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03:53
Mac OS X software updates for Feb. 9

Here are the latest updates for Mac OS X apps.

Econ Technologies has updated ChronoSync to version 4.3 and ChronoAgent for Mac to version 1.3. ChronoSync is the automated synchronization and backup application for Mac OS X and ChronoAgent for Mac is a utility that runs on the destination Mac and communicates directly with ChronoSync, giving you full root access to the destination Mac. For more info go to econtechnologies.com .

Fournova has announced Tower 1.4 (http://www.git-tower.com), an update to the company's $59 Git client for Mac OS X. It provides an interface that combines all the important features Git has to offer; the new release introduces submodule support.

Tagtraum industries has released beaTunes 3.5 (http://www.beatunes.com/), an update to the $34.95 music library management and music analysis tool for...

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Feb 08
Greenpeace: Apple's not green enough

Apple has come under fire from the Greenpeace environmental group for a lack of effort to raise awareness around issues of climate change and address itsown energy use levels, despite record profits in recent months, reports "V3" (http://macte.ch/Jwuia).

Greenpeace's "Cool IT Leaderboard" report (http://macte.ch/xd37Y) assess many of the world's major technology firms for their work in raising the awareness of climate change issues, the work they do to reduce their own energy output and the services they provides for others to try and reduce their own impact.
Greenpeace said Apple wasn't even included in its report because the firm had made so little effort on these issues, notes "V3."

"It has not demonstrated leadership or elected to pursue market opportunities to drive IT energy solutions that many of its competitors have, despite...

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Feb 08
U.S. Air Force reportedly planning to buy 'thousands' of iPad...

The U.S. Air Force wants to buy thousands of iPad 2s for crews that fly cargo aircraft, according to "TabTimes" (http://macte.ch/sP9kC).

The goal: to replace the paper charts and technical manuals the crews now have to carry, the article adds. The Air Force’s Air Mobility Command’s (AMC) planned purchase could be the largest single federal order for a tablet, according to the site "NextGov" (http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/), which reported on the deal after seeing a notice at the Federal Business Opportunities website.

The notice said AMC wants to buy "a minimum of 63 and a maximum of 18,000, iPad 2, Brand Name or Equal devices” for cargo aircraft such as the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster.

"NextGov" also says that Teri Takai, the Defense Department's chief information officer, kicked off a speech at the...

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Feb 08
Petitions on overseas working conditions to be delivered to Apple

Two online petitions asking Apple to improve conditions in overseas manufacturing plants (such as the Foxconn facilities in China) ahead of the next iPhone will be hand delivered to a number of Apple's retail stores tomorrow, reports "CNET."

Watchdog group SumOfUs (http://sumofus.org/) says that it plans to deliver its own petition, along with one from Change.org, to a number of Apple's retail stores around the world. That includes New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, London, Sydney, and Bangalore.

Combined, the two petitions have amassed more than 250,000 signatures, the group said. SumOfUs started an online grassroots campaign last month calling on Apple to address dangerous conditions in factories manufacturing the rumored iPhone 5.

"I use an iPhone myself. I love it, but I don’t love having to support sweatshops, and neither do millions of other Apple consumers," says Taren Stinebrickner-...

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Feb 08
Apple to stream Paul McCartney concert

Apple is supporting Paul McCartney's new album release with a free video stream of a live concert on Thursday, Feb. 9. It will be streamed via iTunes for Macs and PCs and will also be available directly on the Apple TV; just choose iTunes Live from the Internet menu.

McCartney's new album is "Kisses on the Bottom," an "intimate exploration of the Great American Songbook." It includes two new songs and is available at the iTunes Store for US$9.99.

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Feb 08
Apple Premium Resellers: we're hurting from lack of inventory

Apple's network of authorized Apple Premium Resellers across Europe say they're hurting from a lack of inventory since pple began expanding its own retail locations.

The problem was profiled this week by France's "Les Echos," as noted by "AppleInsider" (http://www.appleinsider.com). It details a complaint filed last November by eBizcuss, the first authorized reseller of Apple France and the largest in the country, which saw its sales fall 22%in its third fiscal quarter of 2011.

The Apple Premium Reseller has seen its stock price plummet 50% over the last year. "Les Echos" says Apple's own retail stores have marginalized Apple Premium Resellers. eBizcuss has filed an injunction against Apple and threaten to file a complaint of unfair competition to the Competition Authority in France.

Apple's Premium Reseller page (...

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Feb 08
Sprint sells 1.8 million iPhones in fiscal fourth quarter

In announcing its fourth quarter financial results, Sprint says it sold 1.8 million iPhones. By comparison, AT&T sold 7.6 million and Verizon moved 4.3 million.

Spring also announced an US$1.3 billion net loss and an increase in its operating revenues by the largest amount in five years to $8.72 billion. With net subscribers hitting 55 million (33 million postpaid, 14.8 million prepaid and 7.2 million from wholesale), the company added an extra 1.6 million subscribers in its first quarter, helped by strong iPhone sales.

"Our strong fourth quarter performance illustrates the power of matching iconic devices like the iPhone with our simple, unlimited plans and industry-leading customer experience," says Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. "During the past year, Sprint added more than five million net new customers and grew wireless service revenue by more than 5%, including 17% for the Sprint platform. This momentum gives us confidence as we execute our Network Vision upgrade and...

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Feb 08
Apple releases EFI firmware updates

Apple has released EFI firmware updates for various Macs. You can obtain them via the Software Updates component of the Mac OS X Systems Preferences app.

MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.3 enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on late 2011 MacBook Air models. It also addresses an issue where the system could restart if the power button is pressed immediately after waking from deep sleep.

iMac EFI Update 1.8 enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on mid-2010 iMac models. MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.6 enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on MacBook Pro (early 2010) models.

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Feb 08
Apple wants basic principles established on patent licensing

"The Wall Street Journal" reports (http://macte.ch/uQAqi) that Apple has asked European Telecommunications Standards Institute, a telecommunications standards body, to set basic principles governing how member companies license their patents.

In a letter to the Institute, Apple said the telecommunications industry lacks consistent licensing schemes for the many patents necessary to make mobile devices, and offered suggestions for setting appropriate royalty rates that all members would follow. "The Times" notes that many mobile technology companies, such as Motorola and Samsung, hold patents that became part of industrywide standards. Apple is involved in ongoing legal battles with both companies over claims of patent infringement.

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Feb 08
Final Cut Pro X wins Editors Choice Award

Controversial or note, Apple's Final Cut Pro X has won an Editor's Choice Award (http://macte.ch/jCQu5) from "PC Magazine," which rates it 9 out of a possible 10.

Among the comments by "PC World": "Final Cut Pro X kicked off a storm in the pro video-editing community when Apple first released it. It lacked necessary capabilities they needed for their jobs—XML export and import, multicam editing, and broadcast monitor support. The third and latest update to the software brings just about everything the pros wanted, including a big one: multicam editing. Final Cut Pro X 10.0.3 ($299.99, free 30-day trial available) also brings beta support for broadcast monitors, detailed control over chroma-keying, and an XML update that enables a third-party plugin to import projects from Final Cut Pro 7. With each feature restoration, Apple has not just brought parity with earlier support, but has rethought it, making it both...

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Feb 08
HoverBar connects your Mac and iPad

Twelve South (http://www.twelvesouth.com) has unveiled the HoverBar, an US$79.99 adjustable arm that "floats" an iPad 2 next to an iMac or Apple display, allowing you to use iPad as a secondary, touchscreen computer.

Having an iPad floating next to your Mac allows you to, for instance, monitor your Twitter stream, stocks and local weather -- or run FaceTime on your iPad while you email, edit a file, or cut a video on your Mac.It can also be used separately to create a compact iPad workstation or an install-free kitchen mount for iPad.

The HoverBar features a black, heavy-gauge, adjustable steel arm. Simply flex the HoverBar arm to find the best position for viewing, swiping or tapping the iPad. HoverBar has a solid metal, silicone lined clamp that can be attached to any iMac or Apple display with an L-shaped stand.

The clamp leaves no marks and is secured with an included allen wrench...

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Feb 08
Zevrix releases Output Factory for InDesign

Zevrix Solutions has announced Output Factory 1.0, its new solution to automate output from Adobe InDesign. It's available for Mac OS X 10.5-10.7 and works with Adobe InDesign CS3-CS5.5.

Output Factory automates printing, exporting and post-processing from InDesign, and is anupgrade of the company's BatchOutput plug-in. In addition to the output of multiple files, single page export and variable file names, Output Factory offers array of new solutions, such as layer versioning, preflighting, workflow presets and processing history.

Users only need to select the files to output and adjust the settings, and Output Factory will do the rest automatically. For example, the software can be left exporting hundreds of InDesign files overnight, and the completed job can be picked up next morning.

