Xandros' Linux Based Instant-on OS 'Presto' Available for Beta Download

by EndUser at 11:46 PM PDT, March 20, 2009

Unless you are the kind of person who when they get a new PC instantly goes into 'wipe and donate' mode, odds are that you have an old PC or two laying around collecting dust. Myself, I'm up to three or four. A few have some potential and I've often told myself that they would be good candidates for a Linux conversion, but honestly that is some big talk on my part seeing as I don't know the first thing about setting up a Linux system. But since the beta of Xandros' 'Presto' instant-on OS is available maybe I'll go that route instead.

A Linux based utility that once installed through XP or Vista, sits right along side that OS, presenting itself at startup as an OS option, it allows you to fire up old computers in seconds that were once painfully slow. The beauty of Presto for the layman is that it is a simple install designed to coexist with your existing Windows OS. Just install as you would any other program, do some minor configuring and reboot. Xandros provides a series of free applications with the install to fill your taskbar with including a full version of Firefox, Open Office, Skype, IM, file access for managing existing files, WiFi and a connection to the Presto application store. A pretty wide variety of applications can be found at the application store, some free some not. Presto is definitely not designed to replace a full functioning Windows OS, or a full fledged Linux replacement, but it seems to definitely be a handy and inexpensive tool to get an old PC moving much quicker, especially for simple tasks like browsing, webmail, IM, skype, etc. A two week trial of Presto is available now and the final version launching on April 13th for $20. Check out the two videos for the tool below.

This one is the Xandros company line and comes off a little cheesy.

This one is via testing site jkkmobile.blogspot.com.

--Tom Milnes

Bites from the Apple: iPhone 3.0 Previewed

by EndUser at 3:49 PM PDT, March 17, 2009

Today, Apple released the development hounds and gave a preview of what the next iteration of the iPhone operating system--iPhone 3.0--will look like when it when it becomes official sometime this summer. First off, answers to the two most burning questions surround:

• Yes, copy and paste capabilities are included.
• No new iPhone hardware (or Mac tablet/netbook).

The object of today's event was to release the Software Developer's Kit (SDK), which will make it possible for software authors to write code for the new iPhone 3.0 platform. The iPhone 3.0 software is in beta right now, and it will be released at some undetermined point this summer (sometime between June and the end of August--and TidBITS reminds us it's "seldom wise to assume the earliest possible date that counts as 'summer.'") It will be available as a free upgrade for current iPhone 3G owners, while iPod touch customers once again get the shaft and have to pay $10 for the upgrade. Owners of the original iPhone (or, as I like to call it, the OG iPhone) will also be able to get the iPhone 3.0 software as a free upgrade, but not all features of the new platform will be available (looks like it will be time for me to upgrade my hardware).

While the jump to the iPhone 2.0 platform from the original iPhone software (covered here last year) seemed to rocket things forward with the introduction of the App Store as well as location capabilities in the GPS-enabled iPhone 3G, this jump to iPhone 3.0 feels more like a moon shot compared to last year's orbital flight. And where iPhone 2.0 was focused largely on what third-party developers could bring to the table, iPhone 3.0 brings more focus on internal improvements in addition to opening things up even more to developers. Here are a handful of highlights from the over 100 new features announced today:

• Copy and Paste. It's system-wide, meaning something copied within one app can be pasted there or in another app. In addition to text, you can also copy images to be pasted into email. And there's even a shake-to-undo function.

  

• Spotlight Search. In addition to searching within some of the main iPhone applications such as Mail, Calendar and iPod, you can also search data across all supported apps using Spotlight search (which is found in the Mac OS).

• Stereo Bluetooth. You'll now be able to use A2DP-enabled Bluetooth stereo headphones and compatible speaker docks to wirelessly stream music from the iPhone (not available for OG iPhones).

