Macs@Pacs on the Web

The Adventures of Library Girl: QR Codes to the Rescue: Transforming Print from Out of Date, To Out of This World! (When budgets get tight librarians get creative.)

http://lib-girl.blogspot.com/2011/10/qr-codes-to-ree-transforming-print.html

Some other things to browse:

Before eMail, Steve Jobs Mailed Computer Chips To Apple Fans

http://www.cultofmac.com/122076/before-email-steve-jobs-mailed-computer-chips-to-apple-fans/

This Is How You’ll Transition From MobileMe To iCloud

http://www.cultofmac.com/122212/this-is-how-youll-transition-from-mobileme-to-icloud-gallery/

Embarrassing photos on your iCloud Photo Stream? Here’s how to remove them

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2011/10/14/embarrassing-photos-on-your-icloud-photo-stream-heres-how-to-remove-them/

iPad mirroring mode on your AppleTV 2: How to do it

http://www.tuaw.com/2011/10/13/ipad-mirroring-mode-on-your-appletv-2-how-to-do-it/

How to upgrade your iOS device to iOS 5

http://www.macworld.com/article/162925/2011/10/how_to_upgrade_your_ios_device_to_ios_5.html

Tips: How to selectively hide/unhide past iTunes purchases

http://9to5mac.com/2011/10/13/tips-how-to-selectively-hideunhide-past-itunes-purchases/

How to Deal With Email Overload

http://mashable.com/2011/10/13/email-overload-how-to/

Having Problems After Installing iOS 5? Here Are General Troubleshooting Tips For iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

http://www.cultofmac.com/123127/having-problems-after-installing-ios-5-here-are-general-troubleshooting-tips-for-iphone-ipad-and-ipod-touch/

Boing Boing’s Beautiful Tribute To Steve Jobs

http://www.cultofmac.com/121115/boing-boings-beautiful-tribute-to-steve-jobs/

Steve Jobs: “Death Is Very Likely The Best Single Invention Of Life. It Is Life’s Change Agent.”

http://www.cultofmac.com/121101/steve-jobs-death-is-very-likely-the-best-single-invention-of-life-it-is-lifes-change-agent/

Topics of Interest Sept 2011

2011-09-18T16:35:00.000-04:00

Post-it Note Art: The Most Creative Use Of Sticky Paper Ever

Post-it wars are awesome. Paris seems to have been hit by the newest craze, the making of pixelated art using these colorful little pieces of paper. While the whole thing may have started simply enough with some Super Mario Bros reproductions, it seems things have been taken to the next level. Check out the slideshow below to see some of the best pieces, courtesy postitwar.com.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/07/post-it-note-art-photos_n_952494.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

Adobe unveils Lightroom for iPad

http://9to5mac.com/2011/09/07/adobe-unveils-carousel-the-lightroom-for-ipad-youve-been-clamoring-for/

Adobe unveils a PDF creation app for idevices

http://9to5mac.com/2011/08/29/adobe-unveils-pdf-creation-app-for-iphone-and-ipad/

Downgrade Lion to Snoow Leopard video

http://www.cultofmac.com/downgrade-os-x-lion-to-snow-leopard-video-how-to/110614

Watch video on You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wezCCCdB00Y&feature=player_embedded

Steve Jobs mosaic

http://www.cultofmac.com/check-out-this-awesome-reader-made-steve-jobs-mosaic/110994

MAcbook Air used by tribe in the Amazon rainforest

http://www.cultofmac.com/macbook-air-used-by-tribe-in-the-amazon-rainforest/111563

Evernote

http://www.macstories.net/news/evernote-3-0-for-mac-released-new-lion-only-features-and-redesigned-interface/

Great app for kids

Color Studio HD

http://www.griffintechnology.com/crayola-colorstudiohd?utm_source=app&utm_medium=iOSapp&utm_campaign=Color

FBI releases Child ID app for iPhone

http://www.razorianfly.com/2011/08/05/fbi-releases-first-ever-app-for-iphone/

The new web will need a new network

By Stacey Higginbotham

http://gigaom.com/broadband/the-new-web-will-need-a-new-network/

Puffin Browser

iPhone’s new camera has some great tools

http://www.razorianfly.com/2011/06/23/apple-camera-patent-hints-at-auto-correction-of-tiltperspective-distortion-on-iphone/

Telephoto lense kit for iPhone

http://richardsolo.com/telephotolenskit.aspx

Solar powered iPad cover

http://www.cultofmac.com/preorder-this-solar-powered-ipad-case-and-get-rid-of-your-charger-forever/111326

Movie mount for iPad

http://www.macstories.net/ipad/makayama-movie-mount-for-ipad-2/#more-25936

There is also an app for this

Cool apps

Dynamic light 99 cents

Photofunia

http://photofunia.com/

Some Summer Fun for browsing

2011-06-18T10:07:00.003-04:00

THE FUTURE TECHNOLOGY!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=17DPJHNVx2Q
Just fun to watch!!!!

What's that tree? Try Smithsonian's new app to see
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2011-06-10-smithsonian-tree-app_n.htm
"Scientists have developed the first mobile app to identify plants by simply photographing a leaf. The free iPhone and iPad app, called Leafsnap, instantly searches a growing library of leaf images amassed by the Smithsonian Institution. In seconds, it returns a likely species name, high-resolution photographs and information on the tree's flowers, fruit, seeds and bark."

Article: 6 Free iPhone Apps to Get Tiny Techies Learning Outdoors
http://www.naturallyeducational.com/2011/04/free-iphone-apps-kids-outdoors-nature/
“A big part of my educational philosophy is that learning best occurs with a genuine physical connection to the material. And nature is like a giant laboratory where children can use all of their sense to explore, ask questions, and perform experiments.”

Traveler’s Quest
http://www.tuaw.com/2011/06/07/tuaws-daily-iphone-app-travelers-quest/
"Traveler's Quest is an oldie but a goodie in the App Store -- it's a GPS-based treasure hunting map that will send you searching around your own area for virtual treasure with a game layer on top of it. It's simple to play and learn, but there's an addictive quality to hunting down and finding a certain location with your iPhone's GPS that will keep you playing while out and about, whether you're wandering around a vacation spot this summer or just exploring your own neighborhood."

Kaleidoscope Camera
http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/30/tuaws-daily-mac-app-kaleidoscope-camera/
Kaleidoscope Camera is a simple little US$0.99 app that'll keep the kids amused for a little while longer. It produces a beautiful kaleidoscope effect using your built-in iSight or FaceTime HD camera and allows you to record the results to standard definition MOV files.

Library of Congress
How the Library of Congress is building
the Twitter archive
Checking in on the Library of Congress' Twitter archive, one year later.
by Audrey Watters | @audreywatters
http://radar.oreilly.com/2011/06/library-of-congress-twitter-archive.html
“In April 2010, Twitter announced it was donating its entire archive of public tweets to the Library of Congress. Every tweet since Twitter's inception in 2006 would be preserved. The donation of the archive to the Library of Congress may have been in part a symbolic act, a recognition of the cultural significance of Twitter. Although several important historical moments had already been captured on Twitter when the announcement was made last year (the first tweet from space, for example, Barack Obama's first tweet as President, or news of Michael Jackson's death), since then our awareness of the significance of the communication channel has certainly grown.”

Find Free images online
http://heyjude.wordpress.com/find-free-images-online/
Including images with postings enriches the experience for the reader and can also help to illustrate or support the writer’s viewpoint.

10 Apps you should install first on your iPad
http://www.tuaw.com/2011/06/04/10-apps-you-should-install-first-on-your-iphone/
“Now what?" you may be asking yourself. "I've heard about all the great apps that are available for the iPhone, but where do I start?"

Postcardly turns digital pics into real postcards
https://postcardly.com/auth/index
The newly launched Postcardly service bridges the gap between your digital snapshots and the real world by turning your pics into actual postcards that will make your grandmother happy and answer your 12-year-old's question: "Mommy, what's a postcard?"

Ten Must Have iPad Apps for Readers | Dear Author
http://dearauthor.com/ebooks/ten-must-have-ipad-apps-for-readers/
The article explains several of the most popular apps for reading.

Steve Jobs’ Mega Mothership Shows Building Planning Is Broken [Opinion] | Cult of Mac
http://www.cultofmac.com/steve-jobs-mega-mothership-shows-building-planning-is-broken-opinion/100020 “The video of Steve Jobs presenting Apple’s plans to build a new “mothership” in Cupertino to the local council was absolutely hilarious! Not just because of the absurd questions the councillors asked but their obvious lack of professionalism, understanding of architecture and ridiculous fanboy-ism.”
video on YouTube that shows Steve Jobs explaining his new plant to the town planning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtuz5OmOh_M&feature=player_embedded

What Apple’s ‘Spacecraft’ Campus Will *Really* Look Like | RazorianFly
http://www.razorianfly.com/2011/06/11/what-apples-spacecraft-campus-will-really-look-like-humor/
“Receiving the unhindered green light from Cupertino’s mayor, Gilbert Wong, and set for completion in 2015, Apple’s “spacecraft” campus is getting a lot of media attention this week.”

Apple Will Last 100 Years, Says The Economist
http://www.cultofmac.com/apple-will-last-100-years-says-the-economist/100592 “To celebrate IBM’s centenary next week, the world’s leading financial magazine, The Economist, took a look at what high-tech companies might survive 100 years.”
“Like IBM, it had a near-death experience in the 1990s, and it is dangerously dependent on its founder, Steve Jobs. But it has a powerful organising idea: take the latest technology, package it in a simple, elegant form and sell it at a premium price. Apple has done this with personal computers, music players, smartphones and tablet computers, and is now moving into cloud-based services (see article). Each time it has grabbed an existing technology and produced an easier-to-use and prettier version than anyone else. This approach can be applied to whatever technology is flavour of the month: Apple has already shifted from PCs to mobile devices.”

Visualizing Childrens' Plans For The City Of The Future In Pop-Up Book Form BY Morgan ClendanielTue Jun 14, 2011
http://www.fastcompany.com/1759885/visualzing-childrens-plans-for-the-city-of-the-future-in-pop-up-book-form “Ask a kid what they think the future will look like, and you'll get some strange answers. But if you actually listen, you might get some good ideas.”

Steve Jobs' comic book bio coming to stores in August
by Kelly Hodgkins
http://www.tuaw.com/2011/06/14/steve-jobs-comic-book-bio-coming-to-stores-in-august/
“Steve Jobs' official biography comes out next March, but those who don't want to wait that long to read about iSteve can grab a comic book biography from Bluewater Productions.”

•Geek Trend: Tempting Fate Creating Steve Jobs Collectibles [Gallery] | Cult of Mac
http://www.cultofmac.com/geek-trend-tempting-fate-creating-steve-jobs-collectibles/100895
“In the last few years a kind of cat and mouse game has evolved between Apple Legal and some of the more daring (and creative) members of the Cult of Apple: tempting fate by selling Steve Jobs collectibles, and risking the wrath of Apple. How long before your Cease & Desist letter arrives?”

Article: iPhone 4 Is Headed To Space On Final Space Shuttle Mission
http://www.cultofmac.com/iphone-4-is-headed-to-space-on-final-space-shuttle-mission/100029
“A pair of iPhone 4s running an experimental science app are heading for the International Space Station next month, it was just announced at Apple’s WWDC.”
“Two iPhone 4s certified for space travel will be on board Space Shuttle Atlantis, the shuttle fleet’s historic final mission, STS-135.
Due to take off from Cape Canaveral on July 8 the iPhone 4s will be running the SpaceLab for iOS app from Odyssey Space Research, which will be used for space research. They will remain on the ISS for several months for the crew to conduct a series of experiments.
Among other things, the app will help ISS astronauts find their relative position is space by matching pictures of the Earth taken with the iPhone’s camera to a database of coastline maps in the app.
A $0.99 “terrestrial” version of SpaceLab for iOS app is available today from the App Store. According to the company: “Flight data from the experiments are expected to be collected, analyzed, and then shared via this app on the App Store.”

Final Space Shuttle Mission Will Feature iPhones
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/06/iphone-space-shuttle/
“The iOS-based software, called SpaceLab, will come pre-loaded on two iPhone 4s. Testing the software isn’t mission-critical, but it may lead to terrestrial commercial devices being repurposed for space in the near future.
“When Apple added gyros to the iPhone, it suddenly became a small avionics platform,” said Brian Rishikof, CEO of Odyssey Space Research, the company that designed SpaceLab. “You can imagine using it to do backup functions to recover navigational state. If it has any potential life-saving functions, it suddenly becomes a whole different animal.”
“We’re attempting to show how a commercial product that millions of people use can function as spaceflight hardware,” Rishikof said. “Once you demonstrate that it’s capable, you begin to wonder what else is possible.”

Check Out Simspons Creator Matt Groening’s 1989 Apple Student Guide
http://www.cultofmac.com/check-out-simspons-creator-matt-groenings-1989-apple-student-guide-hilarious-gallery/100326

iOS 5 To Allow 1080p Video Export
http://www.macstories.net/news/ios-5-to-allow-1080p-video-export/
“Following the increasing speculation about the next-generation iPhone getting an 8-megapixel camera, the iOS 5 beta seeded to developers earlier this week keeps providing interesting details on features that Apple is baking into the OS, but aren’t ready or usable yet as they’re being built for future devices. In addition to iOS 5 enabling playback of 1080p video files scaled down to 720p as Apple hasn’t built a screen with enough resolution to support 1080p, 9to5mac points to more code strings from the developer beta that seem to confirm developers will soon be able to activate video export options at 1080p in their applications. This means Apple’s apps like Camera and iMovie, or other third-party solutions, will be capable of saving 1080p files with the public release of iOS 5. Previously, developers could only export videos to 720p.”

