Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2006.11.10
We live in interesting times. "Beleaguered" a decade ago, Apple
is on a roll, owns the MP3 player market, and is growing the Mac's
market share - by over one-third in the past year! And Intel Macs
now account for about 20% of all Macs used online.
The color of the year is red, whether you're looking at big
programs like (Product) Red™ or a new, low-end alternative
known as Other Red. Apple donates $10 for each (Product) Red iPod
nano sold to (Product) Red, and MacMice gives 10% of the retail
price of their Danger Mouse Red and GarageKey Red to Other Red.
With the holidays approaching, both provide a way you can help
others at no additional cost by buying things you may have wanted
anyhow.
Apple announced a repair extension program for the power supply
in the dual-core Power Mac G5, and FastMac now has a Bluetooth
upgrade for G4 Mac minis that don't already have it. And for those
who don't have Bluetooth and want it, Danger Dongle adds Bluetooth
to Macs with USB 2.0 ports.
A neat niche product this week is the SoundTech LightSnake, a
cable that adapts an XLR microphone to USB - perfect for use with
GarageBand.
PowerBook, iBook, MacBook, and other portable computing is
covered in The 'Book Review.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & Opinion
Tips
Products
iPod Accessories
Software
News & Opinion
Mac Market Share Up 34.6% in a Year
Macworld UK's Jonny Evans reports:
"Apple's marketshare continues to climb, up 34.6 per cent, year
on year, new statistics reveal.
"According to Net Applications' latest research figures (for
October) for platforms used when accessing the web, Mac usage has
climbed a phenomenal 52.8 per cent since January 2005."
Link: Mac
Marketshare Up 34.6% in a Year
Core 2 Duo Mac minis on the Way?
Ars Technica says:
"After today's update of the
MacBook to Core 2 Duos, the Mac mini is feeling a little left
behind. Apple, however, has apparently had a little slip-up (which
is likely to be corrected sometime today, I'm guessing) on their
technical specs page for the Mac mini, with the link from the
'Intel Core Duo' graphic on the left-hand side pointing to a
nonexistent Mac mini Core 2 Duo page:
"http://www.apple.com/macmini/intelcore2duo.html"
Editor's note: Also see How Soon
Will the Mac mini Go Core 2? dk
Link: Core 2
Duo Mac minis on the Way?
Apple's Blue Logic Boards
The Apple Core's Jason D. O'Grady reports:
"If you've opened a Mac to upgrade a hard drive or RAM recently
you may have noticed that Apple is now using blue circuit board
material as opposed to the more traditional green G10-FR4 epoxy
circuit boards.
"G10-FR4 (FR4) is a fire rated electrical-grade,
dielectric fiberglass laminate epoxy resin system combined with a
glass fabric substrate. The abbreviation 'FR4' means: F (for flame)
and R (for retardancies) and the 4 is a # 4 epoxy. FR4 grades offer
excellent chemical resistance, flame ratings (UL94-VO) and
electrical properties under dry and humid conditions.
"FR4 also features high flexural, impact, superior
mechanical strength and bond strength at temperatures up to
130°C. G10-FR4 is suitable for structural, electronic, pc
boards and electrical applications."
Link: Inside
Apple's Blue Logic Boards
The Other Red Program Helps Orphans
in Africa
PR: Other Red is a private program that helps small
manufacturers around the world market specific products that are
tied to a donation of 10% of the retail price to helping orphaned
children in Kenya, Africa. We are a small operation, geared around
small companies, making small products, all intended to help a very
worthwhile project in a very big way.
Why We Are Doing This
We were inspired and touched by the wonderful goodwill being
generated by the (Product)
Red™ project for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis, and Malaria. We admire and encourage all to
participate in this worthy cause by purchasing (Product) Red
products. The (Product) Red project includes a variety of the
world's largest iconic brands and thus has the potential to raise
millions of dollars for a worthy cause with only a few selected
products.
