Apple ID - now you can change it !
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Apple have updated the My Info part of their website. For a long time now, I have wanted to change my Apple ID, as it contained a very old email address. Although you could change your email address for contact purposes, you couldn't change your Apple ID. Well now you can, thank you Apple !
MyTVPal offers Mac TV Streaming
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
If you have ever fancied streaming TV on your Mac to another Mac or PC, or perhaps even over the internet to a hotel room, then it could be on the way. Gizmodo report on the myTVPal... "Matrixstream 1080p IPTV streaming has made it to the next level, now calling itself MyTVPal and offering a beta version of its software video player for free download."This is well worth a read, so check out the full article here.
Apple ready Keyboard with iPod Dock
Sources over at ThinkSecret have reported that "Apple may be preparing to release a new USB keyboard with a built-in iPod dock, sources report."
We certainly hope this will come to fruition, as not only would it look the part, but we would also regain a USB port. Come on Apple, you know we want it.
Read the full article here.
UK Get Apple Friday Sale
Following the Apple Store US 'Black Friday' sale last week, here in the UK we are being treated to a one day sale event too. The Apple Store states "Come back to the Apple Store on Friday, December 1st for a special one-day only shopping event where you will find dozens of great gift ideas." Let us hope there is some bargains to be had... support us by clicking the link and be sure to check the Apple Store UK site on Friday.
3 New Get A Mac Ads from Apple
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Apple have today made available three new 'Get A Mac' adverts. They continue the Mac & PC theme with 'Sales Pitch' and 'Meant for Work', both very funny. Their 'Gift Exchange' advert, they also gets into the Christmas spirit. All three are available to view in Quicktime format here.
Quark Xpress Windows & Mac in One Box
Friday, November 24, 2006
Quark Inc. have announced the introduction of platform-independent licenses and packaging for QuarkXPress 7. This change is a result of the company’s on-going commitment to improve licensing policies and procedures for customers and channel partners. “In an effort to provide our customers with the most efficient and effective way to use QuarkXPress at home and at work, we are providing platform-independent licensing,” said Jürgen Kurz, Quark senior vice president of desktop products. “Creative minds should be free to design and innovate on any platform, and Quark is continuing to provide that freedom with our creative tools.”
Quark has listened to customer needs by introducing the platform-independent licensing. Now, individual QuarkXPress users can double-activate one license on different platforms at no additional cost; customers can use the same QuarkXPress 7 license on Windows or Mac OS — or both. In addition, because of another recent change regarding Quark licenses, previous versions of QuarkXPress can run under the same license when users are upgrading to QuarkXPress 7.
To learn more about QuarkXPress 7 and how to purchase or upgrade, click here.
A fully functional 30-day evaluation version of QuarkXPress 7, including the new Universal release for Intel based Macs, is available for download here.
Apple MacBook Pro Core2Duo Full Review
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
My recently completed full review of the Apple MacBook Pro Core2Duo has been published over at MacNN. This was a very important review for me, because on a personal note, I have had my fair share of problems with the first batch of MacBook Pros, so I was eager to see if Apple had put right some of the early problems.Excerpt from the review, courtesy of MacNN... "There are some distinct differences in the upgraded MacBook Pro. The built in iSight camera is the same, but the indicator LED has changed. There is no longer a pinhole in the bezel surrounding the LCD screen. The LED lights up behind the bezel, which is very finely machined with tiny wholes that make this part of the bezel thinner. When the LED is off, it blends into the finish of the rest of the MacBook Pro casing."
Read the full review here.
Labels: Reviews
Slim Devices Squeezebox Review
Head on over to read my review of Slim Devices Squeezebox at MacNN. I really enjoyed reviewing this product, it offers a great way of streaming music from your Mac or PC, whilst delivering the very best in audio quality.Excerpt courtesy of MacNN... "The nicely designed Squeezebox hardware is a mix of brushed aluminum and high gloss smoked plastic. You can choose a model with a white or black finish on the back. The unit comes supplied with a power adapter, analogue RCA audio cables, a remote control complete with batteries, and a printed user manual."
