Apple Thoughts - News & Reviews on all things Apple

"Three years ago, I had never even held a touchscreen computer. Today I carry one everywhere I go. Apple changed the mobile phone industry with the launch of the iPhone, and appears to be creating a similar sensation with the iPad. Now it's doing everything it can to keep that momentum going, showering us with ads on television and elsewhere, singing the praises of their latest handheld, touch-driven devices."

This is interesting perspective on the "Mac is Dead" opinion, from the founder of Red Sweater Software (think MarsEdit). I like the direction Apple is going, adding things to make your life more mobile, but I certainly don't think the Mac is dead. I enjoy being able to be portable, but I certainly enjoy being able to "compute" in front of a 30+ inch screen using my Mac Mini and wireless keyboard. Advantages to both so I don't think the desktop will ever be completely gone. iOS won't replace my need for OS X (or any of the future versions). What are your thoughts?

"I'm the last person on earth who wanted to believe Steve Jobs when he told Walt Mossberg at D8 that 'Flash has had its day.' I took it as nothing more than showmanship when Jobs shared his thoughts on Flash and wrote that 'Flash is closed and proprietary, has major technical drawbacks, and doesn't support touch based devices.'"

But it turns out that he has to agree with Jobs on Flash, after spending some time using, or rather trying to use, mobile Flash Player 10.1 on the Android 2.2. The author tried several sites, and came to the conclusion that it isn't ready, and really what is the point of making websites compatible? If they have to recode them for Flash, why not just do it so it is compatible with HTLM5?

"Android wasn't the only operating system with an update today. The iPhone got a security update, 4.0.2, that stops people from using malicious code that was released last week to take over your phone."

On top of that, Apple also released an update for the iMac, that fixed a display issue with the 21.5 inch iMac having to do with brightness, as well as the iPad 3.2.2 update. They didn't want to leave Windows users out of the loop either so they updated QuickTime to 7.6.7. The Windows update involved a security update, but OS X wasn't affected so it wasn't given the same update love.

"Yesterday, we posted that Intuit was basically discontinuing Cha-Ching after hiring the developers and purchasing the app, and it was a little disappointing that they weren't offering any upgrade plan."

They must have read it because Jumsoft is now offering 50% off for Money if you are a Cha-Ching user. Submit proof of purchase before September 30th and they will give you half off. Jumsoft offered this when I was switching to Money from Quicken last year I believe, and Money also has an iPhone and iPad app that you can sync with your desktop/laptop version. I like the program, is easy to use, but the only wish I have for it is to eventually allow syncing between your Dropbox or MobileMe accounts. They currently offer Wi-Fi syncing but it would make it a lot more convenient to use cloud syncing.

"Netflix streaming queue starting to look a little stale? It's working on that, and has signed a deal that brings EPIX's library of movies to Watch Instantly -- just not that instantly."

So plan on being able to view movies, via streaming, from Paramount, Lions Gate and MGM about 90 days after the DVD release now that Netflix has reached an agreement with EPIX. EPIX is a network set up by those studios to bring their movies to the 'Net, and Netflix has finally worked out a deal with them. This is great news for those of you (us) that use the streaming feature of Netflix, and if you are a Netflix user, why wouldn't you?

"Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit (http://www.microsoft.com/mac) will ship Office for Mac 2011 in late October. Reportedly, the prices will undercut the current version of the office application suite by 20% to 50%."

We reported on the videos they were releasing, outlining the new features of Microsoft Office for Mac 2011, and now we have some prices and a release date. There will be two editions, a Home and Student as well as a Home and Business version. The Home and Student will be priced at $119.00 USD for a single license ($149.00 USD for family pack for three Macs) while the Home and Business version will be priced at $199.00 USD ($279.00 USD for two machines).

"Extensions are a great way for you to add new features to Safari 5.0.1. Built by developers, Safari Extensions use the latest HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript web technologies. And they're digitally signed and sandboxed for improved security. You can install extensions with one click - no need to restart Safari."

It certainly couldn't be any easier to get to the extensions gallery. And to see what extensions you have installed just take a look under "View" and it will show you what is and isn't active. This is also where you turn them on and off once you have them installed. Pretty easy. PC World has a list of "8 Killer Extensions" for Safari that might interest you as well, since there are over 100 of them to choose from.

"The Microsoft Mac team has posted the first in a series of videos that show off some of the new features in Microsoft Office for Mac 2011."

I'm actually interested in seeing what Outlook for Mac is going to look like and how it will function when they release this new version of Office for Mac (It's supposed to be compatible with Spotlight and Time Machine.). It's due out by the end of the year, so in preparation for that release the "Mac Office Team" has posted the first in a series of videos about the new features. This is supposed to bring the Mac version more in line with the Windows version. Do you have any plans to pick up this software or are you happy using what you have now? And what exactly are you using now?

"1Password can now sync via the cloud using Dropbox - this is a long awaited feature and is implemented really well. 1Password is a must have for any computer user - it stores all your passwords and automatically logs you in to sites. It can help you create secure passwords and even store billing addresses and credit card info making checkout really fast on sites."

A welcome update indeed! Fair warning, this only works on the 1Password Pro version for the time being, but will be available soon on all versions once approved by Apple. To enable it, once you get the new version and if you have already been syncing via Dropbox, all you have to do is update your app. Macworld has a tutorial on how Dropbox syncing in general works if you aren't familiar, and if you already have 1Password and Dropbox syncing enabled, you can find out the details at 1Password on how to set up the automatic syncing.

