Dave Wantanabe, Newsfire and Acquisition creator has released a public beta on a new BitTorrent client he in working for OS X called Xtorrent. Not surprisingly, Xtorrent looks great as all of Dave Wantanabe creations have been. Acquisition has had BitTorrent capabilities for some time now. Xtorrent seems to be a dedicated BitTorrent client with built-in search and iTunes integration.
Continue reading Xtorrent Beta Public for OS X…

According to Engadget, Wal-Mart has leaked the pricetag for Microsoft’s Zune MP3 player which was spotted in the MP3 player category listing at $284.

Wal-Mart is said to like to skim as much as they can off the MSRP so $16 off the magic $300 Microsoft price would be expected by Wal-Mart.
Continue reading Zune Pricing at Wal-Mart Leaked…

With Apple, the iPod, and the iTunes Store owning the lion’s share of the legal download business they have created quite a DRM ecosystem, Apple calls Fairplay. This leaves Apple and well… everybody else. Well everybody else have up until now been powered by Microsoft’s DRM. Microsoft’s recently unveiled the Zune music player (NOT SHIIPPING YET) that will be tied to the Zune Marketplace.

This puts Microsoft into direct competition with its partners that Microsoft calls PlaysForSure. Well RealNetworks may be their first defector. RealNetworks has announced the launch of Rhapsody DNA. Their new DRM format will be used at first for the company’s Rhapsody To Go subscription music service, which allows subscribers to move downloaded tracks to a supported portable player and listen to them for as long as the subscription remains active. Seems Microsoft DRM at Rhapsody is on the way out. Maybe Zune has its first victim, but not the iPod Microsoft was aiming at.

Continue reading Real Goes Own Way With DRM for Rhapsody…

DV Monitor, $149 is a new universal binary Mac application that turns your Mac laptop into a nice video field monitor. It supports NTSC or PAL Standard Definition (SD) Firewire camera. You have can focus better and gives the director a better idea of what the picture looks like. DV Monitor has a image flipping function which is useful for those shooters who are adding 35mm lenses to their DV cameras. It also comes with zoom features, exposure zebras and computer screen calibrating.
Continue reading DV Monitor Makes Your Mac a Field Monitor…

Apple has in the past been criticized for killing off small developers with their enhancements to the Mac OS and Apple applications. Seems in this case Apple has purchased Coverflow for the new iTunes 7 release. I have always been a fan of Coverflow and have posted about it in the past.
Continue reading Apple Integrates Coverflow…

iPod shuffle
Now the “World’s smallest mp3 player”
Second-generation coming in October
Metal body with white click wheel.
12-hour battery
Size of iPod radio remote.
1GB – $79

iPod nano
Second generation available today
Aluminum, thinner – looks like a thin iPod mini.
Green, silver, black, blue, pink available.
24 hour battery life.
New charger, armband, lanyard headphones.
2GB – $149
4GB – $199
8GB – $249
Continue reading Quick Down and Dirty Summary of Apple Event…

Apple has posted a video-on-demand QuickTime link for today’s Showtime event. However, it’s unclear to me if they will broadcast the event live or make it available as a delayed feed following the conclusion of the event.

First the iTunes Store this morning and now the online Apple Store. OK, downloads and new hardware. There are reports that the Apple store in several countries is also down for updating. Apple seems to be busy stocking the online shelves.

Since about 8:30 AM EST Apple has had the iTunes Store down. Notice it does not say iTunes “Music” Store! Seems a bit early to have the iTunes Store down when the much anticipated “Its Showtime” event Apple has invited select media starts at 10 AM PST at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco.

There are reports that the iTunes Store is unavailable in the UK, Norway, Italy, Germany, France, Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, Canada, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Portugal, and the Netherlands!
Continue reading iTunes “Store” is Down…

Continue reading OS X Tip #120: Create Your Own Contextual Menus…

Apple has updated the entire iMac line to include Intel Core 2 Duo (Merom-based) processors in all models and launching a new model that features a 24-inch widescreen display. The new Intel Core 2 Duo processors are said to run up to 50% faster than the older 20 inch iMac being replaced. These new models are available today.
Continue reading Apple Updates iMacs and Mac mini…

If you are looking for a nice BitTorrent client for the Mac there are several to choose from. Maybe not as many as there are for the Windows platform. As usual it is quality, not quantity that matters. The choices for OS X may be less than your Windows friends, but there are some real nice applications for the Mac.

If you are not familar with BitTorrent or do not know what it is take a look at my post Acquisition, P2P File-Sharing, and BitTorrent for OS X to learn about P2P networks and BitTorrent.
Continue reading BitTorrent Clients for the Mac/Windows…

Apple today confirmed that it will hold a special event on Tuesday, September 12th, 10:00 AM Pacific Time, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco, California. An invitation sent to select media that reads simply, It’s Showtime!

The invitation displays a white Apple logo with the words “It’s Showtime” underneath. A dark gradient background descends from black to navy, with crisscrossing white rays evocative of the spotlights often used to draw attention to Hollywood movie premieres.
Continue reading Apple: It’s Showtime!…

First Dell, then Apple, now Matsushita corporation has recalled 6,000 batteries used in its Panasonic brand laptops in Japan, as reported in USA Today . Matsushita is concerned that the notebook batteries may overheat. The recall of the batteries for Let’s Note CF-W4G notebook PCs only affects Japan, said company spokesman Akira Kadota.

An important difference in this recall is that these batteries are not made by Sony as in the Dell and Apple recalls. Matsushita has declined to say who made the batteries, citing an agreement with the manufacturer.
Continue reading Panasonic Joins the Great Battery Recall…

Microsoft DRM has been hacked for the second time in less than 10 days despite a released patch. The new hack used to bypass the Microsoft DRM may require more work to be fixed this time. Microsoft is said to be scrambling for a solution.

This is especially troubling for Microsoft and its partners. This hack effects Napster, Urge, Yahoo Music, and Real’s Rhapsody service. I am sure the major record labels are watching closely as many of them might have been looking to Microsoft and its soon to be released Zune player as a competition to Apple’s iTunes Music Store and iPod.

Continue reading Microsoft DRM: Hacked Again!…

Apple is said to be planning to hold a special event in Northern California next Tuesday, September 12th. This will run at the start of the Apple Expo Paris which Steve Jobs declined the keynote. Speculation on what Apple will announce at this event, anyone can guess. Rumor sites and people all over the Mac community are guessing and speculating all sorts of things. I have no special information to add to the rumors. Maybe new iPods, an iTunes Movie offering, home server or streaming device to easily connect your Mac to a TV?

It might be safe to assume whatever is announced it may be shown at the Paris Apple Expo, maybe why the date of the special event was chosen. Anyway, we will all know next Tuesday!

Codeweavers has released of a public beta version of CrossOver Mac virtualization software that allows Intel-based Macs to run Windows applications, without having Windows installed. Check the compatibility center to see if the Windows application you are hoping to run have been tested yet.

Apple’s Boot Camp and Parallels Desktop for Mac requires you to own and install a copy of Windows. CrossOver Mac is based on the open-source project WINE. CrossOver Mac provides the ability to run Windows applications and some games on the Mac without having to reboot or switch to a virtual machine. Applications appear in the OS X Finder with no Windows operating system or license needed. Since you are not running Windows using CrossOver Mac you may be a lot safer with the amount of Windows viruses, worms, and exploits out there.
Continue reading CrossOver Mac Public Beta Opens…