• MMS. The Multimedia Messaging Service (or MMS) is now supported, enabling you to receive not only photos via a new Messages application (with SMS text messaging still included) but also sending contact info via the VCard standard (again, not available on OG iPhones).

• Tethering. The iPhone 3.0 software will support the ability to use your iPhone 3G as a modem for your laptop, enabling you to access the interwebs wherever you have 3G connectivity. However, Gizmodo notes that during the Q&A portion of today's events, Apple has put the onus of actually implementing tethering capabilities on the carriers--the iPhone 3.0 software will support it, but it's up to AT&T and other carriers around the world to provide the service (at an extra charge, of course).

• Note Syncing. You'll finally be able to synchronize the notes you take on your iPhone via iTunes. No syncing of to-dos, but I'm sure Apple is more than happy to let developers reap the benefits of the myriad to-do apps that are available.

• GPS into Apps. While turn-by-turn directions aren't directly enabled by iPhone 3.0, the phone's core location capabilities can now be accessed by developers, meaning a third-party navigation solution should be forthcoming.

• Bonjour. Apple's Bonjour networking protocol has been added, which will enable peer-to-peer connectivity via Wi-Fi and automatic Bluetooth discovery in order to exchange files as well as play games with other iPhone owners. However, don't even think about sharing music files.

• In-App Subscriptions.. Developers can now design apps where additional content--such as higher levels of a game--can be purchased through the iPhone app. CNet notes that "this was demoed on the upcoming EA title The Sims 3, which will let users buy items for their virtual character using an in-game store interface."

• Push Notification. After initially being promised as part of last year's iPhone 2.0 software, iPhone 3.0 has a newly revamped push notification feature that allows third party servers to send an update via text or sound, and this works in the background (i.e., you don't have to have the app open) much like how the current SMS messaging app works. And, as Ars Technica reports, it sounds like the biggest stumbling block to making this happen over the last year was battery life concern:

  Third-party servers can send text or sound notifications to Apple's server, which then pushes them to a user's iPhone. (Apple executive Scott) Forstall said Apple prefers this approach to allowing background processes because of battery life. The company's testing with BlackBerry and Windows Mobile devices showed an 80 percent decrease in standby battery life when using background processes. Push Notifications, on the other hand, only resulted in a 23 percent decrease.

• And a slew of others... including hotspot automatic log-in, a Voice Memo app, shake-to-shuffle music (much like Sony Ericsson's Walkman phones, like the W760a), new calendar format support (CalDAV and .ics), YouTube account log-in, and a landscape keyboard in apps like Mail, Messages, and Notes.

What's missing? Flash, of course. But Apple continues to tout the streaming H.264 video from sites like YouTube, CBS Mobile and BBC as a replacement. We'll be honing in on all the new features and offer more info as things shake out in our regular Friday edition of Bites.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

In topics: Apple

Dell Launches New High-End Brand with the Adamo Laptop

by EndUser at 7:51 PM PDT, March 17, 2009

So, you say as tough as times are you are just not into the inexpensive E-toys that are Netbooks. You need a real toy, or at least one with a 13" screen. Oh Dell loves you, nay, they need you and they definitely want your business. So, with that in mind today they launched their high end Adamo laptop.

Dubiously billed, as "the world's thinnest laptop" -- dubious because as soon as you say that someone, somewhere takes issue with it -- maybe less debatable is that the Adamo is also the launch product in Dell's new high-end brand of the same name. Yup, Dell a company that has struggled over the last several months if not longer in the current tough economic times and it's own bad decisions has decided to try to take the high-end road back to the top. Will it work? Not on its own of course, but maybe it won't hurt anymore than doing nothing would either. Dell's press release from earlier in the day portrays the Adamo and the items in the new brand as part of its "...commitment to design and personalization across its entire product line," only instead of bamboo and bright gaudy art they are aiming here at consumers they presume wish to be "...rewarded by the select materials and craftsmanship you would expect in a fine watch." Okay, that might fly somewhere, especially if you have the cash for one of these boxes. Yet Engadget is already tossing some light criticism of the unit's power to price ratio, but then again this is not even day one, so I'll let you decide. The Adamo comes in Onyx and Peal color schemes and the two fairly haughtily named configurations of "Admire" and "Desire." Here are the specs on those (from the Australian Dell site):