Steve Zalot WOWS PACS- Oct 16, 2010

2010-10-17T19:09:00.001-04:00

Senior Systems Engineer for Apple, Steve Zalot WOW'd the audiance on Saturday with the latest and greatest Apple technologies.
From Nano, to iPod Touch, iPhone, and more, and through the latest Apple iOS4 operating systems, Steve answered Questions and provided an excellent overview.

Super Job!

Memo/DOC App for iPhone/Touch

2010-05-09T09:24:00.001-04:00

I was looking for a simple Memo/DOC App similar to that found on my old Palm IIIxe PDA. The standard “Notes App”, which comes with the iPhone/Touch is OK, but lacks some of the features of my Palm.

I downloaded the following freebies from the Apps Store:
NoteStuff Lite
Notes n More
AyeNotes
Password Notes
Safe Note

Some of these were too complex for my purposes, some did not provide adequate instructions. Of the ones I tried, I chose “Safe Note”. The application prides itself on its simplicity and ease of use. It also employs variable length fields so the user can enter anything he likes. Other programs have fixed length fields and are limited to “template-like” entries.

I also appreciated the fact that the data files are password protected. And that each file can be given a real title, and not just listed with the first few lines of its text as a pseudo-title.

Import/export of files from a desktop machine to Safe Note can be accomplished with email and the copy/paste capabilities of the iPhone/Touch.

Please let me know if others have a favorite Memo App that I haven’t tried yet.

Join Steve Zalot on Saturday, May 15th

2010-04-27T11:50:00.001-04:00

As a Senior Systems Engineer for Apple, Steve Zalot will be there Saturday to
thrill and chill us with the new Apple technologies.
Questions will be asked and answered.
Learn about the iPad and other goodies
Insights will be opening doors to new techniques.
Enjoyment for one and all.
Join us.

Ben Romney's April 17, 2010 Meeting Presentation Tips & Info

2010-04-18T13:03:00.011-04:00

Have you ever lost your iTunes Library or portions of the media stored on you iPod device [iPod, iTouch, iPhone]?

Apple's iTunes is a great application of getting your media from your computer to your device, but if you need to pull that data back to your computer and into iTunes you are out of luck!

Out of luck unless you have Kennettnet's Music Rescue. This application, recently rated as one of the best iPod Recovery apps by MacWorld, does so many tasks helping you to get your media off the iPod back onto your computer.

What does it do? Music Rescue can:

Copies media from an iPod, iTouch or iPhone to your computer [Mac or Win]
Compares iPod contents to local iTunes library
Simple recovery of all media--music, podcasts, audiobooks, etc. on your iPod

In addition to being a powerful easy to use application that gets the job done, it has the look and feel of well designed Mac application. The author has an active support site and provides video tutorials to walk you through all of Music Rescue's features and capabilities covering:

installation,
getting started,
advanced features,
quick recovery feature,
recovering a single playlist, and
keeping different iTune player devices/libraries in sync.

Music Rescue easily helped me recover several thousand music files that iTunes somehow lost during upgrades or moving the library.

Available for purchase, you can download a trial version to try before you buy.

---------

Want to be able to create your own Time Lapse Movie?

Gawker

An application for Mac OS X that creates time-lapse movies using a webcam or your iSight. Images from your camera can be shared, allowing other users to record your image stream. Streams can also be combined to create a time-lapse movie with up to four locations side-by-side. This is an excellent shareware program that enables you to do what professionals do at a much higher cost and special equipment. The program's website provides several examples of the different types of time lapsed movies you can create--it's only up to your imagination. You can download the program to try for yourself.

---------

This Saturday....Dave Marra from Apple

2010-02-17T01:04:00.003-05:00

"Known for his dynamic delivery style and exciting demos, Dave Marra has conducted thousands of technology presentations, keynote addresses and workshops for schools, Mac and PC user groups, businesses and other professional organizations across the United States and Canada. Certified as both an Apple Certified Technical Coordinator and an Apple Certified Systems Administrator, his specialty areas include digital multimedia, internet technologies, accessibility and Mac/PC integration."

Dave will talk with the mac interest group (9-12) and then present the main meeting at noon on the ma in a cross platform world.
Come join us.

AppleScript- A Short Report for a Very Long Book

2009-12-20T19:34:00.004-05:00

I must admit that, at first glance, “AppleScript 1-2-3” by Sal Soghoian and Bill Cheeseman was a daunting experience. In today’s world, a printed volume that weighs nearly four pounds, and has 880 pages can be an unusual and intimidating document.

Yet, upon sitting down with the book and my MAC along side, and going through the numerous examples of the first chapter, I realized that, “Hey! This book is READABLE!”

Now, I won’t pretend that I’ve read the rest of the book in any great detail, but from what I’ve gleaned so far, the authors continue their hands-on, example-driven approach throughout- making the learning of AppleScript a very doable undertaking.

To those who are unfamiliar with AppleScript, let’s just say that it is an unbelievably powerful object-oriented language, built into every MAC from the beginning. It allows the user to manipulate the MAC applications in ways which add tremendous utility to the original programs.

For instance, my project involves taking a “whole boatload” of very old Microsoft Word files for MAC, and converting them into files that can be read by a modern WINDOWS PC- a daunting task if it were not for the MACRO capabilities of AppleScript.

AppleScript uses high-level, English language sentence structure and compiles it into a program that the machine understands. A built-in AppleScript Editor makes programming easy. An example of a command might be:

tell application “Finder” to open the startup disk

Nothing very cryptic there…

If you need your computer to do something different, or something not originally designed into a “Standard” application, you may want to give AppleScript a try. The book has a list price of $49.99. If you want to see if AppleScript is right for you before you make a commitment, look for a copy at your local public library.

Published by Peachpit Press
Copyright 2009
ISBN13:978-0-321-14931-2
ISBN-10:6-321-14931-9
mm
Ron K

December 2009 Meeting

2009-12-17T20:00:00.001-05:00

December 19 , 2009

Tips & Tricks for everyone by Mark Bazrod

Bring TV to your MAC for Free by Ben Romney

Fill Your Wish List for the New Year with Dale's goodies

Free Photoshop Alternatives

2009-12-17T19:57:00.001-05:00

Check this out!!!!
Three websites for 25+ Photoshop alternatives

==================================================================

11 Free Adobe Photoshop Alternatives (Softwares) | Tools
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/11-free-alternatives-softwares-to-adobe-photoshop/

Photoshop Alternatives: Another 14 Free Image Manipulation Tools | Tools
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/photoshop-alternatives-another-14-free-image-manipulation-tools/

One more site to check out for Mac based (non free) Image editors
Top 5 Alternatives to Photoshop For Mac Users | Psdtuts+
http://psd.tutsplus.com/articles/top-5-alternatives-to-photoshop-for-mac-users/

Links for September Tips

2009-09-20T12:13:00.005-04:00

Here are the URLs for the Mac tips from the September 19, 2009 meeting. This is my first post to the blog so who knows how it will turn out.

BOOTABLE FLASH DRIVE http://www.mlmug.org/BMSep.html

TEN THUMBS TYPING TUTOR ($26) http://www.tenthumbstypingtutor.com

TYPING SHORTHANDS

SPELL CATCHER ($30) http://www.rainmakerinc.com/
TYPEIT4ME ($27) http://ettoresoftware.com/EttoreSoftware/About_TypeIt4Me.html
TEXT EXPANDER ($30) http://www.smileonmymac.com/TextExpander/

DWIGHT SILVERMAN'S BLOG http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/

The MACBUNDLES.COM http://www.themacbundles.com/

EASYFIND (free) http://www.devon-technologies.com/products/freeware/

TROUBLESHOOTING SITES -

GOOGLE http://www.google.com/mac/
APPLE http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa
MACOSHINTS.COM http://macoshints.com/
OSX FAQ http://www.osxfaq.com/
OSXGUIDE http://www.osxguide.com/
MACFIXITFORUMS.COM http://forums.cnet.com/?tag=hdr;snav

SPEEDDOWNLOAD ($25) http://yazsoft.com/

Mark Bazrod

The AppCast for great tutorials

2009-09-16T21:52:00.001-04:00

iPhone apps video podcasts
http://theapppodcast.com/
The App Podcast is a video review website of popular and upcoming iPhone & iPod Touch Applications. We hold one of the top technology podcast positions in iTunes with over 6500 subscribers and growing. Get the reviews for free in iTunes to watch on your computer, iPhone, Touch or AppleTV.

The Applist

2009-09-16T21:48:00.002-04:00

Applist - lists of the essential and best iphone apps
http://appadvice.com/reviews
When you just can't find the right set of apps going to the AppStore will strike pay dirt. Don't know which apps you need on your iPhone? Check out our AppLists to find handpicked bundles of apps that fit your unique style. Whether you are looking to use your phone for a particular purpose, or just want to have more fun on the go, AppLists transform your iPhone to your very own myPhone.

September's Meeting

2009-09-16T21:45:00.002-04:00

Freeware-Shareware and Open Source

This month we will feature as many applications, tips and tricks, and tools that are available to the macintosh platform free of charge or for a nominal fee.
Come join us and share your expertise or have your question answered.

iPhone/Touch Identity Screen

2009-08-19T19:34:00.002-04:00

I wanted to display my name, phone number, and email address to the finder of my iPod Touch if it were lost and some good Samaritan managed to turn it on. My IPod Touch is Passcode protected. Some of the identity apps, like My info, need to be actually run, in order to make the information visible. That means someone has to get passed the Passcode for the information to be seen.

Other applications, like If Found set the iPhone/Touch wallpaper to display the data. This is displayed on the Passcode screen.

If you want to start from scratch, to create a unique wallpaper poster, check out:

iPhone/Touch Wallpaper

Other suggestions include:
The EasyShot App
And PhotoForge

I created a JPEG with my contact information at the top of a photo using
Paint.net on my computer and downloaded it to the Touch using iTunes. I then
selected it as wallpaper, and it shows up on the initial screen above the
Passcode keyboard.

Ron K

IPhone/Touch File Sharing

2009-07-31T16:00:00.001-04:00

One of my most frequently used operating system attributes of my networked desktop and laptop computers is the ability to file share between machines.

While in "the olden days", a file might be transferred between machines on a floppy disk or Flash drive, using network file sharing is much more convenient, and opening a channel through Ethernet or WiFi is really automatic, once the sharing mechanism is in place.

Sharing files on an iPhone/Touch is a bit more complicated. Apple wants everything to go through iTunes using USB and the available applications in the iTunes Store.

There are, however, several APPS, which in effect, circumvent some of these limitations. Several methods are employed. Some provide an external (cloud) server. Send the file to the cloud on one computer and receive it on the other, all through the Internet. Another approach is to open a local channel between computers either through USB or WiFi and transfer the file that way. Of course, it is necessary for the iPhone/Touch to have an application to handle the received file. Check out Mover and ActivePrint

Two popular file sharing programs available are: Air Sharing and FileAid I chose FileAid. The WiFi version of FileAid can be used for free. One item to watch out for when setting up FileAid is to make sure when inserting the iPhone/Touch FTP address use a colon (:) rather than a dot before the last set of digits ftp://192.1.168.17:2121 The 2121 is the port number.

Using FileAid it was easy to download, for instance, Michael Rubin's $35 bio of George Lucas and Lucasfilm, Droidmaker now available for FREE, into my desktop as three pdf docs and transfer them to my iPod Touch for later reading when not hooked into WiFi.

Check it Out!

Ron K

Oxford Valley Mall Offers Free WiFi to Customers

2009-07-17T17:48:00.002-04:00

This was the first time I visited The Oxford Valley Mall with my new iPod Touch in hand. To my pleasant surprise, I found that the mall now offers a WiFi connection for the convenience of the shoppers. I very happily sat down at a bench and passed the time surfing the Web, as my wife enjoyed her shopping trip. The WiFi works well in the big open areas, but is not present in the satellite department stores.

I still can't get over the fact that at the public libraries and such, others are pinned down to their desktops and laptops, while I can walk around, or sit in a comfortable chair, and view the same web pages and movies on the little 'Touch.

Anyone know of other malls in the area with free public WiFi?
Ron

iTunes Apps Store Bargains!

2009-07-12T10:53:00.006-04:00

With most Apps at 99 cents, every application at the Apps store is really a bargain! But, by checking out a number of websites and special apps, new, free, and discounted apps can be easily found.

I like and use:

http://appshopper.com/
http://www.appstoreapps.com/
AppMiner
PandoraBox

Anyone else have some suggestions?

Ron K

RSS Readers for the iPhone/iTouch

2009-06-22T00:58:00.012-04:00

Looking for a RSS Reader for your iPhone/iTouch?

At least 4 Readers [Free & Pay] can be found on the iTunes App Store.

In February 2009, GearDiary did a review on the RSS Reader Google Sync

To find the different readers open up iTunes, scroll down and click on the Apps Store and then in the Search iTunes Store field at the upper right corner of the iTunes window enter RSS Reader and press the Enter/Return key. You will then have several applications you can review and try many free and many pay. If you are a heavy RSS Reader you might want to consider the paid apps as they are likely to be more robust and give you a better viewing experience. However, before you buy anything be sure to read the reviews.