But what about all the smaller brands around the world who are
also eager to help? We decided to organize an alternative red
product project for a worthy cause that is open to even the
smallest brands who want to help make the world a better place. No
Big Name Celebrities
The only celebrities associated with Other Red are the tireless
staff growing a well-run orphan care operation in Kenya, and of
course, the brave little youngsters they serve each day. Peace
Village School & Orphanage
Peace Village School & Orphanage is an eager, well-managed
charitable operation located in Ukunda, Kenya . . . with
big hearts, big talent, and big plans for growth. The organization
supports orphaned children in and around the Kwale Province/South
Coast area of Kenya, and specifically seeks to help AIDS orphans
and other deprived children in the area.
The first two Other Red products are GarageKey Red
and Danger Mouse Red.
Link: Other Red
Tips
Power Mac G5 Dual-core Repair Extension
Program
The Power Mac G5 Repair Extension Program for Power Supply
Issues applies to Power Mac
G5 systems that have power-related issues as a result of a
specific component failure within the computer's power supply. If
your Power Mac G5 fails to start up after the power button has been
pressed and your computer's serial number is within the noted
ranges, your computer may be eligible for repair, free of charge.
There are no known safety issues caused by this component
failure.
Identifying Affected Power Mac G5 systems
The affected Power Mac G5 models were sold between approximately
October 2005 and August 2006 and feature Dual 2 GHz, Dual 2.3 GHz, or
Quad 2.5 GHz PowerPC G5
processors.
If Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP)
determines that your Power Mac G5 computer is eligible as part of
the program, the power supply repair will be covered by Apple for
up to two years from the original date of purchase even if your
Power Mac G5 is out of warranty. This worldwide Apple program does
not extend the standard warranty coverage of the Power Mac G5.
Affected systems will exhibit one of the following power-related
symptoms:
- System will not start up after the power button is pressed
- No LED activity
Note: If your Power Mac G5 is not experiencing any of these
symptoms, you do not have to contact Apple or any Apple Authorized
Service Provider.
The affected Power Mac G5 computers have serial numbers where
the first 5 digits fall into the ranges noted below. The Power Mac
G5 computer's serial number is located inside the case directly
below the air deflector, along with other configuration
information.
Serial Number Ranges
- CK539xxxxxx - CK608xxxxxx
- G8539xxxxxx - G8608xxxxxx
- YM539xxxxxx - YM608xxxxxx
- RM539xxxxxx - RM608xxxxxx
To participate in this worldwide program, your Power Mac G5 must
exhibit one of the symptoms noted above and fall into the serial
number ranged noted. If it does, please bring your Power Mac G5 to
your local Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider
(AASP), or call your local Apple Support Contact Center. The U.S.
support number is 1-800-275-2273. If you are located outside the
U.S., please see Apple's international contact list for your local
Apple Technical Support phone number.
An Apple technical support representative or an Apple Authorized
Service Provider (AASP) will need to examine the power supply
within your computer to determine if the component failure
identified for the Power Mac G5 Repair Extension Program for Power
Supply Issues affects your computer and, if so, arrange for the
repair, free of charge. Customers are responsible for
transportation costs to eligible AASPs and retail stores.
It is possible that your Power Mac G5 may exhibit power-related
issues that are unrelated to the component failure identified by
Apple as part of this program. Apple or an AASP can help you
troubleshoot these issues, but if your Power Mac G5 is not covered
under warranty or an extended service agreement, such as the
AppleCare Protection Plan, repairs, if requested, will be at your
own expense.
Apple is aware that some customers may have paid for out of
warranty repairs that qualify under this program. Apple or local
AASPs will contact affected customers (where contact information is
available) with details on the reimbursement process.
This program extends repair coverage on the specific component
failure for up to two years from the date of purchase, however,
Apple will continue to evaluate the repair data and will provide
further repair extensions as needed.