I hope you enjoy the full review here.
Link to product here.
Labels: Reviews
Griffin EarThumps Review
Monday, November 20, 2006
When you buy an iPod, whether it is a full size version, Nano, or perhaps the miniature sized Shuffle, more often than not you crack open the packaging, load it with music and listen with the supplied headphones. This is all well and good, but believe me, things can sound better. It is possible to invest from around £10 upwards for a replacement set of headphones. Here we take a look at the lower end of the market in terms of price, with Griffin Technology's EarThumps.The EarThumps, which weigh in at just 12 grammes, are available in a black or white finish. The cable is 120cm long, which is more than enough. They also come supplied with three different size ear inserts, to ensure a comfortable fit. The ear inserts feel more rubberised, rather than the gel appearance of more expensive brands, though I am sure the material used is very similar. The 3.5mm jack (where you plug the headphones in) is has a small plastic surround, so it fits nicely when your iPod is in a case. Some headphones have an angled larger plastic surround, which causes problems with some cases, so this was nice to see. The EarThumps are supplied with a tiny zip case, with three internal pockets. This is great, as you can store the headphones plus the ear inserts to keep them safe.
Fitting the EarThumps into my ears with the medium size rubbers was easy, and provided a nice comfortable fit. Unlike the Apple supplied headphones, they do not just sit in front of the ear, they actually go inside a little way. Some isolating headphones seem to go too deep inside the ear, but I am happy to say that the EarThumps do not go too deep and still provide a nice seal against external noises. The sound delivered is a definite improvement over the Apple supplied headphones. The bass is a little deeper and the detail in the high and mid-range is noticeable. If you want to improve the sound of your iPod without breaking the bank, the Griffin EarThumps are well worth a look.Griffin EarThumps
Supplied by: Griffin Technology
MSRP: $29.99
Link to product
Labels: Reviews
iPod Nano Product Red + Nike... soon
Friday, November 17, 2006
Just a little teaser for you all. My review of the iPod Nano (Product Red) is coming soon, followed by a look at the iPod+Nike kit. Yes, that's right, we are all going to get fit for Christmas.
EazyDraw 2.1.3 Review
When I stumbled upon the EazyDraw stand at this years Mac Expo in London, I was intrigued. As a long time Freehand user, I had dabbled with Illustrator and earlier this year reviewed Lineform. Finding another alternative drawing and illustration package that claims to 'bring the fun back into drawing' was well worth taking for a spin.Installation is as simple as dragging the application icon over to a suitable place on your Mac. The version I am reviewing here is 2.1.3 and upon first launch you are asked to enter your license code (or indeed use in demo mode). The interface presents itself with large, colourful icons, and right from the start you know you are in for a treat.
All of the basic drawing tools are available, for creating squares, boxes, ovals, text, bezier curves and the like. The icons within your tool panel are very colourful and almost comic-like in appearance, with each really needing no explanation of what they do. If you do need extra information, hovering your mouse pointer over each tool shows you a text description of the tool function.
Where EazyDraw differs (and adds in that fun element) is in the way you manipulate these objects. Just take a look at my screenshot of rotating an object, this is just superb, you just click and drag to select two control points, release the mouse button, then rotate the object to the desired angle. The function is so well designed and so intuitive it allows even the most inexperienced user to understand what they are doing. For this alone, EazyDraw should be commended.
If you want to dig deeper into the more advanced features of the application, there is a folder of tutorials that you can refer to. The tutorials explain things like creating blends, flowcharts, using grids, and using transparency, the list of topics covered is very thorough. The 'Road and Intersections' tutorial was of personal interest, as I create a lot of maps. It shows you how to create a simple intersection, but also a really neat timesaver in the form of the Ribbon tool. When you cross one road with another, the Ribbon tools creates an open intersection, something I always had to do manually in Freehand. If you need more information about an object in your work area, you simply select it and then click on the Details icon, which shows you the various attributes for the object.