If Google is your primary RSS Reader Account on your desk/laptop you might want to look at Ebisu Soft’s RSS Flash g application. Released June 15, 2009, this iPhone/iTouch RSS Reader allows you to pick up, on your portable device, where you left off reading on your computer. It will allow you to read offline as well. All you iTouch owners will be able to read those RSS feeds you've already downloaded offline when you don’t have a WiFi connection. RSS Flash g normally sells for $4.99, but is on sale for $2.99 on the App Store until June 30, 2009.

--Ben Romney

The iPod Touch as a Vibration Sensor

2009-06-20T22:02:00.003-04:00

I've been experimenting with my noisy window air conditioner, trying to reduce vibration by adding supports and accoustic insulation. I was looking for a better way to pinpoint from where on the chassis the vibrations were coming. PACS Windows SIG

Well... "There's an App for that!"

I knew my iPod Touch was a really neat gadget, but I never thought I'd be using it as a vibration monitor!

If you have a Touch or an iPhone, check out the Apps Store for "iSeismometer" (Free) or, if you need more intricate data analysis, try iSeismograph ($.99).

Ron K

Have you ever gotten lost????

2009-06-15T19:36:00.002-04:00

Take me to your car app will solve your problem.

Don't get frustrated when you can't find your car.
So many times we park and run whether it is to a movie, ballgame, or shopping.
This app will make your life easier. You just have to click the app after you park your car. Upon returning to the car, you click the app and it will guide you to the car.

June 20th meeting

2009-06-15T19:23:00.001-04:00

June 20 th
Summer Wrap Up and
Things to Investigate over the Summer

(There will be tips & tricks, Q&A, HD follow-up,

iPhone/Touch info and apps, and things to look for over the Summer.

Come spend the morning with
Meeting: 9am-11:45
Every computer user welcome
Come and enjoy.......

Steve Zalot @ Macs@Pacs

2009-04-28T12:01:00.003-04:00

Saturday May 16th 2009
Come to listen and learn with
Steve Zalot
Senior Apple Systems Engineer

From Macs@Pacs on the Web

Time: 9am to 11:45 am
Come early because seating may be limited.
New Location:
All meetings, unless otherwise noted are held at:

Community Center 2nd floor
Super Giant Food Store
315 York Road
Willow Grove PA. 19090

http://pacsnet.org/directions.php

Digital TV Myths Exposed

2009-04-17T17:08:00.002-04:00

Digital TV Myths Exposed
with Dale Fletcher

The HDTV Myth (US only)
Is there such a thing and will we ever see it?
Will the Real HDTV please show up
HDTV, the good, The Bad, and the Really Bad�

image from Flick's Creative Commons Pool/ *USB*

Terry White @ Macs@Pacs

2009-04-17T17:00:00.006-04:00

The iPhone Book by Scott Kelby and Terry White.
10-10:30 Live with Terry White from Adobe
He will talk about his iPhone book and share tips and tricks.

On his blog he presents an iPhone app of the week.
His url: http://terrywhite.com/techblog/

Terry has some favorite accessories check them out:
Terry's Fav iPhone Accessories
http://terrywhite.com/techblog/?page_id=928

Dave Marra presents at macs@pacs Feb 21st

2009-02-03T13:08:00.002-05:00

February 21st
Dave Marra from Apple

Meeting will start promptly at 9am and end promptly at 11:45
Come see iLife'09 and iWork'09 Apple's newest tips, tools, and applications
Some really cool new ways to work with photographs and movies, etc.
A must see to believe!!!!
Come and enjoy
and
Have your wish list enlarged....... �

Amazing Cityscape Art Made from Unusual Objects

2009-01-17T14:07:00.001-05:00

See San Francisco constructed out of Jello or cookware, Shanghai out of poker chips and dice, made-up cities created with bottles and food packaging, discarded circuit boards, machine parts, etc.
Oddly beautiful stuff.

http://www.neatorama.com/2009/01/06/amazing-cityscape-art-made-from-unusual-objects/

SamZ...Touch This

2009-01-15T20:45:00.004-05:00

A contributor to our newsletter points out some interesting iPhone apps.

WiFinder
This app is very useful because it finds all near wifi signals. It finds a way other than going through the menus to find the wifi section, and it is a lot easier. You can also connect to the wifi signal right through this app. The only downside to it is that you can not refresh immediately. You have to wait for it to check all the signals and say if they are good or bad.

I like it, and its helpful plus its free!

SamZ...Touch This

2009-01-15T20:34:00.007-05:00

A contributor to our newsletter points out some interesting iPhone apps.

Virtual Zippo Lighter
This is just a little app for when you are bored. You can customize the Zippo in various ways like changing the color of the Zippo, or adding one of the various designs. You can also write on a couple of the patterns. This app uses the accelerometer in your iPod/iPhone to flip open and close the Zippo. Overall I love this app since it is so much fun. And the best thing about, it is it's FREE!

Acronyms can be fun and frustrating when you don't know them...

2009-01-14T19:11:00.002-05:00

Acronym Interaction, Expansion and Extrapolation Engine
by Lore Sjöberg http://www.brunching.com/acronymer.html

Tired of practicing your blank stares for when someone says they need a TCP/IP-based LAN set up and a USB-to-SCSI adapter ASAP? Do you wish you could throw around acronyms with that same casual attitude that pisses you off so much? Here's your chance. With this tool, you can enter any combination of letters you like (from 2 to 6) and we'll expand them into a handy, technical-sounding, completely made-up phrase that borders on the plausible.

So invent your own. Go to: http://www.brunching.com/acronymer.html

Acronyms can be fun...

2009-01-14T19:09:00.000-05:00

Print 3D Buildings from Google Earth

2009-01-14T19:01:00.002-05:00

SketchUp and 3D Printing the Disney Concert Hall - Sweet Onion Creations

Another company has come out with a solution for making 3D prints from Google Earth. This time the solution is actually based on SketchUp 3D models. The company is called Sweet Onion Creations, and they describe how to click on a 3D model seen in Google Earth (or any found in the Google 3D Warehouse) and using their "3D printing" service get back an actual physical model. Here's a video they've made showing how it works:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLiReajlXrg

SlideShare...a great tools for user groups

2009-01-14T18:49:00.004-05:00

SlideShare is a great tool for user group members to make slide presentations available to others. There is now a plug-in for Keynote as well as powerpoint.
Here is a video that shows how to upload a keynote presentation.

Upload Keynote to SlideShare

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: keynote slideshare)

MacGourmet Deluxe

2008-12-18T22:17:00.004-05:00

Recipe & Wine management application from Mariner Software
http://www.marinersoftware.com/sitepage.php?page=130

Awaken your taste buds!!!!
Fine tune your dining experiences
with MacGourmet Deluxe

In today’s world, there are a vast number, and variety of restaurants to avail yourself of when deciding to dine out or dine in. However, if you choose to dine in then someone must decide what to cook? Do I have the ingredients? And most importantly, do I have enough time to prepare it?

Luckily, a solution is at hand with the application MacGourmet Deluxe. It is very easy to install and begin to include recipes from your collection as well as from other sources. New users will find a collection of recipes ready for them to use with the recipe manager (mac users think of it as your IT support for the kitchen). For those who must read a manual first (definitely not long time mac users) MacGourmet Deluxe comes with a manual on cd and a downloadable .pdf online. However, the user interface is so intuitive that most users will leave the manual to rest in peace. It is so enticing that I found myself inputing recipes before I even looked over the application. I might add that my family didn’t get a good meal that night because I couldn’t get my nose out of the computer. I also plan to take advantage of the fact that you can import from other programs such as MasterCook, MasterChef, and others. The application provides a recipe exchange forum where there is a wealth of information and additional services. In no time at all I found the recipes from a favorite mystery writer (Joanne Fluke) who includes some yummy recipes in each story. I’ve never had the time to type them out; but, I downloaded them from the forum and imported them in minutes. Every time I use it I find something new and inviting.

MacGourmet is versatile in appearances. The default view is MyRecipes; however, there are many other choices such as category, ingredients, meals, wine lists, and the left side column on the screen that works like an iTunes playlist. My favorite aspect of the program is that I can go into the menus and plan a meal with what I have available in the refrigerator or pantry. This comes in handy when you are late, tired and can’t think straight. It is so nice to have a helper think for you.

See the full review at:

http://pacsnet.org/groupsatpacs/mac/Reviews/macgourmet.html

My Clipmarks

2008-12-18T22:13:00.002-05:00

My Clipmarks http://clipmarks.com/
What are you finding on the web?
On Clipmarks.com, you can see clips of text, images or video about all sorts of topics that other people find while surfing the web.
The idea is that through each other, we can learn more, know more and enjoy more than we could possibly do alone. As you find people who post clips that interest you, make them a Guide. Think of your Guides as a team of web editors you choose to consistently deliver you clips of things they find on the web.
Clipmarks anywhere!
You can easily syndicate your clips to FriendFeed, Twitter, Facebook, Delicious, and more. You can also read, pop, and comment on clips from your iPhone (m.clipmarks.com), iGoogle, or Netvibes homepage.

BEANIECHAIR-TEAL

2008-12-18T22:10:00.001-05:00

Lugtravel BEANIECHAIR-TEAL Beanie Chair for Cellphone Ocean Teal

Your cellphone is your constant and faithful companion yet you toss it on the counter like so much junk mail. Not anymore. Give your phone the perch it deserves, a comfy beanbag cell phone chair. You'll always know where your phone is and it'll be ready to go next time you head out the door.

iphone ocarina: go blow (into your iphone)

2008-11-14T20:13:00.004-05:00

http://technabob.com/blog/2008/11/07/iphone-ocarina-wind-instrument/
I’ve seen all sorts of musical instruments running on the iPhone, but this is the first one I’ve come across that might involve getting a little spit on your screen.
Smule’s new iPhone app, Ocarina turns your iPhone into a fully-functional musical wind instrument. This amazing little application works very much like the real deal, combining touch, tilt, gestures and human breath to create ethereal sounds which bring out your inner Zelda.
Just place your fingers over four virtual “holes” on the multi-touch screen, and blow into your iPhone’s microphone. What’s really cool about the software is that none of the sounds are pre-generated, rather they’re built in real-time based on your exact gestures and movements.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhCJq7EAJJA

Sky Factory’s SkyV HD Virtual Skylight

2008-11-14T20:01:00.003-05:00

The company that made the SkyV HD Virtual Skylight is Sky Factory, and it allows the user to have a realistic skylight without putting a hole in their roof. These three HD LCD screens allow you to watch skies, birds flying over, trees swaying in the breeze, or just about anything else you want to program in it.

If it were me, I wouldn’t mind seeing spaceships fly over. I would count them instead of sheep. Of course, if you wanted a little realism, you could probably just mount a waterproof camera on your roof and get a realtime shot of the sky. Hopefully it would look like a real skylight. So real, you might have to tell others your skylight is a fake.

I’m not certain how much this particular item will cost, but I’m guessing it isn’t cheap. I’m also not certain how you program the SkyV, either. Hopefully it has some wireless feed that you can program from your computer. You can find out as the SkyV will be seen at trade shows and expos later this year, and should roll out sometime next year.

Wooden Mouse from Actbrise Electronics

2008-11-14T19:50:00.003-05:00

So what is this sphere that we see here, some new ball for croquet? No, what you are seeing here is a mouse for the computer, and yes, it is made of wood.

This is the Jupiter Mouse, created by a company called Actbrise Electronics. You can clearly see the four buttons on the mouse, and it is not exactly designed to roll around on the side of the desk.

I have included a YouTube video so you can see it in action. The Jupiter mouse works on a gesture-based motion. Essentially, you roll it in a certain direction, and the cursor moves. As you can see on the video, the ball-shaped mouse comes in handy for 3-D graphics.

SmartLock uses color dye to prevent theft

2008-11-14T19:45:00.004-05:00

I’m sure all of you have seen movies where special dyes are used to catch criminals who have stolen valuable items. Remember at the end of Speed when Dennis Hopper is on the subway after he thinks he has made a clean getaway with lots of cash? He goes to check his loot, and gets a face full of purple dye.

Considering there is a whole show devoted to non-existent technology used to catch criminals, I was surprised to discover that this technology actually exists. The Smartlock takes this crime-fighting technology and puts it on a more commonplace item: a bike lock.

The SmartLock is a bike-lock cable filled with compressed air the special liquid dye. So if someone tries to cut open the cable with a file or bolt cutters, there will be sudden squirt that the criminal won’t forget.

Best of all, the dye has a distinct residue that works as an “invisible forensic property marking liquid”. I’m not certain what that means, but I’m guessing the dye is not only hard to wash off, but leaves some sort of stain that is visible only under certain lighting.

The SmartLock is just concept at this present time, but it is one of those that should be rushed to production due to its usefulness.

Get rid of Winter blues

2008-11-14T19:40:00.004-05:00

The goLite Blu
from Phillips gets rid of winter blues

Gloomy winter days can get to even the most cheerful of people eventually, so companies have started making light therapy clocks. It triggers your release of “active” hormones and keeps you feeling more cheerful. Oddly the light can even help you sleep better at night. Since it gives you so much more energy during the day, it makes it so that at night you’re a lot more restful. Which just about anyone could do with a better nights sleep. Apparently the key is with the blue light itself, due to our bodies reactions to a bright blue summer sky.