Output Factory supports printing as well as exporting to PDF, PostScript, EPS, Flash, INX, IDML, EPUB and several image formats. In addition, it can skip files with specific...

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Feb 08
New ebook lets you 'Take Control of Screen Sharing in Lion'

TidBits has released "Take Control of Screen Sharing in Lion," an US$10, 103-page ebook by Glenn Fleishman.

It offers the latest advice on screen sharing with iChat, Back to My Mac, the Screen Sharing application in Mac OS X, and Skype, and describes the current versions of iTeleport and LogMeIn, iOS apps that let you run your Mac remotely by tapping and dragging. Although this new edition has "Lion" in the title, it is also the go-to Take Control ebook for questions about screen sharing with users of 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard.

Fleishman is a technology journalist based in Seattle. He's a contributing editor at TidBits. For more information about "Take Control of Screen Sharing in Lion" -- including the table of contents, author bios, and cover graphic -- go to http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9781615423965.do .

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Feb 08
Canon introduces three new all-in-one printers

Canon U.S.A. (http://www.usa.canon.com) has announced the addition of three Pixma Office printers to the lineup: the MX512 Wireless1 All-In-One (AIO), MX432 Wireless1 AIO and the MX372 AIO. 

Available for both new wireless models is the Canon Easy-PhotoPrint mobile app, for use with compatible Apple and Android smart phones and tablets, allowing documents  to be scanned on the printer and sent directly to a compatible device. Users can print PDFs of documents that were created with the app directly from compatible devices, whereas in the past only photos could be printed. 

With 802.11n Wi-Fi capability, the Pixma MX512 and MX432 Wireless Office AIO Printer models are capable of a high-speed network transfer rate.  Setting up a wireless network can be accomplished with the press of one button when using Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS).

Canon has developed the FastFront system and an exposed...

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Feb 08
Timesheets for Mac OS X gets project expense tracking

Senomix Software has released Senomix Timesheets 4.1, an update to their Mac OS X and Windows time tracking system. The new version adds project expense tracking and employee expense claim entry.

With the addition of expense tracking, Senomix Timesheets can now be used to record project costs through the same networked applications provided to track employee effort hours. The software enables both in-office and off-site employees to track effort and expenses directly from their computers.

With effort hour and expense data immediately available for in-house billing or project tracking the moment a user clicks "save" on their computer screen, Senomix Timesheets can be used on its own or as a front-end for an office's QuickBooks or database billing and payroll system. For more info go to http://www.senomix.com/ .

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Feb 07
Analyst: Apple has 80% of mobile profits

In a note to clients -- as reported by "Barron's" (http://macte.ch/qVPgC) -- Morgan Keegan analyst Tavis McCourt, says that, after looking at data from all makers of phones who have reported for the quarter so far, "Apple simply dominated Q4:11 handset/mobile computing trends."

He adds that Apple now accounts for nearly 50% of the revenues of the entire industry and over 80% of the profits by his calculation. McCourt notes that global mobile computing revenue rose 34% with Apple’s results included, but sagged 0.4% in the fourth quarter when Apple is taken out of the picture.

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MacTech Blog

Feb 09
OS X, iOS -- and 'synergy' between the two

"AppAdvice" (http://macte.ch/0ghLi) and various other sites have reported that, back in 2010, Tristan Schaap -- a student who had spent a 12 week internship with Apple -- wrote a thesis that detailed his time spent with Apple’s Platform Technologies Group. They conducted experiments regarding Mac OS X and ARM processors. Could this mean an iPad running Mac OS X? I doubt it.

"The project was only made public several months ago. While iOS also uses the Darwin kernel, this project involved Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and was left for the CoreOS teams to continue," says "AppAdvice." "Since Mac OX X 10.7 Lion has since shipped, as have newer generations of iPad and MacBook Air, without any sign of Mac OS X on ARM, it’s unknown if this project is still ongoing or has since been put on the shelf. However, the author of the paper is now a full-time employee at Apple, working as a CoreOS Engineer."

Apple may have...

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Feb 08
No keyboard-equipped iPad coming; a MacPad, perhaps?

After meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook, Citigroup analyst Richard Gardner told clients in a note -- as reported by "V3" (http://macte.ch/zf70V) -- that Apple may be redesigning the iPad. I beg to differ. It won't happen -- at least in the way Gardner hints.

The analyst thinks Apple may redesign its tablet to meet the needs of those wanting an ARM-based hybrid device with, say, a keyboard. "We have wondered whether Apple might offer an ARM-based version of the MacBook Air at some point; we walked away from this meeting with the impression that Apple feels the iPad satisfies -- or will soon satisfy -- the needs of those who might have been interested in such a product."

There's no way Apple will introduce an iPad with a keyboard other than a virtual one. It goes against the entire "post-PC' aesthetic of the tablet. Want to use a physical keyboard with your iPad? Apple expects you to spring for one of the...

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Feb 07
Apple patent is for using portable media player as a...

Apple has been granted a patent (number 8112032) by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for using a portable media player as a remote control. Could this be a hint of the rumored Apple HDTV (the "iTV") or merely affirmation of ways Apple has provided for using current iOS devices, such as with a Mac?

Per the patent, a portable multimedia player is used to wirelessly access and control a media server that is streaming digital media by way of a wireless interface to a media unit such as a stereo/speakers in the case of streaming digital audio. In one embodiment, the portable multimedia player is wirelessly synchronized to a selected one(s) of a number of digital media files stored on the media server in such a way that digital media file metadata (song title, author, etc.) associated with the selected digital media file(s) only is transferred from the media server to be stored in the portable media player. Steve Ko and Stephen O. Lemay are the inventors.

Here's...

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Feb 07
Apple eyeing ways to control power provided to an...

Apple is working on ways to control power provided to an accessory, per a patent (number 8112567) at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. A method for a portable media player to control power provided an accessory is disclosed.

The method includes requesting information about the power capabilities of the accessory by the portable media player. The method further includes providing information about the power capabilities of the accessory by the accessory to the portable media player, and utilizing the information to set the power of the accessory.

A method and system in accordance with the present invention provides a system that allows a portable media player to obtain information from an accessory concerning its power requirements. A portable media player can then utilize the power requirements information to allow for the powering of the accessory when connected to the portable media player. The inventors are Gregory T. Lydon, Scott Kureger, Donald J....

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Feb 07
Gamers not that keen on 3D consoles

So far 3D game consoles don't seem to be faring much better than 3D TVs in the U.S..

Nintendo posted an US$626 million loss for the first nine months of the fiscal year that ended March 2012, a complete reversal of its fortunes compared to the same time last year, where the console manufacturer netted $637 million in profit. An independent survey shows that gamers are against 3D gaming, perhaps providing an explanation for Nintendo’s about-turn.
 
3D-enabled consoles haven't been a hit with gaming fans, according to the results of a new study which has revealed that almost three quarters of gamers are opposed to future generation consoles having 3D capability. The independent survey by coupon website http://www.CouponCodes4U.com polled 2,291 gamers and was conducted following Nintendo’s recently announced financial losses, to delve into whether or not consumers were against 3D gaming...

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Feb 07
Patent patents involve encoding video, mode pruning,...

Apple has won several patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Following is a summary of each.

Patent number 8111751 is for encoding video. Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for encoding a video signal that is formed by a series of successive images. Each image includes several sections, and each section has a set of image values. To encode a particular section of a particular image, the method initially partitions the particular section into several sub-sections. For each of at least two particular sub-sections, the method then computes a statistical parameter regarding the image values of the particular sub-section.

The method compares the computed statistical parameters, and based on the comparison, selects an encoding technique from a set of encoding techniques to encode the particular section. In some embodiments, the set of encoding schemes includes a first scheme that encodes the selected section without reference to...

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Feb 06
LCD TV area demand to reach 116 million square meters...

If Apple is indeed planning its own branded HDTV (the rumored "iTV") it needs to think big. The LCD TV market saw a rapid shift toward sizes larger than 40 inches at the end of 2011, as consumers, particularly in North America and China, took advantage of new sizes and more affordable prices.

As larger sizes such as 46 inches, 47 inches 55 inches, 60 inches and 65 inches are being adopted by consumers, panel makers are also developing other new large size TV panels, including 43 inches, 48 inches, 50 inches, 70 inches, and even 75 inches, 80 inches and larger.

In response to the strong end-market adoption, NPD DisplaySearch (http://www.displaysearch.com) has increased its forecast for LCD TV area demand. According to the "NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Worldwide FPD Shipment and Forecast Report," LCD TV panel demand will reach 85 million square meters in 2012, nearly 2% higher than the...

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Feb 03
IWant an iDesk

I always enjoy the annual article "Mac/Life" on products Apple should/could develop. In their latest feature, I was particularly intrigued by the iDesk.

The iDesk is a conceptual re-imagining of the desk. Not the Mac OS X Desktop, but an actual, physical desktop.