Admire

• 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor with Centrino technology
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64 bit Edition
• 2GB 800MHz DDR3 dual-channel memory2
• 128GB3 solid state drive
• Super-thin 13.4-inch 16:9 (High Definition; 720p) WLED display
• Full-size keyboard with back-lighting and scalloped, metallic key cap design
• Integrated 1.3 megapixel camera and integrated digital microphone
• IO: Display Port (with external DVI adapter included), USBx3 (1 eSATA combination), Audio Out and integrated RJ-45 port
• Communications: Gigabit LOM, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11n (3x3)
• 5+ hr battery life using Li-Polymer cells; 40 Whr
• Compact power adapter
• Dimensions: (w x d x h) 13.03 x 9.5 x 0.65 in (331 x 242 x 16.39 mm)
• $1,999

Desire

• 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor with Centrino technology
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64 bit Edition
• 4GB 800MHz DDR3 dual-channel memory2
• 128GB3 solid state drive
• Mobile Broadband4
• Super-thin 13.4-inch 16:9 (High Definition; 720p) WLED display
• Full-size keyboard with back-lighting and scalloped, metallic key cap design
• Integrated 1.3 megapixel camera and integrated digital microphone
• IO: Display Port (with external DVI adapter included), USBx3 (1 eSATA combination), Audio Out and integrated RJ-45 port
• Communications: Gigabit LOM, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11n (3x3)
• 5+ hr battery life using Li-Polymer cells; 40 Whr
• Compact power adapter
  Dimensions: (w x d x h) 13.03 x 9.5 x 0.65 in (331 x 242 x 16.39 mm)
• $2,699

Any opinions, or maybe even takers on these? They will supposedly be available on March 27th.

Apple Debuts Tiny, Talking 4GB iPod shuffle

by EndUser at 3:08 PM PDT, March 11, 2009

Today Apple announced the newest addition to its iPod line, the third-generation iPod shuffle. The new player sports several major design changes from earlier shuffle models, including an industry first. The first thing you'll notice is that the control wheel has been removed from the face of the 3G shuffle. This allowed Apple to shrink the player even more, and at just 1.8" tall and 0.3" thick it's currently the world's smallest MP3 player. The wheel is replaced by an in-line controller located on the right earbud cord of the included headphones. The shuffle is compatible with other headphones, but will require an optional adapter for control.

Like the older models, the new shuffle doesn't have a display. However, this time Apple has added VoiceOver--the first vocal feedback system on an MP3 player. Press and hold the middle button of the controller, and the shuffle will say song and artist information out loud. VoiceOver is also used to switch between multiple playlists, and can tell users when the battery is low. It even speaks in 14 different languages, and will play nice with Italian opera and Swedish metal collections.

Other upgrades include 4GB of storage, twice that of the previous model, and beefier construction. The case is still made of anodized aluminum, but the belt clip is forged from stainless steel. A nice touch for a player that is so very tiny. Interested parties can preorder the new iPod shuffle now, or check out more info at the official site.

The SDXC Storage Format Gets Its First Card

by EndUser at 3:10 PM PDT, March 9, 2009

As someone with a stack of 1 - 2GB cards of various formats spread between a variety of devices, honestly I can't imagine what having a 2TB card would be like, or what it would cost for that matter. Hopefully though you and I both may get some insight into this fairly soon though, as Pretec has just announced its first SDXC format card.

The Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC) format was only just announced to be in the latter stages of development at this year's CES. Part of that announcement was the format's 2 terabyte upper size limit and transfer speeds up 104MB/sec (eventually perhaps as high as 300MB/sec). This of course means that the Pretec card's 32MB storage/50MB per second transfer speed shows that there is a lot of room for improvement, which is more than okay since I don't believe that there are any devices in existence yet that are compatible with the format. So, with this in mind the question I suppose has to be why go to the effort to put out a measly 32GB card that can't be used on any device? Well, I suppose it simply doesn't hurt to be first to the party and to show device manufacturers that these mega cards are really going to happen. Look for more information in the months to come on other card manufacturers trying their hand at raising the SDXC bar and hopefully devices supporting the format. And if you missed the announcement for the new format at CES take a look at the press release for it below.

SDXC SIGNALS NEW GENERATION OF REMOVABLE MEMORY
WITH UP TO 2 TERABYTES OF STORAGE

SDXC Memory Cards Provide Consumers with Massive Storage,
Incredible Speed in Familiar, De Facto Standard

LAS VEGAS – CES Booth South 3 #31277 – Jan. 7, 2009 – The next-generation SDXC (eXtended Capacity) memory card specification, announced today at the 2009 International CES, dramatically improves consumers' digital lifestyles by providing the portable storage and speed needed to store weeks of high-definition video, years of photo collections and months of music to mobile phones, cameras and camcorders, and other consumer electronic devices. The new SDXC specification provides up to 2 terabytes storage capacity and accelerates SD interface read/write speeds to 104 megabytes per second this year, with a road map to 300 megabytes per second.

The SDXC specification, developed by the SD Association, leapfrogs memory card interface speeds while retaining the world-leading SD interface. Specifications for the open standard will be released in the first quarter of 2009. SDHC, Embedded SD and SDIO specifications will also benefit from the new SD interface speeds.

"SDXC combines a higher capacity roadmap with faster transfer speeds as a means to exploit NAND flash memory technology as a compelling choice for portable memory storage and interoperability," said Joseph Unsworth, research director, NAND Flash Semiconductors, at Gartner. "With industry support, SDXC presents manufacturers with the opportunity to kindle consumer demand for more advanced handset features and functionality in consumer electronics behind the ubiquitous SD interface."

Turning mobile phones into media centers
SDXC allows users to enjoy more from their mobile phones. Larger capacity and faster transfer speeds allow for expanded entertainment and data storage. A 2TB SDXC memory card can store 100 HD movies, 60 hours of HD recording or 17,000 fine-grade photos.

"With SDXC, consumers can quickly download higher quality content to their phones, including games, video and music – giving consumers a richer media and content experience," said James Taylor, president of the SD Association. "The SD interface already has proven itself valuable in mobile phones. Now, SDXC memory card capabilities will spur further handset sophistication and boost consumer content demand."

Shooting pictures at the speed of life
SDXC is also the first memory card specification to provide 2TB storage without hindering the high-speed performance necessary for high-end photography. It will provide maximum speeds even when the SDXC specification achieves its maximum 2TB storage capacity.

"SDXC is a large-capacity card that can store more than 4,000 RAW images, which is the uncompressed mode professionals use, and 17,000 of the fine-mode most consumers use. That capacity, combined with the exFAT file system, increases movie recording time and reduces starting time to improve photo-capturing opportunities," said Shigeto Kanda, general manager at Canon. "Improvements in interface speed allow further increases in continuous shooting speed and higher resolution movie recordings. As a memory card well suited to small-sized user-friendly digital cameras, the SDXC specification will help consumers realize the full potential of our cameras."

SDXC will enable camcorders to provide longer, professional level HD video recording with a small form factor.

The SDXC specification uses Microsoft's exFAT file system to support its large capacity and interoperability in a broad range of PCs, consumer electronics and mobile phones. The exFAT system was designed for increased compatibility with flash media, from portability of data to interoperability with multiple platforms and devices on removable media.

