ActiveSync for iPhone? No word yet. iPXSync? It sounds great. Is ANYONE out there participating in this beta? As tedious days of accessing my work email via Outlook Web Access via my iPhone's Safari web browser took their toll, I went in search of other iPhone Exchange access solutions.
Surprisingly, I found one: The company is called Visto, and their web site's landing page describes their product in broad strokes: Visto Mobile will allow users to send and receive emails, appointments and tasks, as well as view attachments, from their cellphone for Microsoft Outlook or IBM Lotus Notes users. Curiously, they aren't mentioning 'Exchange' or the word 'server', but instead stating that Visto Mobile provides "mobile access to Microsoft Outlook."
The Visto web site has a pre-registration form on its homepage which indicates a Q3 2007 free trial. The mention of the iPhone is no where to be found except on a page buried on the site. The page has an iPhone specific free trial sign-up form.
The original mention of Visto is an Everything iPhone forum post. Again, its unclear if this is a true sync solution. Fingers crossed for the real deal: ActiveSync for iPhone.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac goes gold, ships next month
Microsoft Corp. said Tuesday it has wrapped up development of Office 2008 for Mac, the first overhaul to its productivity software suite for Apple's Mac users in nearly half a decade.
The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant said the frozen code will be released to manufacturing later this evening, ahead of the software's official launch next month at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco.
Come January 15th, Office 2008 for Mac will be available in three distinct editions ranging from an entry level $150 Home and Student Edition to a high-end $500 Special Media Edition.
However, Microsoft is currently running its "Super Suite Deal" promotion, which allows customers to purchase the current $330 Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Standard edition or the current $130 Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Student and Teacher edition and then receive the $500 Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Edition for only the cost of shipping and handling.
To take advantage of this offer, simply purchase Office 2004 for Mac Standard Edition ($330) or Office 2004 for Mac Student and Teacher Edition ($130) from an authorized reseller like Amazon.com by January 14th. (Your receipt must be dated between Nov. 1, 2007 and Jan. 14, 2008.) Then print and complete the Super Suite Deal Redemption Form [pdf].
Those customers who participate in the promotion and return the Super Suite Deal Redemption Form by February 14th, 2008 will receive a copy of Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Edition for the cost of shipping ($7.00 US, $10 CND) once it becomes available next month.
Microsoft does not appear to be requiring proof that participants who purchase Office 2004 for Mac Student and Teacher Edition are actually students or teachers. Therefore it appears likely that anyone can purchase the Student and Teach Edition for $130 from Amazon and then receive a copy of the $500 Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Edition for just the cost of shipping and handling.
Those readers interested in Office 2008 for Mac may want to check out AppleInsider's recent Road to Mac Office 2008 series, installments of which are listed below in the order they were published.
Road to Mac Office 2008: an introduction
Road to Mac Office 2008: installation and interface
Road to Mac Office 2008: Word '08 vs Pages 3.0
Road to Mac Office 2008: Excel '08 vs Numbers 1.0
Road to Mac Office 2008: PowerPoint '08 vs Keynote 4.0
Road to Mac Office 2008: Entourage '08 vs Mail 3.0 and iCal 3.0
People familiar with the matter tell ArsTechnica that programming from a handful of Canadian television networks will start cropping up on the localized version of the Apple digital download service as early as Tuesday afternoon, with a hard launch slated for Wednesday.
"As 2007 winds to a close, Apple plans to give an early Christmas gift to our Canadian friends in the form of (a few) TV shows being added to the iTunes Store," wrote Ars' Jacqui Cheng. "Of course, with all things iTunes (and Apple), these exact days can easily get pushed, but the shows are expected to make their debut at most within the next couple of weeks."
Among the programs expected to be part of the first wave of Canadian TV content are shows from local networks CBC and CTV, in addition to an assortment of programming from some select US networks.
The move by Apple comes just one week after failed contract renewal negotiations with NBC forced the removal of nearly all of the network's shows for the US version of the iTunes store. Some NBC-aired shows, which are produced by third parties, remain available.
iTunes Canada will be just the third version of the iTunes Store to serve up individual television shows (or full season bundles), joining those located in the US and the UK.
As next month's Macworld Expo rapidly approaches, sources are reporting additional sightings of an unfamiliar MacBook model floating around Apple's Cupertino-based campus.
Most recently, a source described a "dark grey" or "gunmetal" colored notebook of slender proportions making the rounds in an area where Apple traditionally conducts stress tests.
Though noticeably thinner but otherwise similar in size to the company's 13-inch MacBooks, the notebook appeared to have a metallic sheen to it, which set it apart from the current black MacBook.
This most recent sighting seems to fall in line with earlier reports that a slender pair of notebooks were making their way around Apple's campus, clad in both traditional and black aluminum enclosures.
Still, there has been no definitive evidence to link these sightings the company's sub-notebook project, which has been detailed (1, 2, 3) by well-respected sources over the past year and is due to culminate early next month with an introduction at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco.
Additionally, it should be noted that sightings of particular colors and enclosures at Apple ahead of a product's release are not always fail-safe indicators of that product's final appearance. Apple is also likely working on more slender consumer MacBooks, which could at times be confused with the upcoming sub-notebook.
The exploit sends an improper header through QuickTime's Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) service, triggering a buffer overflow that permits a hacker to run their own code and compromise an affected system.
In recent days, a website known as Ourvoyeur.net has reportedly been hijacked and used to infect systems with malware that opens a back door for hackers. That exploit targets Windows users but could theoretically apply to Mac OS X as well given the existence of the flaw in Apple's own operating system, according to one report.
The QuickTime patch is available both for the critically affected Windows systems in a 20MB download but is also offered as a roughly 50MB fix for Mac OS X Panther, Tiger, and Leopard.
In a report Wednesday, the market intelligence firm said the well-reviewed model has been in short supply or backordered at many popular retailers like Amazon.com.
Creating some confusion, iSuppli noted, are media reports that have suggested that the Zune is outselling Apple iPods on Amazon.com, but the reality of the situation is those reports are referring to a sales spike for the older, deeply discounted Zune 30 model.
"The question is whether the 80GB Zune shortage is the result of high demand, short supply or some combination of both,� said senior consumer electronics analyst Chris Crotty.
Crotty added that, "Given the widespread criticism of the first Zune model, it is likely Microsoft erred on the side of caution when placing initial orders for the new Zunes, which include the Hard-Disk-Drive (HDD) based 80GB Zune as well as the flash-memory-based 4GB and 8GB Zune."
iSuppli in its report went on to suggest that Microsoft is moving tentatively in the portable media player (PMP) market because the company is treading some unfamiliar territory with the Zune.
"The first unfamiliar aspect for Microsoft is that the Zune uses a proprietary, closed operating system that differs from the open approach of the company�s flagship Windows software," the firm said. "Second, Microsoft is not the market leader in PMPs, an unusual situation for a company accustomed to dominating the areas in which it competes."
Still, Microsoft may feel a lot of self-imposed and media pressure to position the Zune as an �iPod killer.� To that point, iSuppli noted, the new 80GB Zune competes directly with the new iPod Classic and the new iPod touch.
And while the firm's channel checks indicate strong demand for the iPod touch, it calls the model "somewhat of a contradiction" because Apple added a video-centric display to the device even though it only has limited storage capacity for video content.
"That disconnect raises the question of why Apple did not launch an HDD-based iPod touch. Apple may have expected flash memory prices to drop more quickly. When that did not happen, Apple may not have had time to develop an HDD-based iPod touch," iSuppli said. "The question now is whether Apple will continue to wait for flash prices to fall, or if the company will add a HDD-equipped iPod touch during the coming months."
At the same time, the firm suggests that the current Zune shortage is unlikely an indicator of things to come, as Apple still maintains its long-term competitive advantages of ever-increasing cost for switching among its customer base. That is, the longer a consumer owns an iPod, the more content that consumer purchases from the iTunes site.
"To move to a non-iPod player, the customer would need to repurchase the content or reformat through a cumbersome process that degrades quality -- and breaks the law," iSuppli said. "With its closed Zune system, Microsoft is trying to replicate these switching costs within its customer base, but the company may be starting too late."
As of press time, Apple's iPods dominated the first 9 slots on Amazon's best seller list, with Microsoft's black 80GB Zune snagging the 10th spot.
The group warns in a new industry overview that as long as a significant price gap exists between dedicated media players like the iPod and multi-function devices like the iPhone, the former will continue to enjoy strong success as buyers choose the less expensive option.
"As [average selling prices] of media-enabled smart phones fall, the mobile category will begin to impact the standalone media player market," the analysts say.
However, the iPhone also follows all the right trends, the researchers note. The emphasis on a natural touch interface for the cellphone -- rather than the artificial buttons and wheels of the iPod -- is expected to spur sales as the technology improves, and may already be doing this today through the iPod touch, which costs significantly less than the iPhone.