All you have to do is flip on the light for 15 minutes a day. Which would be easy to fit into a morning routine. Whether it be while eating breakfast, or for the ladies while putting on makeup and fixing their hair. The light comes with a two year warranty, but unfortunately it is a bit expensive. To pick up the light it will cost you $279. However, if you tend to get really down every winter it might end up being worth it to spend the money.

ECO Showerdrop

2008-11-14T19:36:00.003-05:00

Cool Green Gadget: Save Water with the ECO Showerdrop
If you’re all about doing your part to save the planet, then you’ll love this gadget.

The ECO Showerdrop is a little device that will beep, time you and measure how much water you use during every shower. So when the next water bill comes around and it’s time to divide the water bill up between and your roommates, now you have a nice little measuring device.

“Johnny, you used 12 more gallons than me this month, that will be $20.”

Of course, if you still want to take your hour long showers, just turn the ECO Showerdrop off and resume cleaning. There’s always some way to beat this system. In this case, just remove the batteries.

Something everyone should have.....

2008-11-14T19:31:00.005-05:00

Cool Green Car:
The Cool and Eco-Friendly BamGoo Car

If this thing ever makes it into production, we’ll have a lot of mad koala’s on our hands.

The researchers over at Kyoto University have come up with this new little car, made almost entirely out of bamboo. The “BamGoo” car as it is rightfully called, weighs about 130 pounds and can travel up to 30 miles on a single charge.

I’m sure that this car is intended for non-smokers, seeing how if they dropped a cigarrette on the floor, the BamGoo car would turn into a giant fireball on wheels.

Mintpad allows for digital note-passing

2008-11-14T19:29:00.005-05:00

Some of you remember last week when I covered the E-note, which is the closest thing to a digital Post-it that I have seen. Of course, that was before I found the Mintpad, which looks a lot like a non-digital Post-It.

As you can see, the Mintpad allows the user to draw on a digital pad with a stylus that is a lot bigger than most that I have seen for digital electronic pads. Do not ask me how to change colors on the pen, but you have to admit that the drawing of the shoe is more in color than living color.

So what can you do with this device? Well, you can draw an image, and then send it off via Wi-Fi. Sadly, you can only send it to other Mintpads, for now. Just think of it as passing notes in the classroom, but don’t let the teacher take the Mintpad away.

Periscope from the Amazon Kindle

2008-11-14T19:26:00.003-05:00

This isn’t the first time we have reported on Amazon Kindle accessories, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. At first glance, you may think the Periscope is just a clip-on light, but it is many things, including a cover for the Kindle, notepad, and pen holder.

The cover itself is not genuine leather, but leatherette. There are some that would not like the cover, as it can make the not-so-mini Kindle even bigger. However, for those who like to take to notes as they read, you might as well have a notepad and pen holder.

As for the light itself, it uses two LEDs for illumination. Unfortunately, these two LEDs are not powered by what powers the Kindle, but three not included AAA batteries. These batteries are good for about 40 hours worth of power.

Cool Kitchen Gadgets: Darth Vader Toaster

2008-11-14T19:24:00.003-05:00

This is one instance where you’re allowed to play with your food.

Imagine if you will, you’re hiding behind your counter, when POP! Your toast emerges from the toaster, branded with the face of the Dark Side, Darth Vader! You do somersaults, jump to your feet, then before you take a bite, you announce in a raspy and deep James Earl Jones voice, “Luke, I am your father, prepare to die!”

A bit over the top, maybe, for a morning routine, but at least now you have the option when you pick up this Darth Vader toaster. This kitchen gadget puts the face of the Star Wars villain on each piece of toast. For only $54.99, you can make your dream of defeating the Dark Side every morning come true!

Sound Ball Portable Speaker for iPod

2008-11-14T19:20:00.004-05:00

http://www.hardwaresphere.com/2008/07/17/sound-ball-portable-speaker-for-ipod/
Mini gadget lover will love this type of speakers. It’s a small speaker in a sphere shape which distinguished itself as a strap for cellphone.
ZumReed Sound Ball Portable Speaker

Sound Ball Portable Speaker comes in 3 main colors choice from pink, violet and green. Too bad it don’t provide my favorite blue color. to use this sound ball speaker, just plug in the provided double headed audio jack to your iPod and speaker. The little plastic ball comes in pink, lime green and purple, and has a built-in rechargeable battery (charges via USB).

No word on availability outside of Japan, but if you want to deal with an overseas transaction, head on over to Dreams6 and plunk down your ¥2,480 (appx. $24 USD).

Nokia Travel Speakers,

2008-11-14T19:11:00.007-05:00

With the Nokia Travel Speakers, you can enjoy stereo sound on-the-go. The innovatively designed pocket-sized portable system provides great sound from its compact form, and includes a 30 inch-long cable which neatly stores in the base. Four AAA batteries included provide approximately 27 hours of use.
http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/ProductDisplay_Travel%20Speakers_10451_10001_50650

Travelocity flies into the Web 2.0 era

2008-11-14T19:08:00.002-05:00

http://video.zdnet.com/CIOSessions/?p=180
(video of what it does and how it works.)

Barry Vandevier, CTO of online travel site Travelocity and CIO of the company’s parent Sabre Holdings talks to ZDNet editor-in-chief, Dan Farber about his company’s efforts to deploy Web 2.0 technologies, such as Ajax and mashups, for the next generation of online travel. He also discusses Travelocity’s green strategy–a program that allows users to purchase “carbon offsets” when booking travel.

Reunion...presented by Craig Tenbroeck

2008-10-15T23:04:00.003-04:00

This Saturday, October 18th, Craig Tenbroeck will demonstrate the program and also present ways to use the web for your research.

"Reunion is a genealogy software program — a "family tree program" — for the Macintosh.

Reunion received the highest rating for genealogy software in MacWorld, MacAddict, and Mac Home Journal magazines. Reunion also received a MacWorld Editor's Choice award for 2007.

Reunion helps you to document, store, and display information about your family — your ancestors, descendants, cousins, etc. It records names, dates, places, facts, plenty of notes, sources of information, pictures, sounds, and videos. It shows family relationships in an elegant, graphic form — people and families are linked in an easy-to-understand fashion.

Reunion makes it easy to publish your family tree information — even if you want to share it on the Web or carry it on your iPod. You can automatically create common genealogy reports, charts, and forms, as well as birthday calendars, mailing lists, questionnaires, indexes, and other lists. Reunion even creates slideshows, calculates relationships, ages, life expectancies, and statistics.

Reunion also creates large, graphic tree charts allowing complete on-screen editing of boxes, lines, fonts, and colors. Wall charts for family reunions are one of its specialties."

Steve Zalot returns

2008-09-02T15:33:00.003-04:00

Saturday September 20th, 2009
Come to listen and learn with
Steve Zalot
Senior Apple Systems Engineer

Time: 9am to 11:45 am
Come early because seating may be limited.
New Location:
All meetings, unless otherwise noted are held at:

Community Center 2nd floor

Super Giant Food Store

315 York Road

Willow Grove PA. 19090

http://pacsnet.org/directions.php

What do you do with an old iPhone????? by Chris Breen

2008-09-02T15:26:00.002-04:00

http://www.macworld.com/article/135243/2008/08/oldiphone.html?t=213 (full article)

"It’s clear, you’re an iPhone enthusiast. No, it’s not the slightly smushed-in left-ear that indicates you spend hour after hour on the phone, the Apple sticker that adorns your forehead, or the unconscious typing motions you make with your thumbs. Rather, it’s the two-layer bulge in your front pocket—created by your original iPhone and your new iPhone 3G.

Yet is it really necessary to have two iPhones—particularly when the original no longer works as a phone because you’ve passed along its activation to the shiny new 3G?

Perhaps.
To find out, let’s examine some of the things you can do with an old, inactivated iPhone.

Sure, it hasn’t got 3G capabilities, but there’s life in this older iPhone yet.

Pass it along AT&T would love for your nearest and dearest to purchase their own iPhone 3G as well. But, barring that, the company is more than happy to lock them into a new two-year contract for your old iPhone. You’ll learn the ins and out of handing off your iPhone to another in this PDF document from AT&T.
Sell it You can pass along your iPhone and make a tidy sum at the same time.
Keep it When AT&T kills your old iPhone’s activation you lose the ability to make calls, text message, and use AT&T’s EDGE network for an Internet connection. However, that still leaves you with an extremely functional device—essentially an iPod touch that also sports a microphone, speaker, and digital camera."

Check out the full article for complete coverage. See url at beginning of post.

Surviving a lightning strike: Shock and awe

2008-09-02T15:17:00.003-04:00

Many of us can appreciate this article. If you have ever experience a lightning strike read this article and his followuo article at: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Burnette/

Here is an excerpt:
"[ Don’t miss part 2: Life without the Internet: Zapped off the grid ]

What I’ll remember most is the sound. To call it “loud” is simply not an adequate description. The sound was a physical force, a sledgehammer to the chest and a blow to the very foundations of reality. There was light as well of course–the whole world turning white for an instant–but light I can deal with. There is no number on the decibel scale that can do justice to that sound. It was so sudden and unexpected. You’re supposed to see the lightning first, and then hear the thunder. 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3, count the seconds to tell how far away it is. Not this time. Impossibly, the sound seemed to happen before the flash. Time stopped. And then there was silence, and darkness. Read the rest of this entry »

Pogue asks AT&T about iPhone 3G calling plans

2008-09-02T15:05:00.003-04:00

by Peter Ha
see full article at link below. http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/07/02/pogue-asks-att-about-iphone-3g-calling-plans/

"Nothing we didn’t already know, but it’s nice to have most of the answers in one place for us all to refer to if need be.

Q: Does the new $70 iPhone plan include any text messages?

A: No. This is our standard pricing for 3G PDA’s and smartphones. It’s a combined voice and unlimited data plan. The data portion is $30. It does not include text messages, which are extra. Data pricing reflects the fact that customers with these devices tend to use a lot of data.

Q: What do text messages cost, then?

A: You pay an additional $5 a month for 200 messages, $15 for 1500 messages, or $20 for unlimited text messages. Once again, this is identical to what we charge for text messaging on all our PDA’s and smartphones.

Q: Why is the business rate more expensive than the standard iPhone rate?

A: Business pricing for the iPhone is $45 for unlimited data, plus a voice plan. Business customers tend to be heavier users of data than consumers, and we price our service accordingly.

Q: Does AT&T offer one of those “unlimited” $100-a-month plans, like its rivals, for the iPhone?

A: Yes, we do. The plan is $100 a month for unlimited calling. To that, you add $30 for unlimited data usage and whatever text messaging you want.

Q: What happens if you already have an iPhone and want the new one?

A: Current iPhone customers are eligible to upgrade to the iPhone 3G. All you have to do is bring your old iPhone to the store and get the new one activated. By the way, since the original iPhone is still a terrific device, you can give it, for example, to a family member or a friend and they can reactivate it for service. Among other things, the 2G [original] iPhone can use the new iPhone 2.0 software, connect to Apple’s new applications store, and of course get music, podcasts and more from iTunes. It will continue to work on AT&T’s Edge network.

Q: Is there any discount if you have more than one iPhone?

A: No.

Q: What about the family plans?

A: As you might expect, our family talk plans are available on the iPhone 3G. All you do is add the unlimited data plan to the new iPhone and you are good to go.

Q: What’s the early-termination fee?

A: It is the same early termination fee we charge other customers—namely, $175. As you may know, we put a new policy in place effective May 25. New and renewing customers on or after that date have their early termination fee reduced by $5 for each month of their service agreement. (Prior to that, the fee was a flat $175, whether you were 2 months or 22 months into your contract.)

Q: How does the iPhone 3G plan pricing compare with, say, the Treo or BlackBerry plans?

A: Exactly the same as on our other PDA’s and smartphones.

Q: What are the international options?

A: We suggest that our iPhone 3G and other wireless customers always call us before traveling outside the United States, so we can suggest pricing plans to meet their needs and save them money:

* For $6 a month, the AT&T World Traveler plan offers significant discounts off standard roaming rates when calling from 85 countries. Calls from most countries in Europe, for example, are just $1/minute vs. the standard rate of $1.30/minute.

* There are two international data plans for iPhone customers: $25/month for 20 MB of data in 41 countries, or $60/month for 50 MB of data in 41 countries.

We can also offer simple tips on how to minimize unexpected charges, including turning off data roaming when you are outside the United States, if that is what you would like to do.

Q: So have we officially seen an end to the unwitting $6000 phone bills from people who took their iPhones overseas?

A: If customers will follow the steps I described in the previous answer, this kind of unexpected “surprise” should be minimized. In fact, our Web site offers some tips for iPhone customers about using the device outside the United States.

Q: What improvements have been made to the AT&T network coverage since a year ago, when it got such terrible Consumer Reports rankings?

A: There is a lot of good news on this front. First of all, the iPhone works on AT&T’s ultra-fast 3G wireless network, which can deliver typical download speeds of up to 1.4 mbps. No carrier offers faster data speeds. We still have plenty of room left to increase data speeds even further on our 3G network. We could see maximum speeds next year as high as 20 mbps, for example. We don’t have to rush to the next generation of wireless technology. Some of our competitors have to move quickly to 4G because their 3G technology doesn’t allow them to increase speeds further.

