Monday, April 13, 2009

Apple shares inch higher as pair of analysts up price targets

Apple shares inch higher as pair of analysts up price targets
Shares of Apple continue to make forward progress this week with as a pair of Wall Street analysts issuing new research reports that raise their price target on the stock in light of upcoming product catalyst.


Update your ancient Quark on the cheap

Filed under: ,

Oh, QuarkXPress. My fondest Mac memories are tied in with you. It was one of the first programs I ever learned on the Mac. It was also the most frustrating piece of design software ever -- guaranteed to crash the computer at least once an hour, and don't even think about using the Auto Backup feature on the early versions. I learned Quark back in version 3.1.1 and cursed its existence through the next decade ... until Quark 7. It did something that it had never done before -- not crash on my Mac. It was a stable piece of software and while definitely not my preferred design software, it doesn't make me want to cry in a corner if I have to use it.

Quark Inc. is offering to upgrade any version of QuarkXPress - going back to version 3 - to the latest version (8.0.2) for a single upgrade price of € 399/£ 279/$299.
So what if you don't have a serial number? Let Quark know. They have a database of serial numbers and will do their best to find the missing serial number so you can upgrade. Same if you never registered your license to begin with. Quark will also accept a fax or scan of the original installation CD, disks, or receipts as proof of purchase.
And if you happen to have a licensed copy of Quark for Windows, you can still upgrade to version 8 since the upgrade will let you utilize the software on either Mac or Windows.

QuarkXPress 8.0.2 requires OS X 10.4 or higher, G5 PowerPC or Intel processor, 1GB of RAM and 1GB of hard disk space.

TUAWUpdate your ancient Quark on the cheap originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple to build second Chicago flagship retail store
Following 18 months of indecision, Apple has finalized plans to build another high-profile retail store in Chicago, agreeing on the site of an old gas station in the city's Clybourn Corridor shopping district.


Billboard: iTunes prices up, sales down

Filed under: , , ,

I coulda told you this, though I am a little surprised that we've seen the results so fast. Despite iTunes having put the new tiered pricing into effect just last week, Billboard is reporting that they've already seen sales drop on the higher-priced tunes. The iTunes Top 100 chart has 40 different songs with a new price of $1.29, and one day after the changes, those songs dropped an average of 5.3 places on the chart, while cheaper songs moved up on average. And on the second day of the price change, ten of the tracks that saw their prices rise within 24 hours dropped a huge 12.4 chart positions on average.

Of course, we're talking only a matter of days here, and there are all kinds of things that could have affected this average drop -- lots of the tracks that became expensive were from a Rascal Flatts album, and it could be just that the album has lost popularity, bringing the average down. And don't forget that even though these sales figures may be dropping, they haven't dropped nearly enough to show a loss of revenue (though fewer songs may be selling, they're still making more money).

But for those convinced that higher prices mean lower sales numbers, these first few days of figures will seem to connect all of the right dots. We'll have to wait and see if the long-term effects match up to the figures Billboard has seen so far.

TUAWBillboard: iTunes prices up, sales down originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

HP MediaSmart Server gets an iPhone companion

Filed under: , , , ,

HP is reporting that they've updated the software for the HP MediaSmart Server to provide video streaming to remote devices.

We covered the introduction of the MediaSmart Server at Macworld Expo 2009. The device is a Windows-based media server that also works with Macs. Now the system can convert videos, including unprotected DVDs, to both a high-resolution version that streams to Macs and PCs on a network and a lower-resolution version that can be played on iPhone and iPod touch.

To view the video streams, access your pictures, and listen to the music collection stored on the MediaSmart Server, you'll be able to download an iPhone / iPod touch app called iStream for free from the App Store. At publication time, the app was still pending approval by Apple.

HP announced that the updated software also provides an improved Time Machine configuration, a better HP Media Collector, and the ability to have both public and private albums in the Photo Viewer. The MediaSmart Server ex485 (750 GB of storage) retails for US$599, and the 1.5 TB ex487 sells for US$749. The device can be expanded to a maximum of 9 TB of storage.