"The difference... between the iPod classic (with a traditional iPod interface) and the iPod touch (with touch-based operation) is a meaningful one," Piper Jaffray notes.
The shifts to sharper video-friendly displays, as well as smaller NAND flash storage in place of hard disks, are also considered important steps that will drive the market once storage is capacious enough to hold more video.
It may be the video itself which proves the real barrier. Apple has a "strong foothold" in video, but the loss of NBC emphasizes just how splintered the market may be, according to the report. Without a clear advantage in content, neither iTunes nor most other providers offering video downloads can expect to take a clear lead in the space no matter how clear the hardware's advantage may be.
Even so, Piper Jaffray maintains a positive outlook on Apple as the Cupertino, California-based company has short-term momentum with a range of new iPods and Macs. Long-term iPhone momentum could also prove decisive in 2009, when Apple is expected to reach the important $300 price point for the handset and the effect of sharing revenue with AT&T is seen at its peak.
"We believe Apple is firing on all cylinders heading into 2008," Piper Jaffray's overview explains.
iTunes customers can choose from Canadian-produced favorites such as the award-winning �Corner Gas� from CTV, smash hit comedy �Little Mosque on the Prairie� from CBC, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning �South Park� from Comedy Central and the NHL Games of the Year.
�We�re thrilled to bring television programming to the iTunes Store in Canada in time for the holiday season,� said Eddy Cue, Apple�s vice president of iTunes. �We�re off to a great start with hit shows from CBC, CTV, Comedy Central and MTV Networks, along with the best of classic and current NHL action.�
Television shows purchased and downloaded from the iTunes Store Canada can be viewed on a PC or Mac, iPod nano with video, fifth generation iPod, iPod classic or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV. Television programming on the iTunes Store in Canada includes:
* CBC�s comedy programs �Little Mosque on the Prairie� and �The Rick Mercer Report,� reality programming �No Opportunity Wasted� and �Dragon�s Den;�
* CTV�s smash hit comedy �Corner Gas,� dramas �Instant Star,� �Degrassi: The Next Generation� and �Robson Arms;�
* Comedy Central�s �Drawn Together,� �The Sarah Silverman Program� and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning �South Park;�
* MTV Networks programs �Avatar: The Last Airbender� and �The Hills;� and
* NHL Games of the Year, including top NHL games in their entirety for the 2007-2008 season, as well as Stanley Cup Classics, a five-game bundle of great Stanley Cup Final games.
Reports that Apple was ready to launch TV programming on the iTunes Store Canada were first reported late Monday by ArsTechnica.
The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant said the frozen code will be released to manufacturing later this evening, ahead of the software's official launch next month at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco.
Come January 15th, Office 2008 for Mac will be available in three distinct editions ranging from an entry level $150 Home and Student Edition to a high-end $500 Special Media Edition.
However, Microsoft is currently running its "Super Suite Deal" promotion, which allows customers to purchase the current $330 Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Standard edition or the current $130 Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Student and Teacher edition and then receive the $500 Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Edition for only the cost of shipping and handling.
To take advantage of this offer, simply purchase Office 2004 for Mac Standard Edition ($330) or Office 2004 for Mac Student and Teacher Edition ($130) from an authorized reseller like Amazon.com by January 14th. (Your receipt must be dated between Nov. 1, 2007 and Jan. 14, 2008.) Then print and complete the Super Suite Deal Redemption Form [pdf].
Those customers who participate in the promotion and return the Super Suite Deal Redemption Form by February 14th, 2008 will receive a copy of Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Edition for the cost of shipping ($7.00 US, $10 CND) once it becomes available next month.
Microsoft does not appear to be requiring proof that participants who purchase Office 2004 for Mac Student and Teacher Edition are actually students or teachers. Therefore it appears likely that anyone can purchase the Student and Teach Edition for $130 from Amazon and then receive a copy of the $500 Office 2008 for Mac Special Media Edition for just the cost of shipping and handling.
Those readers interested in Office 2008 for Mac may want to check out AppleInsider's recent Road to Mac Office 2008 series, installments of which are listed below in the order they were published.
Road to Mac Office 2008: an introduction
Road to Mac Office 2008: installation and interface
Road to Mac Office 2008: Word '08 vs Pages 3.0
Road to Mac Office 2008: Excel '08 vs Numbers 1.0
Road to Mac Office 2008: PowerPoint '08 vs Keynote 4.0
Road to Mac Office 2008: Entourage '08 vs Mail 3.0 and iCal 3.0
Before plunking down 650 euros (about US$965) for an "unlocked"  |
Another option, if you've already got one of these universal adapters, is to instead buy just a MagSafe cable extension. Interested, I asked Mike to send us a loaner cable for Kensington's 120 Watt Notebook AC/DC Power Adapter, which we had here in the office. A few days later I received a padded envelope containing the MagSafe connector and cable from an Apple AC adapter, but the main power block was nowhere to be found. In its place was a connector that fits the "N2" tip accessory for Kensington's adapter. (The N2 tip was also included, although it's normally a separate purchase, either from MCT or from Kensington.) To use the cable, I just plugged one end of the N2 tip into the MCT-assembled cable and the other into the Kensington adapter itself.
MCT assembles these hybrid cables by hand--most are produced by Mike himself--and I was impressed by the professional appearance. Although the true test of any cable is how well its "joints" hold up over time, the MCT cable feels quite sturdy. The company offers a 90-day warranty on all products it produces, although Mike told me that he's been "known to continue to support [his] users after that period." (The Kensington and iGo products, which aren't modified by the procedure, include their original one-year and two-year manufacturer warranties, respectively.)
When I plugged the MagSafe-ified Kensington adapter into either a standard AC outlet or the accessory ("cigarette lighter") jack in my car, my MacBook Pro was powered as expected. (Unfortunately, I didn't have any plane trips planned, so I couldn't test the setup with an airplane power port, but I expect it would work just fine, given that the Kensington adapter's airline and car connections use the same attachment.) As an added bonus, the use of Apple's own cable adds another 40 inches to the length of the Kensington adapter's own cord, giving you plenty of reach when plugging in at home or on-the-go. The only odd behavior I experienced is that after unplugging the MagSafe connector from my MacBook Pro, the connector's green light stayed lit for thirty seconds or so; a Q&A page on MCT's Web site claims this is normal behavior when using the MagSafe connector with some third-party adapters.
As I mentioned above, the biggest drawback of MCT's MagSafe products is price. For example, MCT's MagSafe version of Kensington's 120 Watt AC/car/airplane adapter is currently on sale for $210 (normally $230). But keep in mind that MCT has to purchase both the $140 Kensington adapter and Apple's $79 MagSafe Power Adapter in order to build the hybrid product. Similarly, the MagSafe version of the iGo juice70 is $200, but requires that MCT obtain the $120 juice70 and Apple's adapter. Knowing this doesn't make the MCT products any more affordable, but at least you know where most of the cost comes from. And one of these universal adapters doesn't cost much more than buying separate travel adapters for AC and DC.
The cable I tested sells for $110 (although you also need the N2 tip if you don't already have it, which is another $10), but if you send your original, in-good-condition MagSafe adapter--which you presumably no longer need--to MCT afterwards, the company will refund you $65. (MCT will use the MagSafe connector/cable from your adapter for the next customer, which is why it must be in good condition.)
MCT also offers their own AC/car/airplane power kit for $145 ($60 if you return your own adapter), as well as a number of other combinations of adapter-conversions and MagSafe power packages, too many to list here. The company even offers a $10 do-it-yourself manual for those skilled in wiring and soldering. Suffice it to say that if you're desperate for MagSafe accessories, MCT probably offers something that will interest you. And if you're a road warrior who wants the convenience of a universal power adapter for your MagSafe-equipped laptop, MCT's products are currently the only game in town.
Neo-Flex Stand Delivers
The cynics of the workaday world--me included--sometimes deride the term ergonomic because it's such a nebulous concept. The basics of ergonomics aren't in dispute; we can all agree that reducing fatigue or discomfort while you are working is a noble goal. But too many products that promise an ergonomic design don't have a compelling rationale behind them.
Such is the case with many laptop stands. Some of them are downright funny-looking, with designs that appear to be based more on space-age desires than ergonomic principles. The most basic are essentially keyboard raisers that offer few adjustment options beyond the (questionably-ergonomic) capability to tilt your laptop toward yourself. (At least these generally provide venting to help your hot-running laptop stay cool.) Other types simply let you elevate your laptop, so that its screen can be at eye level, or somewhere close, while you use an external keyboard. Some provide more-sophisticated adjustment options.