Here's how "Mac/Life" describes it: "Imagine an entirely adaptable workspace that doesn’t just hold your equipment, but enhances and interacts with it. As with Microsoft’s Surface technology, the entire desk would be a touch-sensitive display capable of running several simultaneous apps, some of which--such as a calendar, phone, and digital Post-It notes—would replace their physical counterparts entirely. Notifications, to-do lists, video conferencing, Adobe tool palettes, and countless widgets such as calculators and weather reports would all appear right on the surface of your desk, literally putting your entire working world at your fingertips."

The article says that the iDesk would sync with your...

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Feb 02
Apple patent hints at touchscreen Mac

Although the late Steve Jobs dismissed talk of a Mac with a touchscreen display, an Apple patent (number 20120030626) at the U..S. Patent & Trademark Office shows that the company has considered/is considering the idea. The patent is for a computer with a touchscreen.

Per the patent, a control object including a knob element is displayed in a GUI [graphical user interface]. A first user input can be detected that indicates selection of the knob element. In response to the first user input, the knob element can be visually augmented. The visual augmentation can include displaying text labels of range limit values and a slider element with the knob element.

The slider element can include a fill bar to indicate the current value of the knob element. A second input can be a linear motion on or near the slider control. In response to the second user input, both the fill bar of the slider element and a fill portion of the knob element can be visually augmented to...

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Feb 02
Apple patent involves programmable magnets and...

A new Apple patent (number 20120028480) has appeared at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Among other things it would facilitate the assembly of Apple devices via programmable magnetic devices.

The patent involves alignment and connection for devices. relate generally to programmable magnetic devices, and more particularly to multi-part devices that may be joined or separated through programmable magnets. A plug or connector including a coded magnet and an electrical contact is disclosed.

As the plug approaches a corresponding port, the coded magnet interacts with a magnet within the port. The interaction between the plug coded magnet and the port coded magnet provides a force to connect and/or align the plug with the port. Once the plug is received within the port, if a process is completed, the coded magnets polarities are altered to eject the plug from the port.

“Correlated magnets” or “coded magnets” are magnetic structures formed of multiple...

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Reviews and Kool Tools

PadSync's iWork moving solution better than Apple's
Apple's kludge for moving iWork docs between the iPad and a Mac pretty much stinks. It's awkward, unintuitive and very Apple-ish. Enter Ecamm's PadSync (http://www.ecamm.com/mac/padsync/), which offers a better... Read more »
Digital Juice offers flavor, flair at reasonable price
By Jessica Maldonado Four different Texture Toolkits are currently offered by Digital Juice (http://www.digitaljuice.com). I reviewed Texture Toolkit 1 “The Essentials” and Texture Toolkit 2 “Different Strokes.” These... Read more »
The Aegis Netdock is a near-perfect MacBook Air companion
Apricorn's (http://www.apricorn.com) Aegis Netdock -- Mac Edition is making me rethink some future purchases. It actually has me considering a MacBook Air as my main Mac. As for the Apple US$79 SuperDrive, forget it.... Read more »
Kool Tools: swimming with the Bluefin
MeshWe has announced the Bluefin (http://meshwe.com/products.html), a device that turns your "Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Trackpad" into the ultimate wireless control device for you Mac." It connects the two Apple... Read more »

News Scanner

Thursday February 9

03:00
Apple shows interest in European patent laws
TUAW

Apple has delivered a letter to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute asking for basic principles for that region of the world on patents and their licensing, according to the Wall Street Journal. The letter asks for consistency across the board in how patents are owned and shared, and it also asks for specific rates to be set on possible patent royalties for everyone to follow.

As smartphones and other mobile technology continue to develop and grow, patents on the many components are becoming increasingly more important, both in terms of determining ownership for the research and work put into development and for the licensing fees afforded to those with high profile patents. Apple obviously has good reason to see standards in this area, given how well-heeled it happens to be in the world of patents and innovations.

We'll have to wait and see if the board...

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01:40
Google Drive cloud-storage near ready
MacNN

Google is said to be close to launching its own cloud-storage service that is set to compete with Dropbox. The tip-off was offered to the Wall Street Journal, which says that it has talked to ëpeople familiar with the matter.í The long-rumored service dubbed 'Drive' will offer users the ability to store all types of files and make the sharing of those files simple by allowing them to stream a video directly from the cloud, for example....



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Wednesday February 8

23:40
Leaked photo allegedly shows outside back cover of...
AppleInsider

On the heels of an earlier purported leak of the back panel of the third-generation iPad, new leaked photos have emerged showing an external view of the back panel of the rumored device, as well as magnets for an "iPad 3" Smart Cover.

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23:00
Foxconn server hacked, CEO's password published
MacNN

A hacker group calling itself SwaggSec has published data from internal Foxconn servers that the group hacked into, including usernames and passwords for management officials right up to and including CEO Terry Gou. While initial analysis of the data hasn't turned up any other sensitive information, the security breach prompted company officials to shut down its servers to prevent fraudulent orders that could appear to be from Foxconn's clients using the passwords....



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21:49
News: Apple Supplier Foxconn’s Servers Hacked
Mac Observer

Apple supplier Foxconn has reportedly been hacked, exposing the usernames and passwords of the company’s clients and employees, according to online reports. Hacker group SwaggSec claimed credit for the breach, which temporarily allowed outsiders to access Foxconn’s network. 








...

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21:00
Alleged Foxconn hack allowed bogus orders to be...
AppleInsider

A "Greyhat" hacking group announced this week that it had successfully hacked contract manufacturer Foxconn and released usernames and passwords for vendors that could be used to place fraudulent orders for companies like Apple and Microsoft.

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20:50
Purported iPad 3 shells floating around China, here’...
9 to 5 Mac

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full sized, below 

Since a purported iPad 3 back shell image leaked out earlier today, we’ve been digging into the story behind the image, where it originally came from, and some of the intricate details behind the part. For one, there are not only a few of these back shells being floated to repair shops, but there are sizable amounts of these parts being built in China. This adds credence to reports that the iPad 3 is in production, and likely means that things are moving full steam ahead of the rumored March launch.

Next, the original image comes from a Chinese supplier who provides parts to iPad repair shops across the globe.

Perhaps the best news of the night is that we’ve got a very high resolution...

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20:00
App usage doesn't drop during Super Bowl --...
TUAW

Mobile advertiser Flurry's latest report, on app usage during the Super Bowl, is fascinating for those of us who have been following the "second screen" phenomenon: The tendency of mobile device users to use their devices while also watching television or other media. Flurry notes that during last week's big game, not only was the app audience (according to the apps that the company is actually monitoring) almost as large as the Super Bowl audience as a whole, but as you can see above, app usage steadily grew throughout the game.

With one interesting exception, that is: During the Madonna halftime show. During the show itself, viewers finally looked away from their smartphone devices and tuned into the television. Obviously not all of them did, but that is a big enough dip (along with the drop during the final minutes of the...

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19:46
Product News: White MacBook Finally Meets Its End
Mac Observer

The white MacBook, discontinued for consumers last July but available for educational purchases since then, has finally met its end. Made known on Wednesday, Apple has notified resellers that the iconic laptop is now classified as “end of life,” ceasing official sales.








...

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19:45
White MacBook sales come to close as Apple ceases...
AppleInsider

Apple has reportedly notified resellers that the white polycarbonate MacBook is now officially classified as "End of Life" and has been discontinued.

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19:20
News: Microsoft Echos Apple’s Call for FRAND...
Mac Observer

Microsoft issued a statement today in support of industry standards and the licensing of the essential patents that go into those standards. This echos a recent letter sent by Apple to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute that touched on the lack of licensing standards and the lawsuits that result from the situation.








...

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19:15
Lenovo results: tops in work, desktops, 6.5m phones...
MacNN

Lenovo as part of record results for its fall quarter clinched the top spots in key parts of the PC business. While it wouldn't give exact numbers, it mostly sided with IDC rankings that saw it claim 14 percent of the computer market worldwide, or second place. It was now large enough that it was the leader for shipments in work PCs of any kind as well as in home desktops....



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19:05
Foxconn hacked by group called SwaggSec, here’s what...
9 to 5 Mac

Hacker group SwaggSec just released a dump of Foxconn internal information, including a mail server login/password dump and logins to various online procurement sites and Intranets. The hack seems to be a retaliation for the working conditions that have swarmed the news lately. The hackers gained access through an unpatched Internet Explorer vulnerability used by a worker inside Foxconn.

We were able to verify these logins worked on more than one Foxconn server, and you can find bits like the following from the large dump:

.

The server is now closed—hence why we are posting this stuff. Every single username and password from the company is also in the mail dump, including the company’s CEO Terry Gou:

...