We have already deployed our 3G network to more than 280 metropolitan areas in the United States, and plan to be in 350 by the end of this year. In addition, over the last four years we have invested some $20 billion to improve our wireless network.

Finally, a word on Consumer Reports: it surveys opinions, and that is certainly fine. But it does not measure actual network performance.

Q: Since you have to activate the iPhone 3G in the AT&T store now, won’t that create massive lines for days?

A: We don’t think so. It goes without saying that we are anticipating heavy demand for the new iPhone, and our stores will be ready for it. We estimate that activation should take about 15 minutes. We have lots of experience with long lines and will be very well prepared."

Is Cuil killing the Internet?

2008-09-02T14:56:00.002-04:00

While the world gets excited over Google’s new open-source browser, Chrome, a new story is emerging about one of the Web’s next-generation utilities: Cuil, the search engine heralded as a “Google killer,” might just be taking out the entire Internet, one site at a time.

As TechCrunch’s Don Reisinger reports, Cuil’s Twiceler indexing bot is so bandwith-hungry that it’s shutting down sites all over the Web:

See the full article here: http://blogs.zdnet.com/gadgetreviews/?p=338

IDF and the new Mac notebooks

2008-09-02T14:29:00.001-04:00

ZDnet news provides this information:

The Intel Developer Forum makes it clear what Apple’s new notebooks - which I (Robin Harris) predict will be announced Tuesday, September 16 - will offer. Will it be worth the wait? If longer battery life and higher performance are important to you - yes.

And if you weren’t waiting? The new designs and features may make you rethink your allegiance to Windows - as so many already have.

IDF tells us a lot
So what’s coming? Here’s what the Storage Bits crystal ball reveals:
* Quad cores.
* Switchable graphics.
* WiMax.
* Solid-state disks.
* Larger memory capacity.
* RGB LED backlight.
* No internal optical drives.
* Blu-ray support.
* 64 bit hardware -
* A glass trackpad the size of …
* Pervasive power management.

But what will they look like?

Apple has lots of other technology that it can incorporate to create a real geewhiz experience. No one in the industry does it better. Whatever they do there will be some hits and some misses but the image of their design leadership will continue.

The Storage Bits take….

Apple’s notebook team has been working on these products for years. Their tight HW and SW integration coupled with Microsoft’s long development cycles means that Apple will be well positioned to take market share.
Click here for the complete article: http://blogs.zdnet.com/storage/?p=352

Apple: “Let’s Rock” on September 9

2008-09-02T14:18:00.001-04:00

According to Jason O'Grady at zdnet:
Apple has sent out media invitations for a special event next week.

An invitation for the Sept. 9 event in San Francisco, sent to media today, is entitled “Let’s Rock” and shows a silhouetted dancer holding an iPod, Apple’s music and video player.

The event will be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Fransico, CA at 10 am PT on Tuesday, 9 September 2008 according to the invite.

Google announces new browser -- Chrome

2008-09-02T14:11:00.003-04:00

Google will launch a Web browser called Chrome that will take on Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and apparently Mozilla’s Firefox, which the search giant essentially funds.

Google’s browser will be open source;
Chrome will include a JavaScript Virtual Machine built from scratch;
Tabs will be moved around;
The browser has an address bar with auto-completion.
There’s a privacy feature like IE has;
And Google aims to be proactive about fighting phishing and malware attacks.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=9847

Here is the link to read the comic book that explains the browser.
http://kara.allthingsd.com/20080901/heres-the-google-chrome-browser-comic-book-hey-microsoft-kaa-pow/

Steve Zalot @ Macs@Pacs Saturday

2008-05-12T18:58:00.001-04:00

May’s Program

Steve Zalot

As a Senior Systems Engineer for Apple, Steve Zalot will be there Saturday to
thrill and chill us with the new Apple technologies.
Questions will be asked and answered.
Insights will be opening doors to new techniques.
Enjoyment for one and all.
Join us.

Cool Laptop Designs

2008-05-01T14:16:00.004-04:00

This slide show and the one in the previous post were made by Nachofoto.com
http://nachofoto.com/

You can search or submit photos
Make free custom slide shows
Share images and slide shows

Have fun and take advantage of a cool tool.

Crazy Apple Tattoos

2008-05-01T14:05:00.002-04:00

These are really creative.

Want to know what Twitter is all about??

2008-04-29T13:05:00.000-04:00

When people ask you to explain Twitter, send them to this video.
http://www.commoncraft.com
A quick and plain English intro the micro-blogging service Twitter.

The power of social bookmarking.

2008-04-29T13:03:00.000-04:00

This video was created by commoncraft.com to show the power of social bookmarking and how it makes web pages easy to remember, organize and share.

Are you ready for the price change??????

2008-04-29T12:55:00.002-04:00

Endicia, the only company to offer a postage solution for Macs would like to help you.
On May 12th, The U.S. Postal Service’s™ new pricing goes into effect including new discounts for online postage. Endicia will be ready for all of the changes and we want to be sure you are as well. Please join us at one of our free webinars on the price change or visit our price change web site to read about the new prices and discounts.
Endicia customers have processed over $2 billion worth of postage through our software. No other online postage provider has printed more. As the leader in postage printing, we’re committed to helping you manage your mailing and shipping needs while keeping you up-to-date with all USPS changes.
Learn more about printing postage on the Mac and the upcoming price change. www.endicia.com/macblast

Come see iLife'08 presented

2008-03-31T17:57:00.000-04:00

Come and see Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus put together a project using iLife '08 from beginning to end. He will use all the applications from that suite: iPhoto, iMovie, iWeb, GarageBand, and iDVD. You will learn the many ways to share your masterpiece with friends and family. iLife '08 is free with every new Macintosh. Maybe it's time to see what is new in iLife '08 ($79) in case you still have an older version.

This event is free thanks to Jim and Judy Habel, Apple Specialists and owners of MacOutfitters in Doylestown, Pa. They are located at 739 N. Easton Rd., in Doylestown, PA <www.macoutfitters.com>.

Mark the date on your calendar: Saturday, May 10, 2008. The event begins at 2:00 p.m. You do not need to make a reservation. Just come!

Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus is a computer columnist for the Houston Chronicle, a complete and total Mac geek, and the author of 50+ books including Mac OS X Leopard for Dummies, iPhone for Dummies, and dozens more.

Dave Marra from Apple....April 19th

2008-03-29T00:35:00.001-04:00

About Dave Marra: As a Senior Systems Engineer for Apple, Dave Marra has conducted more than 500 technology presentations, keynote addresses and workshops for schools, Mac and PC user groups, businesses and other professional organizations across the United States and Canada. His specialty areas include digital multimedia, internet technologies and Mac/PC integration. For more information about Dave, please visit his web site at www.marrathon.com.

Online tools for everyone

2008-03-15T19:49:00.003-04:00

* Citation Machine
http://citationmachine.net/
* Citation Maker: Elementary
http://www.oslis.k12.or.us/elementary/index.php?page=citeSources
* Citation Maker: Secondary
http://www.oslis.k12.or.us/secondary/index.php?page=citeSources
* Citation Wizard
http://21cif.imsa.edu/tools/citation

World Clock: great for statistics & trivia

2008-03-15T17:00:00.002-04:00

The World Clock has an almost unlimited number of uses in any discipline and for anyone. You have to check out the website, and if you are mathematically minded who said you could not integrate technology into your life, here’s the easiest and best place to start, and the tool is user-friendly. You’ll want to bookmark the website, because googling world clock will likely not get you to this one easily.
http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.swf

Conversion Tools to save online videos.

2008-03-15T16:32:00.005-04:00

Zamzar http://www.zamzar.com/ is one of my favorites. A great converter, it is fast, free, educationally friendly. It converts almost anything to anything else you want it to be. The list is endless, so for one stop conversions, this is my pick. The other item, like Zamzar, is a converter. ConvertTube will allow you to convert online video like YouTube to more popular formats like wmv, mov, mp4,mp3, 3gp. http://converttube.com/

Meeting canceled for February

2008-02-22T15:43:00.002-05:00

Curl up with a good book or your computer.
Saturday's meeting has been canceled.

Dave Marra from Apple presents at macs@pacs

2008-02-21T12:11:00.003-05:00

Traveler IQ CHallenge

2008-02-19T12:41:00.003-05:00

From listening to a lot of members talk, I realize that many of you enjoy traveling around the country and the world. This site will test your memory of geography. When you finish with the world try the other categories below:

» World » North America » Europe » World Capitals
» Canada » Asia » UNESCO Sites » Africa
» Latin America » Oceania/Australasia » Flags of the World
» Photos of the World » USA Challenge » Amazing Race

URL:

http://www.travelpod.com/traveler-iq/game1?utm_source=TIQSyndication&utm_medium=TIQ&utm_content=EmbeddedEndGameButton

It is fun. It can be addictive.
And also try it our with your children or grandchildren.
The site will tell you how close you have gotten to the actual place or country by placing a flag in the exact geographical location. Hopefully yours will be right beside it. Believe me when I say you will realize how much you don't know or have forgotten about the places you thought you knew so well........

PIMPAMPUN:: Phrasr

2008-02-19T12:14:00.003-05:00

Want to have some fun??? Try this site. You'll love it.

First, you type anything that you want into the box.
Then they will find images to match it.
Next you will be able to change the images to suit your wishes.
Cool! Fun? or yes......

URL: http://www.pimpampum.net/phrasr/

Slashdot: News for Nerds and Things That Matter.....

2008-02-19T12:00:00.003-05:00

Want to know what is happening out there in the world. Check out the stories on this website.
It is divided into sections below as well as other categories:
* Main
* Apple
* AskSlashdot
* Backslash
* Books
* Developers
* Games
* Hardware
* Interviews
* IT
* Linux
* Mobile
* Politics
* Science
* YRO
Slashdot stories can be listened to in audio form via an RSS feed, as read by our own robotic overlord.
Url: http://yro.slashdot.org/

Lifehacker Top 10: Obscure Google Search Tips

2008-02-19T11:24:00.003-05:00

"When it comes to the Google search box, you already know the tricks: finding exact phrases matches using quotes like "so say we all" or searching a single site using site:lifehacker.com gmail. But there are many more oblique, clever, and lesser-known search recipes and operators that work from that unassuming little input box. Dozens of Google search guides detail the tips you already know, but today we're skipping the obvious and highlighting our favorite obscure Google web search tricks."

URL: http://lifehacker.com/339474/top-10-obscure-google-search-tricks

10. Get the local time anywhere
9. Track flight status
8. Convert currency, metrics, bytes, and more
7. Compare items with "better than" and find similar items with "reminds me of"
6. Use Google as a free proxy
5. Remove affiliate links from product searches
4. Find related terms and documents
3. Find music and comic books
2. ID people, objects, and foreign language words and phrases with Google Image Search
1. Make Google recognize faces

Leopard 10.5.2 Questions

2008-02-17T19:19:00.052-05:00

(last updated by me at 18.48 on 22. Feb. 2008 *)

With the arrival of Leopard there are many changes in how the new interface performs. Some will be pleasing and others will be a challenge. You need to decide for yourself what works for you and enjoy the journey. Below is one member's experiences with the new system.
Linda McNeil

My personal major 'Leopard' grips (are mainly 'Finder' and the 'Dock' related):

Since 10.5.0 - Finders' 'Find' can no longer have its columns customized. Can you say "Finders' 'Find' is to Leopard, as 'Sherlock' is to Tiger?

( Some graphics may appear smaller than they actually are.
Click on the graphic to see it in full scale )

Figure 01. Finder's 'Find' in Tiger.

Figure 02. Finder's 'Find' in Leopard.

Since 10.5.0 - adding files to the '/Library/Contextual Menu Items/' or '~/Library/Contextual Menu Items/' folder, results in the contextual menu accessible via a 'More...' menu; thus, requiring un-needed additional sub-menu navigation. And now; to access 'Automator' workflows - one needs to navigate through two (2) contextual menu sub-menus!

Figure 03. Accessing the 'Snag path HFS' contextual menu item
('/Library/Contextual Menu Items') in Tiger.

Figure 04. Accessing the 'SayYes' 'Automator' workflow contextual menu item, in Tiger.

Figure 05. Accessing the 'Snag path HFS' contextual menu item
('/Library/Contextual Menu Items') in Leopard.

Figure 06. Accessing the 'SayYes' 'Automator' workflow contextual menu item, in Leopard.

With MacOS X 10.5.2 - adding a volume or folder, now requires individual configuring in order to navigate via the 'Dock'. Yes, you read that correctly - every time a volume or folder is added to the 'Dock', to navigate via it - you must configure it accordingly.

In 'Tiger' - clicking (pressing a releasing the mouse button) on a 'Dock' based volume or folder - will open the window of that volume or folder.
In 'Leopard' (MacOS X 10.5.2) the same action occurs - only if the volume or folder is empty; otherwise, a navigation menu appears.

In 'Tiger' - to present the navigation menu, one would press and keep pressed the mouse button (as has been the rule since MacOS X 10.0!). The noted pause, prior to the presentation of the navigation menu, could be eliminated by pressing or clicking the volume or folder icon (on the 'Dock') with the mouse right button.
In 'Leopard' (MacOS X 10.5.2) the same procedure merely presents the above mentioned configuration menu.