But few laptop stands offer as many options, and do so as attractively, as Ergotron's $79 NEO-FLEX NOTEBOOK/PROJECTOR LIFT STAND. Looking like a squat, black-and-aluminum podium with two penguin-like feet, the Neo-Flex Stand can cover a lot of ground on your desk if you're the type who likes to push, pull, raise, and swivel your laptop. Alternatively, it can easily be locked into a stationary spot. Using the Neo-Flex, you can lift your laptop up to six inches off your desk and tilt it from 25 degrees forward to 15 degrees back--much more flexibility than most laptop stands offer. By giving you options to conform to your personal working preferences, the Neo-Flex is truly ergonomically-sound.
When you unpack the Neo-Flex, you may be intimidated by the printed directions: They're slightly confusing, in part because you have a few options to decide on before you even start using the stand. For example, you can use it with just your laptop, with a laptop docking station, or with an LCD projector. Once you decide how you want to configure the stand, doing so is a fairly simple process. It took me ten minutes to decode the directions, but only three minutes to assemble the device, attach the included non-slip pads (which also elevate the laptop slightly, adding to the vented platform's cooling function), and tighten up the stand to my liking.
The Neo-Flex's adjustability is impressive. As I mentioned, you can not only move your laptop up and down, but also tilt it forward and backward. And thanks to small wheels underneath the stand's protruding feet, you can swivel the stand (and, thus your laptop) from side to side--or even rotate it 360 degrees. (The leg of the stand stays put and provides the pivot point for this action.) Of course, any cords attached to your laptop might prevent you from attempting the full lazy-susan effect, but to help get a handle on your cables, a Velcro cable tie is included.
All this flexibility doesn't come at too high a price: At $79, the Neo-Flex Stand is priced comparably to several other notebook stands we've tested. And some of those are one-piece models that aren't adjustable in any way. For an ergonomic solution, the sturdy and attractive Neo-Flex Notebook/Projector Lift Stand is worth a look.
Such is the case with many laptop stands. Some of them are downright funny-looking, with designs that appear to be based more on space-age desires than ergonomic principles. The most basic are essentially keyboard raisers that offer few adjustment options beyond the (questionably-ergonomic) capability to tilt your laptop toward yourself. (At least these generally provide venting to help your hot-running laptop stay cool.) Other types simply let you elevate your laptop, so that its screen can be at eye level, or somewhere close, while you use an external keyboard. Some provide more-sophisticated adjustment options.
 |
But few laptop stands offer as many options, and do so as attractively, as Ergotron's $79 NEO-FLEX NOTEBOOK/PROJECTOR LIFT STAND. Looking like a squat, black-and-aluminum podium with two penguin-like feet, the Neo-Flex Stand can cover a lot of ground on your desk if you're the type who likes to push, pull, raise, and swivel your laptop. Alternatively, it can easily be locked into a stationary spot. Using the Neo-Flex, you can lift your laptop up to six inches off your desk and tilt it from 25 degrees forward to 15 degrees back--much more flexibility than most laptop stands offer. By giving you options to conform to your personal working preferences, the Neo-Flex is truly ergonomically-sound.
When you unpack the Neo-Flex, you may be intimidated by the printed directions: They're slightly confusing, in part because you have a few options to decide on before you even start using the stand. For example, you can use it with just your laptop, with a laptop docking station, or with an LCD projector. Once you decide how you want to configure the stand, doing so is a fairly simple process. It took me ten minutes to decode the directions, but only three minutes to assemble the device, attach the included non-slip pads (which also elevate the laptop slightly, adding to the vented platform's cooling function), and tighten up the stand to my liking.
The Neo-Flex's adjustability is impressive. As I mentioned, you can not only move your laptop up and down, but also tilt it forward and backward. And thanks to small wheels underneath the stand's protruding feet, you can swivel the stand (and, thus your laptop) from side to side--or even rotate it 360 degrees. (The leg of the stand stays put and provides the pivot point for this action.) Of course, any cords attached to your laptop might prevent you from attempting the full lazy-susan effect, but to help get a handle on your cables, a Velcro cable tie is included.
All this flexibility doesn't come at too high a price: At $79, the Neo-Flex Stand is priced comparably to several other notebook stands we've tested. And some of those are one-piece models that aren't adjustable in any way. For an ergonomic solution, the sturdy and attractive Neo-Flex Notebook/Projector Lift Stand is worth a look.
RealPlayer 11: a new way to handle online video
Back in May,
Let me just get this out of the way first: the RealPlayer software interface is...unattractive. Mostly it's just cluttered, but the utilitarian look and feel leave something to be desired as well. It's relatively easy to get the hang of at least, but I frankly expected better from the peeps who bring us Rhapsody. All that being said, the inconspicuous, integrated "Download This Video" button is both well-designed and useful, and videos are saved in an obvious spot (under Downloads " >
Of course, simple downloading of Internet video is a compelling feature for some. And the fact that it's free makes it all the more user-friendly. However, if you want to actually take your newly downloaded video "to go" on an iPod, you'll need to plunk down $40 (a one-time fee) for RealPlayer Plus. The Plus version also includes several other advanced features (outlined in the screen shot above) that some users might find handy. I tested both the downloading functionality and the iPod transfer feature, and both were pretty slow. It took about 12 minutes to download a 24 minute video clip from Google Video; RealPlayer then took its sweet time--about an hour--encoding and transferring that video to the iPod. It's definitely an exercise in patience, though--to be fair--the video grab feature is really intended for short video clips of about five minutes or less. More unforgivable is the fact that the app refused to play nice with Outlook, causing the email client to crash when any encoding or transferring was taking place.
So what kinds of video can you expect to work with RealPlayer's download feature? The short answer is "nothing with DRM protection of any kind." So if you're thinking of capturing the latest episode of Heroes to watch on your iPod (an especially enticing idea now that the iTunes store is NBC-less) you can forget about it. I also went after some Bravo, FoodTV, Netflix, and ComedyCentral content--all to no avail. For Bravo, FoodTV, and NBC, the "Download This Video" button popped up, but the resulting grab was just the commercial segment. Sadly, while ComedyCentral videos worked during the Beta period, the site has since switched to streaming flash, with which RealPlayer 11 is incompatible (the button changes to "Video cannot be downloaded," though--somehow--commercials are downloadable). Netflix uses a proprietary format that the software doesn't even recognize as video. In any event, this adherence to DRM is better for RealPlayer in the long run, but it's really too bad about the FoodTV restriction--how handy would it be to have quick and easy recipe clips on your iPod?
There are, naturally, plenty of video sites that work just fine with the software. Google Video, YouTube, Metacafe and any other site with user-generated content are all fair game. Also, there are some TV network sites that keep their formats open and free of restriction--Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel and National Geographic, for example--though you often have to sit through a loud, unmutable ad while you wait for the video to come on. Of course, this is dependent on the sites and not RealPlayer, but I can't help complaining here. Also, it's worth noting that you don't actually have to watch the video while it's recording: you can pause, mute, or even move onto another video and cue that up for downloading. That's definitely a big plus.
In the end, the usefulness of this new RealPlayer 11 feature depends largely on the type of content you are interested in saving for offline viewing (if you're into music videos, for example, it's great)--and also how enterprising you are (I came across a couple of questionable sites with plenty of network TV content that was readily compatible with the software). It is free, so there's no harm in trying it out--unless you count the harm to your eyes/brain by having to deal with the RealPlayer interface. If you're an iPod user who wants to take videos on the go, just make sure you test out the free version with your favorite content providers before you dole out the cash for the Plus option.
RELATED STORIES:
* RealPlayer 11 beta is a stream ripper
* New RealPlayer allows YouTube video downloads
* Break free from embedded vids
Bag of the week: Spire Torq backpack
Everyone has their special preference when it comes to lugging a laptop. Some prefer the messenger-style bags you fling across a shoulder, others favor bags that could be mistaken for briefcases. I prefer a backpack. They're easy to carry, can hold a load of gear, and, if you choose the right one, remain comfortable even when worn for the better part of a day.
My first laptop backpack was made by Spire, the end-all-be-all laptop backpack maker of the time. It was a great backpack and served for many years with nary a rip or blown zipper--the thing was nearly indestructible. But once I graduated to carrying not just a computer, but also a couple of iPods, accompanying iPod gear, a note pad, a mobile phone, and a digital camera, it was clear I needed more capacity than that particular Spire could provide.
After speaking with a number of colleagues about their bags of choice, I settled on STM's Medium Eclipse backpack. It offered great capacity, a logical layout with three separate compartments, a solid handle on top for lugging it around with one hand, and a nicely padded back panel and shoulder straps. Even full of stuff, it was nicely balanced. Regrettably, its zippers weren't as robust as those on my old Spire backpack; within a couple months, one of the zippers on the compartment closest to my back slipped the rails and refused to return to the straight and narrow path. To be fair, STM bags include a warranty that would likely cover the problem, but I haven't taken the time to ship it back to STM to see if it meets the requirement of being "defective in materials or workmanship."