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18:35
Amazon Kindle Fire ad: three of these less than one...
MacNN

Amazon has started running one of its first TV ads for the Kindle Fire this week in a conspicuous jab at Apple. The spot (below) recalls Amazon's earlier ads criticizing the poor readability of the iPad but, this time, has an answer to the regular Kindle's lack of features. The $79 Kindle, combined with two $199 Kindle Fires, lets a mother at the beach give herself and her children a device each at under the price of an iPad....



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18:30
White MacBook model for schools discontinued
MacNN

Apple has now informed resellers that the educational version of the white MacBook, the last such model, is now discontinued, MacRumors reports. The $999 notebook was marked "end of life" for consumers last July, but the company continued to offer the model to educational institutions. The move marks the end of any non-aluminum Macs, and reflects the growing tendency of schools to focus on significantly-cheaper iPads as digital learning portals....



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18:18
Google says it won't support fair licensing in...
AppleInsider

In a distinct departure from the agreement voiced between Apple, Cisco and Microsoft regarding the need for fair, transparent, understandable and consistent licensing policy for open standards, Google has promised to continue to wage Motorola's increasingly hostile patent wars.

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18:16
Cisco backs Apple's ETSI request for fair and...
AppleInsider

Cisco Systems filed its own letter to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute last week, backing Apple's position calling for "more consistent and transparent application of FRAND" licensing commitments among the standards body's members.

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18:01
An iPhoto Slide Show on CD
AllThingsD

Q:

How can I burn a slideshow that I made in iPhoto on my MacBook Pro onto a CD?

A:

You can export the slideshow as a video (a QuickTime movie in Apple parlance) and then burn that video to your CD.

Here’s how: In iPhoto, after you’ve created the photo slideshow, with titles, music and so forth, click on the “Export” button at the bottom of the slideshow-creation window. Choose an option for the resolution of your movie and click “Export.”

Then, choose a destination on your hard disk where you’ll temporarily store the movie. Next, insert the recordable CD, and copy the movie into the window representing the CD. Finally, click on the “Burn” button at the upper right of that CD window.

Q:

I have recently gone almost all Google: I moved my business email to Google, am using Google Docs, etc. I am in need of a new laptop...

| Read more »
18:00
iBank developers to expand to iPad with iBank Access
MacNN

IGG Software, which is planning to release a version of its iBank financial software for the iPad sometime later this year, has teased a new feature of the unreleased app on its developer blog. The product now has a name -- iBank Access -- and will feature a new optional service to automatically keep bank records and the app in sync every time the app is launched. The new feature, which expands the number of institutions available, will be available by subscription....



| Read more »
17:50
Doubts cast on likelihood of quad-core A6 CPU in...
AppleInsider

A new report has countered rumors that the processor expected to power Apple's third-generation iPad will be a quad-core model, noting instead that the chip will still be dual-core, though with a "significantly more powerful" graphics processor.

| Read more »
17:42
Fix home button delays on iOS devices
MacFixIt

If the home button on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch is unresponsive, calibrating it could help.

| Read more »
17:28
RapidShare: From "Notorious Market" To...
digg

In a 2010 submission to the US Government, RapidShare was described by the RIAA and MPAA as a “notorious market” for pirated media. Just one year later the file-hosting service was given a tacit clean bill of health.

| Read more »

Rumor Scanner

Wednesday February 8

21:44
Photo of the Back of an iPad 3 Rear Shell, Smart Cover Mag...
MacRumors

Apparently, iPad 3 enclosures are easy to come by these days. Earlier today, Repair Labs posted a photo of the interior the iPad 3 rear shell. They concluded that there were some minor changes that suggested a larger battery and redesigned logic board.

Tonight, Apple.pro posts an image of the back of the same shell, showing it to look quite simliar to the current iPad 2 backing, though the camera appears closer to the edge. There's no markings on the enclosure, however. No "iPad" or serial number markings.

The site also claims to have a photo of the Smart Cover magnets, suggesting the iPad 3 will share the same Smart Cover as the iPad 2. iFixit has a...

| Read more »
20:11
Foxconn's Servers Hacked, Exposing Vendor Usernames a...
MacRumors

One of Foxconn's servers was reportedly hacked, exposing usernames and passwords for clients and employees. The group that took credit for the hack is called SwaggSec who claims they weren't doing it in response to working conditions or even for information on the iPhone 5, but simply for the enjoyment of it. We encourage media, security experts, and other interested individuals to explore our leaks. Foxconn did have an appropriate firewall, but fortunately to our intent, we were able to bypass it almost flawlessly. Of course with funding ourselves we did have our limitations. But with several hacking techniques employed, and a couple of days in time, we were able to dump most of everything of significance. 9to5Mac...

| Read more »
13:56
Apple Determines iTunes Match Royalties By Counting How Ma...
MacRumors

TuneCore president Jeff Price today wrote a blog post praising Apple's iTunes Match service for creating money "out of thin air" for copyright holders. iTunes Match launched with all the major record labels on board, but some small labels refused to participate over concerns the service was legitimizing music pirates.

Price disagrees:

A person has a song on her computer hard drive. She clicks on the song and plays it. No one is getting paid. The same person pays iTunes $25 for iMatch. She now clicks on the same song and plays it through her iMatch service. Copyright holders get paid.

Price tells MacRumors that...

| Read more »
12:52
Photo of iPad 3 Rear Shell Suggests Minor Physical Changes...
MacRumors

(Click here for larger version)

RepairLabs reports that it has received a photo of what is claimed to the inside of the rear shell of the iPad 3, comparing the part to the corresponding version found on the iPad 2. The iPad 3 version demonstrates a few minor changes compared to the iPad 2, with one of the most notable being an apparently narrower logic board that could make room for an expanded battery.A. You can see here that the mounts for the logic board are very different, which means the logic board shape will be different allowing for . . . .

B. More battery. The width of where the logic board sits on the iPad 2 appears much larger than that of the iPad 3. We have long heard that the iPad 3 was going to provide longer battery life, and this back housing seems to support that....

| Read more »
10:42
Siri Support for Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and Russian L...
MacRumors

Tech in Asia reports on an article [Google translation] from Chinese information technology website DoNews claiming that Apple is preparing to bring support for the Chinese language to Siri on the iPhone 4S next month. According to the report, Apple is also preparing to launch support for Japanese and Russian, but the initial Chinese support will only include Mandarin, with Cantonese and other dialects being left out for the time being.The Chinese tech site DoNews claims to have heard from an Apple engineer who’s working on the Chinese-language version of Siri, the clever voice assistant on the iPhone 4S. From this source it claims that Siri will launch in Chinese next month, and is already undergoing internal testing this...

| Read more »
08:33
Apple Pushes for Clarification on Licensing of FRAND Paten...
MacRumors

Dow Jones Newswires reports that Apple filed a letter with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) last November pushing for clarification on how standards-essential patents are intended to be licensed. These standards-essential patents are currently required to be licensed under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms in order to promote competition in the marketplace, but Apple claims that there is too much confusion in the industry about how such licensing should be handled.Apple said in its letter--which was dated Nov. 11, but not previously disclosed--that the lack of clarity on what is fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory has led many companies to ask unusually high rates and sue one another claiming they infringed on one another's patents.

"It is apparent that our industry suffers from a lack of consistent adherence to Frand principles in the cellular standards...

| Read more »
06:55
Sprint Sells 1.8 Million iPhones in 4Q 2011, 40% to New Su...
MacRumors

Sprint today became the last of the three major U.S. iPhone carriers to report earnings for the fourth quarter of 2011, disclosing that it sold a total of 1.8 million iPhones during the quarter. While well below the 7.6 million activations reported by AT&T and the 4.3 million activations reported by Verizon, Sprint's iPhone surge helped it achieve a new record high subscriber base of 55 million customers.

Notably, 40% of Sprint's iPhone purchasers were new to the carrier, highlighting the device's ability to attract customers from other carriers. That percentage is on par with AT&T's reporting during its early quarters of iPhone availability...

| Read more »

Tuesday February 7

20:18
Apple to Stream Live Paul McCartney Concert to iTunes and...
MacRumors

Apple today announced that it will be supporting Paul McCartney's new album release with a special free video stream of a live concert on Thursday, February 9 [iTunes Store]. The concert is not only being streamed via iTunes on Mac and PC, but will also be available directly on users' Apple TVs, signaling new efforts by Apple to increase the utility of its set-top box.To celebrate the release of Paul McCartney's latest album — available now — we're streaming his exclusive performance at Capitol Studios on February 9 at 7 p.m. (PST). Watch the concert on iTunes on your computer, or stream it on your TV using your Apple TV — just choose iTunes Live from the Internet menu.The Paul McCartney promotion is not Apple's first foray into live streaming via iTunes, as the company has for the past several years hosted an annual concert festival...

| Read more »
18:44
Apple Brings Lion Internet Recovery to More 2010 Macs
MacRumors

Apple today released a series of three EFI firmware updates bringing Lion Internet Recovery to the company's Late 2010 MacBook Air, Mid-2010 iMac, and Early 2010 MacBook Pro. Available firmware updates include:

- MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.3 (2.98 MB):This update enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on MacBook Air (Late 2010) models and addresses an issue where the system could restart if the power button is pressed immediately after waking from deep sleep.- iMac EFI Update 1.8 (3.02 MB):This update enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on iMac (Mid 2010) models.- MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.6 (3.18 MB):This update enables Lion Recovery from an Internet connection on MacBook Pro (Early 2010) models.Apple...

| Read more »
11:40
Apple Board Has Been "Considering" Dividends and...
MacRumors

Much has been made of the recent comment by Apple CEO Tim Cook that the Apple board of directors has been "actively discussing" what to do with its enormous cash pile. Some see it as a sign that Apple will soon pay a dividend or initiate a share buyback program -- except Apple's board has been discussing what to do with its cash for nearly 7 years.