Link:
Power Mac G5 Repair Extension Program for Power Supply
Issues
Products
'Other Red' Versions of GarageKey and Danger
Mouse
PR: MacMice announces two new products to benefit the new
Other Red program for assisting orphans in
Africa.
The Danger Mouse Red is a glaring red version of MacMice's
Danger Mouse USB laser mouse, and includes the same 1,600 dpi laser
mechanism, time-proven shape, and MicroScroll scroll wheel encoder
as the white and black versions of this popular mouse.
The GarageKey Red is a blinding red variation of this mini
USB-MIDI desktop music keyboard. This newest version adds the
bright red outer shell, Windows XP compatibility, and has its price
lowered from $129.99 to $99.99.
The Danger Mouse Red is priced at $29.99 (with $3 going to Other
Red) and will begin shipping on November 21st, 2006. The GarageKey
Red is priced at $99.99 (with $10 going to Other Red) and will
begin shipping on November 28th, 2006. Both products are available
now for prepaid preorder from our web site or from any MacMice
retailer worldwide.
The Danger Mouse Red
The Danger Mouse Red is a USB 2-button 1,600 laser mouse with
10mm miniature clickable scroll wheel. It is plug-and-play
compatible with both Mac OS X and Windows XP. This mouse is
intended to be used with the OS-level drivers included with Mac OS
X or Windows XP. There is no additional driver software provided by
MacMice.
MacMice decided to take the most popular new USB laser mouse in
the world, give it a bath in glossy red goodness, and send it out
into the world where it can work some magic for some truly needy
people in Africa. The Danger Mouse Red is MacMice's contribution to
the Other Red program. And, for every one of these crimson colored
beauties we sell, MacMice will donate $3 to the Peace Village
School & Orphanage in Kenya, Africa. We encourage you to read
more about this terrific program on the Other Red web site. Style.
Comfort. Accuracy. Reliability.
The Danger Mouse starts
by using the widely popular MacMice shape . . . the one
everyone raves about being so comfortable to use [Editor's note:
including me - it's the most comfortable conventional mouse I've
ever used. cm]. MacMice added a high-gloss red shell, an
extended length USB cable to work with any desktop computer (Mac or
Windows) and their proprietary glide pads on the bottom to provide
a silky mouse motion, with or without a mousepad. Also incorporated
is the highest quality 1,600 dpi laser pickup mechanism in the
industry. And, we topped it off by using our new high-precision
MicroScroll scroll wheel encoder. The result is a category defining
mouse we are sure you will love. Use A Laser To Help Mankind
Using a modern laser pickup equipped mouse opens your eyes to
the dramatic way a small technology change can improve your
computing experience. Buying an Other Red product, like our mouse
or another Other Red product will open your heart to the way a
small change in business practices can help some deserving children
in real need.
The MicroScroll miniature scrollwheel delivers the precision of
an ultra-small scrolling device, but without the frustrations of a
tiny trackball. It uses a 10mm diameter clickable, notchless design
that provides smoothly gliding, highly precise operation, and a
silky smooth feel.
Order your Danger Mouse Red and it will be shipped to you
anywhere in the world by ground service for only $6.99, beginning
November 21st, 2006. Included is the red mouse,
installation/operating instructions, and the thanks of the children
in Africa who are benefiting from your decision to help.
MacMice will donate $3 from every sale of the Danger Mouse Red
to the Other Red fundraising effort to benefit the Peace Village
School & Orphanage in Kenya, Africa. We encourage every one to
support this important program, and scroll down to read more about
the Other Red initiative.
Link: Danger Mouse
Red
GarageKey Red - The Perfect Desktop MIDI Keyboard. In Red!