Like 'Tiger', 'Leopard' sometimes forgets how the user has configured 'Finder' windows to display. If you remove the 'Sidebar' and 'Toolbar' and close the window - do not be too surprised, if in the future - the 'Sidebar' and 'Toolbar' reappear when the window is opened.

Apple has yet to offer the ability to independently show / remove the 'Sidebar' and 'Toolbar'.

Oh yes, MacOS X 10.5.2 did bring one 'Dock' improvement, sub-menus of folder contents are no longer limited to 200+ items. I do not know, or have yet to test for, the new limit - if such now exists.

With MacOS X 10.5.2 - created 'alias'es now take up to 600 KB of hard drive space! Typically an 'alias' file contains less than 4 KB of actual data! With Tiger I have seen created 'alias'es to be mostly 4 KB, with some up to 64 KB; but none the size as those created with MacOS X 10.5.2.

And if that (excessive space for an 'alias' file) is not enough, when an 'alias' of a folder is selected, when navigating via a 'Dock' based volume or folder - the 'alias' is not rendered; thus, you cannot access the contents of the folder (of which the 'alias' points to)!

This post is subject by change by myself or any administator of the 'Macs@PACS on the Web' blog.

* - I created a free 'Windows Live' account (using 'FireFox' v. 2.0.0.10) which provides up to 5 GB of free storage. Added to it were the graphics of Figure 01. through Figure 06. of this article, The Figures were removed (which are stored in ones Google's accounts' 'Picasa Web Album' - which provides up to 1 GB of graphic storage space) from the above article, and then - references to those stored at 'Windows Live' were added (to this article). Thus, you (should) see no difference; but, I reclaim 'Picasa Web Album' space.

I intend to perform the above process to the Figures of 'Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac', and other previous posts. Each time reclaiming more and more 'Picasa Web Album' storage space.

Figures 07. through 11. were removed. It appears that the one (and only) of eight external FireWire hard disk drives I have, and was the available, and had a clone of MacOS X 10.5 (from the MacBook) via 'SuperDuper!' v. 2.5, was not correctly managed by MacOS X 10.5.2 when connected to the MacBook.
Investigating and / or explaining the possible reasons of the noted anomaly are beyond the any intentions.

Finally, I removed references to 'this weekend' (due to the PACS meetings being canceled, as Upper Moreland Middle School closing the facilities over the weekend); and, the line 'OS: operating system', since the sentence it referred to - was externally edited out.

Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac

2008-01-30T08:35:00.000-05:00

Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac ['Tiger' (MacOS X 10.4.x) and 'Leopard' (MacOS X 10.5.x) compatible]

What is 'Parallels Desktop'?: A virtualization application. With 'Parallels Desktop' one can run various versions of Linux and MS Windows.
Cost: Commercial ware: $79.99

url: ‘Parallels Desktop’.

A side note: I also installed 'VMwares' 'VMware Fusion' v. 1.1. The installation of 'VMware Fusion', the installation of various operating systems [Ubuntu linux, MS Windows, etc.], and resultant operation of 'VMware Fusion' parallels that of 'Parallels Desktop'.

url: 'VMware Fusion'.

Also, I have since replaced Apples' 1 GB of RAM (2 - 512 MB memory cards) with 4 GB of RAM. The Mac's speed is noticeable! - whether or not 'Parallels Desktop' and / or 'VMware Fusion' are also running.

Now what?
To install and use 'Parallels Desktop' and / or 'VMware Fusion', continue reading ...

Step 01. Install 'Parallels Desktop' itself.
Such an installation process is like installing most Macintosh applications - you double click on the applications installer, navigate through the process, and a 'Parallels' folder appears in the '/Applications/' folder.

Below are snapshots of the Desktop based image of which, when double clieked on - begins the installation process.

Figure 01.

Figure 02.

Figure 03.

Figure 04.

Figure 05.

Figure 06.

Figure 07.

Figure 08.

Figure 09.

Figure 10.

Figure 11.

Figure 12.

Figure 13.

Figure 14.

Figure 15.

Figure 16.

Below are the resultant windows of the installation of 'Parallels Desktop' and 'VMware Fusion'.
By default, the 'Parallels' and / or 'VMware Fusion' folder(s) will be placed in the '/Applications/' folder. This or these folder(s) can be relocated elsewhere, if preferred.

Figure 17.

Figure 18.

At this point, one can drag 'Parallels Desktop.app' or 'VMware Fusion.app' onto the 'Dock' for easy access, to launch the application.

Step 02. Installing a operating system into 'Parallels Desktop'. Again, similar steps are performed within 'VMware Fusion'.

In the case with 'Ubuntu' one can burn a bootable CD / DVD from which on may boot from and use the Ubuntu OS; or, from which one can install the Ubuntu OS onto the computers' (the Mac in this example) hard disk drive. We will do the latter.

Thus, we first want to 'boot' from the 'Ubuntu LiveCD (in this case from a 'ubuntu-6.06.1-desktop-i386.iso' file).

The steps of booting from 'Ubuntu Live CD' are as follows ...

Figure 19.

Figure 20.

Figure 21.

Figure 22.

Figure 23.

Figure 24.

Figure 25.

Figure 26.

Figure 27.

Figure 28.

Figure 29.

Figure 30.

Figure 31.

Figure 32.

Figure 33.

Figure 34.

Figure 35.

Figure 36.

Figure 37.

Figure 38.

Figure 39.

Figure 40.

Figure 41.

At this point 'Ubuntu Live CD' will boot.

Figure 42.

Figure 43.

Figure 44.

Figure 45.

Soon afterwards, the 'Ubuntu LiveCD' 'Desktop' will appear.

Figure 46.

Step 03. Now, it is time to install 'Ubuntu' v. 6.0.6.1. Again, similar steps would be performed within 'VMware Fusion'.

Figure 47.

Figure 48.

Figure 49.

Figure 50.

Figure 51.

Figure 52.

Figure 53.

Figure 54.

Figure 55.

Figure 56.

Figure 57.

Figure 58.

Figure 59.

The actual installation of 'Ubuntu' v. 6.0.6.1 is completed.

Step 04. Launching and using 'Ubuntu' v. 6.0.6.1, 'Parallels'.

Figure 60.

Figure 61.

Figure 62.

Figure 63.

Figure 64.

Figure 65.

Figure 66.

Figure 67.

Figure 68. through Figure 70. show 'VMware Fusion' running 'Ubuntu' v. 7.10.

Figure 68.

Figure 69.

Figure 70.

To quit 'Parallels Desktop's 'Ubuntu' process - press the "'control' 'option'" keys return the mouse cursor to MacOS X. Then click on the windows right side toolbars' upper right red square; or ...

Figure 71.

... select 'Parallels Desktop's 'Action, Stop' menu item.

Figure 72.

'Ubuntu' will be saved and shutdown.

To quit 'VMware Fusion's 'Ubuntu' process - press the "Command' 'option'" keys return the mouse cursor to MacOS X. Then select 'VMware Fusion's 'Virtual Machine, Shut Down Guest' menu item.

Figure 73.

'Ubuntu' will be saved and shutdown.

To run a virtual operating system (ubl6' [for 'Ubuntu 6.06.1] in this example) from within 'Parallels Desktop' - launch 'Paralles Desktop', and then double click on the desired operating system from the 'New Virtual Machine - Parallels Desktop' window (or single click the deisred operating system, and click on the 'Select' button).

Figure 74.

To start (launch) 'Parallels Desktop's 'ubl6' - click on the resultant windows right side toolbars' green arrow; or, select 'Parallels Desktop's 'Action, Start' menu item.

Figure 7.

Figure 75.

From now on, to start (launch) 'VMware Fusion's 'Ubuntu' - launch 'VMware Fusion', and then double click on 'ul7.vmwarevm' (or single click 'ul7.vmwarevm' and click on the 'Run' button).

Figure 76.

MenuCalendarClock for iCal v. 3.1.0

2008-01-28T07:37:00.001-05:00

MenuCalendarClock for iCal v. 3.1.0 ['Tiger' (MacOS X 10.4.x) and 'Leopard' (MacOS X 10.5.x) compatible]

What is 'MenuCalendarClock'?: A customizable menu bar clock / calendar utility.
Cost: Freeware / Shareware ($19.95)

What is downloaded: 976 KB 'MenuCalendarClock-3.1.0.dmg.gz' file.

url: ‘http://www.objectpark.net/mcc.html’ (The is also a 'Microsoft Entourage' available)

What now?
01. Download the 'MenuCalendarClock-iCal-2.7.5.dmg.gz' (for 'Tiger' - MacOS X 10.4.x, or earlier) or 'MenuCalendarClock-3.1.0.dmg.gz' (for 'Leopard' - MacOS X 10.5.x) file.
02. Double click on the '.gz' file to decompress it to a '.dmg' file, which presents an authorizaion (agree) panel. Accepting the agreement results in a 'MenuCalendarClock' disk image appearing on the 'Desktop', and the disk images' 'MenuCalendarClock window displayed. See Figure 01.

Figure 01.

03. Drag 'MenuCalendarClockiCal.app' to any folder on your Mac. Most likely you will drag it to the '/Applications/Utilities/' folder.
04. Double click the newly relocated 'MenuCalendarClockiCal.app' application.

From this point on - one has many options that can be applied. Several are shown below.

By default, the menu bar should now include an entry - similar to Figure 02.

Figure 02.

Click once on any portion of the menu bar 'MenuCalendarClock' item, and its calendar and controls will be displayed.

Figure 03.

To access the 'Preferences' window of 'MenuCalendarClock', click on the 'Preferences' popdown menu button and select the 'Preferences...' menu item.

Figure 04.

Figure 05. through Figure 12. display most of the panel's of 'MenuCalendarClock's 'Preferences' window.

Figure 05.

Figure 06.

Figure 07.

Figure 08.

Figure 09.

Figure 10.

Figure 11.

Figure 12.

As you can see, 'MenuCalendarClock' is quite customizable.

Ok, let us customize 'MenuCalendarClock'.

But, first - let us go to 'iCalShare' and download an 'iCal' calendar. In this example I downloaded and installed a 'Philadelphia Flyers 2007 - 2008' (hockey) schedule.

Figure 13.

Once the calendar file ('Flyers.ics' in this example) is downloaded, and double clicked on - 'iCal' will launch. The 'Add events' dialog box will appear...

Figure 14.

... from which 'New Calendar' is selected in the popup menu; and, the 'OK' button is clicked on.

Figure 15.

The 'Flyers' hockey schedule (calendar) is now added to the 'Calendar' column, and its dates displayed. You can now (optionally) quit 'iCal'.

Return to 'MenuCalendarClock's 'Preferences' window, and click on the 'Calendars' toolbar button icon. Place a check mark by 'Flyers' (if it already does not exist).

Figure 16.

'MenuCalendarClock's calendar should now reflect the entries of the 'Flyers.ics' calendar file.

Figure 17.

Let us do one more step - click on the 'Preferences' popdown menu button and select the 'Show Search Field' menu item.

Figure 18.

A search field is now displayed at the bottom of the calendar

Figure 19.

Before testing the 'search' capabilities of 'MenuCalendarClock' - click on any 'Flyers' entry - and note the resultant 'event' entry beneath the calendar.

Figure 20.

Enter' Devils' into the search field, and note the up coming game dates.

Figure 21.

Click on the month field - 'Fefruary 2008' below, and all calendar entries (for 'February 2008') are displayed. Click on the month field again, to remove (not delete) the calendar entries from being displayed.

Figure 22.

The above experience portrays only a portion of the features and customization capabilities of 'MenuCalendarClock'.

Finally, to have 'MenuCalendarClock' launch each time your Mac is turned ON or rebooted, or you log in - add 'MenuCalendarClock' to the 'System Preferences' 'Accounts' 'Login Items' list.

You Control: Tunes v. 1.6.1

2008-01-28T00:08:00.000-05:00

You Control: Tunes v. 1.6.1 ['Tiger' (MacOS X 10.4.x) and 'Leopard' (MacOS X 10.5.x)* compatible]

What is 'You Control: Tunes'?: A menu bar list of 'iTunes' controls.
Cost: Freeware - $0.00. ( requires free serial number** )

What is downloaded: 3.1 MB 'you_control_tunes.dmg' file.

web page: ‘http://www.yousoftware.com/tunes/’

* - Not on my MacBook (late 2007), running 10.5.0, at the Macs@PACS meeting. However, when at home and connected to the internet - 'You Control: Tunes' did properly launch, etc.** - Obtain free serial number here.

Remember - enter a bogus first and last name, and then enter any set of alphanumeric characters followed by '@mailinator.com'; such as 'qwerty01@mailinator.com' (also, remember to write them down). After clicking the 'Submit' button - open another another web browser window, go to 'mailinator.com', and check for any e-Mail messages to 'qwerty01'. From the reply by 'yousoftware.com' write down the provided serial number. You now have the information needed to register 'You Control: Tunes', from within the application.

What now? -
When double clicked on, 'You Control: Tunes' add four menu bar icon buttons. Three of which control 'iTunes' and the fourth (when clicked on) presents a menu item list (see Figure 01.).

Figure 01.

Let us look at the 'Configure...' window.

Figure 02.

Removing the 'Display Controls in Menu Bar' check mark allows one to replace the menu bar controls with a Menu icon or Menu Title (in text). Figure 03. shows a 'Menu Title' of 'iTunes'.