MacRumors went through Seeking Alpha's entire Apple earnings call transcript history to find out what Apple has been saying about the likelihood of a dividend. Between July of 2005 and October of 2010, Apple execs had very little to say about what Apple was going to do with its burgeoning cash pile -- a pile that grew from $7.5 billion to $51 billion over that time.

July 2005 was the earliest transcript, and the first time an Apple exec said that the board "from time to...

| Read more »
10:28
iPad's Momentum in Restaurants Grows with Buffalo Wil...
MacRumors

Ever since the iPad was introduced two years ago, its potential to revolutionize the restaurant industry has been widely touted, with some restaurants already moving to replace their traditional point-of-sale devices with iPads and companies such as Square seeking to fill that need.

And while iPads in restaurants have been catching on here and there, the concept could be ripe for major expansion if a pilot program from restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings proves worthwhile. As detailed by Computerworld, Buffalo Wild Wings is expanding an initial pilot program at one of its Toronto area locations to a new location in...

| Read more »
08:03
Smart Audio Sues Apple with Delco Electronics Patent
Patently Apple

Texas based Smart Audio Technologies has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple in the Delaware District Court. The patent infringement lawsuit concerns Apple's media players in respect to their ability to "modify a play list of a random access player." Oddly Smart Audio only identifies the iPod nano by name. Yet the most interesting aspect of this case, if there is one, is that Smart Audio's key exhibit is that of patent assigned to Delco Electronics.

| Read more »
06:57
Apple Faces Potential $38 Million Fine in China as $1.6 Bi...
MacRumors

iSmashPhone summarizes a pair of reports from China claiming that Apple is facing a potential 240 million yuan ($38 million) fine from governmental authorities over alleged trademark infringement involving the "iPad" name. The fine pales, however, in comparison to the $1.6 billion Proview Technology, which claims to own the name, is seeking to win in a series of lawsuits filed against Apple. Proview is also said to be seeking an apology from Apple and an injunction preventing the company from using the iPad name in China.

Proview first accused Apple of trademark infringement back in 2010, claiming that it had owned the mark in China since 2000 and seeking a settlement from Apple in the range of $800 million. Apple fired back with its own lawsuit claiming that it did...

| Read more »
06:52
Apple Wins Patents for the MacBook Pro, Trickle Sync Proto...
Patently Apple

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of sixteen newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. This morning's report covers patents ranging from Apple's MacBook Pro to their trickle sync protocol to their iTunes prepaid cards and finally to an iPod design that credits the late, great Steve Jobs.

| Read more »

Monday February 6

17:49
Rogers and BCE Already Have the Apple iTV in Their Labs, C...
MacRumors

The Globe and Mail reports that Apple is actively seeking launch partnerships with Canada's Rogers Communications and BCE Inc. to offer their upcoming Apple TV. “They’re not closed to doing it with one [company] or doing it with two,” said one source who is familiar with the talks. “They’re looking for a partner. They’re looking for someone with wireless and broadband capabilities.”According to the newspaper, these companies already have the Apple iTV in their labs.

Siri voice control is reportedly integrated into Apple's new television to help viewers make programming choices. Viewers can then control the TV with voice or hand gestures. Even an on-screen keyboard can be invoked without any special hardware (emphasis ours):An on-screen keyboard, meanwhile, can also be activated in a similar manner, allowing viewers to surf the web, conduct video chats...

| Read more »
17:35
Apple Warns Developers Not to Manipulate App Store Ranking...
MacRumors

Yesterday, a TouchArcade thread was posted that warned about fraudulent App promotion services that guarantee Top 25 rankings for a modest fee. According to the poster, these services utilize automated scripts or bots to artificially boost free app rankings into the Top charts. At least one company denied the claims in the thread.

PocketGamer picked up on the story based on the forum thread:For $5,000, said company will allegedly utilise bots that will download a developer's app over and over again until it has broken into the top 25 charts. At this point, the developer's app will have received sufficient customer exposure to attract downloads from real people.In an apparent response, Apple has just posted a reminder (via...

| Read more »
16:57
Apple Adds High-DPI Versions of Pointers in OS X 10.7.3
MacRumors

Screenshot from FinerThingsIn.com

DaringFireball notes several changes in some of the icons found in OS X 10.7.3. Several of our readers had also noticed the small changes in pointer icons in the latest version. It seems the changes run a bit deeper than on first glance. The new icons apparently come in high DPI versions that allow them to scale at high resolutions. Have you noticed that Safari’s hovering-over-a-link pointing-finger cursor looks a little different in Mac OS X 10.7.3? It’s not just that the finger is at a slightly different angle — it’s a new UI resource that scales gracefully to larger sizes. That’s not the only new high-DPI image resource in 10.7.3: the grabby hand in Mail, the camera cursor for selecting an individual window to take a screenshot of, and a few...

| Read more »
13:30
Apple Compensates Victim of iMessage Bug for Breach of Pri...
MacRumors

In December, an apparent bug appeared in Apple's iMessage service that allowed iMessages to be sent to a stolen iPhone. The messages can, apparently, continue to be sent and received from the stolen phone after a remote wipe and a SIM card deactivation. This is obviously an unintended action, and though Apple explains the solution to be "toggle iMessage on and off" in the Settings app, that is an impossible act to perform remotely on a stolen phone.

The Next Web today reports of the case of an anonymous Apple customer who had her iPhone stolen and the lengthy discussions she had with...

| Read more »
13:15
Apple's 'Macroscalar' Trademark Application...
MacRumors

Patently Apple reports that Apple last week filed a curious new trademark application for the term "macroscalar". The company has typically quietly registered trademarks in countries such as Trinidad & Tobago, only to later apply for the marks in the United States and other major markets once the new products and features have been announced. While an application for "macroscalar" was indeed filed in Trinidad & Tobago last August, the new U.S. application and a similar one in Hong Kong are sparking speculation that Apple may have jumped the gun in announcing some new processor technology.Apple's "Macroscalar" isn't just a new marketing line; it's a processor architecture that's been in the works at Apple since 2004. In fact, Apple owns at least four granted patents on the technology that has yet to come to light. We first covered it in...

| Read more »
10:45
Audience's 'earSmart' Technology Explains S...
MacRumors

CNET reports on a new research note from analyst Linley Gwennap, who believes that custom circuitry in Apple's A5 system-on-a-chip including "earSmart" noise cancellation technology from Audience is the reason why Siri is currently an iPhone 4S-only feature. Gwennap cites Audience's S-1 filing made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last month in advance of the company's initial public offering in backing up his analysis.Audience revealed details of its Apple partnership in January, when it filed paperwork for an initial public offering (IPO) of stock. Teardown work from iFixit and Chipworks revealed a dedicated Audience chip in the iPhone 4, but the iPhone 4S integrates Audience's "EarSmart" technology directly into the A5 processor, the company's S-1 filing said...

| Read more »
09:05
Apple's Grand Central Neighbor Seeing 7% Increase In...
MacRumors

New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s sweetheart deal for Apple's just-opened Grand Central Terminal retail store seems to be paying dividends for the MTA and neighboring stores. One restaurant is reporting a 7 percent increase in sales since the store opened in December.

Michael Jordan's The Steak House is located across the terminal from the new Apple Store, Grand Central and co-owner Peter Glazier says the restaurant has seen a 7 percent jump in sales in the seven weeks that the Apple Store has been open,...

| Read more »

Documentation Scanner

Wednesday February 8

14:16
Setting up iTunes and DVD Player for digital...
Apple - All...

Learn how to set up a Mac for surround sound playback using DVD Player or iTunes.

| Read more »
11:31
Aperture: Compatible versions for OS X Lion
Apple - All...

Specific versions of Aperture are compatible with OS X Lion.

| Read more »
11:22
Restarting PresSTORE Services
krypted

A number of PresSTORE backup servers also provide other services in the environments they are installed in. Therefore, restarting PresSTORE services without restarting the host that runs the PresSTORE services can be done via the command line so that you don’t have to restart the server that is doing backups.

