News, Reviews and more from Australia's Macintosh Authority
News, Reviews and more from Australia's Macintosh Authority
The Mac, as you and I know, is one of best computers you can buy out of the box. It's a cinch to unpack, set up and get going. It's also comes with a terrific set of software, applications like iMovie, iPhoto and iDVD that mean you really don't need to buy anything else to put on your Mac. But if you want to explore all the different video content out on the web you'll need a few free applications that will open up your Mac to a whole new world of video.
Danny Gorog | Apr 29, 2008
In this week's bumper edition of the Australian Macworld Weekend Edition Podcast, Keith White interviews Adam Engst — of TidBits and Take Control e-books fame — about how he got his start in computing and when he became a Mac devotee. In amongst the discussion Engst makes an interesting observation: that despite being a Mac community "A-lister" he's never had an actual discussion with Steve Jobs and, most interestingly, that if he did get the chance he doesn't know what he would ask.
Matthew JC. Powell | Apr 27, 2008
How would you feel if your Internet connection suddenly disappeared? Would you panic? Would business (and therefore cashflow) grind to a halt? Would your family look like a clutch of lost souls? What can you do? What backup plan should you have? Indeed, should you have more than one plan, just in case? Well, thankfully, there are several options available for you to get your internet fix when the main line is cut off.
Anthony Caruana | Apr 26, 2008
Psystar, a small company in Florida that hasn't yet opened its offices, made ripples around the tech world last week by saying it would offer a Mac clone somewhat cheaper than what Apple charges for comparable hardware. In spite of reports that the company kept changing its physical address, and in spite of several site outages, and in spite of the company being dumped by its credit card provider, the orders apparently kept flowing in. The price difference is obviously a factor in this demand for a Mac clone, but surely not enough to offset the unease of dealing with a company with that kind of record. Obviously Psystar is offering something people want — a lot.
Matthew JC. Powell | Apr 23, 2008
Travelling overseas is full of excitement but there are few stressful moments as well. There are the flights, accomodation, tours, insurance and transfers to sort out. Fortunately, a good travel agent will get you over those hurdles. However, the same can't be said for access to e-mail, internet banking and other web services. There are so many things to sort out. Can I access WiFi? Will my mobile phone work? Recently, an Australian Macworld reader asked me some of those questions and here's the story.
Anthony Caruana | Apr 21, 2008
Australia's largest state is the home to two extremely active and vibrant Macintosh User Groups — WAMUG and GMUG. The Western Australian Macintosh User Group is based in the world's "most remote capital city" of Perth and was founded back at the very dawn of the "Age of Macintosh" aka 1984. The Geraldton Macintosh User Group is located about four and half hours drive north of Perth and whilst it is a comparatively small User Group it welcomes members from all over the globe.
Nicholas Pyers | Apr 21, 2008
Apple computers have for decades now been considered popular with the creative and artistic among us, and by some to be even identified with or emblematic of creativity. Artists all over the computer-buying world have pledged allegiance to Apple, whether they admit it or not, partly because the brand is, rightly or wrongly, often seen as synonymous with, at the very least, a certain flair or style. Accolades for the design of such Apple successes as the iMac and the iPod have cemented and developed this notion in the minds of many. Yet there's probably nothing specifically arty about Apple machines, no more surely than for any other computer. Yet it is true that recent decades have seen more artistic and creative activity facilitated by the world of information technology. Kids who might have once studied to become cartoonists or signwriters are now computer-aided designers of various stripes — whether working in an advertising studio or publishing company, they use their love of colours and eye for trends to produce beauty both for its own sake and for commercial purposes.
Fleur Doidge | Apr 17, 2008
Flash is possibly the most used, and then again the most misused function on a digital camera. How many times have you seen TV broadcasts at night from a huge sports arena and, just as the player/athlete does his or her magic trick, all the cameras in the audience section fire up and betray their presence with their telltale flash? It’s as sure as the sun rises you can guarantee those poor snappy souls will get nix, nowt, da nada in the way of a useful picture. Most likely, they will get a black, underexposed frame, if anything at all.
Barrie Smith | Apr 15, 2008
Back in the in 1980s one of the most popular illnesses doing the hypochondria wards was RSI or repetitive strain injury. Everyone who used a keyboard suddenly seemed to be a victim of this previously unheard-of affliction. Those who played a lot of tennis knew about it, but the rest of us didn’t have much idea and most of us thought those who complained of it were probably prone to a bit of whinging and most likely also members of the regular sick-day club. Most of us probably regard people who regularly say “oooh, my back hurts” as having a minor irritation they simply must share. The first time you do something that makes your back hurt you change your point of view. When your correspondent was stricken with RSI back in the mid-eighties, I was instantly reminded of the rapid way your opinion can be changed by a dose of reality. OK, so I was working as a software developer and churning out many lines of code for a big project so what had gone wrong?
Ian Yates | Apr 14, 2008
Way back in January we decided to do something a little bit rash: give away a MacBook Air to any AMW reader who could demonstrate their ability to review it. Little did we know then that the competition would end up being massively popular, and turn into one of the hardest (and at the same time most enjoyable) competitions to judge in the history of the magazine. Almost every day for the past two months I've read through new entries in the competition, and almost every day I've been struck by the creativity and skill of AMW's readers.
Matthew JC. Powell | Apr 11, 2008
What does the contents of your Dock say about you? Perhaps it's just a collection of the tools you use a lot. Or maybe you don't bother. A friend of mine still has the dock as it came with her Mac. She opens everything else from the Applications folder. Old habits die hard.
Just like the emergence of Playlistism - where you are judged as a person by the contents of your iPod playlist - could we have Dockism? In the interests of research, I have decided to share the contents of my Dock with you dear readers for you to judge my Macworth or otherwise. Perhaps what I haven't Docked is as revealing as the colorful strip of icons that stretches almost the width of my 24-inch iMac. Maybe the way I have them organised says something . . .
What does the contents of your Dock say about you? Perhaps it's just a collection of the tools you use a lot. Or maybe you don't bother. A friend of mine still has the dock as it came with her Mac. She opens everything else from the Applications folder. Old habits die hard. Just like the emergence of Playlistism — where you are judged as a person by the contents of your iPod playlist — could we have Dockism? In the interests of research, I have decided to share the contents of my Dock with you dear readers for you to judge my Macworth or otherwise. Perhaps what I haven't Docked is as revealing as the colorful strip of icons that stretches almost the width of my 24-inch iMac. Maybe the way I have them organised says something . . .
Keith White | Apr 10, 2008
Myvu has announced that its Crystal video goggles now work with the iPhone. The Crystal glasses require a new cable which costs $US24.95.
