wilder was also able to talk to “Studio B” anchor Shepard Smith on the same phone and give a live “man on the street” report to Fox viewers.
As these advanced video phones become more and more popular, we can probably expect a surge of citizen journalism. If YouTube can make anyone an Internet celebrity, a video phone can make anyone a reporter. Right?
methodshop | Comments (0) | General, Mobile Phone, Portable, Video, Digital Camera
September 28, 2006
Free on iTunes: Battlestar Galactica The Story So Far
With the premiere of season 3 of Battlestar Galactica just two weeks away (October 6th), the Sci Fi Channel (US) has released a free retrospective episode of the first two seasons of Battlestar Galactica on iTunes. They hope to entice new viewers to the show, as well as remind current fans just where the series left off.
I found this official press release on ScFi.com:
SCI FI Channel and its sister NBC Universal networks will air a one-hour recap special of the original series Battlestar Galactica in advance of the show’s October third-season premiere. Battlestar Galactica: The Story So Far will incorporate footage from the original SCI FI miniseries and the previous two seasons of the Peabody Award-winning series. The special will be narrated from the point of view of Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell), the resistance leader on Cylon-occupied New Caprica.
Throughout September, The Story So Far will also be made available for download via iTunes and XBox Live and will be distributed at Best Buy as a bonus DVD with the Battlestar Galactica season 2.5 DVD set and other genre titles from Universal Home Video. The DVD will also be distributed to visitors to the Universal Studios theme parks, and snippets of the special will be available on YouTube.com, Google Video and other video portal sites.
Here’s the iTunes link for: Battlestar Galactica: The Story So Far
Why not? It’s a great show and the price is right (free).
methodshop | Comments (0) | General, Portable, Video, Digital TV
September 18, 2006
MacBook Cat Toy
YouTube user Matt Coats has found the perfect toy for his pet cat named Robot… the only problem is it costs about $1000 and it’s his MacBook laptop.
Not only is the MacBook very warm and the perfect place to take a little catnap, but it can also provide hours of entertainmnet thanks to Apple’s media center application called Front Row.
Matt setup a camera and put his MacBook on the floor. You can check out the video here on YouTube.
Let’s hope Matt got Robot declawed or invested in some scratch proof screen protectors.
youtube | digg story | methodshop
methodshop | Comments (0) | General, Portable, Toys, Software
September 15, 2006
iTunes 7 Interface Changes
After you download and install iTunes 7, you may be a little surprised at the new user interface. It doesn’t even remotely resemble the standard Mac OS X Aqua theme set. iTunes 7 has a much flatter and darker appearance like a Windows or Java application.
The reaction to the new iTunes 7 interface is mixed at best. Most people feel iTunes 6 was prettier with its bright glossy controls gone. True. But the smoother and darker interface of iTunes 7 at least cleanly packs more features into the familiar iTunes interface. As a result, the new iTunes 7 interface makes it much easier to sort movies and TV shows from your music. Also iTunes now plays back video much better than it did before. Probably a good idea since they are selling movies now.
So why would Apple make such a drastic interface design change? Could this be a taste of things to come in Apple’s next operating system - Leopard? Has Aqua been replaced by a flat, smooth, darker appearance? If you think hard enough, you might remember that iTunes got the new improved Aqua interface before the rest of the iLife 06 apps.
methodshop | Comments (0) | General, Broadband, Music, Portable, Software