So, when my colleague Dan Frakes offered me the opportunity to put the latest Spire backpack--the $170 TORQ--to the test, I jumped at the chance. For the most part, I've been very happy with it.
Unlike my first Spire bag, the Torq one holds gallons of stuff. So much so that you could easily pack your laptop (there's a special compartment and included sleeve for just that), every cable imaginable, an iPod or two and its accessories, and enough clothes (mushed up, granted) to last a weekend. I've managed to carry a digital SLR as well, though there's no special padded compartment for the camera, so I was taking a risk.
The downside of having such a high-capacity bag is that you can easily overload it. I've done so and afterward regretted that the Torq has just a little less padding on the shoulder straps than the STM Eclipse; I tend to carry my backpack on one shoulder and could feel the difference. Also, despite a foam pad inserted in a sleeve within the back compartment, the part of the pack that rests against your back isn't as nicely padded as that of the STM bag. On the other hand, the Torq's waist belt--which you're likely to use with an overloaded pack--has far more padding than the Eclipse's.
Another danger of overloading the bag is that it winds up poorly balanced. Spire addresses this issue by including cinch belts on either side of the bag. Pull these things taut after packing to pull the bag more tightly together and, hopefully, bring about better balance.
The Torq's zippers are beefy and, so far, have performed their jobs admirably. The bag sports two outside mesh pockets for holding water bottles or other smallish gear you want close at hand. Inside the first compartment you'll find a couple of shallow pocket for things like small notepads, mobile phones, pens, and adapter cables. Unlike the STM bag, the Torq doesn't have velcro straps for keeping the contents of these pockets in place--something I found handy with the Eclipse bag. Below is a broader mesh pocket for keeping cables and cards in hand, and the outside flap holds two zippered pockets. There's also a zippered compartment on the outside of the pack.
The middle compartment is for your laptop and includes a padded sleeve that was just a little small for my 15-inch MacBook Pro. I regret that this compartment doesn't have the kind of removable semi-hard bumper pad at the bottom that the Eclipse provided. A little added protection for the laptop--particularly on the part of the bag that makes contact with the ground--never hurts. The separator between the middle and back compartment, however, is nicely padded and has a slightly plush surface to help prevent scratching.
The back compartment is the place for putting everything else. It's deep and expands nicely. As I mentioned, it includes a Velcro pouch for a removable foam pad. If you're unhappy with the amount of padding against your back, you can also replace this pad with something cushier from the local House o' Foam. If you really want to cush out the pack, there's yet another pouch on the back of the pack. This mostly-hidden pouch is not a good place to put gear as it will fall out the holes at the bottom of the pouch, but it could work for holding another foam pad or, if push comes to shove, secret documents you're trying to smuggle through customs.
Because of its capacity, you'll be tempted to over-pack this solidly-built backpack. But resist that temptation and you'll find the Torq a worthy bag.
The Torq is available in black with blue, gray, red, or more black.
My first laptop backpack was made by Spire, the end-all-be-all laptop backpack maker of the time. It was a great backpack and served for many years with nary a rip or blown zipper--the thing was nearly indestructible. But once I graduated to carrying not just a computer, but also a couple of iPods, accompanying iPod gear, a note pad, a mobile phone, and a digital camera, it was clear I needed more capacity than that particular Spire could provide.
After speaking with a number of colleagues about their bags of choice, I settled on STM's Medium Eclipse backpack. It offered great capacity, a logical layout with three separate compartments, a solid handle on top for lugging it around with one hand, and a nicely padded back panel and shoulder straps. Even full of stuff, it was nicely balanced. Regrettably, its zippers weren't as robust as those on my old Spire backpack; within a couple months, one of the zippers on the compartment closest to my back slipped the rails and refused to return to the straight and narrow path. To be fair, STM bags include a warranty that would likely cover the problem, but I haven't taken the time to ship it back to STM to see if it meets the requirement of being "defective in materials or workmanship."
So, when my colleague Dan Frakes offered me the opportunity to put the latest Spire backpack--the $170 TORQ--to the test, I jumped at the chance. For the most part, I've been very happy with it.
 |
Unlike my first Spire bag, the Torq one holds gallons of stuff. So much so that you could easily pack your laptop (there's a special compartment and included sleeve for just that), every cable imaginable, an iPod or two and its accessories, and enough clothes (mushed up, granted) to last a weekend. I've managed to carry a digital SLR as well, though there's no special padded compartment for the camera, so I was taking a risk.
The downside of having such a high-capacity bag is that you can easily overload it. I've done so and afterward regretted that the Torq has just a little less padding on the shoulder straps than the STM Eclipse; I tend to carry my backpack on one shoulder and could feel the difference. Also, despite a foam pad inserted in a sleeve within the back compartment, the part of the pack that rests against your back isn't as nicely padded as that of the STM bag. On the other hand, the Torq's waist belt--which you're likely to use with an overloaded pack--has far more padding than the Eclipse's.
Another danger of overloading the bag is that it winds up poorly balanced. Spire addresses this issue by including cinch belts on either side of the bag. Pull these things taut after packing to pull the bag more tightly together and, hopefully, bring about better balance.
The Torq's zippers are beefy and, so far, have performed their jobs admirably. The bag sports two outside mesh pockets for holding water bottles or other smallish gear you want close at hand. Inside the first compartment you'll find a couple of shallow pocket for things like small notepads, mobile phones, pens, and adapter cables. Unlike the STM bag, the Torq doesn't have velcro straps for keeping the contents of these pockets in place--something I found handy with the Eclipse bag. Below is a broader mesh pocket for keeping cables and cards in hand, and the outside flap holds two zippered pockets. There's also a zippered compartment on the outside of the pack.
The middle compartment is for your laptop and includes a padded sleeve that was just a little small for my 15-inch MacBook Pro. I regret that this compartment doesn't have the kind of removable semi-hard bumper pad at the bottom that the Eclipse provided. A little added protection for the laptop--particularly on the part of the bag that makes contact with the ground--never hurts. The separator between the middle and back compartment, however, is nicely padded and has a slightly plush surface to help prevent scratching.
The back compartment is the place for putting everything else. It's deep and expands nicely. As I mentioned, it includes a Velcro pouch for a removable foam pad. If you're unhappy with the amount of padding against your back, you can also replace this pad with something cushier from the local House o' Foam. If you really want to cush out the pack, there's yet another pouch on the back of the pack. This mostly-hidden pouch is not a good place to put gear as it will fall out the holes at the bottom of the pouch, but it could work for holding another foam pad or, if push comes to shove, secret documents you're trying to smuggle through customs.
Because of its capacity, you'll be tempted to over-pack this solidly-built backpack. But resist that temptation and you'll find the Torq a worthy bag.
The Torq is available in black with blue, gray, red, or more black.
Flavor Flav: Your laptop has arrived
Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. Computer Choppers presents:
THE 24K GOLD PLATED MACBOOK PRO
Ah, just in time for the holidays.
THE 24K GOLD PLATED MACBOOK PRO
Ah, just in time for the holidays.
"As 2007 winds to a close, Apple plans to give an early Christmas gift to our Canadian friends in the form of (a few) TV shows being added to the iTunes Store," wrote Ars' Jacqui Cheng. "Of course, with all things iTunes (and Apple), these exact days can easily get pushed, but the shows are expected to make their debut at most within the next couple of weeks."
Among the programs expected to be part of the first wave of Canadian TV content are shows from local networks CBC and CTV, in addition to an assortment of programming from some select US networks.
The move by Apple comes just one week after failed contract renewal negotiations with NBC forced the removal of nearly all of the network's shows for the US version of the iTunes store. Some NBC-aired shows, which are produced by third parties, remain available.
iTunes Canada will be just the third version of the iTunes Store to serve up individual television shows (or full season bundles), joining those located in the US and the UK.
Most recently, a source described a "dark grey" or "gunmetal" colored notebook of slender proportions making the rounds in an area where Apple traditionally conducts stress tests.
Though noticeably thinner but otherwise similar in size to the company's 13-inch MacBooks, the notebook appeared to have a metallic sheen to it, which set it apart from the current black MacBook.
This most recent sighting seems to fall in line with earlier reports that a slender pair of notebooks were making their way around Apple's campus, clad in both traditional and black aluminum enclosures.
Still, there has been no definitive evidence to link these sightings the company's sub-notebook project, which has been detailed (1, 2, 3) by well-respected sources over the past year and is due to culminate early next month with an introduction at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco.
Additionally, it should be noted that sightings of particular colors and enclosures at Apple ahead of a product's release are not always fail-safe indicators of that product's final appearance. Apple is also likely working on more slender consumer MacBooks, which could at times be confused with the upcoming sub-notebook.