"The SD Association is committed to answering and anticipating consumer demand for easy-to-use memory card storage that is interoperable in any device with a matching SD slot," Taylor said. "The SDXC card gives consumers a new, yet familiar, high-performance card that will be used in hundreds of manufacturers' device offerings."

Sony Touchscreen Walkman Specs Unveiled

by EndUser at 8:16 PM PDT, March 9, 2009

Back in January, I got a chance to check out the new Sony NWZ-1000 Touchscreen Walkman at CES in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, and much to my consternation, it was locked under a glass housing and the Sony rep didn't have much in the way of detailed specifications. While I have yet to actually play with one, Sony has released more details about the NWZ-1000 family of players.

The 3-inch touch-enabled OLED display has a 432 x 240 WQVGA resolution, and the unit will play WMV, MPEG-4, and H.264 video formats. Sony's new Walkman also supports music encoded in MP3, WMA, and AAC formats, but omits the lossless FLAC format that has become popular with audiophiles. Potential buyers will have their choice of 16GB or 32GB solid state drives for storage. Other bells and whistles include Wi-Fi support, automatic podcast downloading, direct YouTube access, an FM tuner, S-master digital audio amplification, and digital noise cancellation capability with the bundled headphones. According to the spec sheet, the NWZ-1000 series also appears to support direct Drag-and-Drop file transfers. Battery life is rated at 33 hours for music playback and 9 hours for video use. We're still waiting for an official release date; however European readers can preorder the 16GB or 32GB Touchscreen Walkman from Amazon.co.uk right now.

Chinese Cell Maker Knocks Together a Smart Phone with a PSP

by EndUser at 1:44 PM PST, March 6, 2009

Cellphone gaming is certainly nothing new and neither are Transformers - yup, that is smart machines that change into other smart machines - but merging the two? That is something else entirely and is apparently what Chinese mobile phone supplier solomobi.com is looking to do with the Cool8800C. A Nokia Smart Phone knock-off, the Cool8800C opens up into something that looks like a fragile -- if just because it is fold-able -- PlayStation Portable (PSP), complete with d-pad, that is advertised as able to play old school Nintendo games (NES). Hmmm?

Of course the Cool8800C is also advertised as doing much more than this, touching on all the hot buttons of the day: E-book reader, FM radio, MP3/MP4, bla-bla-bla. Can it do any of these things well, if at all? Who knows. NES games are mentioned, but no titles are given or information on how you access them. These doubts aside, considering the fact that it would seem that Sony will never actually make a true PSP phone (Skype doesn't count) for we handheld gamers who love our PSP's, but for that little bit of missing functionality, this little device would be intriguing, but unfortunately 'made and marketed in China' still means something negative. It's not the geography that is the issue, it is just that the images of the device make it look like it wouldn't last a week and the product specs on the solomobi.com product page are translated so poorly that you kind of have to laugh. You can see some of those specs below. They won't make me want to buy since $140 is still $140, but they do raise the question as to whether the much rumored and denied by Sony, PSP2 won't have some communication functionality when it eventually releases. And if it doesn't, maybe it should. See the Cool8800C specs below, all as listed on its product page:

Hot Spots

• World first pair turn over of Televison phone
• Dual sim card work at the same time
• NES GAMES
• E-book reader
• Dual Screen
• TV player
• FM radio
• Bluetooth
• MP3/MP4
• Language:English/Chinese