MacMice's electronic keyboard partner, Tahorng Musical
Instruments saw the Danger Mouse Red product, and asked if MacMice
could help them market a red version of their terrific little USB
MIDI keyboard, as they wanted to help the orphan problem in Africa
alongside our own efforts. The GarageKey Red is Tahorng's
contribution to the Other Red program. And, we've agreed to help
Tahorng sell these screaming red keyboards by adding them into our
distribution channel and this web site. Tahorng will donate $10 to
the Peace Village School & Orphanage in Kenya, Africa for each
GarageKey Red sold. We encourage you to read more about this
terrific program on the Other Red web site.
The GarageKey USB-MIDI keyboard is designed for use by any
computer users desiring to have a small, elegantly styled keyboard
for experimenting with desktop MIDI music creation software, such
as Apple's popular GarageBand software. The GarageKey has 37
full-size, professional quality, velocity sensitive keys. It has
octave up and down buttons discretely placed on the rear panel.
And, it is plug and play compliant with OS X USB-MIDI and Windows
XP USB-MIDI. Its glossy red styling, and its bright white keys, are
certain to add some life and style to your desktop setup. Do You
Use Windows?
Don't worry . . . the GarageKey Red is plug and play
with all Windows XP systems!
And . . . if you have any music software that accepts
a USB-MIDI controller input, for sequencing, recording, or
notation, you will be pleased to know that the GarageKey Red is a
fully class compliant MIDI controller that will work with both Mac
OS X or Windows XP.
Using a cool little 37-key MIDI keyboard to make music opens
your ears to the terrific way a technology product can help your
creativity. Buying an Other Red product, like this keyboard or
another Other Red product will open your heart to the way a small
change in business practices can help some deserving children in
real need.
$99.99
Preorder your GarageKey Red here and it will be shipped to you
anywhere in the world by ground service for only $9.99, beginning
November 28th, 2006. Included is the red keyboard,
installation/operating instructions, a driver CD, a USB cable, and
the thanks of the children in Africa who are benefiting from your
decision to help.
Place A Prepaid Preorder for the GarageKey Red for $99.99 and
get ground shipping to any location worldwide for $9.99.
Tahorng Musical Instruments will donate $10 from every sale of
the GarageKey Red to the Other Red fundraising effort to benefit
the Peace Village School & Orphanage in Kenya, Africa. We
encourage everyone to support this important program, and to go to
the Other Red website to read more about the Other Red
initiative.
GarageKey Red Specs:
- Width= 20.5"
- Depth= 6.75"
- Height= 1.75" (at rear)
- Voltage= 5.0V
- Current= 42mA
- Power= from USB
- USB Cable= 7 ft. length
- Compatibility= Mac OS X/Win XP
MSRP $99.99
Compatible with Mac OS X and Win XP Systems
Link: GarageKey Red
Danger Dongle Bluetooth 2.0 Adapter
PR: MacMice has released its new miniature Danger
Dongle USB Bluetooth adapter.
Bluetooth dongles struggle with bandwidth, how much data can be
piped through the connection at what speed. It only makes sense to
have the fastest, highest bandwidth dongle available. And, that
dongle is the Danger Dongle . . . with the fastest
Bluetooth USB dongle technology available today.
The Danger Dongle is a tiny little bright white color stick-type
USB Bluetooth adapter that works with all Mac OS X or Windows
XP computers and provides state of the art connection speeds with
its USB 2.0 and BT 2.0 EDR connection protocols.
What you want in a Bluetooth USB adapter dongle is simply
the fastest, most reliable connection you can get, in the smallest,
most attractive little package. And of course, price matters, too.
The Danger Dongle hits each of these goals very nicely, and we
think it's the most perfect USB Bluetooth dongle on the market
today.
The Danger Dongle can be ordered from the MacMice website for
$29.99 (for USA customers) or from any of our worldwide MacMice
dealers.
Link: Danger
Dongle Bluetooth Adapter
Internal Bluetooth Upgrade for Mac mini
PR: FastMac has announced the availability of a plug
& play internal Bluetooth upgrade kit for PowerPC-based
Apple Mac mini computers. The
upgrade adds internal Bluetooth functionality to the Mac mini
without needing to add an AirPort card at the same time, keeping
the price of the upgrade affordable yet providing the flexibility
to add 802.11b/g wireless networking later.