As shown above - 'iTunes' in the 'Menu Title' textedit field can be changed.
Also, via the 'Menu Icon's 'From File...' button - one can navigate to any '.icn' file, and have that graphic displayed in the menu bar instead (of the controls, or a 'Menu Title').

View Figure 03. and notice that the currently playing 'iTunes' songs' (Title, Artist, Album, Duration, Composer, Track Number, Genre, and Year) information is displayed within the menu list. That is because the 'Show Current Track' check box (of Figure 02. above) has a check mark, and its associated 'Inline' check box has a check mark.

Figure 03.

If the 'Show Current Track' check box has a check mark, but its associated 'Inline' check box does not have a check mark - the menu list would only display 'Current Track', and you would have to select the 'Current Track' menu item to have its associated menu list presented. See Figure 04.

Figure 04.

You want options? - 'You Control: Tunes' has many many options. Such as the style of the controls displayed on the menu bar, or how about ...

Figure 05.

... scrolling of the playing songs' title (on the menu bar)?, as well as ...

Figure 06.

... 'Growl' like screen notices? - via an 'Overlay Window' feature. See Figure 07. to enable / disable the overlay feature.

Figure 07.

Want still more control of the 'Overlay Window'? If so, thcn click on the 'Advanced Settings' button. A 'Window Position' drop down sheet will appear. Here you can set the screen location, fade in, display, and fade out times of the 'Overlay Window'.

Figure 08.

Figure 09. shows an 'Overlay Window' example - when the song 'Daydream Believer' started to play.

Figure 09.

Also, and optionally, click on the 'About You' tab - and a new panel will appear, from which you can remove the 'Auto Check For Updates' check boxes' check mark.

Figure 10.

Finally, to have 'You Control: Tunes' launch each time your Mac is turned ON or rebooted, or you log in - add 'You Control: Tunes' to the 'System Preferences' 'Accounts' 'Login Items' list.

XScreenSaver v. 1.6.1

2008-01-27T22:13:00.002-05:00

XScreenSaver v. 1.6.1 ['Tiger' (MacOS X 10.4.x) and 'Leopard' (MacOS X 10.5.x) compatible]

What is 'XScreenSaver'?: A folder of 210 screen saver files.
Cost: Freeware - $0.00.

What is downloaded: 27.2 MB 'xscreensaver-5.04.dmg' file.
Decompressed '.dmg' file: A 78.2 MB disk image (a virtural disk / folder) of 210 screen saver files and a 'READ ME' file.

web page - to view snapshots of screen savers: ‘snapshots'
web page - to download '.dmg' file from: ‘download.html'

direct download link: 'xscreensaver-5.04.dmg'

What now?
01. Download the 'xscreensaver-5.04.dmg' file.
02. Double click on the '.dmg' file to decompress it - resulting in a 'XScreenSaver 5.04' disk image appearing on the 'Desktop', and the disk images' 'ZScreenSaver 5.04' window displayed. See Figure 01.
03. Decide which screen saver file(s) you want to install, and which 'Screen Savers' folder to drag the file(s) to. See Figure 02.
For screen savers to be used only by the current user - drag the file(s) to the '~/Library/Screen Savers/' folder.
For screen savers to be used by all users of the Macintosh - drag the file(s) to the '/Library/Screen Savers/' folder.

[ Click on each picture to see in full scale ]

Figure 01.

Figure 02.

Free ware, Share ware, Commercial ware

2008-01-26T23:02:00.002-05:00

List of applications demo'ed at 26. Jan. 2008 Mac@PACS meeting:

XScreenSaver v. 5.0.4
You Control: Tunes v. 1.6.1
Butler v. 1.4.5
MenuCalendarClock for iCal v. 3.1.0
Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac

** - Obtain free serial number here.

Remember - enter a bogus first and last name, and then enter any set of alphanumeric characters followed by '@mailinator.com'; such as 'qwerty01@mailinator.com' (also, remember to write them down). After clicking the 'Submit' button - open another another web browser window, go to 'mailinator.com', and check for any e-Mail messages to 'qwerty01'. From the reply by 'yousoftware.com' write down the provided serial number. You now have the information needed to register 'You Control: Tunes', from within the application.

Butler v. 1.4.5 ['Tiger' (MacOS X 10.4.x) and 'Leopard' (MacOS X 10.5.x) compatible]

What is 'Butler'?: Is a task manager. The tasks can be managed with menu bar, popup menus, keyboard equivalents, hot (screen) corners, and events.
Cost: Donationware - $18.00

What is downloaded: 1.8 MB 'butler.dmg' file.

url: ‘http://www.manytricks.com/butler/’

Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac ['Tiger' (MacOS X 10.4.x) and 'Leopard' (MacOS X 10.5.x) compatible]

What is 'Parallels Desktop'?: A virtualization application. With 'Paralles Desktop' one can run various versions of Linux and MS Windows.
Cost: Commercial ware: $79.99

url: ‘http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/’

Detailed reviews of the above applications will appear soon. Return to blog regularly to view.

FrogPad the one handed keyboard(http://www.frogpad.com/)

2008-01-26T14:57:00.000-05:00

FrogPad™ is a one-handed keyboard to be used with USB Keyboard compatible PDA's, Pocket PCs, Tablet and Wearable PC's, and other mobile applications, such as portable laptops, which utilizes the flexibility and ease of one-handed functionality and the performance of an efficient keyboard.

The FrogPad™ has been designed for fast data entry. The letter layout is based on the percent usage of each letter in the English language. Fifteen letters that are used 86% of the time by typists are placed in the most efficient locations on the keyboard.

FrogPad™ for the Disabled User

At FrogPad™ the mission is to improve the lives of the physically challenged. They understand the frustration that occurs at work when you can’t type at a productive speed because of physical limitations. With FrogPad™ you will soon be on your way to typing 40 words per minute regardless of if you only have the use of one good hand. FrogPad™ also helps physically challenged children to keep up with their classmates at school so that their disability does not interfere with their learning.

Unlike previous approaches to one-handed typing, FrogPad™ is intuitive and uses full sized keys just like the QWERTY keyboard. The letters have been arranged on the FrogPad™ to improve typing speeds over the QWERTY and half QWERTY methods. You may have been unimpressed with chording keyboards because of their awkward look and many complicated key presses. With the FrogPad™ you only need to use a maximum of two fingers at a time to access any letter. Also, the fun attractive look of the FrogPad™ will have all of your friends jealous and wanting one of their own.

The Veterans Coalition Challenge wants to give 1000 FrogPads to each disabled Veteran that wants one, but they need your help. see this url: http://medical.presslib.com/medical-products/607971.htm
Mac World, San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) January 14, 2008 -- FrogPad, Inc. announces the expansion of the Coalition Veterans Challenge. We asked the question, "What can we the people do for those who have been sent to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and have returned disabled".

We must stand in this question and recognize that there are no politics in a disabled soldier. As the weaponry becomes more sophisticated, the injury becomes more frightful and devastating. These are injuries that will affect the rest of the life of the young soldier. The estimates are that there are over 10,000 Vets returning from these wars without the use of a hand or arm.

FrogPad can do something that the big industrial and military complexes have not offered. FrogPad, Inc. begins the IOOO FrogPad Program . FrogPad products and services that make a difference to each US and Coalition veteran that requires one because of loss of a hand. FrogPad is a simple one-handed keyboard, which can have significant impact on a veteran staying integrated in the IT workplace. This is our effort to demonstrate that even a small Hispanic Woman Enterprise can bridge the gap in International relations.

Fred Slavin

2008-01-20T12:52:00.000-05:00

Fred passed away on 18 January 2008, in his young 80s.

Animoto...a cool video tool

2007-12-01T20:16:00.000-05:00

If you don’t think you are a creative person. Or if you just can’t figure out those pesky details when it comes to technology. Then you are in luck, because this application, Animoto, will create some amazing artistic videos for you with little or no technical knowledge.

The amazing thing about this application is the unique approach it takes to every creation. I used different songs with the same slides to see what would result. I was totally amazed at the uniqueness of each movie. The application analyses each photograph and song so that it can appropriately massages them into a visually appealing movie that can be emailed, downloaded, and embedded into web pages. I can just imagine some of the finished products when you introduce creative people to such an application. I personally wasted (not really) several hours when I should have been doing something else. But, then I think of the enjoyment I got from putting my pictures and music together with some professional help.

Animoto Productions is a bunch of techies and film/tv producers who decided to lock themselves in a room together and nerd out. Their first release is Animoto, a web application that automatically generates professionally produced videos using their own patent-pending Cinematic Artificial Intelligence technology and high-end motion design. Each video is a fully customized orchestration of user-selected images and music. Produced in wide-screen format, Animoto videos have the visual energy of a music video and the emotional impact of a movie trailer. They are a welcome end to slideshows.

The heart of Animoto is its newly developed Cinematic A.I. technology that thinks like an actual director and editor. It analyzes and combines user-selected images and music with the same sophisticated post-production skills & techniques that are used in television and film. The technology takes into account every nuance of a song - the genre, song structure, energy, rhythm, instrumentation, and vocals. Whether it's punk, pop, hip-hop or a classical Mozart piece, every Animoto video is totally customized. Even videos generated with an identical set of images and music will each have a completely distinct set of motion design. No two videos are the same. They can be emailed, downloaded, and embedded in pages on websites including social network sites like Facebook and MySpace.

Animoto is also dedicated to supporting new artists and music. So while users can upload their own music, the guys at Animoto also proudly feature a regularly updated selection of fresh music that they truly dig. No stock music, no cover bands, no elevator music, and no wannabe bands.

Animoto is inspired by the digital camera revolution where taking dozens, even hundreds of pictures at a time gives people the ability to think more like a video producer capturing an entire experience, not just individual moments. As users are discovering the limits of traditional photo services, the guys at Animoto are innovating new ways for people to share their stories and express themselves through media.

While based in New York City, they also have an office in San Francisco, the founders are veterans of the entertainment industry and have produced shows for MTV, Comedy Central, & ABC, studied music in London, and played in indie rock bands. They share a passion for helping people better share their stories and express themselves through online media by innovating technologies in the field of video production.

Don’t linger………. Rush to: http://animoto.com/
Take a peak at one of mine: http://animoto.com/play/bbd3c52e591fc0e9bf1411c6af1d9cf3

WD Caviar GreenPower

2007-11-26T16:53:00.000-05:00

New 500GB drive promises to save power

By Peter Cohen

Western Digital (WD) on Monday announced that it’s shipping in volume its WD Caviar GreenPower (or GP) 500GB hard disk drive mechanism. The drive costs $149.99.

The WD Caviar GP is a 3.5-inch hard disk drive bound for external enclosures or internal chassis inside computers that use Serial ATA (SATA) interfaces. The “GreenPower” moniker indicates that this unit is especially designed to be power-efficient. WD claims the drive is the industry’s coolest and quietest running eco-friendly 500GB drive.

The GP 500GB model uses the same technology as its 1GB counterpart. It yields and average drive power savings of four to five watts over other drives in its class; WD claims that results in an annual CO2 emission reduction of up to 13.8 kilograms per drive per year, or the equivalent of taking a car off the road for about three days per year.

The drive utilizes special technology that reduces power load during startup, and optimizes spin speed, transfer rate and caching algorithms. It will automatically unload its recording heads during idle periods, for example, which reduces aerodynamic drag. It also reduces less noise and lower vibration rates accordingly.

The drive sports a 16MB data buffer and an average read seek time of 8.9 milliseconds (ms). Transfer rate is 3 Gb/s for the buffer-to-host (SATA) speed, and 1,160 Mb/s for the buffer-to-disk transfer rate.

Leopard Update

2007-11-13T16:08:00.000-05:00

Latest Mac OS X 10.5.1 build fixes Finder data loss issue

By AppleInsider Staff

Published: 04:00 PM EST

Apple Inc. on Monday continued to pound away at its first maintenance and security update to the recently released Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system, issuing a new test build to developers that fixes the much publicized Finder data loss issue.

People familiar with the ongoing testing process for Mac OS X 10.5.1 Update say the new build, labeled Mac OS X 10.5.1 build 9B16, was accompanied by a note to developers that specifically mentions a Finder-related fix affecting files that are moved between directories.

It was widely reported earlier this month that Leopard's Finder is affected by a glaring bug in its directory-moving code, which could lead to horrendous data loss if a destination volume disappears while a move operation is in progress.

Those people familiar with pre-release builds of Mac OS X 10.5.1 also added that the software update will deliver an enhancement to Leopard that will allow Apple's Software Update and installer applications to make revisions to application files which may have been moved outside their designated "Applications" directory on Leopard volumes.

As was the case with build 9B13, which was released for private testing last Monday, Apple is reportedly asking that its developers test the latest build broadly, paying particular attention to Time Machine, Mail, iCal, Back To My Mac, Bonjour, AirPort, gaming graphics, networking and the Finder.

Mac OS X 10.5.1 is expected to be released as a free update within a few weeks' time.

Steve Zalot presents iLife'08

2007-11-09T17:02:00.001-05:00

Many thanks to Steve Zalot for a tremendous presentation on Apple's new iLife'08 and iWork'08. He certainly covered all of the bases and everyone had a tremendous insight into what the programs had to offer.
Now all we have to do is put his helpful hints into play.