To stop the PresSTORE server agent, use the stop-server command stored in /usr/local/aw:

sudo /usr/local/aw/stop-server

To the restart the server, use the start-server command, stored in the same location:

/usr/local/aw/start-server

The restart can also be done as a different user by invoking the -u operator followed by (and therefore defining) a user. The server occasionally stops itself for internal housecleaning, so this isn’t doing anything that isn’t already automated…Similar Articles:

  • ...
| Read more »
07:30
10.7: Update to a workaround for a Boot Camp x64...
Mac OS X Hin...

Yesterday I finally got around to dual-booting my MacBook, with a nice fresh copy of Windows 7. Everything was great, except for a laggy download of the Windows Support Software. So, earlier today, I got around to installing the drivers. It turns out, my old MacBook didn't support BootCampx64. I then did a quick search on how to fix this issue.



I came up with a number of answers, but this is an answer aimed at people who were in my situation which is:

  • I could not right click on the BootCampx64.msi file, because of the missing drivers.
  • Or if I could right click, then changing the properties of BootCampx64.msi resulted in not having the required elevated access privileges.

My solution (done from within Windows, obviously):

  • Without the drivers installed, you can still right click on the BootCampx64.msi file by click it with 'Shift-F10' which apparently acts as an alternate right click.
    • ...
| Read more »

Tuesday February 7

17:00
Engaging Users with Local and Push Notifications
iPhone Devel...

Local and push notifications are great for keeping users engaged around timely and relevant content, like score updates on their favorite team or breaking news stories. However, it’s important to adhere to the App Store Review Guidelines and avoid sending users unsolicited messages or spam as notifications. Doing so not only takes away from the user experience, but may cause your app to be removed from the App Store. Read our tips and best practices for using local and push notifications in your app. Learn more.

| Read more »
17:00
Engaging Users with Local and Push Notifications
ADC Headline...

Local and push notifications are great for keeping users engaged around timely and relevant content, like score updates on their favorite team or breaking news stories. However, it’s important to adhere to the App Store Review Guidelines and avoid sending users unsolicited messages or spam as notifications. Doing so not only takes away from the user experience, but may cause your app to be removed from the App Store. Read our tips and best practices for using local and push notifications in your app. Learn more.

| Read more »
17:00
Engaging Users with Local and Push Notifications
Apple Tools

Local and push notifications are great for keeping users engaged around timely and relevant content, like score updates on their favorite team or breaking news stories. However, it’s important to adhere to the App Store Review Guidelines and avoid sending users unsolicited messages or spam as notifications. Doing so not only takes away from the user experience, but may cause your app to be removed from the App Store. Read our tips and best practices for using local and push notifications in your app. Learn more.

| Read more »
14:22
Logic Pro 9.1.6, MainStage 2.2: Basic Content may...
Apple - All...

If you open MainStage 2.2 or Logic Pro 9.1.6 from a volume other than the startup disk (such as an external hard drive), you may be asked to download additional content. That content may download but not install. This can occur if you purchased these applications from the Mac App Store.

| Read more »
14:18
Logic Pro 9: Training resources
Apple - All...

Learn more about Logic Pro 9 with these resources.

| Read more »
14:14
Logic Pro 9: Support resources
Apple - All...

Use the resources below to help get support and find answers to your Logic Pro 9 questions.

| Read more »
07:30
Airport Utility 6.0
Mac OS X Hin...

Airport Utility 6.0 was released a few days ago.



You may want to keep both 5.6 and 6.0 versions. I used Pacifist, and manually reinstalled the 5.6 version side by side. Lots of missing features in the new utility. No way to tweak wireless options for Mode, Frequency, Multicast Rate or Transmit Power, and such a tiny window for port mapping list. An elegant interface, but at a price.



For a thorough review and pointers to stand alone updates, read here.



[crarko adds: Consider this a public service announcement. It also appears that AirPort Utility 6.0 only functions with the 802.11(n) compatible base stations, so that old AirPort Express you may have (like I do) is not supported. I've actually saved many older versions of the utility, even for the original Graphite (flying...

| Read more »
07:30
10.7: See Exposé view of an app in the background
Mac OS X Hin...

This is a feature that allows you to see the Exposé of an app that is in the background. You'll need a Trackpad.



In OS X 10.7, the four-finger swipe down toggles app Exposé for the app in the foreground. Except if you place the cursor on the icon of a running app in the Dock, in which case the four-finger down swipe toggles the app exposé of THAT app, not the application that is in the foreground.



If you swipe down again without selecting a window from the Exposé view, you are taken back to the app you were in before toggling Exposé.



[crarko adds: I'd love to test this, but my Lion system is still trying to finish installing the 10.7.3 update, which has already taken considerably longer than anticipated.]



...

| Read more »

Monday February 6

13:00
Adhering to Guidelines on Third-Party Marketing...
iPhone Devel...

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership. Get helpful tips and resources on marketing your apps the right way from the App Store Resource Center.

| Read more »
13:00
Adhering to Guidelines on Third-Party Marketing...
ADC Headline...

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership. Get helpful tips and resources on marketing your apps the right way from the App Store Resource Center.

| Read more »
13:00
Adhering to Guidelines on Third-Party Marketing...
Apple Tools

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership. Get helpful tips and resources on marketing your apps the right way from the App Store Resource Center.

| Read more »
07:30
Make the computer sing happy birthday
Mac OS X Hin...

Here's a way to use AppleScript and the 'say' command to have the computer sing happy birthday to you. Enjoy!

set currentUser to long user name of (get system info)
set firstName to first word of currentUser
set lastName to last word of currentUser

set noteValues to {56, 56, 58, 56, 61, 60, 50, 56, 56, 58, 56, 63, 61, 50, 56, 56, 68, 65, 61, 60, 58, 50, 66, 66, 65, 61, 63, 61} -- F
-- set noteValues to {65, 65, 67, 65, 70, 69, 60, 65, 65, 67, 65, 72, 70, 60, 65, 65, 77, 74, 70, 69, 67, 60, 75, 75, 74, 70, 72, 70} -- D
-- set noteValues to {55, 55, 57, 55, 60, 59, 50, 55, 55, 57, 55, 62, 60, 50, 55, 55, 67, 64, 60, 59, 57, 50, 65, 65, 64, 60, 62, 60} -- E

set syllables to {"hap", "p", "birth", "day", "to", "you", "[[slnc 500]]", "hap", "p", "birth", "day", "to", "you", "[[slnc 500]]", "hap", "p", "birth ...



...

| Read more »
07:30
10.7: Updating Lion Server if using CalDAV and...
Mac OS X Hin...

If you plan to update your OS X Server to 10.7.2 be sure to restart your machine and stop all server services, especially iCal Server and Address book server before applying the update.



It happened to me yesterday that I applied the OS X 10.7.2 update to my Mac mini server without closing any apps. I just ran it. After the update it turned out, this was a big mistake. All calendar entries of the past three weeks and many contacts were lost.



I was not able to recover anything from time machine. Lion server keeps the CalDAV and CardDAV data in a PostgreSQL database which is apparently not backed up by TimeMachine. Also, the PostgreSQL uses transactions which need to be 'closed' before they end up being permanently written into the DB tables.



What I found from reviewing the postgres log file (/Library/Logs/PostgreSQL.log) is that the 10.7.2 server update will apply a whole bunch of database...

| Read more »

Friday February 3

14:16
Final Cut Pro X trial: FAQ
Apple - All...

Learn more about the Final Cut Pro X trial with these frequently asked questions.

| Read more »
13:49
Shape shifting Office objects
Office for M...

What? No egg shape? If you want to fine-tune a shape in Office for Mac 2011, or even create a different shape altogether, you can edit its points.

For example, turn a circle into an egg shape. Or rearrange the points in a freeform shape that you created with the drawing tool.

To see the points on the shape, right-click (or hold down CONTROL and click) the shape, and then click Edit Points. Then drag a point wherever you want.

Tips Zoom in 200% or 400% for more precision. To move the object with finer control, hold down COMMAND and press any arrow key.

For more information about changing shapes, read the following Office for Mac Help topic:...

| Read more »
09:17
OS X Lion: Fonts list
Apple - All...

Learn about the fonts included with OS X Lion.

| Read more »

Documentation Scanner

Wednesday February 8

14:16
Setting up iTunes and DVD Player for digital...
Apple - All...

Learn how to set up a Mac for surround sound playback using DVD Player or iTunes.

| Read more »
11:31
Aperture: Compatible versions for OS X Lion
Apple - All...

Specific versions of Aperture are compatible with OS X Lion.

| Read more »
11:22
Restarting PresSTORE Services
krypted

A number of PresSTORE backup servers also provide other services in the environments they are installed in. Therefore, restarting PresSTORE services without restarting the host that runs the PresSTORE services can be done via the command line so that you don’t have to restart the server that is doing backups.