The upgrade has an effective range of up to 32 feet (10 meters)
& can transfer data at up to 721 Kbps. It is fully compatible
with all versions of Mac OS X, including Mac OS X 10.4
Tiger & 10.5 Leopard. The upgrade kit is available now for all
PowerPC-based Mac mini systems, with special introductory pricing
that starts at $49.95. Each kit carries a 1 year warranty and a 30
day money back guarantee.
Unlike other upgrades that attach externally & tie up
precious ports or cost more money, this upgrade connects directly
into the mini's main logic board, freeing port space while adding
functionality. While the upgrade is user-installable (and FastMac
includes instructions), a 24- hour installation service is also
available for an additional $49.95. Using a box in the mail
service, FastMac will pick up the customer's mini, install the
upgrade kit and provide a thorough checkup & light cleaning
before shipping back to the customer, all within 24 hours.
"This upgrade provides maximum wireless flexibility to the Mac
mini user," said Michael Lowdermilk, Business Development Manager
for FastMac Performance Upgrades, Inc. "You can add Bluetooth
today, and wireless 802.11b/g later, all without sacrificing any
external ports."
This upgrade can also be combined with any one of FastMac's
"Take Your mini to the Max" packages, featuring SuperDrive upgrades
from $79, RAM upgrades up to 1 GB from $69 and Hard Drive upgrades
up to 160 GB from $79.
Compatibility
All PowerPC-based Mac mini models (all Intel-based Mac minis
already include built-in Bluetooth).
Link: Internal
Bluetooth Upgrade for Mac mini
ATI Radeon X1900 for Dual-core Power Mac
G5
PR: AMD has announced the ATI Radeon X1900 G5 Mac
Edition, a next-generation graphics card that combines
workstation-class creative productivity and cutting-edge 3D game
performance. The ATI Radeon X1900 G5 Mac Edition represents a
high-performance PCI Express graphics upgrade card for the Power Mac G5 Quad and Power Mac G5 Dual. Upgrading to the
ATI Radeon X1900 G5 Mac helps pro-application users maximize their
creative potential with the powerful PCI Express-based Power Mac G5
Quad and Power Mac G5 Dual.
"Programs like Apple's Final Cut Studio, Aperture and Motion
really come to life with this card," said Ron Paley, president,
Carbon Computing and Carbon Sound & Picture. "Power users will
find the ATI Radeon X1900 G5 Mac Edition the ultimate solution for
delivering screen real estate for graphics, photo and video editing
projects, and professional users will experience strong
productivity gains. It's indispensable for anyone doing
graphics-intensive work with a standard quad- or dual-G5 system;
and of course, gamers will love it too."
"The ATI Radeon X1900 G5 Mac is the fastest graphics processor
upgrade available for Power Mac G5 Quad and Power Mac G5 Dual
systems," said Rick Bergman, senior vice president and general
manager, Graphics Products Group, AMD. "ATI was one of the
longest-running continuous supporters of gamers and prosumers on
the Mac platform and we expect our focus on their needs to continue
now that ATI is a part of AMD."
At an estimated street price of US $349, the ATI Radeon X1900 G5
Mac is a state-of-the art design with 36 pixel shader processors,
256 MB of video RAM and delivers over 37 gigabytes per second of
memory bandwidth. It features two DVI ports that are capable of
supporting two 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Displays.
AMD maintains a dedicated engineering team responsible for
stand-alone graphics and multimedia solutions for after-market sale
as well as graphics processor implementations and software for many
Apple computer systems including, Mac Pro, iMac, and Xserve MacBook
Pro.
