News, Reviews and more from Australia's Macintosh Authority
News, Reviews and more from Australia's Macintosh Authority
This week, Macworld Expo opens in San Francisco. And, as everyone likely knows, it’s a particularly significant episode of Expo because Apple will not be counted among the participants. You know what this means: No Apple announcements or booth, no Steve-led keynote, fewer vendors, and little front-page coverage.
Christopher Breen | Feb 9, 2010
iLounge, the Web site devoted to the iPod and iPhone, has taken its show on the road—specifically the iLounge Pavilion at the International Consumer Electronics Show. Hosting more than 100 vendors, stretching three aisles, and spanning the breadth of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s North Hall, the iLounge Pavilion is where I spent the bulk of Thursday. The Pavilion, in addition to being a good place to find iPhone, iPod, and some Mac products gathered in a single area, was enlightening in that it underscored the make-up of today’s iPhone and iPod market.
Christopher Breen | Jan 10, 2010
As a fan of subscription music services such as Rhapsody and Napster, my interest was heartily piqued when the rumours of Lala’s acquisition were confirmed by Apple. But not for the same reasons that others seem to be heated up about the deal.
Christopher Breen | Dec 8, 2009
Last August I wrote about the changing landscape of free lyrics. As detailed in that story, LyricWiki offered an API that allowed applications (including iPhone apps) to access and download ad-free lyrics, free of charge. However, major music publishers demanded that programatic access (read: API) to LyricWiki be shut off, and it was. According to the Ecommerce Journal, this demand was followed by a lawsuit initiated by three members of the National Music Publishers Association—Peermusic, Warner/Chappell, and BugMusic filed suit against LiveUniverse and Motive Force, the entity behind LyricWiki.
Christopher Breen | Nov 11, 2009
Apple has confirmed what’s been rumoured for weeks—a September 9th music event. Anyone who follows Apple and its musical ventures understands that September marks not only the beginning of autumn and the start of school, but the month when Apple releases new iPods in anticipation of the holiday season.
Christopher Breen | Sep 1, 2009
For nearly as long as the iPod’s existed, I’ve written about where that device may one day take us—with the ultimate destination being All Music, All the Time, Everywhere. In short, the world’s accumulated musical musings pluckable from the Ether. We’re a step closer now that Apple has approved the Spotify app for the iPhone and iPod touch.
Christopher Breen | Aug 31, 2009
Something interesting happened to albums in the mid-60s. (No, not double-album covers and their utilitarian design.) With artists such as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and Leonard Cohen singing about something other than teen angst, words began to matter. So much so that record labels started including printed lyrics with LPs. That trend continued with cassettes and CDs where the packaging of each often included elaborate fold-out booklets to accommodate the artist’s words.
Christopher Breen | Aug 21, 2009
With GarageBand, Apple has done a lot for musicians seeking an affordable and easy-to-use package. Using the music creation software from the iLife suite, you can record demos, play one of many included software instruments with a MIDI or USB controller, lay down a loop-based groove to inspire a new song, and thrash away on a guitar routed through the program’s simulated amps and pedalboard effects.
Christopher Breen | Jul 24, 2009
There’s been a great amount of both hoop as well as la in the last couple of weeks in regard to the iPhone 3G S and the iPhone 3.0 software. Yet very little of the noise generated by either focuses on the iPhone’s iPod capabilities. Not that Apple hasn't made improvements. Fact is, a couple of them could save your life.
Christopher Breen | Jun 17, 2009
While those in the halls of Moscone West (and the rest of us virtually looking on via live updates posted from within Moscone) cheered Apple’s many announcements Monday, a small segment of the population undoubtedly reacted not with joy but rather foreboding. For, behind the Wows, Awesomes, and Gimmies could be heard the faint sound of someone’s lunch being eaten.
Christopher Breen | Jun 10, 2009
Blame it on the rain, the resulting muck and mire, or the redwood curtain that separates Cupertino from Redmond, but it appears that news travels very slowly between Apple and Microsoft. How else can you explain this statement from Chris Stephenson—general manager of global marketing for Microsoft Zune regarding the just-announced Zune HD (as quoted by CNET’s Ina Fried)?
Christopher Breen | May 29, 2009
Throughout the week I’ve documented my experience turning Apple’s $1049 Mac mini into a complete media server—from upgrading the hardware, to setting up Front Row, to configuring the Mac to access local, networked, and Internet media; to controlling the works from a prone position. It’s now time to turn to The Big Picture. Is it worth the trouble? How family-friendly is the setup? And how does it compare to Apple’s media-centric option, the Apple TV?
Christopher Breen | Apr 27, 2009
App Store developers will now be able to reach customers in 13 new countries, according to an announcement on the iPhone Developer Program news page.