Text entry was a mixed bag for me, mainly because it works a little differently to what I am used to. You have to draw a text box out on the page, making a container for your text. This is OK, except when I then tried to apply a fill to my outline text, it filled the whole container. You can correct this, but I am so used to just being able to click an area on my work area and start typing. So, this is not necessarily a bad thing, just not very intuitive. On a more positive note, EazyDraw offers some great text features. It can spell check what you type on-the-fly, underlining any suspect words. You can also get it to spellcheck a whole text entry after you have finished typing, or even get it to speak back what you have typed. All these extra features are really nice touches and the spellchecking is really useful. Handling of file formats is great too, with all the major formats supported including PDF, EPS, TIFF and JPEG to name just a few, you can also import from MacDraw and ClarisDraw.
Whilst you are using EazyDraw you find yourself drawn into (excuse the pun) the application and actually enjoying what you are doing. Drawing actually becomes fun again and the way many of the features work brought a smile to my face, leaving me thinking "Now why didn't Freehand do it like that". Anything from basic illustrations, right up to very technical drawings can be achieved. EazyDraw is suited to the beginner, at any age, right up to the more demanding user. If you want to use an alternative to the mainstream applications and re-introduce some fun to your work, the you should really check out EazyDraw.
EazyDraw is the work of Dekorra Optics. The application is a universal binary, supporting both PowerPC and Intel based Mac. It retails in various forms, with licenses ranging from $20 for a 9-month version, $95 for a full license and $119 for a CD version.
Supplied by: Dekorra Optics
MSRP: $95 full version
Link to product.
Labels: Reviews
PS3 in USA Tomorrow
Thursday, November 16, 2006
The Playstation 3 hits USA shores tomorrow and it looks like it is destined to be a sell-out. Check out this BBC report and check back on Geekanoids at the weekend for a UK hands-on with photos.
iPod & iTunes or Zune & Zune
A lot of reports flooding in that the Zune is just "Not that great" from all over the web. Check out Gizmodo's coverage here, comparing the Zune software to iTunes, it makes a very good read.
Fidelity Media update DJ software - MegaSeg
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Fidelity Media today announced an update to their MegaSeg DJ software. Version 4 brings universal binary support and over 100 new features and improvements."The new version includes interface enhancements that allow you to deselect features to customize and simplify your user experience. Among other enhancements are a robust set of color coding options, and new library display options, including hierarchical folder tree navigation. Users will enjoy faster access to iTunes playlists, and OS X Tiger users will appreciate faster importing from iTunes using Spotlight search technology."
Check out the full details here.
Apple & iPod have Take Off !!!
Apple Teams Up With Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM & United to Deliver iPod IntegrationApple today announced it is teaming up with Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM and United to deliver the first seamless integration between iPod® and in-flight entertainment systems. These six airlines will begin offering their passengers iPod seat connections which power and charge their iPods during flight and allow the video content on their iPods to be viewed on the their seat back displays.
“There is no better travelling companion than an iPod, and now travellers can power their iPods during flight and even watch their iPod movies and TV shows on their seat back displays,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. “We’re excited to work with Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM and United to offer iPod users an even better in-flight experience.”
In-flight iPod connectivity will be available to Air France, Continental, Delta, Emirates, KLM and United passengers beginning in mid 2007. Additionally, Apple is working with Panasonic Avionics Corporation to bring even more leading airlines in-flight iPod connectivity in the future.
Proporta shipping USB Mobile Device Charger
Proporta are now shipping their USB Mobile Device Charger (USB Rechargeable Battery) which charges from any standard USB port (so it works with ALL Proporta power/charging products in your car, home, office) and stores an impressive 3400 mAH of power for when you need it.You can then plug any USB powered mobile device (phone, iPod, digital camera etc.) into the battery's standard USB port and recharge anywhere. Even power hungry devices like the iPod 5G will recharge and play for up to three times longer when connected to the Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger (USB Rechargeable Battery) and you can recharge your mobile, Smartphone or PDA anywhere.