) to automatically clone my main drive once a day. This left me with a mirror-image, bootable backup of the main drive in case disaster struck. It was also useful for testing beta software and performing dangerous system tweaks; if anything went wrong, I could just reboot from the OptiBay drive and then clone back to the main drive to restore it to a good and healthy configuration. I made good use of this setup on more than one occasion. (I should note that you should also have another backup that you keep separate from your laptop; if your only backup is inside the same computer as the main drive, you run the risk--for example, if your laptop gets stolen or falls victim to a catastrophic event--of losing both at the same time.) MCE includes with the OptiBay a copy of BounceBack Express backup software, but I didn't test it. 
| 0:54 | 2 hours, 25 minutes |
| 0:55 | 2 hours, 38 minutes |
| NA | 2 hours, 11 minutes |
| NA | 2 hours, 8 minutes |
Finder test times in minutes:seconds, rounded to the nearest second. Battery test times rounded to the nearest minute.
As you can see, the OptiBay's ATA drive was roughly equivalent in speed to its SATA, but otherwise identical, sibling. Oddly enough, battery life was actually longer, by 13 minutes, with the OptiBay drive. Just as interesting is the fact that writing data to both drives continuously reduced battery life by only around 20 minutes, on average, with a mirrored RAID reducing life by only an additional few minutes. I was surprised by these results, as they indicate that in normal use, having two internal hard drives has only a minor affect on overall battery life, unless you're frequently accessing both drives--and even then, the hit is less than I expected.
THAT'S (NOT SO) HOT
Another concern one might have about dual internal hard drives is that operating temperatures would increase. As with the previous drive upgrade, I also measured the MacBook Pro's internal temperatures, using
Revisiting the OptiBay with Time Machine
Back in June, I covered MCE's OptiBay Hard Drive, a unique upgrade for MacBooks and MacBook Pros that replaces the laptop's optical drive with a second internal hard drive. (You use an external optical drive when necessary.) As I noted back then, the upgrade isn't for everyone, but it's a great solution for people who need to maximize their on-the-go hard-drive space, want a completely separate drive for Windows (via Boot Camp), or want the security of always having a bootable backup right there inside their laptop.
Before Leopard, I took advantage of the last approach: If you use a utility such as SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner to maintain an up-to-date clone of your primary drive on the OptiBay drive, you've always got a bootable emergency disk that's a mirror-image copy of your main drive (at least at the time of the last clone update). This internal clone isn't an ideal backup from a data-safety standpoint--if someone steals your laptop, they get the backup, as well, so you should also keep another backup separate from your laptop. However, if you ever experience a hard-drive disaster, you can just boot from the OptiBay drive and be back up and running in a matter of minutes.
But now that Leopard is out, our tweaked MacBook Pro has become my Leopard-testing machine, and I've discovered another use for the OptiBay drive: hosting Time Machine backups. As with any internal or external hard drive, you simply assign the OptiBay drive to Time Machine, and you've now got your Time Machine backups with you, and updated, at all times; if you ever accidentally delete data, or if a file gets corrupted, you can instantly recover it.
However, there are three caveats here. The first is that, as I mentioned above when talking about an internal clone, you'll also want another backup back home just in case something ever happens to your laptop as a whole. The second relates to battery life. By default, Time Machine backs up every hour; anything that's changed gets copied to the Time Machine drive. On a laptop running off battery power, this can reduce battery life. To conserve your battery, you've got a few options. You can use Disk Utility to unmount the OptiBay drive when using the laptop off battery power, and then mount it again when using AC power. You can turn off Time Machine (in the Time Machine pane of System Preferences) when you're on the go, and then turn it back on when you want to back up. (When Time Machine is disabled, you can still manually start a backup by clicking and holding--or Control/right-clicking--on the Time Machine icon in the Dock, and then choosing Back Up Now from the resulting menu.) Finally, you can change the length of the interval at which Time Machine automatically backs up using this procedure from Mac OS X Hints; by default, Time Machine backs up every hour.
The final issue is that, unlike a SuperDuper clone, a Time Machine backup isn't bootable. If your main drive ever has a problem that requires you to restore it from your Time Machine backup, you must boot from the Leopard Install disc to do so. Not only is this slow, but in the case of an OptiBay-equipped laptop, you may find yourself out and about without an optical drive.
My solution to this dilemma was to divide the OptiBay drive into two partitions: one 10GB in size, and the other comprising the rest of the disk. I then used Disk Utility to clone my Leopard Install disc to the 10GB partition and told Time Machine to use the other partition for backups. If disaster ever strikes, I can just boot off the Install partition and, once the Installer runs, choose Restore System From Backup from the Utilities menu. (This setup has the added advantage, compared to a standard Time Machine setup, that the "Mac OS X Install" partition is much faster to boot than the actual OS X Install DVD.)
Of course, the clone approach still offers the quickest way to get back up and running after a drive failure or other catastrophe. However, this Time Machine arrangement has a few advantages of its own. For one, backups occur more frequently, by default. For another, Time Machine provides versioned backups--I can recover the version of a particular file from earlier today, two days ago, or last week. Finally, I get Time Machine's ease of setup and file recovery. I haven't decided which approach I'll stick with in the long run, but I'm enjoying having so many options.
(If you don't want to go the OptiBay route, much of the above discussion also applies to an external hard drive.)
Before Leopard, I took advantage of the last approach: If you use a utility such as SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner to maintain an up-to-date clone of your primary drive on the OptiBay drive, you've always got a bootable emergency disk that's a mirror-image copy of your main drive (at least at the time of the last clone update). This internal clone isn't an ideal backup from a data-safety standpoint--if someone steals your laptop, they get the backup, as well, so you should also keep another backup separate from your laptop. However, if you ever experience a hard-drive disaster, you can just boot from the OptiBay drive and be back up and running in a matter of minutes.
But now that Leopard is out, our tweaked MacBook Pro has become my Leopard-testing machine, and I've discovered another use for the OptiBay drive: hosting Time Machine backups. As with any internal or external hard drive, you simply assign the OptiBay drive to Time Machine, and you've now got your Time Machine backups with you, and updated, at all times; if you ever accidentally delete data, or if a file gets corrupted, you can instantly recover it.
However, there are three caveats here. The first is that, as I mentioned above when talking about an internal clone, you'll also want another backup back home just in case something ever happens to your laptop as a whole. The second relates to battery life. By default, Time Machine backs up every hour; anything that's changed gets copied to the Time Machine drive. On a laptop running off battery power, this can reduce battery life. To conserve your battery, you've got a few options. You can use Disk Utility to unmount the OptiBay drive when using the laptop off battery power, and then mount it again when using AC power. You can turn off Time Machine (in the Time Machine pane of System Preferences) when you're on the go, and then turn it back on when you want to back up. (When Time Machine is disabled, you can still manually start a backup by clicking and holding--or Control/right-clicking--on the Time Machine icon in the Dock, and then choosing Back Up Now from the resulting menu.) Finally, you can change the length of the interval at which Time Machine automatically backs up using this procedure from Mac OS X Hints; by default, Time Machine backs up every hour.
The final issue is that, unlike a SuperDuper clone, a Time Machine backup isn't bootable. If your main drive ever has a problem that requires you to restore it from your Time Machine backup, you must boot from the Leopard Install disc to do so. Not only is this slow, but in the case of an OptiBay-equipped laptop, you may find yourself out and about without an optical drive.
My solution to this dilemma was to divide the OptiBay drive into two partitions: one 10GB in size, and the other comprising the rest of the disk. I then used Disk Utility to clone my Leopard Install disc to the 10GB partition and told Time Machine to use the other partition for backups. If disaster ever strikes, I can just boot off the Install partition and, once the Installer runs, choose Restore System From Backup from the Utilities menu. (This setup has the added advantage, compared to a standard Time Machine setup, that the "Mac OS X Install" partition is much faster to boot than the actual OS X Install DVD.)
Of course, the clone approach still offers the quickest way to get back up and running after a drive failure or other catastrophe. However, this Time Machine arrangement has a few advantages of its own. For one, backups occur more frequently, by default. For another, Time Machine provides versioned backups--I can recover the version of a particular file from earlier today, two days ago, or last week. Finally, I get Time Machine's ease of setup and file recovery. I haven't decided which approach I'll stick with in the long run, but I'm enjoying having so many options.
(If you don't want to go the OptiBay route, much of the above discussion also applies to an external hard drive.)
San Francisco sprouts a "Chia" nightclub
Native ferns mark the first step toward greening the exterior walls.(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)
A San Francisco nightclub installed on Monday what it's promoting as the city's first vertical garden. Several plant-filled boxes turned on their sides and bolted outside near the entrance are the first step in the Zen Compound's plans to cover the facade of the building in greenery.