TUAWHP MediaSmart Server gets an iPhone companion originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Group Logic: A Mac/PC Referee for the Enterprise
More than a few eyebrows were raised in surprise last year when a survey of global IT administrators and C-level executives revealed that 80 percent of them had Apple Macintosh computers connected to their enterprise networks. Not among the surprised, however, was T. Reid Lewis. Lewis is CEO and president of Group Logic, an Arlington, Va., firm that specializes in software to make PCs and Macs play nicely on enterprise networks. Lewis cofounded Group Logic in 1988. A lot has changed since those days.

16 hours of battery life for the MacBook Air

Filed under: ,

I have a MacBook Air. Although I can get about 5 hours of mobile use out of it by dimming the screen, turning off all wireless, and only running one app at a time, there are times I'd love to be able to stay unplugged for much longer. I could always get a solar charger, but that won't work well when it's dark out.

QuickerTek has announced the MacBook Air External Battery, a US$350 external box designed to let you run your MBA for up to 16 hours before plugging in. It's relatively small (7" x 3.5" x 1" -- 17.8 cm x 8.9 cm x 2.5 cm) and adds 1.2 pounds to the weight you'll have to lug around.

In order to connect the external battery to your MacBook Air, you'll either have to send your existing MagSafe cable in to be converted for use (US$25) or buy a modified cable from QuickerTek (US$100). The final bill for the MacBook Air External Battery and the cable is almost as pricey as that solar-powered charger, but it's going to give your MacBook Air much longer battery life. Now if QuickerTek could just come out with a battery to let me play Monopoly (click opens iTunes) on my iPhone for 10 hours straight...

TUAW16 hours of battery life for the MacBook Air originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple to sell $899 20-inch aluminum iMac to schools
Apple this week quietly announced plans to begin selling an aluminum 20-inch iMac configuration to qualified educational institutions for just $899, effectively closing the book on the white 17-inch legacy model that had previously assumed a similar role.


Apple shares inch higher as pair of analysts up price targets
Shares of Apple continue to make forward progress this week with as a pair of Wall Street analysts issuing new research reports that raise their price target on the stock in light of upcoming product catalyst.


Update your ancient Quark on the cheap

Filed under: ,

Oh, QuarkXPress. My fondest Mac memories are tied in with you. It was one of the first programs I ever learned on the Mac. It was also the most frustrating piece of design software ever -- guaranteed to crash the computer at least once an hour, and don't even think about using the Auto Backup feature on the early versions. I learned Quark back in version 3.1.1 and cursed its existence through the next decade ... until Quark 7. It did something that it had never done before -- not crash on my Mac. It was a stable piece of software and while definitely not my preferred design software, it doesn't make me want to cry in a corner if I have to use it.

Quark Inc. is offering to upgrade any version of QuarkXPress - going back to version 3 - to the latest version (8.0.2) for a single upgrade price of € 399/£ 279/$299.
So what if you don't have a serial number? Let Quark know. They have a database of serial numbers and will do their best to find the missing serial number so you can upgrade. Same if you never registered your license to begin with. Quark will also accept a fax or scan of the original installation CD, disks, or receipts as proof of purchase.
And if you happen to have a licensed copy of Quark for Windows, you can still upgrade to version 8 since the upgrade will let you utilize the software on either Mac or Windows.

QuarkXPress 8.0.2 requires OS X 10.4 or higher, G5 PowerPC or Intel processor, 1GB of RAM and 1GB of hard disk space.

TUAWUpdate your ancient Quark on the cheap originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple to build second Chicago flagship retail store
Following 18 months of indecision, Apple has finalized plans to build another high-profile retail store in Chicago, agreeing on the site of an old gas station in the city's Clybourn Corridor shopping district.