Shipping now for £39.95 + postage, you can check out the full details here.
Speck See Thru Case protects your MacBook Pro
Monday, November 13, 2006
One of the first things Mac owners want to do after firing up their new purchase is to protect it from scratches. MacBook, PowerBook and iPod owners from all corners of the globe (if only it were square) spend money on cases, skins and bags. Well, in the form of Speck Products 'See Thru' case, I think they are on to a possible winner here, so let's take a look.To date, the only shipping See Thru case for laptops is the MacBook Pro version, the Core2Duo revision and the MacBook will follow. This is a hard case, made of translucent plastic and is available either completely transparent, or as reviewed here in red. The red is a very punchy colour and really looks superb.
The case itself comes supplied in two halves. You fit the top half first to the back of your screen, it just slips on and four small clips hold it in place. The bottom half is a little more tricky, with four clips securing the back, near the heat vents on the MacBook Pro. The back has to be put in place first, then the rest of the case is held on with two smaller clips. These small clips do not prevent the MacBook Pro from closing in the normal way, so you don't even notice they are there.
Once in place you have to be ready for the wow factor. It really shines and makes the MacBook Pro look even sexier than it did before. All of the ports remain accessible with the case on, nothing is obscured at all. It even made the screen/lid of the MacBook Pro feel more rigid, so may go someway toward preventing any warping in the future.
If you are worried about heat, there are plenty of vents on the bottom of the See Thru case, so no worries there. Removing the case, if you really need to is a bit worrying. I suppose the fear is that one of the little tabs will scratch the MacBook Pro casing, but fear not, so long as you are careful, the See Thru case can be easily removed, leaving no damage at all.
Everything about the See Thru case made me smile. The fit is spot on, the finish is excellent, no sharp edges and it makes your laptop look really great. The all important factor of protection is also addressed, any knocks or scratches will be taken by the See Thru instead of marking the silver finish to your MacBook Pro.
I can highly recommend this product and hope to bring you a review of the MacBook version when available.
Supplied by: Speck Products
Price: $39.95
Contact: 650-463-8918
Link to product.
Epson Perfection V100 Photo Scanner Review
Sunday, November 12, 2006
It brings me great pleasure to share with you the review of the Epson Perfection V100 Photo Scanner that I wrote over at MacNN."The V100 is a nice slim line off-white unit, with silver plastic on the lid. It sports four brushed metal quick buttons on the front that provide access to the Epson scan software, or to scan directly to print, email or a PDF file. A hinge opens the lid along the long edge, which is a little different from other scanners."
Head on over here to read the full review, enjoy !
Link to V100 product page at Epson UK.
Labels: Reviews
Two monitors in one case ! Dual Display.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Soyo Group on Thursday announced dual screen LCD monitors in both 17-inch and 19-inch models. Imagine all that dual screen goodness in one neat package. They will be available under the Soyo and Go Video brand names, with suggested retail prices of $999 and $1,199 respectively.
Take a look at the 17-inch here and the 19-inch here.
Yojimbo 1.3 available today !
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Bare Bones Software today released version 1.3 of Yojimbo, the reliable, effortless information organizer, which we previously reviewed here.Yojimbo 1.3 now supports tagging for powerful grouping and retrieval of items stored in Yojimbo. The new version also brings several more significant refinements and addresses reported issues. The update is free for all registered Yojimbo customers.
Tidy Up version 1.2 available
Tidy Up helps you find duplicate files on your system and keep your hard disks nice and clean. It allows you to search for duplicate files and packages. These can be searched by the owner application, content, type, creator, extension, date modified, date created, name, label, visibility and more.
New to this version is the ability to automatically check for updates, numerous changes of the graphical interface, performance improvements and some bug fixes.