"The hope is to have a living building," said Mike Zuckerman, director of sustainability at the 40,000 square foot complex. He spotted a butterfly hovering near native licorice ferns on Tuesday.
Green rooftops are in vogue in cities around the country. Hanging, wall-mounted gardens, on the other hand, are few and far between--except, naturally, where ivies climb.
Zuckerman envisions eventually shaping plants into the form of the club logo, or sculpting Styrofoam embedded with sprouts to make the facade green all over. And spray-on seeds could cover the building with plant graffiti, making it the architectural equivalent to a Chia Pet.
The existing plants, a test run, may not be ecologically perfect. They're inside of nonrecycled plastic boxes, for instance, but those last at least five times longer than bioplastic. And they will be hooked up to plumbing from the roof to be watered, although the long-term goal is to harvest rainwater.
Don't dis the plants, a sign suggests.(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)
Zuckerman aims to turn the compound's nightclub and restaurant, which attracts 1,300 people on a decent night, into a showcase of sustainability.
Planned for next year is a dance floor coated in piezoelectric crystals that turn the pressure from dancing feet into electrical power. He already knows someone who can handle the job for only $10,000.
"We have a mystical physicist in residence here," Zuckerman said.
Eco-chic event planning is expanding as more people seek to celebrate without expanding their carbon footprint.
A club in Rotterdam has already harnessed piezoelectrics (more at Inhabitat) to power its lights and sound system. Several other nightclubs are pushing green efforts, including the Butterfly Social Club in Chicago and even some sex clubs in Tokyo.
For now, the Zen Compound serves organic spirits with corn-based cups and straws that get composted rather than trashed. Club marketing is moving away from using paper fliers, even if recycled, to online-only promotions with Flash animation.
Zuckerman is updating the lighting with efficient fluorescent and LED bulbs, which will reap a refund from Pacific Gas " >
Plans are in the works to cover the club in a living, green skin that can be seen from the freeway nearby.(Credit: Zen Compound )
Useless PA system on Southwest flights
Once, when I was waiting on a subway platform in New York, there was a fire of some sort in an adjacent tunnel. Presumably, subway officials issued directions for what those of us inside the station should do to get away from the smoke.
But neither I nor anyone around me would have benefited from those instructions because the public address system in the station was so bad that all we could hear was garbled, voice-like sounds coming from the speakers. I remember bewildered people looking at each other to see if anyone could divine what was being said.
I was reminded of that during two flights on Southwest Airlines this week when the captains (or was it the co-pilots) began speaking over the planes' PA systems. I'm sure the information wasn't crucial, because all was normal on the planes. But how would I know? Again, I couldn't hear what was being said. I'm pretty sure it was in English, though.
And I should note that, for the most part, I was able to hear just fine when the flight attendants were speaking. It was only the information from the cockpit that was unintelligible.
It's baffling to me that in this day and age, when everyone claims to be so security and safety conscious, a major airline would permit such poorly performing equipment on its planes. What if the situation were serious? How would the passengers--like those of us on that subway platform in New York--know what to do?
I generally like flying Southwest, but I also noticed, on one of the planes, that the window shades on two different windows were broken and dysfunctional. Combined, these thing do not leave me feeling enthusiastic about flying the airline in the future.
I wonder if other people have had similar experiences, particularly with malfunctioning PA systems linking people in positions of authority with the public? If so, please feel free to mention it here. Perhaps then someone in a position to fix the broken systems might feel a need to do something about it.
But neither I nor anyone around me would have benefited from those instructions because the public address system in the station was so bad that all we could hear was garbled, voice-like sounds coming from the speakers. I remember bewildered people looking at each other to see if anyone could divine what was being said.
I was reminded of that during two flights on Southwest Airlines this week when the captains (or was it the co-pilots) began speaking over the planes' PA systems. I'm sure the information wasn't crucial, because all was normal on the planes. But how would I know? Again, I couldn't hear what was being said. I'm pretty sure it was in English, though.
And I should note that, for the most part, I was able to hear just fine when the flight attendants were speaking. It was only the information from the cockpit that was unintelligible.
It's baffling to me that in this day and age, when everyone claims to be so security and safety conscious, a major airline would permit such poorly performing equipment on its planes. What if the situation were serious? How would the passengers--like those of us on that subway platform in New York--know what to do?
I generally like flying Southwest, but I also noticed, on one of the planes, that the window shades on two different windows were broken and dysfunctional. Combined, these thing do not leave me feeling enthusiastic about flying the airline in the future.
I wonder if other people have had similar experiences, particularly with malfunctioning PA systems linking people in positions of authority with the public? If so, please feel free to mention it here. Perhaps then someone in a position to fix the broken systems might feel a need to do something about it.
Sleeves in Brief: Rigid cases
This week's Mobile Mac Weblog theme is sleeves--loosely defined as a compact case designed to hold just a laptop, either for protection when carrying the laptop around by itself, or for throwing the notebook inside a larger bag or a suitcase. (Although some sleeves cheat a bit, giving you room to store a few documents, or even a few small accessories.) On Monday, I wrote about a number of soft sleeves and hard shells that we hadn't previously had a chance to cover. Today I give you the details on a few rigid cases. I'll be looking at leather cases on Friday.
RIGID CASES
Soft sleeves are great for avoiding scratches, but if you need something sturdier--to carry your MacBook Pro on its own, or if you're worried about your MacBook getting bumped or dropped while inside another bag--a sleeve that provides impact protection may be a better option. One caveat: unlike soft sleeves and hard shells, which provide some degree of protection without adding much bulk, the extra protection offered by a rigid case comes at a cost to your laptop's svelte figure.
AXIO HARDSLEEVE ($80): Axio's hardshell laptop backpacks are popular among bikers and cyclists for their excellent protection; the Hardsleeve offers similar security in a sleeve design. Available in gloss white or embossed black, the Hardsleeve features double-sided ABS plastic on the outside and EVA foam with a "soft-lycra" lining on the inside. Although not as rugged as RadTech's MacTruck--which is made entirely of aluminum alloy and weighs 5 pounds--the Hardsleeve nevertheless offers impressive protection against shocks and drops. I was able to put a 30-pound weight on the middle of the top of the case--the weakest point--without undue pressure on the screen of a MacBook Pro inside.
The foam interior of the Hardsleeve provides a 3/4-inch barrier around the edges of your laptop and a thinner cushion on the top and bottom. When inside, your MacBook or 15-inch MacBook Pro (depending on the Hardsleeve model) fits like a glove, moving only a fraction of an inch from side to side. The case's zippers generally slide easily, although I occasionally had to give them a firm tug. Axio also includes a set of adhesive, rubber feet for the bottom of the case--you can apply these feet to keep the case from sliding around on flat surfaces, or to protect those surfaces from the case itself.
The downside to the Hardsleeve's excellent protection is, as noted above, added bulk; for example, the version for the 15-inch MacBook Pro is nearly 16 inches wide, 11.5 inches deep, and 2 inches thick, and adds nearly two pounds to your load (the MacBook Pro itself is 14.1 by 9.6 by 1.0 inches). But if you need the protection, the bulk may be worth it--the Hardsleeve is the most protective sleeve-style case I've seen.
RIGID CASES
Soft sleeves are great for avoiding scratches, but if you need something sturdier--to carry your MacBook Pro on its own, or if you're worried about your MacBook getting bumped or dropped while inside another bag--a sleeve that provides impact protection may be a better option. One caveat: unlike soft sleeves and hard shells, which provide some degree of protection without adding much bulk, the extra protection offered by a rigid case comes at a cost to your laptop's svelte figure.
 |
AXIO HARDSLEEVE ($80): Axio's hardshell laptop backpacks are popular among bikers and cyclists for their excellent protection; the Hardsleeve offers similar security in a sleeve design. Available in gloss white or embossed black, the Hardsleeve features double-sided ABS plastic on the outside and EVA foam with a "soft-lycra" lining on the inside. Although not as rugged as RadTech's MacTruck--which is made entirely of aluminum alloy and weighs 5 pounds--the Hardsleeve nevertheless offers impressive protection against shocks and drops. I was able to put a 30-pound weight on the middle of the top of the case--the weakest point--without undue pressure on the screen of a MacBook Pro inside.
The foam interior of the Hardsleeve provides a 3/4-inch barrier around the edges of your laptop and a thinner cushion on the top and bottom. When inside, your MacBook or 15-inch MacBook Pro (depending on the Hardsleeve model) fits like a glove, moving only a fraction of an inch from side to side. The case's zippers generally slide easily, although I occasionally had to give them a firm tug. Axio also includes a set of adhesive, rubber feet for the bottom of the case--you can apply these feet to keep the case from sliding around on flat surfaces, or to protect those surfaces from the case itself.