Link: ATI Mac
Products
SoundTech LightSnake - 'Soundcard in a
Cable'
PR: Now that you have a "Soundcard in a cable,"
digital music recording has never been easier. Just plug in your
microphone and start recording in CD quality. You can start your
own music production straight out of the package. Package includes
Sony demo software and cable is GarageBand ready. You no longer
need any additional interfaces - the SoundTech LightSnake brings
new meaning to "plug and play".
This LightSnake cable is an XLR microphone-to-USB cable that is
ideal for vocal recording or podcasting. The LightSnake microphone
cable is basically a "sound card on a cable", and with this cable
you can record audio directly onto your computer. Connect the XLR
connect of the LightSnake cable to your microphone and then connect
the USB end to one of your computers USB ports.
This is a true USB plug-n-play connection. No additional drivers
are needed for the following operating systems: Win 98SE/Win ME/Win
2000/Win XP and Mac OS 9/OS X. An ASIO driver is forthcoming for
recording software that implements this technology.
An embedded 16 Bit Analog to Digital Converter with audio signalboost ensures extremely low audio loss and 48/44.1 KHz Sampling
Rate provides you with high audio quality while recording. The HSDL
(Host Side Data Loss) Noise Reduction function prevents any
unwanted noise when converting the audio signal to digital format
and saving to your computer.
The SoundTech LightSnake line was born out of the desire to
create a simple solution to provide the ability to enjoy digital
recording to everyone. An intelligent cable with embedded analog to
digital converter and signal booster was created.
The LightSnake USB's unique design enables anyone to plug their
microphone directly into a PC eliminating the hassle, clutter and
learning curve associated with high-quality digital recording. This
was accomplished by virtually placing a sound card onto the
cable.
The LightSnake features SoundTech's patented "Live when Lit"
technology cable ends that glow when connected properly and flash
indicating when sound is being transmitted. The simplicity of these
cables and their price point make the digital recording arena
accessible to every one.
The cables are packaged with a DVD that contains 30 day trail
versions of all of Sony Media Software titles, including Sound
Forge, Acid, Vegas , etc. This addition makes the cable a complete
solution right out of the box. Mac users are not left out as
GarageBand recording software is on every new Macintosh sold.
System Requirements:
- PC with Windows 98/SE, ME, 2000, or XP
- Mac OS 9.0.4 or higher
- Computer with USB port
Package Contents:
- LightSnake XLR to USB Cable
- User Guide
- PC driver CD
- Sony Media Software 30 day Demo DVD - Including Acid, Sound
Forge, Vegas, and many other titles
Specifications:
- Resolution: 16 bit 48/44.1 Khz
- THD + N (-3dBr): -76.1 dB
- SNR: 83.1 dB
- Dynamic Range: 81.6 dB
- Input impedance: 1M Ohms
- Frequency Response 48 KHz: 20 - 19.2K Hz
- Signal Input Range: 0 - 2.88 Vpp
- Signal Boost Gain: +20 dB
Link: SoundTech
LightSnake
iPod Accessories
FastMac's 'Just Say No To Crack' iPod Rehab
Program
PR: FastMac has announced the "Just Say No To Crack"
iPod rehab program featuring same day LCD replacements for Video
iPods & Nanos. The new program offers repair and replacement of
scratched or cracked iPod LCD screens, either as a Do It Yourself
(DIY) kit with tools & instructional videos or via a same day
mail order service provided by FastMac directly. FastMac uses only
Apple original parts to guarantee quality as well as fit and
compatibility. FastMac's iPod LCD rehab program is available now
for the iPod 5th Generation with Video and iPod nano, with special
introductory pricing that starts at $39.95. Each screen carries a 1
year warranty and a 30 day money back guarantee.
FastMac's LCD rehab program replaces the iPod's original display
with a 100% matching Apple original part & includes all
necessary tools and instructions required to open the iPod. 24-hour
installation services are also available for an additional $39.95.