To stop the PresSTORE server agent, use the stop-server command stored in /usr/local/aw:

sudo /usr/local/aw/stop-server

To the restart the server, use the start-server command, stored in the same location:

/usr/local/aw/start-server

The restart can also be done as a different user by invoking the -u operator followed by (and therefore defining) a user. The server occasionally stops itself for internal housecleaning, so this isn’t doing anything that isn’t already automated…Similar Articles:

  • ...
| Read more »
07:30
10.7: Update to a workaround for a Boot Camp x64...
Mac OS X Hin...

Yesterday I finally got around to dual-booting my MacBook, with a nice fresh copy of Windows 7. Everything was great, except for a laggy download of the Windows Support Software. So, earlier today, I got around to installing the drivers. It turns out, my old MacBook didn't support BootCampx64. I then did a quick search on how to fix this issue.



I came up with a number of answers, but this is an answer aimed at people who were in my situation which is:

  • I could not right click on the BootCampx64.msi file, because of the missing drivers.
  • Or if I could right click, then changing the properties of BootCampx64.msi resulted in not having the required elevated access privileges.

My solution (done from within Windows, obviously):

  • Without the drivers installed, you can still right click on the BootCampx64.msi file by click it with 'Shift-F10' which apparently acts as an alternate right click.
    • ...
| Read more »

Tuesday February 7

17:00
Engaging Users with Local and Push Notifications
iPhone Devel...

Local and push notifications are great for keeping users engaged around timely and relevant content, like score updates on their favorite team or breaking news stories. However, it’s important to adhere to the App Store Review Guidelines and avoid sending users unsolicited messages or spam as notifications. Doing so not only takes away from the user experience, but may cause your app to be removed from the App Store. Read our tips and best practices for using local and push notifications in your app. Learn more.

| Read more »
17:00
Engaging Users with Local and Push Notifications
ADC Headline...

Local and push notifications are great for keeping users engaged around timely and relevant content, like score updates on their favorite team or breaking news stories. However, it’s important to adhere to the App Store Review Guidelines and avoid sending users unsolicited messages or spam as notifications. Doing so not only takes away from the user experience, but may cause your app to be removed from the App Store. Read our tips and best practices for using local and push notifications in your app. Learn more.

| Read more »
17:00
Engaging Users with Local and Push Notifications
Apple Tools

Local and push notifications are great for keeping users engaged around timely and relevant content, like score updates on their favorite team or breaking news stories. However, it’s important to adhere to the App Store Review Guidelines and avoid sending users unsolicited messages or spam as notifications. Doing so not only takes away from the user experience, but may cause your app to be removed from the App Store. Read our tips and best practices for using local and push notifications in your app. Learn more.

| Read more »
14:22
Logic Pro 9.1.6, MainStage 2.2: Basic Content may...
Apple - All...

If you open MainStage 2.2 or Logic Pro 9.1.6 from a volume other than the startup disk (such as an external hard drive), you may be asked to download additional content. That content may download but not install. This can occur if you purchased these applications from the Mac App Store.

| Read more »
14:18
Logic Pro 9: Training resources
Apple - All...

Learn more about Logic Pro 9 with these resources.

| Read more »
14:14
Logic Pro 9: Support resources
Apple - All...

Use the resources below to help get support and find answers to your Logic Pro 9 questions.

| Read more »
07:30
Airport Utility 6.0
Mac OS X Hin...

Airport Utility 6.0 was released a few days ago.



You may want to keep both 5.6 and 6.0 versions. I used Pacifist, and manually reinstalled the 5.6 version side by side. Lots of missing features in the new utility. No way to tweak wireless options for Mode, Frequency, Multicast Rate or Transmit Power, and such a tiny window for port mapping list. An elegant interface, but at a price.



For a thorough review and pointers to stand alone updates, read here.



[crarko adds: Consider this a public service announcement. It also appears that AirPort Utility 6.0 only functions with the 802.11(n) compatible base stations, so that old AirPort Express you may have (like I do) is not supported. I've actually saved many older versions of the utility, even for the original Graphite (flying...

| Read more »
07:30
10.7: See Exposé view of an app in the background
Mac OS X Hin...

This is a feature that allows you to see the Exposé of an app that is in the background. You'll need a Trackpad.



In OS X 10.7, the four-finger swipe down toggles app Exposé for the app in the foreground. Except if you place the cursor on the icon of a running app in the Dock, in which case the four-finger down swipe toggles the app exposé of THAT app, not the application that is in the foreground.



If you swipe down again without selecting a window from the Exposé view, you are taken back to the app you were in before toggling Exposé.



[crarko adds: I'd love to test this, but my Lion system is still trying to finish installing the 10.7.3 update, which has already taken considerably longer than anticipated.]



...

| Read more »

Monday February 6

13:00
Adhering to Guidelines on Third-Party Marketing...
iPhone Devel...

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership. Get helpful tips and resources on marketing your apps the right way from the App Store Resource Center.

| Read more »
13:00
Adhering to Guidelines on Third-Party Marketing...
ADC Headline...

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership. Get helpful tips and resources on marketing your apps the right way from the App Store Resource Center.

| Read more »
13:00
Adhering to Guidelines on Third-Party Marketing...
Apple Tools

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership. Get helpful tips and resources on marketing your apps the right way from the App Store Resource Center.

| Read more »
07:30
Make the computer sing happy birthday
Mac OS X Hin...

Here's a way to use AppleScript and the 'say' command to have the computer sing happy birthday to you. Enjoy!

set currentUser to long user name of (get system info)
set firstName to first word of currentUser
set lastName to last word of currentUser

set noteValues to {56, 56, 58, 56, 61, 60, 50, 56, 56, 58, 56, 63, 61, 50, 56, 56, 68, 65, 61, 60, 58, 50, 66, 66, 65, 61, 63, 61} -- F
-- set noteValues to {65, 65, 67, 65, 70, 69, 60, 65, 65, 67, 65, 72, 70, 60, 65, 65, 77, 74, 70, 69, 67, 60, 75, 75, 74, 70, 72, 70} -- D
-- set noteValues to {55, 55, 57, 55, 60, 59, 50, 55, 55, 57, 55, 62, 60, 50, 55, 55, 67, 64, 60, 59, 57, 50, 65, 65, 64, 60, 62, 60} -- E

set syllables to {"hap", "p", "birth", "day", "to", "you", "[[slnc 500]]", "hap", "p", "birth", "day", "to", "you", "[[slnc 500]]", "hap", "p", "birth ...



...

| Read more »
07:30
10.7: Updating Lion Server if using CalDAV and...
Mac OS X Hin...

If you plan to update your OS X Server to 10.7.2 be sure to restart your machine and stop all server services, especially iCal Server and Address book server before applying the update.



It happened to me yesterday that I applied the OS X 10.7.2 update to my Mac mini server without closing any apps. I just ran it. After the update it turned out, this was a big mistake. All calendar entries of the past three weeks and many contacts were lost.



I was not able to recover anything from time machine. Lion server keeps the CalDAV and CardDAV data in a PostgreSQL database which is apparently not backed up by TimeMachine. Also, the PostgreSQL uses transactions which need to be 'closed' before they end up being permanently written into the DB tables.



What I found from reviewing the postgres log file (/Library/Logs/PostgreSQL.log) is that the 10.7.2 server update will apply a whole bunch of database...

| Read more »

Friday February 3

14:16
Final Cut Pro X trial: FAQ
Apple - All...

Learn more about the Final Cut Pro X trial with these frequently asked questions.

| Read more »
13:49
Shape shifting Office objects
Office for M...

What? No egg shape? If you want to fine-tune a shape in Office for Mac 2011, or even create a different shape altogether, you can edit its points.

For example, turn a circle into an egg shape. Or rearrange the points in a freeform shape that you created with the drawing tool.

To see the points on the shape, right-click (or hold down CONTROL and click) the shape, and then click Edit Points. Then drag a point wherever you want.

Tips Zoom in 200% or 400% for more precision. To move the object with finer control, hold down COMMAND and press any arrow key.

For more information about changing shapes, read the following Office for Mac Help topic:...

| Read more »
09:17
OS X Lion: Fonts list
Apple - All...

Learn about the fonts included with OS X Lion.

| Read more »

Technology Showcase

Dec 16
Appcelerator offers '4 Steps to creating a mobile...

Appcelerator has published a white paper on "4 Steps to creating a mobile development strategy."

"Companies now have a window of opportunity to think about how mobile can transform their business as radically as the web did," says AppCelerator. "By making mobile a part of their overall digital strategy, companies can transform their relationships with their customers in even greater ways than they did with the web."