Tidy Up ($30) is a universal binary application and can be downloaded here.
Tavi 030 - 30Gb PMP Goodness
I reported about a Tavi device right back when Geekanoids first started. Well the new 30Gb version is on the horizon. Offering well, errr, 30Gb of storage. On top of the nice capacity, you get a 3.5-inch LCD screen, 5.1 surround sound, and 5.5 hour battery life. Source Gizmodo UK.
Little Britain - coming to Playstation
Little Britain makes me laugh and it is available as an interactive DVD here. All you control pad bashers will be pleased to know that Blast Entertainment will be bringing the likes of Lou and Andy to both the Playstation 2 and the PSP... I for one, can't wait.
Apple's Official Details on MacBook Core2Duo
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Apple® today unveiled its new line of MacBook™ consumer notebooks that now include Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Just one-inch thin, the new MacBooks are up to 25 percent faster than the previous generation and feature a built-in iSight® video camera for on-the-go video conferencing, Apple’s MagSafe™ Power Adapter that safely disconnects when under strain, and iLife® ‘06, Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications.“MacBook has helped drive Apple’s notebook market share to over 10 percent in US retail, and the new MacBooks will be among this holiday season’s most exciting new products,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With Intel Core 2 Duo processors across the entire line, these new MacBooks are up to 25 percent faster than their predecessors.”
With prices starting at just £749 (inc. VAT), the new MacBook lineup includes three models: sleek white 1.83 GHz and 2.0 GHz MacBook models, and a stunning black 2.0 GHz MacBook model. With Intel’s latest Core 2 Duo processors, the new MacBook is up to 25 percent faster than the previous MacBook and up to six times faster than the iBook®, making it even easier for consumers to manage and enjoy their digital content with iLife ‘06.* Consumers will also benefit from the added power in the new 2.0 GHz models, including double the memory and greater storage capacity than the previous generation, as well as a double-layer SuperDrive™ for burning professional-quality DVDs.
The new MacBook features a gorgeous 13-inch glossy widescreen display, ideal for enjoying videos, DVDs and photos with Apple’s breakthrough Front Row media experience. The MacBook is just one-inch thin and includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go with friends or family using iChat AV, recording a video podcast or iMovie® using iLife ‘06, or taking fun snapshots with Photo Booth.
Designed for the mobile lifestyle, the MacBook includes Apple’s MagSafe Power Adapter that magnetically connects the power cord to the MacBook and safely disconnects under strain, preventing the notebook from falling off its work surface. Apple now also offers a new MagSafe Airline Adapter that makes using a MacBook on an airplane even more convenient by connecting to in-seat power ports for continued productivity throughout the duration of a flight. The MacBook also includes Apple’s Sudden Motion Sensor, designed to protect the hard drive in case of a fall, and a simple and intuitive Scrolling TrackPad for scrolling through long web pages or panning across large photographs.
The lightweight MacBook design includes built-in AirPort Extreme® and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), making it ideal to take anywhere consumers work and play—from the office, to the classroom and the local WiFi hot spot. With the latest high-performance connectivity options, each MacBook includes built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire® 400 port, combination analogue and optical digital audio input and output ports and a mini-DVI video output to connect up to a 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display.
The MacBook comes with iLife ‘06, the next generation of Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications featuring iPhoto®, iMovie HD, iDVD®, GarageBand™ and iWeb™, the latest iLife application that makes it super-easy to create amazing websites with photos, blogs and podcasts and publish them on .Mac for viewing by anyone on the Internet with just a single click.** The MacBook also comes with the latest release of the world’s most advanced operating system, Mac OS® X version 10.4.8 Tiger, including Safari™, Mail, iCal®, iChat AV, Front Row and Photo Booth, running natively on the Intel-based notebook.
New Core2Duo MacBooks launched today
I think the picture says it all really. The new Intel Core2Duo chips made their way into the MacBook today. You can order from the Apple Store with just three days shipping quoted. The specification remains the same as the previous model, other than the new Core2Duo processor, 4MB of Level 2 cache and a 6-speed dual layer SuperDrive.Take a closer look here.