Using a box in the mail service provided by DHL, FastMac will pick
up the customer's iPod, install the LCD screen and provide a
thorough checkup & light cleaning before shipping back to the
customer, all within 24 hours. During the rehab process, FastMac
will diagnose any other problems that the iPod may be experiencing,
and offer a free estimate for repair or upgrade, including battery
& hard drive upgrades, or logic board repairs.
"Same Day Service gets your iPod into and out of recovery as
quickly as possible," said Michael Lowdermilk, Business Development
Manager for FastMac Performance Upgrades, Inc. "All kidding aside,
this is a great way to bring a broken, unused iPod back to life-
especially when you combine it with our popular TruePower
replacement batteries. It's like having a brand new iPod."
FastMac's LCD rehab program can also be combined with a
TruePower battery upgrade to obtain an almost new iPod. FastMac's
TruePower battery upgrades replace the iPod's original internal
battery with a larger capacity and longer lasting advanced power
cell battery. The upgrades offer 20- 78% more capacity than the
original OEM battery and up to 7.5 times as many charge cycles.
FastMac's LCD rehab program is available for the iPod 5th
Generation with Video (2005 model) and iPod nano (2005 model).
Link: Just Say No To
Crack
8 GB iPod nano (Product) Red Special
Edition
PR: Apple has announced a new 8 GB model of the
iPod nano (Product) Red™ Special Edition in response to
outstanding customer demand. The new 8 GB iPod nano (Product)
Red Special Edition holds up to 2,000 songs and is available for
$249, joining the 4 GB model priced at $199. Both models come
in a beautiful red aluminum enclosure and feature 24 hours of
battery life, Apple's innovative Click Wheel and an incredibly thin
and light design. Apple will contribute $10 from the sale of each
iPod nano (Product) Red to the Global Fund to help fight HIV/AIDS
in Africa.
"Customer response to the iPod nano (Product) Red Special
Edition has been off the charts," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice
president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. "We're thrilled to
add a second model with 8 GB of capacity, enough for 2,000
songs, so customers have yet another choice in supporting this
important cause."
(RED) was created by U2 lead singer Bono and Bobby Shriver to
engage business in the fight against AIDS in Africa by getting the
world's most iconic companies to make uniquely branded products.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was
established in 2002, with the support of the world's leaders and UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan, to dramatically increase resources to
fight three of the world's most devastating diseases, and to direct
those resources to areas of greatest need by supporting locally
driven strategies. To date, the Global Fund has committed $5.2
billion (US) to more than 363 programs in 131 countries. For more
information about (RED) visit:
http://www.joinred.com
Pricing & Availability
The new 8 GB iPod nano (Product) Red will be available
through the Apple Stores ( www.apple.com ) beginning immediately.
All iPod nano models include redesigned earbud headphones providing
superior comfort, fit and sound quality, and a USB 2.0 cable. The
second generation iPod nano features up to 24 hours of battery life
and completely skip-free playback.*
System requirements:
iPod nano requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port and Mac OS X
version 10.3.9 or later and iTunes 7.0.2 or later; or a Windows PC
with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4), Windows XP
Home or Professional (Service Pack 2) and iTunes 7.0.2 or later.
Internet access is required and a broadband connection is
recommended.
* Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and
settings. See www.apple.com/batteries for more information. Music
capacity is based on four minutes per song and 128-Kbps AAC
encoding; actual capacity varies by content. Photo capacity is
based on iPod-viewable photos transferred from iTunes.
Link: iPod nano
(Product) Red Special Edition
Software
TechTool Pro 4.5.2 Released
PR: Version 4.5.2 of TechTool Pro is now available. This
is a minor update from version 4.5.1. Owners of version 4.5.1 of
TechTool Pro will not need to update to version 4.5.2 unless they
have acquired a new Mac model that is not fully supported by the
earlier version of the program. The version 4.5.2 DVD will boot all
currently shipping Mac models, including the Mac Pro and the 24" iMac. In addition, it will
properly perform the Video Memory test on those two models. Current
owners of TechTool Pro 4 can purchase the TechTool Pro 4.5.2 DVD
Update for $25. Micromat also offers an Annual Subscription Service
for $99. This is geared to owners of TechTool Pro 4 who wish to
receive each update or upgrade automatically on DVD as soon as it
is released.