The downside to the Hardsleeve's excellent protection is, as noted above, added bulk; for example, the version for the 15-inch MacBook Pro is nearly 16 inches wide, 11.5 inches deep, and 2 inches thick, and adds nearly two pounds to your load (the MacBook Pro itself is 14.1 by 9.6 by 1.0 inches). But if you need the protection, the bulk may be worth it--the Hardsleeve is the most protective sleeve-style case I've seen.
 |
In recent days, a website known as Ourvoyeur.net has reportedly been hijacked and used to infect systems with malware that opens a back door for hackers. That exploit targets Windows users but could theoretically apply to Mac OS X as well given the existence of the flaw in Apple's own operating system, according to one report.
The QuickTime patch is available both for the critically affected Windows systems in a 20MB download but is also offered as a roughly 50MB fix for Mac OS X Panther, Tiger, and Leopard.
Creating some confusion, iSuppli noted, are media reports that have suggested that the Zune is outselling Apple iPods on Amazon.com, but the reality of the situation is those reports are referring to a sales spike for the older, deeply discounted Zune 30 model.
"The question is whether the 80GB Zune shortage is the result of high demand, short supply or some combination of both,� said senior consumer electronics analyst Chris Crotty.
Crotty added that, "Given the widespread criticism of the first Zune model, it is likely Microsoft erred on the side of caution when placing initial orders for the new Zunes, which include the Hard-Disk-Drive (HDD) based 80GB Zune as well as the flash-memory-based 4GB and 8GB Zune."
iSuppli in its report went on to suggest that Microsoft is moving tentatively in the portable media player (PMP) market because the company is treading some unfamiliar territory with the Zune.
"The first unfamiliar aspect for Microsoft is that the Zune uses a proprietary, closed operating system that differs from the open approach of the company�s flagship Windows software," the firm said. "Second, Microsoft is not the market leader in PMPs, an unusual situation for a company accustomed to dominating the areas in which it competes."
Still, Microsoft may feel a lot of self-imposed and media pressure to position the Zune as an �iPod killer.� To that point, iSuppli noted, the new 80GB Zune competes directly with the new iPod Classic and the new iPod touch.
And while the firm's channel checks indicate strong demand for the iPod touch, it calls the model "somewhat of a contradiction" because Apple added a video-centric display to the device even though it only has limited storage capacity for video content.
"That disconnect raises the question of why Apple did not launch an HDD-based iPod touch. Apple may have expected flash memory prices to drop more quickly. When that did not happen, Apple may not have had time to develop an HDD-based iPod touch," iSuppli said. "The question now is whether Apple will continue to wait for flash prices to fall, or if the company will add a HDD-equipped iPod touch during the coming months."
At the same time, the firm suggests that the current Zune shortage is unlikely an indicator of things to come, as Apple still maintains its long-term competitive advantages of ever-increasing cost for switching among its customer base. That is, the longer a consumer owns an iPod, the more content that consumer purchases from the iTunes site.
"To move to a non-iPod player, the customer would need to repurchase the content or reformat through a cumbersome process that degrades quality -- and breaks the law," iSuppli said. "With its closed Zune system, Microsoft is trying to replicate these switching costs within its customer base, but the company may be starting too late."
As of press time, Apple's iPods dominated the first 9 slots on Amazon's best seller list, with Microsoft's black 80GB Zune snagging the 10th spot.
 |
Before you install the drive, you'll need to copy the data from your original hard drive to the new one using the included USB drive enclosure. Putting the new drive in the enclosure--it doesn't come pre-installed--is a simple process involving five Phillips screws, four to mount the drive in the enclosure and one to secure the case. The drive connects to your laptop using two USB cables, one for data and one for additional power. I'm a big fan of hard-drive kits that include such an enclosure, as it makes the process of copying your data before the swap much simpler (and faster)--otherwise, you'd need to use another Mac or a separate hard drive to temporarily host your data. And the enclosure lets you use your old hard drive for backups or other data storage afterwards.
The Travelstar drive is initially formatted for Windows computers, so you need to use Disk Utility to format it as a "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" volume. That task out of the way, you'll want to make the new drive a clone--a bootable, mirror-image copy--of the old one. Although you can use Disk Utility's Restore screen to do this, I personally used SuperDuper, my favorite cloning utility. (The 5K160 Upgrade Kit includes backup software for this purpose, but the software is Windows-only.) In my case, cloning my MacBook Pro's built-in 100GB drive took roughly an hour and a half.
PERFORMING THE SURGERY
The actual process of installing the new drive is the most difficult part of the upgrade. The MacBook Pro's hard drive is not a user-installable part, so you won't find instructions on Apple's support site. And Hitachi doesn't include computer-specific installation instructions. So I turned to iFixIt; specifically, the company's printable guide to upgrading the hard drive on a Core Duo MacBook Pro.
 |
iFixIt's guides are generally very good, explaining--and illustrating with color photos--every step down to the smallest screw. Well, almost: missing from this particular guide is any mention of two metal guides holding the MacBook Pro's hard drive in place, along with four rubber-covered bolts on the drive (pictured at right) that hold the drive in those guides. But it was easy enough to figure out how to switch those bolts over to the new drive and fit the drive in the guides. In fact, thanks to the iFixIt guide, the entire process was fairly simple; if you're comfortable with a screwdriver, you should be just fine. The scariest task--which occurs after removing most of the screws--is lifting off the upper case (the piece containing the keyboard); it feels like it might snap off in front, but some patient jiggling eventually convinces it to detach.
A couple tips before you start: First, iFixIt's guides tell you, right up front, what you'll need (in this case, two screwdrivers--a very small Phillips and a Torx 6); make sure you have those tools or else you'll find yourself running to the store mid-disassembly. Second, perhaps the most challenging part of the process is simply keeping track of all the screws; swapping the drive on the MacBook Pro involves nearly 30 of them. I recommend keeping a roll of office tape handy and using it to tape each screw to the particular photo illustrating when to remove it; when putting your MacBook Pro back together--you just follow the instructions in reverse--this will make it much easier to figure out which screw goes where.
The insides of a MacBook Pro.
When you're finished, your MacBook Pro should boot up as if nothing has changed--except for the fact that its hard drive has quite a bit more virtual breathing room. For example, here's the Finder's information for the Travelstar drive, which shows that 160GB equates to just under 149GB of usable space:
(Note that if you've got a MacBook, the process of swapping your hard drive is considerably easier.)
PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY LIFE
Although I didn't put the new drive through a comprehensive set of benchmarks, I did run some tests to get a rough idea of how it compared to my MacBook Pro's original drive (a 100GB, 5400rpm Toshiba model installed when I purchased the laptop directly from Apple in April 2006). Before running any tests on the original drive, I backed it up, reformatted it, and restored it; this was to ensure that the drive would be just as un-fragmented as the new drive. Each test was performed on both the original drive before replacement and the new drive after replacement.
To get a basic idea of each drive's performance, I started with a folder containing 545 small image files, approximately 100MB in total size. Using the Finder, I duplicated that folder, created a .zip archive containing both the original and the copy (1090 files in all), and then un-archived the resulting archive. I timed this process three times and then averaged the times.
To get an idea of how the new drive affected my MacBook Pro's battery life, I created a Unix shell script that duplicates a large file (745MB, in this case), deletes the duplicate, and then repeats the process; the script basically reads from and writes to the disk continually until the battery dies. I performed this test while booted up normally; however, in order to ensure that neither test would be affected by screen brightness or wireless activity, I set Energy Saver to never sleep and never dim the screen, and I disabled AirPort and Bluetooth.
RELATIVE DRIVE PERFORMANCE
| 1:06 | 2 hours, 8 minutes |
| 0:54 | 2 hours, 25 minutes |
Finder test times in minutes:seconds, rounded to the nearest second. Battery test times rounded to the nearest minute.
The new drive was noticeably faster, yet used less power than the factory-installed 100GB model, which was itself supposed to be a bit faster than the stock 80GB drive included with most Core Duo MacBook Pros. The new Hitachi drive was also a bit quieter during use than the original drive.
Finally, I also measured the MacBook Pro's temperatures, using the excellent
OS X Leopard Release Information
This morning Apple confirmed the rumored October 26th shipping date for OS X Leopard (version 10.5). In the press release (Apple to Ship OS X Leopard on October 26th) Jobs mocked Microsoft's Vista pricing noting "everyone get the 'Ultimate' versionfor just $129."
FULL PRICING INFORMATION:
* Mac OS X Leopard Single Seat License: $129
* Mac OS X Leopard 5 Seat Family Pack: $199
* Mac OS Up-to-date Program (For Mac's purchased on or after October 1st): $9.99 (Shipping and Handling only)
What's new in this release? Learn more about Leopard's 300+ new features on the Apple's OS X Leopard page.