Features

1. 2.4/16:9 WQVGA LCM, 260k QVGA ; PX: 240*400
2. 200 group contacts
3. T-Flash Card Suphporting,1GB for free,support extend TF card to 8GB max
4. 0.3 Mega pixel camera for Picture & Video capability,solomobi.com test put out biggest size is 640*480
5. Stereo Loud speaker, 64 chord ring tone
6. MP3 & MP4 player
7. GPRS & WAP connectivity, MMS Transceive
8. U disk support function to keep the information storage
9. Bluetooth
10. FM radio,
11. calendar,To do list,Alarm,World Clock,Spotwatch
12. caller picture,caller Ring Tone,caller video
13. Telephone directories:200groups of contacts, support incoming call with big head sticker,group ring an Messages &Multimedia messaging:SMS, support MMS; can use downloaded MP3 as SMS rings
14. Schedule power on/off: support to start/close under set time
15. Alarm clock:5 groups, support alarm clock when machines closed, can set from Monday to Sunday
16. Games: 3 common games
17. More information: MP3/MP4/Handsfree/SMS group sending/Voice recorder/WAP/Keyboard written+Handwritting input/Bluetooth/GPRS download/MMS/Memory extended/bluetooth/calendar/to do list/alarm clock/calculatorr/world time/Radio/E-book reader/Currency converter/dual sim dual standby/Mobile QQ/City Map.....

ASUS Moving Ahead With a Foldable, No Fan Laptop in '09

by EndUser at 6:45 PM PST, March 6, 2009

Earlier this year at CES ASUS presented a variety of prototype laptops for the media's consideration. These are designed for efficiency, in some cases utilizing changeable outer skins of materials like paper and in all cases centered around forward thinking outer design approaches. (see a video of those here) They came off as very interesting and not surprisingly, pretty futuristic in a "well, maybe some day" kind of way. That last point makes it all that more surprising that according to a post by Engadget today, ASUS is not only moving ahead with one of these designs, but plans to ship it by the third quarter of '09. The model in question is the 'Fold/Unfold' AIRO laptop. The AIRO is designed around a keyboard that not only sits at a slight angle and is open at right and left ends, but glides towards and away from the user as it is either opened or closed. The angled and open-ended design allows the unit to dispense with a cooling fan, relying instead on convection cooling, which limits inner components' heat exposure extending their lifespan, while the sliding action of the keyboard allows for a more ergonomic layout and more space on the keyboard and touch pad. The very thin and pretty fragile looking units that have been displayed are doubtless prototypes, and there has been no announcements about components, additional features or price, so this baby is far from cooked yet, but with Q3 not that far away, we may be hearing more about this soon. Let design is a little hard to put into words, so check out the video below:

What's New with the Kindle 2?

by Aric Annear on February 25, 2009

The Kindle 2 started shipping in earnest yesterday, and many who've been keeping abreast of the e-book reader may be wondering what exactly makes it differ from its predecessor besides it's looks. While it wouldn't make sense for us to give it a formal gadget review (since it's our product and we'd clearly be biased), we can give a side-by-side feature comparison between the two to help you understand better how the device has improved over the past year.

So for the curious, here briefly is a rundown of the most important changes and new features in the Kindle 2:

Obvious Stuff: The Cosmetics

It's thin. Real thin. The original Kindle was a little less than an inch (0.7") at its thickest point and it tapered on one side. The Kindle 2 is about a third of an inch (0.36") all the way across, about the thickness of a magazine. The back now has a stainless steel finish, removing the potential battery cover mishaps a few users were experiencing. The interface is much cleaner, replacing the scroll wheel and animated side cursor with mirrored side buttons and a simple five-way rocker switch. A lot of functions are consolidated to this rocker switch, letting you pull up, navigate, and select items in popup menus.

The 6"-diagonal screen is the same size but supports more shades of grey--16 shades versus the original Kindle's 4--making graphics easier on the eyes and making image-heavy content like blogs much more pleasant to read.

Faster Pages

The Kindle 2 just plain runs faster, with 20% faster page turns. It's one of those statistics that doesn't necessarily stand out on paper; but having both Kindles side-by-side, believe me it makes a difference.

Longer Battery

The battery lasts about 25% longer in the new Kindle. That means four days of reading with the wireless turned on, and up to two weeks with the wireless antenna turned off.

Text-to-Speech

Now the Kindle will even read your books to you. The text-to-speech function features a male and female voice that will recite book content through the onboard speaker or connected headphones. The text-to-speech works surprisingly well, though I personally found the male voice to be a little less "robotic".