Read - Watch -Do sequence for learning

2007-11-02T21:15:00.000-04:00

Adobe Photoshop CS One-on-One (CD-ROM included)
By McClelland, Deke
Copyright: 2007
ISBN: 978-0-596-52975-8 490 pages, $49.95 US, $64.99 CA,
Company/Producer’s name: Deke Press/O’Reilley
Phone #: 800-998-9938 Online address: www.oreily.com

Deke created this book for both amateur and professional graphic artists, designers, and photographers. It is another in a series of books that provide step-by-step lessons accompanied by beautiful full colored lessons combined with video lessons and data files. The author’s approach is a “hands on –step-by-step process" that allows the reader to proceed at their own pace and establish their own sequence of lessons to personalize the instruction.
The book’s content is divided into 12 lessons that include several (up to 3-7) step-by-step exercises to explain the techniques. Explanations, data files, and video lessons support these real world project based exercises.
The book is highly visual, colorful, informative, easy on the eye providing nicely laid out pages on heavy clay based paper, and a comprehensive index to support the text.

Lastly, the wonders of the digital age have provided us with the possibilities of a virtual classroom in which anyone can invite an expert in the field to tutor them one-on-one. I would like to say that Deke McClelland has created a comprehensive training experience into which you can submerge yourself for hours at a time. In process of reading this book you'll get a good dose of graphics theory, best practices, and tips for avoiding Photoshop disasters. L. McNeil

Apple Updates MacBooks to Santa Rosa, GMA X3100; 2.6GHz MacBook Pro

2007-11-01T16:32:00.000-04:00

posted by MacRumors.com

Thursday November 01, 2007 05:08 AM ESTAs rumored, Apple has quietly updated the MacBook tonight to the Santa Rosa architecture with mild speed bumps and the GMA X3100 integrated video

White 13.3"
$1099.00 2.0GHz/1GB RAM/80GB/Combo/GMA X3100
$1299.00 2.2GHz/1GB RAM/120GB/SD-DL/GMA X3100
Black 13.3"
$1499.00 2.2GHz/1GB RAM/160GB/SD-DL/GMA X3100

Despite comparable clock speeds (2.0 -> 2.0GHz, 2.16 -> 2.2GHz) to the old models, the new MacBooks use the Santa Rosa chipset which boasts a faster 800MHz front side bus over the previous MacBook models. The introduction of the GMA X3100 video card also provides significant benefits over the previous models. The new specs can be seen at the Apple Store:

Next Step Leopard....

2007-10-23T08:11:00.000-04:00

Take Control News: Start Preparing for Leopard Now with New Ebooks
by Adam C. Engst
If you're excited about Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, now scheduled for release on 26-Oct-07, make sure you're ready to upgrade with the early-bird edition of "Take Control of Upgrading to Leopard." This 60-page ebook not only walks you through the prep steps that help guarantee a trouble-free Leopard installation, it also comes with a free, instant-download upgrade to the 124-page full edition of the ebook, which will offer detailed advice on every aspect of installation, based on countless hours of meticulous research by Joe Kissell. In particular, the early-bird edition helps you evaluate if your current Mac will run Leopard well, how to make an appropriate backup in case of installation problems, smart ways to clear disk clutter and unnecessary files, and whether you should rethink your partitioning scheme. The full version will be available as soon as Apple begins shipping Leopard; see the FAQ at the link above for details.

But there's more! You can save 25 percent if you pre-order "Take Control of Customizing Leopard" along with buying the early-bird edition of "Take Control of Upgrading to Leopard." In this title, Matt Neuburg helps you customize your new installation, with a special emphasis on new tweaks to old features and on helping you start using new features, such as Spaces and Time Machine. We can't say much about Leopard until our non-disclosure agreement is lifted, but we plan to make the full ebook available to those who pre-order via our Check for Updates mechanism as soon as Apple begins selling Leopard.

For those of you who want to learn all about Leopard, we recommend our "I Love Leopard" bundle, which saves you 30 percent and includes the above-mentioned two titles; it also includes three more "Take Control of... in Leopard" pre-release titles: Sharing Files, Fonts, and Users & Accounts. We expect to ship these three additional titles at the same time as (or very shortly after) Leopard's release. You'll find the "I Love Leopard" bundle on the left side of both the "Upgrading" and the "Customizing" Web pages.

Owners of previous "Take Control of Upgrading to..." and "Take Control of Customizing..." ebooks can take advantage of a discounted price on these titles; click the Check for Updates button in your ebook to access the offer, or send us email if your ebook is too old to have a Check for Updates button. However, note that buying either of our bundles gives you a better discount than upgrading each title individually.
Publication, product, and company names may be registered trademarks of their companies. TidBITS ISSN 1090-7017.
Copyright 2007 TidBITS; reuse governed by this Creative Commons License.

Downloading freeware version of 'Flip4Mac'

2007-10-20T14:55:00.000-04:00

'Flip4Mac' allows one to view Microsoft Media (audio and video) files via 'QuickTime Player', and within a web browsers' window.

Click here to download 'Flip4Mac 2.1.3.10.dmg' (7.5 MB).

What gets installed, and where.

Within the '/Applications/' folder, a folder titled '/Flip4Mac' is created.
Within the '/Applications/Flip4Mac/' folder are:
'WMV Player.app',
'Flip4Mac WMV User Guide.pdf',
'Flip4Mac WMV Uninstaller.pkg', and
'WMV Upgrade'.

Added to the '/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/' folder are:
'Flip4Mac WMV Plugin.webplugin', and
'Flip4Mac WMV Plugin.plugin'.

Added to the '/Library/PreferencePanes/' folder is:
'Flip4Mac WMV.prefPane'.

Added to the '/Library/QuickTime/' folder are:
'Flip4Mac WMV Export.component',
'Flip4Mac WMV Advanced.component', and
'Flip4Mac WMV Import.component'.

Review: Keynote 3 by Michael Krayewsky

2007-10-16T20:45:00.000-04:00

For complete review click here: http://macguild.org/reviews/review399.html
Overview
Keynote 3 is Apple's next-generation slide-show presentation software for delivering compelling presentations, building cinema-quality slideshows, studio-quality photography portfolios, animated storyboards, and more, all with ease and elegance. You can incorporate photos, movies or music from your iLife libraries, as well any graphics from Safari. Keynote is Apple's equivalent to Microsoft's PowerPoint. It is intended to make the process of creating a presentation about as easy as it gets. However, while not perfect, Keynote 3 has become a compelling alternative to PowerPoint, which has become the de-facto presentation tool used by professionals and managers alike.
Summary
Keynote 3 has evolved and expanded on its past strengths with new and unique capabilities, such as polished templates, cinematic transitions, textured 3-D charts, Bezier curves and masking, tables with calculations, and export to iDVD and iPhoto. I found it exciting and fun to create and edit slides in Keynote versus doing it in PowerPoint. Keynote continues to eat into the well established world of Microsoft's PowerPoint. Compatibility between the two applications has increased substantially since the early days of Keynote 1. There are still some drawbacks, to Keynote, such as resizing images in Light Table view and the way Keynote handles missing fonts. As Mac OS X software continues to grow with innovative features, and new and cost competitive Mac laptops and desktop computers increasing Apple's market share, Keynote will be in the hands of more and more professionals and managers, yielding snappier, smoother and more professional presentations.

Pros

Default themes are elegant, refined and sophisticated
Inspector and Media Browser provide simple interface to facilitate ease of creation and modification of data
Bezier curves and 3-D charts for advanced graphic effects
Ability to export your finished presentation in a number of different formats

Cons

Incompatibility in text boxes from PowerPoint to Keynote when fonts are different
Inability to embed hyperlinks to applications or documents
Unable to increase the size of the images in the Light Table view

Overall Rating

4 out of 5 Mice

Review: Newertech Universal Drive Adapter

2007-10-16T20:23:00.000-04:00

Check out this website for technology reviews: http://www.clickheretech.com./

The Universal Drive Adapter allows practically any hard drive (or optical drive) to be attachable to your current Mac via USB. Because the hard drive isn't protected in a case, this is not a long term solution. If you want to use a internal hard drive via usb (or firewire) over a extended period of time, purchase a quality external case.
Pros: Sturdy, reliable way of adding practically any hard drive to your Mac
Cons: A bit pricey, but you get what you pay for often. This device, like all USB bridges, are for temporary use only. It would be nice if it had firewire

For the complete review by David Greenbaum check the above link.

Flash Pix Generator

2007-09-11T16:47:00.000-04:00

Want to add a flash picture to your page? Choose a picture, a border and an effect and make your own Flashpix.

http://www.profilepitstop.com/myspace_flashpix/

Then the directions are:
What do I do with all this then? - to add this flashy text to your MySpace Page, follow these simple instructions..

Log into your MySpace account. From your home page (click "Home" in the menu) select "Edit Profile"
In the text area where you'd like the flashy text to appear, place the code that you see above you at the moment
Yeah, but how do I do that? - highlight the code with your mouse (it should automatically highlight when you click on it) and then copy (press CTRL+C) the code. Then go to the area in your MySpace profile where you want the text to appear, place your cursor in the text and press paste (CTRL+V).
If you are using Internet Explorer you can click on "Copy Code" to do this automatically (you may get asked to allow the page access to the Windows clipboard)
Save your profile and you're done! Sit back and wait for the compliments on your cool new flashy profile to come pouring in...

[TIPS] Google Sky - a MUSTsee

2007-08-24T17:17:00.000-04:00

Thanks to this article by Mark Wagner (http://edtechlife.com/?p=1821) I now know about Google Sky! Check out the news video on the right of this page for Good Morning America's broadcast of the unveiling of the program. This program is free and truly amazing!

http://www.abcnews.go.co m/GMA/Technology/story?id=3509522

iLife'08 and iWork'08 released

2007-08-11T22:04:00.000-04:00

Take a guided tour.
http://www.apple.com/ilife/guidedtour/

'Democracy' (video player) retitled 'Miro' ...

2007-07-19T14:43:00.000-04:00

... go to 'Miro' for details and the latest freeware release.

Keyboard Equivalents

2007-07-19T13:13:00.000-04:00

Click here to see how to execute a keyboard equivalent; plus, more info.

"Using the 'Script Menu' and 'cscreen' to change a monitors' resolution."

2007-07-19T12:52:00.000-04:00

... can be viewed here.

Macs@Pacs on the Web

Some interesting sights discussed at our meeting

iCloud: The Future of Apple’s Ecosystem

Apple already spent $750 million on the iCloud building alone?

Moving to iCloud: What you need to know

Apple posts Cards app for iOS

Before eMail, Steve Jobs Mailed Computer Chips To Apple Fans

Topics of Interest Sept 2011

Some Summer Fun for browsing

Steve Zalot WOWS PACS- Oct 16, 2010

Memo/DOC App for iPhone/Touch

Join Steve Zalot on Saturday, May 15th

Ben Romney's April 17, 2010 Meeting Presentation Tips & Info

This Saturday....Dave Marra from Apple

AppleScript- A Short Report for a Very Long Book

December 2009 Meeting

Free Photoshop Alternatives

Links for September Tips

The AppCast for great tutorials

The Applist

September's Meeting

iPhone/Touch Identity Screen

IPhone/Touch File Sharing

Oxford Valley Mall Offers Free WiFi to Customers

iTunes Apps Store Bargains!

RSS Readers for the iPhone/iTouch

The iPod Touch as a Vibration Sensor

Have you ever gotten lost????

June 20th meeting

Steve Zalot @ Macs@Pacs

Digital TV Myths Exposed

Terry White @ Macs@Pacs

Dave Marra presents at macs@pacs Feb 21st

Amazing Cityscape Art Made from Unusual Objects

SamZ...Touch This

SamZ...Touch This

Acronyms can be fun and frustrating when you don't know them...

Acronyms can be fun...

Print 3D Buildings from Google Earth

SketchUp and 3D Printing the Disney Concert Hall - Sweet Onion Creations

SlideShare...a great tools for user groups

MacGourmet Deluxe

My Clipmarks

BEANIECHAIR-TEAL

iphone ocarina: go blow (into your iphone)

Sky Factory’s SkyV HD Virtual Skylight

Wooden Mouse from Actbrise Electronics

SmartLock uses color dye to prevent theft

Get rid of Winter blues

ECO Showerdrop

Something everyone should have.....

Mintpad allows for digital note-passing

Periscope from the Amazon Kindle

Cool Kitchen Gadgets: Darth Vader Toaster

Sound Ball Portable Speaker for iPod

Nokia Travel Speakers,

Travelocity flies into the Web 2.0 era

Reunion...presented by Craig Tenbroeck

Steve Zalot returns

What do you do with an old iPhone????? by Chris Breen

Surviving a lightning strike: Shock and awe

Pogue asks AT&T about iPhone 3G calling plans

Related Posts

Is Cuil killing the Internet?

IDF and the new Mac notebooks

Apple: “Let’s Rock” on September 9

Google announces new browser -- Chrome

Steve Zalot @ Macs@Pacs Saturday

Cool Laptop Designs

Crazy Apple Tattoos

Want to know what Twitter is all about??

The power of social bookmarking.

Are you ready for the price change??????

Come see iLife'08 presented

Dave Marra from Apple....April 19th

Online tools for everyone

World Clock: great for statistics & trivia

Conversion Tools to save online videos.

Meeting canceled for February

Dave Marra from Apple presents at macs@pacs