The white paper tells you how this can be accomplished. Appcelerator (http://www.appcelerator.com/) is a company that helps web developers create mobile, tablet and desktop applications.

| Read more »
Sep 19
InterMapper publishes white papers on network...

InterMapper has published four white papers on network monitoring, mapping and alerting and InterMapper. You can find them all at
http://www.intermapper.com/resources/whitepapers.aspx .

The papers look at "Top 8 reasons SMBs need to monitor their networks," "top 8 considerations for selecting SMB network monitoring software," "10 steps to streamline the deployment of network monitoring software for SMBs," and "6 ways to calculate returns from your networking monitoring investment."

InterMapper is Mac OS X compatible network monitoring software. It uses SNMP to monitor the network infrastructure, and has probes for monitoring many kinds of servers, including web, mail, LDAP, FTP, etc. More information and a free 30-day demo are available at the product Web site (...

| Read more »
Aug 11
Video tour of new Data Rescue Center headquarters...

The Data Rescue Center, a a data recovery company founded in 2009 and a division of Prosoft Engineering, recently opened a new state-of-the-art headquarters in Livermore, California. You can get a video tour of it at http://www.thedatarescuecenter.com/company_background.html .

In June of 2010, the Data Rescue Center and Prosoft Engineering finalized the purchase of a building in Livermore near the Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Work immediately began on the design and construction of the new recovery lab facility.

In late January of 2011, both The Data Rescue Center and Prosoft Engineering moved all operations to this new facility. It boasts a Class 2 UL-Listed Vault and extensive security features.

The ISO 5 / Class 100 Cleanroom exceeds all manufacturers specifications for cleanroom recovery environments, according to...

| Read more »
Mar 11
Video looks at 'Fixing Flat Color in Final Cut...

Future Media Concepts has posted a video on "Fixing Flat Color in Final Cut Pro." It teaches you how to make your colors "pop" in footage in Final Cut Pro. You can find it at
http://www.fmctraining.com/fmc.asp?w=blip_AYHdkS4C .

Future Media Concepts is a digital media training center representing the leading software manufacturers, including Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Boris FX, Digidesign, NewTek and Softimage. Headquartered in New York City, FMC now operates 5 additional digital media training facilities located in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Orlando and Chicago.

| Read more »
Oct 04
Video showcases Zco's services

Zco Corp. (http://www.zco.com) has posted an overview video for their technology showcase. You can view it here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzE89z-jexA .

Zco can help you build custom software, as well as market it. The company developsb oth industrial strength backend applications using .NET, PHP and Java as well as apps for all major mobile platforms, including the iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone 7, WebOS and Symbian.

Zco can also help you promote your products and services using search engine optimization and social media optimization techniques, HD video, stunning graphics, 3D animation and video effects, press releases, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Google, Yahoo and Bing.

| Read more »
Aug 26
Video looks at digital storytelling features of...

A new online video (http://www.memoryminer.com) shows some of the best ways for using MemoryMiner, a digital storytelling application for Mac OS X. Designed an an complement the iLife suite, the software is all about capturing and exploring your life memories.

MemoryMiner allows anyone to zero in on the stories depicted in their photos by linking them to each other based on people, places and time. While photos are used as the starting point, the goal is always uncovering the backstory.

With MemoryMiner, you can directly record audio or video to capture the backstory of a photo. You can attach documents, web URL's, or other media to add depth and context. Each photo becomes a frame in a storyboard that can be browsed by periods in a person's life, where people overlap, by place, by time, or any combination.

MemoryMiner requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher. It's Universal Binary so runs...

| Read more »
Jul 30
Ergonis posts video on using Typinator

Ergonis Software has posted a video (http://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/movie.html) on Typinator (http://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/), its tool for auto-typing text and auto-correcting typos system-wide across all Mac OS X applications.

With thousands of predefined corrections for common typos and misspelled words for US and British English, German and French, Typinator is not only just a typing assistant that speeds repetitive typing tasks, but also a system-wide auto-correction tool that automatically fixes typing errors and misspelled words. You just define an abbreviation along with its replacement text or picture. Whenever you type one of your abbreviations in any application, Typinator inserts the corresponding...

| Read more »
Jul 19
Seagate introduces GoFlex Home for centralized storage

Seagate (http://www.seagate.com) has unveiled the newest addition to its GoFlex family of hard drives -- the GoFlex Home network storage system. When it's connected to a wireless router, an entire household can centrally store, easily access and continuously back up files wirelessly from Mac and Windows systems on the home  network.

The new centralized storage system simplifies the backup process by being compatible with the Apple Time Machine, as well as including a version of the backup application for both Mac OS X and Windows operating systems, says Darcy Clarkson, Seagate vice president of Retail Sales and Marketing. With the GoFlex Home storage system, families can also wirelessly stream photos, movies and music to most network connected DLNA devices, such as game consoles or a GoFlex TV HD media player, from any room in the house.

The GoFlex Home is available in 1TB and 2TB capacities at...

| Read more »
 
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Tweetbot Makes The Jump to iPad
As you may have already read, earlier today Tweetbot just released a fresh new release of their extremely popular iPhone Twitter client.  Going along with that, developer Tapbots has also announced that there is finally an iPad version of the... | Read more »
Tweetbot Reaches Version 2.0
Here at 148apps, we’re big fans of Tweetbot. Offering pretty much everything anyone could ever want from a Twitter client, it’s no wonder that we feel that way. I know I’m quietly hopeful that one day a desktop client as good as it will come along... | Read more »
Demolicious Review
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Settle in for a Serious Read with Longfo...
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Elf Defense Review
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Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

15″ MacBook Pro sale prices, $101 off 15″ 2.2GHz m...
 B&H Photo has the 15″ 2.2GHz MacBook Pro on sale today for $1698 including free shipping plus NY sales tax only. Their price is $101 off MSRP. Adorama has the 15″ 2.2GHz MacBook Pro on sale for... Read more
Apple refurbished iMacs available starting at $999
The Apple Store has Apple Certified Refurbished iMacs available for up to $340 off the price of new models. An Apple one-year warranty is included with each model, and shipping is free: - 27″ 3.1GHz... Read more
MacBooks up to $200 off at Apple Store for Educati...
Purchase a new MacBook Pro or MacBook Air at The Apple Store for Education and take up to $200 off MSRP. All teachers, students, and staff of any educational institution qualify for the discount.... Read more
13″ 2.4GHz White MacBook (refurbished) available f...
The Apple Store has restocked Apple Certified Refurbished 13″ 2.4GHz White MacBooks for $849 including free shipping. Their price is $150 off original MSRP for new models and includes Apple’s one-... Read more
Mac mini Server on sale for $942, $57 off MSRP
B&H Photo has Mac mini Servers on sale for $942.95 including free shipping plus NY sales tax only. Their price is $57 off MSRP, and it’s the lowest price we’ve seen for this model from any Apple... Read more
Apple drops prices on refurbished iPod nanos to $9...
The Apple Store has Apple Certified Refurbished iPod nanos available starting at $99 – a $10 price drop. Each nano comes with an Apple one-year warranty, and shipping is free: - 16GB iPod nano (all... Read more
Open-box special: 13″ MacBook Air for $230 off MSR...
MacMall has open-box return 13″ 128GB MacBook Airs available for $1069.21 including free FedEx overnight shipping. That’s $230 off the cost of new models. Apple’s one-year warranty and all materials... Read more
Apple now offering refurbished Oct ’11 13″ MacBook...
 The Apple Store is now offering Apple Certified Refurbished October 2011 13″ MacBook Pros for up to $230 off the cost of new models, including free shipping. Apple’s one-year warranty is standard... Read more
 

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Sr iPhone Engineer at Walt Disney (Palo...
Our business is expanding and we are searching for a Senior iPhone Engineer. We're looking for graduates of great ... Solid, senior engineering skills directly applicable to iPhone development,... Read more
Mac Developer at Symantec (Mountain View...
Mac developers who will help us build high quality Mac OS X products. Our Mac products need to be world class ... communication and security framework Be familiar with Apple Mac user experience... Read more
Desktop Support | Helpdesk Support (Mac...
Desktop Administrator (Mac OS Expert) Job Title: Desktop Support | Helpdesk Support (Mac OS/Apple) Location: Boise, ID ... for Apple device user support Technical Qualifications: 1. Mac/VIP... Read more
ios/iphone/android Developer at Saligram...
Requirements: Minimum 0 to 6 years of experience on iOS/iPHONE/iPAD/Android Proficient in Objective-C, Xcode, iOS SDK. ... Experience developing iPhone/iPad applications. Mac OS Apple iOS SDK/Xcode... Read more
MAC Service Desk Technician at Technisou...
Available Ref ID: 1001703119 Visit Us www.technisource.com MAC Service Desk Technician JOB DESCRIPTION MAC Service Desk ... Apple Mac OS 10.X operating systems Strong knowledge of Mac hardware... Read more

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