No Memory Card Slot

You can play MP3s on the Kindle 2, but keep the 1.4 GB capacity in mind because the SD card slot has been removed in this version. Amazon backs up all your content purchases, though, so you can make room where you need to.

Web Browsing

Amazon's "Whispernet" 3G network will now let you peruse web pages in addition to downloading books. Wikipedia, Dictionary.com, and more are browsable right on the Kindle with no data plan or bills. I'm not going to lie--the web functionality's pretty limited and it's never going to replace a dedicated web browsing device, but it's great if you want to look up a word in a book you're reading, looking for a quick recipe, or want more background on the topic at hand.

Want to know more? Learn more about the Kindle 2 on Amazon.com.

Tags: Kindle

Bites from the Apple: Form and Function

by EndUser at 3:15 PM PST, March 1, 2009

This week was a reminder that Apple isn't just a hardware company. Despite many a fanboy/fangirl's obsession over the latest cooly designed aluminum delectability, Apple keeps reminding us that they're about software and services. The big splash was the rather unexpected drop of the beta version of the Safari 4 web browser, but it was followed by some minor refreshes of the MobileMe subscription service and a few more leaks of the next version of the Mac OS X operating system--Snow Leopard.

Having been a full-on Firefox user for several years now, it's hard for me to compare Safari 4 to its previous iteration (and this is made especially difficult as the new beta software overwrites your previous version), but there are a few very obvious new features that have been getting attention, including Top Sites, which displays your most visited sites in a very cool grid, and the addition of Cover Flow to your bookmarks. While good for eye candy, I agree with Doug McLean over at TidBITS, who is skeptical about the usefulness of both features. I think I'd actually use Top Sites if it allowed me to pick what sites would appear rather than basing it on the number of times I visit a site, as there are sites that I might not view as much as others but I'd like to have them front and center when I fire up the browser. As it stands now, you can only modify the number of sites that appear, "pin" a site to a specific location within Top Site, or delete a site (which may show up again later if you visit it more).

From a user interface (UI) perspective, Safari 4 will take a bit of getting used to as it places its tabs (now de rigueur for a browser) up in the title bar rather than placed within the browsing window as is typically done (and not everyone is a fan). And from a speed perspective, Safari 4 does seem a bit springier (Apple boasts that Safari's new JavaScript engine can render sites up to 4.2 times faster than the Safari 3.x and 30 times faster than Internet Exlporer 7; Lifehacker has some actual speed tests that seem to corroborate these claims). But I'm too invested in Firefox's extensibility and the tools I use within it every day (Foxmarks for syncing bookmarks, a TinyURL creator, FlashBlock, etc.) to make the switch back to Safari (even though I curse Firefox's stability from time to time). If you've had some time to play around with the new Safari, let us know what you think in the comments.

• If you're comfortable writing up some Terminal commands, Caius Durling provides some hidden preferences you can manipulate, including moving the tabs and removing Cover Flow (via TUAW).

• MobileMe got a cosmetic change to its launch page as well as some UI tweaks to its Mail and Calendar components. But the most important aspect of this update is that push capability--touted as a major feature when MobileMe was launched, but then pulled after its epic fail--has returned. CNet's iPhone Atlas has the goods:

  Any updates that you make to contacts or calendars on your Mac in iCal or Addressbook, or on your PC using Microsoft Outlook are automatically and rather quickly pushed to the cloud. Conversely, any updates made to MobileMe data at me.com, or on an iPhone or iPod Touch is pushed back your Mac or PC.

  After doing some testing, the pushing of calendar and contact data was very quick and seamless with changes made either on my Mac or on my iPhone appearing equally as fast (for more on setting up your iPhone for push, check out this Apple instruction page). These changes come on the heels of the Share File feature that was released earlier in February.