PodPlus release aluminium 2G Nano case
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
PodsPlus have just released a new case for the 2nd generation iPod Nano.The PodsPlus Aluminum N2 for Apple's 2nd generation iPod Nano is the only aluminum case with both screen and clickwheel protection.
Features include the use of aircraft grade anodized aluminium makes this case strong yet light in weight. The clickwheel area is protected by a silicone cover and is useable underneath the skin, with no loss of touch sensitivity. The LCD cutout has a clear plastic screen permanently fixed to the case and to protect your iPod the interior is lined with neoprene.
Various colours are available, with pre-orders starting today and shipping starting in mid-November. Ordering this week qualifies your order for FREE SHIPPING.
The PodsPlus Aluminium N2 is priced at $29.99.
Tovo Internet Phone Launches Today in Tesco
Monday, November 06, 2006
Basingstoke, 6 November 2006 – Mobiboo Mobile, the UK’s first WiFi mobile VoIP operator, announces the launch of tovo – the first-of-its-kind mobile Internet phone that will save consumers hundreds of pounds a year in phone charges. Mobiboo Mobile estimates that consumers can save an average of 30% on their mobile charges and up to 50% on fixed line charges if they switch to the new tovo service – which for some people will equate to savings of £360 a year*. Two new tovo handsets are available from today, initially at 19 Tesco stores nationwide, and online at www.tovo.com.
The new Mobiboo offerings are the tovo t450g PocketFone and the tovo t1000 HomeFone Plus. Both tovo phones combine the freedom of a mobile with the quality of a landline, doing everything mobile, Internet and home phones do; but much cheaper and with the added bonus of free calls. Using tovo, even an average-use customer can save £168 per year on their mobile and fixed line usage; and an above-average user (twice the number of average calls) can save £360 per year.
Anyone with access to WiFi at home, at work or a WiFi hot spot can use a tovo phone to call any other phone anywhere in the world at low rates. All calls between tovo and Mobiboo customers are free; there are no roaming charges when abroad; and incoming calls are received for free from any phone worldwide.
tovo makes communication borderless - bringing an end to unnecessarily high roaming charges while travelling. The service also significantly reduces home and office call costs, with rates from as little as 2p per minute locally and internationally. And tovo customers benefit from the same UK tariffs wherever they are in the world
With both tovo offerings there are no restrictive long-term contracts, but a choice of pay-as-you-go or monthly packages to suit your lifestyle. For example, if you’re planning to go abroad or on a business trip you might choose an international package for one month to ensure that you get free calls or the best worldwide call rates. The very next month customers can choose a lower price package to suit their needs. Accounts can be checked and managed online so users are always in control.
Consumers can easily top up their phones either with a free call direct from their handset, online at www.tovo.com, at any Tesco store or at e-top up locations (from 2007). For a basic UK pay-as-you-go package there is no monthly charge and local calls are 2p per minute with international tier 1 calls at 5p per minute. Monthly package customers can benefit from free UK, mobile and international calls.
tovo customers can also choose to have a geographic landline number as well as a mobile number connected to them. The handsets will receive calls to either number wherever you are, at home or abroad. When using tovo at home or in the office, you don’t need to turn on your laptop or PC as it will connect to your WiFi network.
For anyone concerned that they might not always have access to WiFi, the best option is the tovo PocketFone t450g dual mode phone. You just insert your ordinary mobile SIM card into the tovo handset and it will automatically switch between the normal mobile network and WiFi, ensuring that you always have coverage.
This solution enables the use of mobile features such as e-mail and Internet browsing through WiFi broadband connections, with the added benefit of greater bandwidth and cost savings. Text messaging will continue to work through the normal mobile network, although Mobiboo Mobile plans to launch text messaging between its’ customers at very competitive prices during 2007.
