News, Reviews and more from Australia's Macintosh Authority
News, Reviews and more from Australia's Macintosh Authority
Less than one week ago, 25 years ago, the world changed as the Macintosh arrived. Macworld and, of course, this very blog would not exist had that event not preceded them (so don't get any ideas, time travelers). Naturally, there was tons and tons of (sometimes sceptical) media attention at the time.
Cyrus Farivar | Jan 29, 2009
I use GarageBand quite a bit, and like most people, I’m drawn to its ease of use. However, until now GarageBand’s guitar rigs were nothing to write home about.
Jim Dalrymple | Jan 29, 2009
As you've no doubt heard, Apple has won a patent for its coveted multitouch technology on the iPhone and is also in the process of trademarking the term "Multi-Touch." (You can see some of the patent paperwork below). This has prompted many tech pundits to consider the implications of such a patent for touch products in general. Will Apple litigate every new touch product that comes along and stifle innovation?
Ian Paul | Jan 29, 2009
Last week Apple quietly began selling a refreshed version of its entry-level MacBook with improved graphics. We’re still working on getting a version of this updated MacBook into Macworld Lab for testing and review. But based on the revised specs of the laptop, this model appears to be a solid value for both gamers and Mac users on a budget.
Peter Cohen | Jan 27, 2009
News about new legal action usually evokes one of two responses: “it’s about time!” or “what the…?” Yet while new actions against Microsoft for anti-competitive behaviour usually get the former response, I admit to some of the latter after reading that the European Union has resumed antitrust investigations against Microsoft because, from what I can tell, Microsoft is still bundling Internet Explorer with Windows.
David Braue | Jan 23, 2009
Remember the adage, “Don’t trust anyone over 30”? Putting aside the fact that you’re likely well past that age if you recognise the line, if you live by it, you may view 32-year-old Apple with a gimlet eye. But the Macintosh itself—which will hit the 25-year mark tomorrow—is still something we can trust.
Dan Turner | Jan 23, 2009
If you’re a professional scuba diver, there’s probably one aspect of your career that you really dislike: the interminable decompression stops. For those who don’t know, professional divers tend to dive much deeper, and for much longer, than do recreational divers such as myself. As a result, they build up lots of inert gases in their bloodstream, and these gases need to be purged before surfacing so as to avoid decompression sickness. For example, the US Navy’s dive tables show that a diver spending 60 minutes at a depth of 40m must make four decompression stops totaling nearly 90 minutes before surfacing!
Rob Griffiths | Jan 23, 2009
Editor's Note: Apple has made a go of this Mac business for 25 years, but who's to say that the company doesn't need some helpful advice on how to keep the platform thriving for the next quarter-century? Just in case they're hurting for ideas at One Infinite Loop, we asked Andy Ihnatko for a to-do list of things Apple needs to tackle.
Andy Ihnatko | Jan 23, 2009
In the days since Steve Jobs announced that he was taking a leave of absence from Apple, I’ve been inundated with questions from users, friends, colleagues, and members of the mainstream media. The most popular conception of Apple—one that, let’s be honest, Apple has nurtured to a certain degree—is that it’s the Steve Jobs Show. Popularly, he’s the man who invents the products, designs them, plans their marketing campaigns, the works.
Jason Snell | Jan 22, 2009
I can see my neighbourhood from space. It’s a bit tricky to spot, and you have to know precisely where to look, but it’s there near the far right-hand side of an extraordinary digital photograph of Southern California snapped in October by a NASA astronaut with a handheld digital camera from the International Space Station.
Ben Boychuk | Jan 21, 2009
What is it about Steve Jobs that makes otherwise sensible journalists completely lose their marbles? This week’s coverage of Steve Jobs’ health woes has hit some surprising new lows in journalistic IQ.
Dan Miller | Jan 20, 2009
As a consumer of audio and video in many forms—CDs, DVDs, and online purchases—I find it interesting to watch as the various media businesses adjust to life in a digital world. On the music side of the world, it seems that (slowly but surely) they’re starting to “get it.” Consumers don’t like to be hassled by digital rights management (DRM), they want to pay a fair price, and they want to use their music on devices they own without worrying about format, rights, or permissions issues.
Rob Griffiths | Jan 20, 2009
This morning Apple released a new version of its iPhone SDK for developers. iPhone SDK beta 2 includes Interface Builder, a component of Apple’s development tools that lets developers create the interface for their applications. That seems to be the only major change in the latest build, according to the SDK’s read me, which continues to list some known issues. Apple says “this second beta is known to be incompatible with installation folders other than the default /Developer.” Given the importance of UI on the Mac, Interface Builder is a pretty critical tool in the development process, and some developers had chosen to hold off on their efforts until the SDK was revised. Apple unveiled the iPhone SDK at a special event earlier this month, allowing developers to begin building applications for the iPhone and iPod touch. Several high-profile companies have already jumped onboard, demoing their applications at the event. Highlighting the demos was AOL with a native AIM client; other applications from Electronic Arts, Salesforce.com, and Apple were also shown.