TechTool Pro 4 now features a suite of S.M.A.R.T tests (Self
Monitoring Analysis And Reporting Technology). Most modern hard
drives now support this industry standard that employs predictive
diagnostics and analysis to help foresee a drive failure BEFORE it
happens. TechTool Pro 4's SMART test allows you to automatically
monitor this vital data and be forewarned of impending danger to
your data, allowing you to back up critical information before
disaster strikes.
The eDrive feature allows you to create an invisible emergency
volume from your existing drive. This new partition is created
without the need to reformat your current drive and allows
you to store a copy of your system, a copy of TechTool Pro and even
allows you to make room for other utilities. If you ever have
trouble with your main drive, simply restart your computer and your
system will start from your Emergency Drive giving you immediate
access to the utilities you'll need to resurrect your main drive.
Now there's no more need for a bootable CD or ancillary hard drive
for system drive repair or maintenance.
With the power of Mac OS X, TechTool Pro 4 is now the fastest
version of the program we've ever made. With Mac OS X's native
multitasking capability, TechTool Pro 4 can now run its full
battery of tests simultaneously. This means that repair and
maintenance chores that once took minutes will only take
seconds.
TechTool Pro 4 now offers a new optimization feature for your
Mac OS X drive. The Mac OS X system contains thousands of
files that fragment quickly. TechTool Pro 4 lets you quickly and
safely unfragment these and other files so your system runs
reliably at its peak.
New in version 4.5.2:
- Fixed Video Memory issue for specific Intel Macs.
- Fixed Main Memory RAM calculation size issue for Intel
Macs.
- Fixed Wipe Data issue for GUID partitioned volumes.
- Fixed Data Recovery issue for GUID partitioned volumes.
- Updated Volume Structures test.
- Addressed eDrive free space capacity issue.
- Other minor changes and feature enhancements.
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.4 or later
System Support: PPC/Intel
Price: $97
Link:
TechTool Pro
Unsanity Releases WindowShade X 4.1
PR: Unsanity LLC announces the availability of
WindowShade X 4.1. This free update is a Universal Binary, fixes
bugs and improves the WindowShade X interface.
WindowShade X brings a wealth of window management capabilities
to Mac OS X. From the ever popular windowshade functionality to
Minimize-in-Place and custom shadow control, you won't lack for
options to customize your window work space in Mac OS X ever
again.
WindowShade X provides an exciting and useful way of organizing
your work on Mac OS X. With this handy tool, you can assign the
following actions to the minimize button and a double-click on the
window title:
- Minimize the window to the Dock, like always;
- "Windowshade" the window into a tiny strip to quickly peek
below or get it out of the way;
- Minimize-In-Place the window so it becomes really small so you
can move it out of the way yet still see what is going on;
- Make the window transparent so you can continue working in it
while seeing things under it;
- Make window float on top;
- Hide the application quickly;
- Do nothing and ignore the action (sometimes it is quite useful
as well).
- New in version 4.1:
- This update is free for all registered users.
- WindowShade X is now a Universal haxie, working on both PowerPC
and Intel based Macs.
- Included the automatic version checker.
- When clicking on the application icon in the Dock, and all of
the application windows are minimized in place or collapsed, one
will be expanded by WindowShade X to prevent confusion.
- Fixed a bug that made Firefox windows unclickable after window
shading.
- Fixed an issue with WindowShade X not working correctly with
some Java applications.
- Redesigned the interface of the preference pane.
- Some other pending fixes.
- Includes Application Enhancer 2.0.2.
- Includes Smart Crash Reports 1.1.
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.3 or later.
System Support: PPC/Intel
$10 demoware
Link: WindowShade
X
Desktop Mac
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