FULL PRICING INFORMATION:
* Mac OS X Leopard Single Seat License: $129
* Mac OS X Leopard 5 Seat Family Pack: $199
* Mac OS Up-to-date Program (For Mac's purchased on or after October 1st): $9.99 (Shipping and Handling only)
What's new in this release? Learn more about Leopard's 300+ new features on the Apple's OS X Leopard page.
MacBook Pro hard drive upgrade tips
After upgrading my Mac Book Pro hard drive last week, I've got a few tips if you're heading down that road yourself.
The job: Upgrading my internal 80 GB hard drive to a 120 GB or larger drive.
What I ended up selecting for the replacement drive was a Hitachi Travelstar (5K160) 160GB Mobile Hard Drive
. I chose this as my upgrade drive for a few reasons:
* I knew that specific drive would work well as I learned about it in a Mac World hard drive upgrade article.
* The drive has received very good or excellent reviews as a MacBook Pro upgrade drive. It gets good marks for how quiet it is (my unit is no louder than the one it replaced), it is a bit faster than the stock 80 GB unit, and battery life doesn't suffer, but improves.
* The price of the drive is hard to beat.
Here's my notes and recommendations, I hope they help you make a quick, painless upgrade to your MacBook Pro:
LEVERAGE THESE TWO GUIDES AS A STARTING POINT FOR YOUR HARD DRIVE UPGRADE:
* Mac World: Upgrading the MacBook Pro's hard drive
* iFixit: Fixit Guide (select your MacBook model, then download and print the guide)
SHOPPING LIST
* Hitachi Travelstar 160GB Mobile Hard Drive - OEM
* #0 Phillips Screwdriver, Torx T6 (Many kits do not have the #0 OR the T6--Radio Shack sells an excellent kit with both included)
ADDITIONS/MODIFICATIONS TO THE MAC WORLD AND IFIXIT GUIDE:
* If you are going to use Boot Camp (ever), read my last post about how to erase (format) the hard drive to ensure it is Boot Camp ready.
* When you disassemble your MacBook Pro, use some duct or masking tape to ensure you don't lose screws. It may sound silly, but when that first screw goes tic-tac-tic across your tile floor and you waste 20 minutes trying to find it you'll thank me. Actualy printing out the iFixit Guide and taping the screws to it isn't a bad way to go.
* After removing the hard drive from the Mac chassis, you also need to remove four additional screws which have rubber 'washers' and transfer them over to your replacement drive. Removing the screws from my factory drive was easy. When you place them onto your new drive just be sure not to over-tighten them. I'm not sure exactly what those 'washers' are called. Take a look at the photos below to see exactly what I'm referring too.
* For backing up my drive, I used Carbon Copy Cloner (Mac World's article suggests Super Duper) and had no problems whatsoever. Carbon Copy Cloner is a well thought out donation-ware (uncrippled shareware) title.
THE "DO NOT COVER" HOLE ON THE HITACHI TRAVELSTAR
After seating the new drive in the chassis, I started putting the cabling back in place and ran into a problem. The Travelstar 160 GB had a clear message on it to not cover a hole on its housing. That hole is a "breather hole" and meant to be left open. After trying several different ways, I could not find a way to re-route Apple's cabling. There are two DIY solutions. One, cover the hole. I covered mine and I've been watching the drive temperature and it has been fine. The second, with some thin foam or plastic build a riser so the drive can breathe.
I hope your upgrade is quick and easy!
The job: Upgrading my internal 80 GB hard drive to a 120 GB or larger drive.
What I ended up selecting for the replacement drive was a Hitachi Travelstar (5K160) 160GB Mobile Hard Drive
* I knew that specific drive would work well as I learned about it in a Mac World hard drive upgrade article.
* The drive has received very good or excellent reviews as a MacBook Pro upgrade drive. It gets good marks for how quiet it is (my unit is no louder than the one it replaced), it is a bit faster than the stock 80 GB unit, and battery life doesn't suffer, but improves.
* The price
Here's my notes and recommendations, I hope they help you make a quick, painless upgrade to your MacBook Pro:
LEVERAGE THESE TWO GUIDES AS A STARTING POINT FOR YOUR HARD DRIVE UPGRADE:
* Mac World: Upgrading the MacBook Pro's hard drive
* iFixit: Fixit Guide (select your MacBook model, then download and print the guide)
SHOPPING LIST
* Hitachi Travelstar 160GB Mobile Hard Drive - OEM
* #0 Phillips Screwdriver, Torx T6 (Many kits do not have the #0 OR the T6--Radio Shack sells an excellent kit with both included)
ADDITIONS/MODIFICATIONS TO THE MAC WORLD AND IFIXIT GUIDE:
* If you are going to use Boot Camp (ever), read my last post about how to erase (format) the hard drive to ensure it is Boot Camp ready.
* When you disassemble your MacBook Pro, use some duct or masking tape to ensure you don't lose screws. It may sound silly, but when that first screw goes tic-tac-tic across your tile floor and you waste 20 minutes trying to find it you'll thank me. Actualy printing out the iFixit Guide and taping the screws to it isn't a bad way to go.
* After removing the hard drive from the Mac chassis, you also need to remove four additional screws which have rubber 'washers' and transfer them over to your replacement drive. Removing the screws from my factory drive was easy. When you place them onto your new drive just be sure not to over-tighten them. I'm not sure exactly what those 'washers' are called. Take a look at the photos below to see exactly what I'm referring too.
* For backing up my drive, I used Carbon Copy Cloner (Mac World's article suggests Super Duper) and had no problems whatsoever. Carbon Copy Cloner is a well thought out donation-ware (uncrippled shareware) title.THE "DO NOT COVER" HOLE ON THE HITACHI TRAVELSTAR
After seating the new drive in the chassis, I started putting the cabling back in place and ran into a problem. The Travelstar 160 GB had a clear message on it to not cover a hole on its housing. That hole is a "breather hole" and meant to be left open. After trying several different ways, I could not find a way to re-route Apple's cabling. There are two DIY solutions. One, cover the hole. I covered mine and I've been watching the drive temperature and it has been fine. The second, with some thin foam or plastic build a riser so the drive can breathe.
I hope your upgrade is quick and easy!
"As [average selling prices] of media-enabled smart phones fall, the mobile category will begin to impact the standalone media player market," the analysts say.
However, the iPhone also follows all the right trends, the researchers note. The emphasis on a natural touch interface for the cellphone -- rather than the artificial buttons and wheels of the iPod -- is expected to spur sales as the technology improves, and may already be doing this today through the iPod touch, which costs significantly less than the iPhone.
"The difference... between the iPod classic (with a traditional iPod interface) and the iPod touch (with touch-based operation) is a meaningful one," Piper Jaffray notes.
The shifts to sharper video-friendly displays, as well as smaller NAND flash storage in place of hard disks, are also considered important steps that will drive the market once storage is capacious enough to hold more video.
It may be the video itself which proves the real barrier. Apple has a "strong foothold" in video, but the loss of NBC emphasizes just how splintered the market may be, according to the report. Without a clear advantage in content, neither iTunes nor most other providers offering video downloads can expect to take a clear lead in the space no matter how clear the hardware's advantage may be.
Even so, Piper Jaffray maintains a positive outlook on Apple as the Cupertino, California-based company has short-term momentum with a range of new iPods and Macs. Long-term iPhone momentum could also prove decisive in 2009, when Apple is expected to reach the important $300 price point for the handset and the effect of sharing revenue with AT&T is seen at its peak.
"We believe Apple is firing on all cylinders heading into 2008," Piper Jaffray's overview explains.
�We�re thrilled to bring television programming to the iTunes Store in Canada in time for the holiday season,� said Eddy Cue, Apple�s vice president of iTunes. �We�re off to a great start with hit shows from CBC, CTV, Comedy Central and MTV Networks, along with the best of classic and current NHL action.�
Television shows purchased and downloaded from the iTunes Store Canada can be viewed on a PC or Mac, iPod nano with video, fifth generation iPod, iPod classic or on a widescreen TV with Apple TV. Television programming on the iTunes Store in Canada includes:
* CBC�s comedy programs �Little Mosque on the Prairie� and �The Rick Mercer Report,� reality programming �No Opportunity Wasted� and �Dragon�s Den;�
* CTV�s smash hit comedy �Corner Gas,� dramas �Instant Star,� �Degrassi: The Next Generation� and �Robson Arms;�
* Comedy Central�s �Drawn Together,� �The Sarah Silverman Program� and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning �South Park;�
* MTV Networks programs �Avatar: The Last Airbender� and �The Hills;� and
* NHL Games of the Year, including top NHL games in their entirety for the 2007-2008 season, as well as Stanley Cup Classics, a five-game bundle of great Stanley Cup Final games.
Reports that Apple was ready to launch TV programming on the iTunes Store Canada were first reported late Monday by ArsTechnica.
(Credit: Kodak) 