The tovo services
tovo t450 PocketFone combines the best of your home phone and Internet phone with the best of your mobile service. It’s a new generation mobile phone that uses WiFi where available and your normal mobile network everywhere else via a single handset. Calls are free or at a low price and can be made and received worldwide. It’s your Internet phone in your pocket, and also a fully functional mobile phone with camera, text and email. The innovative dual mode handset, which will work worldwide, is manufactured for Mobiboo by Pirelli Broadband Solutions. It can be purchased from selected Tesco stores as a pay-as-you-go boxed set complete with desktop charger and other accessories for £159.95.
tovo t1000 HomeFone Plus is a next generation mobile phone for use at home, in the office, or when abroad. The handest offers the capabilities of a traditional landline phone but with the added benefits of free calls to other tovo users and mobility within WiFi areas. It’s the internet phone in your pocket - essentially replacing your old world fixed telephone line and internet phone with a low-cost “mobile landline”. The high quality handset is manufactured for Mobiboo by UTStarcom, and is sold as a pay-as-you-go boxed set for £79.95.
Nothing on the Tesco site yet, but check out Tovo's site here.
Belkin announce Zune accessories
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Belkin have announced a nice range of accessories for the MS Zune. Ranging from a nice FM transmitter for in-car use and TuneBase which is a battery extender with flip out kick stand.
Full details can be found at Gizmodo.
EazyDraw Version 2.1.3 Released
Friday, November 03, 2006
EazyDraw, quoted as ‘MacDraw on Steroids’ moved to a new version 2.1 today. New features in V2.1 include a Free Transform capability to apply shear, skew, stretch and rotate distortions to images and other graphics. Soft bitmap shadows, an added shadow method for very high quality drop shadows. Expanded Arrows support for user defined arrows; plus the ability to apply shapes as “brushes” along the path of any graphic, including a progressive sequential distortion transform applied to successive shapes along a path. The new custom Arrow menu is provided with over 20 new Factory arrow shapes. Revamped Dash palette that allows the user unlimited capability to define any sequence of line-space dash patterns.
Also added is the ability to save named, Arrows, Dashes, Gradients, Shadows and Transforms. Significant performance improvement for large drawings and working with groups of thousands of graphics. Smart Zoom toolbar button that displays the zoom percentage in the user customizable toolbar.
All the new features are fully documented in the online help and explained in more detail here on the EazyDraw website. To download the new version 2.1.3 click here.
Speck Canvas Sport Case for iPod Nano
With so many different iPod cases available on the market it is important to stand out from the crowd... with style. The Canvas Sport case from Speck for the iPod Nano tries just that with 'Converse' type styling.This case is designed to accommodate both the 1st generation and 2nd gen iPod Nano. It is available in a variety of colours,light green, pink, black, silver and blue, all with contrasting white detailing. The combination of canvas and rubber grip areas around the edges make for a nice quality feel. On the front there is a hard plastic screen protector stitched in, with contrasting stitching around this and the click wheel. On the back of the case is a nice strong belt clip, again with stitch detailing.
access
Getting your Nano into the case is a breeze. A simple pop stud on the back to undo, then 3/4 of the back hinges down, iPod slips in and then pop it closed again. There is no access to the dock port whilst your iPod is in the case, but this didn't really bother me as it is so quick and simple to open the case. You do have full click wheel access (uncovered) and the top and bottom of the case have cutout for the headphone socket and hold switch. A minor niggle is that the top and bottom are quite thick textured rubber. This is nice to the touch, but it makes the hold switch quite difficult to switch on & off.
conclusion
If you want to carry your iPod Nano in style then you should definitely consider the Canvas Sport case. The quality is nice, the screen protection is nice and clear and the belt clip is nice a strong. Styling is also very pleasing to the eye, especially the stitch detailing. The simple access to get your iPod in and out of the case is also a big plus point. The Canvas Sport for iPod Nano, from Speck comes with a 8.5/10 rating.