Billboard: iTunes prices up, sales down

Filed under: , , ,

I coulda told you this, though I am a little surprised that we've seen the results so fast. Despite iTunes having put the new tiered pricing into effect just last week, Billboard is reporting that they've already seen sales drop on the higher-priced tunes. The iTunes Top 100 chart has 40 different songs with a new price of $1.29, and one day after the changes, those songs dropped an average of 5.3 places on the chart, while cheaper songs moved up on average. And on the second day of the price change, ten of the tracks that saw their prices rise within 24 hours dropped a huge 12.4 chart positions on average.

Of course, we're talking only a matter of days here, and there are all kinds of things that could have affected this average drop -- lots of the tracks that became expensive were from a Rascal Flatts album, and it could be just that the album has lost popularity, bringing the average down. And don't forget that even though these sales figures may be dropping, they haven't dropped nearly enough to show a loss of revenue (though fewer songs may be selling, they're still making more money).

But for those convinced that higher prices mean lower sales numbers, these first few days of figures will seem to connect all of the right dots. We'll have to wait and see if the long-term effects match up to the figures Billboard has seen so far.

TUAWBillboard: iTunes prices up, sales down originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

HP MediaSmart Server gets an iPhone companion

Filed under: , , , ,

HP is reporting that they've updated the software for the HP MediaSmart Server to provide video streaming to remote devices.

We covered the introduction of the MediaSmart Server at Macworld Expo 2009. The device is a Windows-based media server that also works with Macs. Now the system can convert videos, including unprotected DVDs, to both a high-resolution version that streams to Macs and PCs on a network and a lower-resolution version that can be played on iPhone and iPod touch.

To view the video streams, access your pictures, and listen to the music collection stored on the MediaSmart Server, you'll be able to download an iPhone / iPod touch app called iStream for free from the App Store. At publication time, the app was still pending approval by Apple.

HP announced that the updated software also provides an improved Time Machine configuration, a better HP Media Collector, and the ability to have both public and private albums in the Photo Viewer. The MediaSmart Server ex485 (750 GB of storage) retails for US$599, and the 1.5 TB ex487 sells for US$749. The device can be expanded to a maximum of 9 TB of storage.

TUAWHP MediaSmart Server gets an iPhone companion originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Group Logic: A Mac/PC Referee for the Enterprise
More than a few eyebrows were raised in surprise last year when a survey of global IT administrators and C-level executives revealed that 80 percent of them had Apple Macintosh computers connected to their enterprise networks. Not among the surprised, however, was T. Reid Lewis. Lewis is CEO and president of Group Logic, an Arlington, Va., firm that specializes in software to make PCs and Macs play nicely on enterprise networks. Lewis cofounded Group Logic in 1988. A lot has changed since those days.

16 hours of battery life for the MacBook Air

Filed under: ,

I have a MacBook Air. Although I can get about 5 hours of mobile use out of it by dimming the screen, turning off all wireless, and only running one app at a time, there are times I'd love to be able to stay unplugged for much longer. I could always get a solar charger, but that won't work well when it's dark out.

QuickerTek has announced the MacBook Air External Battery, a US$350 external box designed to let you run your MBA for up to 16 hours before plugging in. It's relatively small (7" x 3.5" x 1" -- 17.8 cm x 8.9 cm x 2.5 cm) and adds 1.2 pounds to the weight you'll have to lug around.

In order to connect the external battery to your MacBook Air, you'll either have to send your existing MagSafe cable in to be converted for use (US$25) or buy a modified cable from QuickerTek (US$100). The final bill for the MacBook Air External Battery and the cable is almost as pricey as that solar-powered charger, but it's going to give your MacBook Air much longer battery life. Now if QuickerTek could just come out with a battery to let me play Monopoly (click opens iTunes) on my iPhone for 10 hours straight...

TUAW16 hours of battery life for the MacBook Air originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple to sell $899 20-inch aluminum iMac to schools
Apple this week quietly announced plans to begin selling an aluminum 20-inch iMac configuration to qualified educational institutions for just $899, effectively closing the book on the white 17-inch legacy model that had previously assumed a similar role.

No comments:

Post a Comment