"Demand for HTML5 skills among developers is soaring, according to a new report released today by DoNanza, a search engine that aggregates project postings from online freelance jobs markets like Elance and oDesk."

Just how big of a demand is there? Well, according to the report done by DoNanza.com, in Q2 2010 there was a 474% increase in the demand for HTML5 developers. How was Flash faring in the same report? Down 24%. But to put it in perspective, there were 11 times as many Flash projects posted as there were HTML5 projects. It's an interesting report nonetheless.

"Fantastic. 25 years after it was first written for the Mac, Apple has chosen donate the source code of MacPaint and QuickDraw to the Computer History Museum, making one of the earliest and most efficient pieces of art software ever available to public scrutiny for the first time ever."

This program was released in 1984, and now if you want to see what's behind the screen, you can. The Computer History Museum has a page set up with interesting background information on MacPaint and QuickDraw, as well as the source code.

"Ostrich is a Twitter client made of Safari Extension stuff. You might find it useful if you like to keep an eye on your tweets while you browse the web, and especially if you like to share a lot of URLs via Twitter."

Basically Ostrich [link] works from your menu bar, so you can tweet at will, making it especially useful if you tweet links.

"taptaptap, Tapbots, and Macheist have released a very well-designed calculator app for the iPhone and iPad called Calcbot -- it's available for 99 cents right now on the App Store."

Yes, we have another calculator app. This one is from the folks that make Weightbot [affiliate link] and Convertbot [affiliate link], and while Calcbot costs $0.99 USD [affiliate link] for a limited time only, what you also get is a universal app for your iPhone or iPad. On top of that, Macheist is doing a promo so if you spread the word about Calcbot on Facebook, they will give you a free copy of Socialite for Mac. Socialite is a program to manage all of your social networking. A $29.00 USD program that you can get free for posting on Facebook? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me, if it's something you can use of course.

"When it comes to troubleshooting the Macintosh, there are many utilities available for getting the job done. Some are cheap and some expensive but for most you will have to shell out a bit of cash for a license. However, there are also some very robust free options out there for troubleshooting software problems to managing hardware issues."

There are ten listed here, all of them freeware, that can help you maintain your Mac. To be honest, I've never used any of the ones on this list. However, if you are looking for some simple tools that have specific uses, this list might be just the thing for you.

"Too lazy to cancel your $99 MobileMe automatic subscription renewal and make the jump to one of the many free alternatives? Don't worry, your lethargy has paid off this morning as Apple introduces its new MobileMe iDisk 1.2 app and a beta version of its new MobileMe Calendar."

The MobileMe Calendar Beta design follows the calendar design of the iPad, and also adds enhancements such as sharing, event invitations and publishing a calendar to groups. The best upgrade in my opinion is the adoption of the CalDAV standard. If you decide to give MobileMe Calendar beta a try, Apple has set up a page on how to prepare for it [link]. As far as the iDisk update, it is now optimized for the iPad screen, supports iOS 4 multitasking and gives you the option to open your iDisk docs in apps that are compatible with it, such as iBooks.

"LittleFin Software, LLC today is pleased to announce the release of Compartments 1.2 for Mac OS X, an easy-to-use home inventory application."

There are several inventory programs out there, but this one just added something new. Warranty Guard is now part of Compartments 1.2, which gives you the option to add warranty information for all your stuff, even keeping track of warranty expirations. Now it's on sale for $9.95 USD [iTunes Link], down from the normal price of $24.95 USD, but only until July 4th.

"One of the best parts about traveling is sharing your experiences with friends and family back home."

One way to document all your adventures is to create your own blog, or go to a site like everlater where they help you create one. Or any number of apps and web-based tools. If you get lost in the choices, have a look at this article where they narrow it down to a few of what they consider some of the best travel tools. After all, it is travel season yes?

"Last week MobileMe underwent a complete redesign. With only 2-hours notice, members didn't really know what to expect other than the service was just going down for regular maintenance. But when MobileMe came back online, it had a completely redesigned user interface that's fresh and inviting, and a few new features were thrown in as well."

The revamped interface that greets you is pretty nice, but the best part of the update, in my opinion, is the ability to set rules for your mail so you can keep it organized, as well as the ability to now archive your mail. I wish you could add IMAP instead of just POP, but at least they have also given you the option to add other accounts. Overall a pretty good overview of the new features.

"Apple has issued the following announcement regarding scheduled MobileMe maintenance: Maintenance - 6/17/2010, 22:00 - 6/18/2010, 00:00 PT"

With the following additional info in their notice:

"Due to scheduled maintenance, MobileMe members will be unable to access MobileMe applications at me.com. Access to MobileMe will still be available on desktop applications, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Normal service is expected to be restored at the end of the maintenance window. We apologize for any inconvenience."

That is all.

"Developers, developers, developers: Now you can submit your Safari extensions to Apple's appropriately-named, Safari Extensions gallery."

All you have to do is log on at the developers website at Apple and fill in the form, as well as provide the necessary icon, category and product description. Of course, Apple reserves the right to decline to use your submission, but nothing ventured nothing gained as they say. Can't wait to see what they come up with!