Supplied by: Speck Products
Price: $29.95
Link to product: Canvas Sport for iPod Nano
Nintendo Wii Launch Line-up
Nintendo have released details of the excellent line-up of games that will be available at launch. Wii will offer the most extensive launch window software line-up in the history of video gaming, including: The action packed Red Steel and the out of control Rayman: Raving Rabbids both from Ubisoft. The adrenaline rush of Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam from Activision as well as the animated hit Disney Pixar's Cars from THQ. Add to these great games and quality game franchises such as: Madden NFL 07 and Need for Speed Carbon from Electronic Arts; Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, Barnyard and SpongeBob Squarepants: Creature from Krusty Krab from THQ; Monster Truck 4 x 4: World Circuit, Open Season, GT Pro Series, Far Cry: Vengeance and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent from Ubisoft; Call of Duty 3 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance from Activision.December is nearly upon us, time to start getting excited.
Full details here.
Apple Release Aperture 1.5.1
Thursday, November 02, 2006
As reported earlier on MacNN, Apple has now posted the Aperture 1.5.1 update, now available for download here. To download this update you will need your serial number and must be running OS X 10.4.8 to install it.Improvements in this new version include addressing numerous issues relating overall reliability and performance improvements. Keywords, Loupe, Cropping, Previews, Metadata presets, Versions, File renaming, Watermarks, Image deletion and iPhoto Library import, as well as some other features, have all received fixes. Of note, if you own a 1.8 GHz iMac with NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 graphics card, Aperture now properly validates and runs OK.
For more detailed information about this update, visit this KB Article.
Zune on CNET - All 3 colours demonstrated
Editor James Kim of CNET gives us a nice video overview of the Microsoft Zune, which is due to launch on November 14. The Zune is Microsoft's new portable MP3 player market.
James lets us know how nice and bright the screen is and that the casing is a nice matt finish. Nice for repelling those fingerprints. He also starts up a music transfer, but in this very short video we don't see this complete. Maybe Steve was right after all and it takes ages to transfer a track over wifi.
The video is very good though and worth a look.
Link to video.
Penny Pusher - Great for Christmas Fun
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Do you remember those trips to the seaside? "Mum, can I have ten more pence please?" would be heard from the crowds of children visiting the local arcade. They would be totally pre-occupied with pushing pounds worth of pennies into the machines and so happy when they got a few coins back. The feeling of winning that money and seeing all that extra cash hanging over the edge.Well, this Christmas you can relive that experience, but with many added bonuses. The first real bonus of buying the "Penny Pusher" from firebox.com is that it costs just £19.95, so it represents a real bargain. Next up, you can claim it is for the kids, wait until they go to bed, switch it to silent mode and play all night.
The third real bonus is that you can never lose and although you know that, it is still very easy to get into the addiction mode, wanting to win some more pennies.
The Penny Pusher is approximately 35cm high by 25cm wide, it is made of plastic, but is very sturdy. Pop in some batteries and you are ready to go. The unit is supplied with 100 plastic pennies, but I found it worked fine with real 1p and 5p coins.
The two rotating switches at the bottom allow you to play with side lights on or off, music and to enable a tilt feature. If anyone cheats and tips the machine up, the ALARM sounds and things grind to a halt.
The only negative point about the Penny Pusher is that you win all the coins. It would have been nice if some fell down the sides into a secret money box. That should not detract from the 'fun factor' though. I had great fun playing with this and my kids loved it too (they were most disappointed it had to go back). The flashing lights, fairground music and just the whole concept is fun all the way.
If you want something for a great Christmas gift, fun with the kids at home, or an office party piece, then the Penny Pusher really is a bargain. It can be yours for just ninteenhundredandninetyfive of your little pennies !
Product: Penny Pusher
Supplied by: Firebox.com
Price: £19.95
Link to product.
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Dave
Dave has been in the graphic design industry for 14 years. Long time reviewer of technology related products, he is Owner/Editor of Geekanoids.
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