• The World of Apple blog posted some images and video of the latest build for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard... and they were promptly taken down at Apple's request. And while other sites have also had those screenshots taken down as well as descriptions redacted, Wired's Epicenter blog still has their take on what they saw in the images--more applications running as 64-bit (which should translate into some speed boosts) and slimmer application file sizes as well as smaller RAM usage. There's still no release date for Snow Leopard, but AppleInsider reports that the current Leopard OS should be getting a new update (to 10.5.7) in the near future with tweaks to syncing and Time Machine among others.

• In addition to Safari 4, the Mozilla-based Camino browser released its 2.0 beta version this week (via Ars Technica).

• The Omni Group has now opened up four of its paid applications as free downloads, including the OmniWeb browser as well as OmniDiskSweeper, the OmniDazzle presentation tool, and OmniObjectMeter memory optimization tool (via TidBITS).

• Rumor watch: Electronista reports that high-end iMacs seem to be in short supply with several online retailers, which could point to a refresh coming soon. Maybe. One stock analyst isn't expecting any iMacs until June.

• Gizmodo has a review of the Cadillac of Apple laptops--a fully loaded 17-inch MacBook Pro complete with 256 MB SSD (solid state disk drive)--and they're liking it despite the fact that it's only getting about half of the 8 hours of battery life that Apple boasted.

• Another blow to old media relevance: After Adam Corolla's radio show was nixed from the airwaves on February 20, he turned to podcasting as a way to keep the radio show going. After just a week, it's now sitting atop the iTunes Podcast chart (link opens iTunes) and has been downloaded over 1 million times during its first week.

• Like Godzilla on the rampage through Tokyo, Apple has issued a store-wide takedown order for all iPhone/iPod touch apps that include Emoji pictographs (basically, Japanese-based emoticons that have a wider range of expression and iconography). Ars Technica reports that this might be due to the fact that Emoji access data that lives outside of the Emoji-enabling app, which is a no-no in iPhone development (which is also one of the reasons the iPhone currently doesn't do copy-and-paste).

• Apple TV got a software update this week, which wipes out Boxee and any other 3rd party hacks that may have been installed. (However, Cult of Mac reports that re-applying the patchstick brings back the Boxee hack.) Aside from breaking the hacks, there doesn't seem to be much else included in this update other than a Network Test function.

• And finally... for the rad kid in your life, an iPhone skateboard deck (via Slippery Brick):

  

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Tags: Bites, Apple

New USB Cable Provides Reason to Keep it Handy

by EndUser at 7:57 PM PST, February 27, 2009

With every layer of technology that is added to our lives in the form of devices, so appear a bevvy of things that come packaged with these devices. It seems like only yesterday that USB was fresh and new, but if you are a gear head, odds are that you have a box full of cables; different colors, lengths, but all pretty utilitarian. So why would you want or need another? Well, what if you could dedicate a task aside from data transferring and peripheral charging to a cable, say media card reading? That's just what you can do with the 2-in-1 SD(HC) Card Reader Cable from Brando.

A combination of a SD(HC) memory card reader and mini-USB cable, it allows you to transfer data from the SDHC memory card to PC while charging USB devices such as, PDAs, mobile phones, digital cameras from the same connection to your PC. It's handy and definitely can do more than anything you have got stashed in the cable box in the closet. It will run you about $12 and comes in a microSD version as well.

Features include:

• Mini USB data cable
• USB 2.0
• Compatible with SDHC / SD / MMC II / RS MMC / Ultra II SD / Extreme SD / Extreme III SD / *MiniSD / *T-Flash / *MicroSD / *MicroSDHC(**Adapter is required)
• Integrated with a USB Charging cable
• Support Window 2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS 9.0 or higher
• Cable Length: 90cm (approx.)
• Weight: 29g

*When the cardreader is functioning, the data transfer cable function is disabled but the charging function is still available.

Package Content:

• 2-in-1 SD(HC) Card Reader Cable

Tags: USB Cable