Microsoft's Mac Business Unit this week is making available to Mac users a "fully functional, no strings attached" free trial of Office 2008 so that prospective buyers and users of previous versions can 'kick the tires' on new suite before plunking down the cash for a permanent copy.
AT&T pushing to keep iPhone exclusive through 2011
Having locked down the iPhone for at least three years, AT&T is now expected to take one more shot at an exclusive deal for the Apple handset and may keep it away from competitors until 2011.
iPhone Apps Apple Doesn't Want You to Install
Here's a selection of favorite forbidden -- but useful and fun -- iPhone applications on Apple's banned list.
First Look: App4Mac Projector
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Enterprise, Software, First Look
In a previous work experience, I was a project manager for a certain large IT service provider with a three-letter acronym for a name. Part of the reason I left that job to become a self-employed Mac consultant was that the project management tools we used were non-intuitive, slow, and Windows-based (the fact that my boss sucked was the other part of the reason...).App4Mac has just announced the final beta of Projector, their new project management application for the Mac platform. The official version will ship on April 24th at a price of €49 (US$65.25). Projector replaces App4Mac's previous project management offering, xTime Project. If you're an xTime Project user, you can upgrade for free to Projector by simply installing the new application and using your existing license.
Continue reading First Look: App4Mac Projector
TUAWFirst Look: App4Mac Projector originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
On this Day is an iPhone app for the history buff
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
I admit I wasn't much of a history nut when I was very young, but as I got older I found the subject more and more fascinating. Heck, I even wound up writing a book about a producer of historical epic films. I think a good perspective on history helps you understand the present, so I welcome On this Day [App Store link] for the iPhone/ iPod touch. For $0.99US it's a pretty good way to find out what happened on the current day. It includes 14,000 historical events, so instead of seeing 2 or 3 items you often get 40 or so. There are some other similar apps for the iPhone, including World Book- The Day in History and Today's History, but neither of them have as many events, and one requires an internet connection to work.
On this Day worked with no issues, but there are a few things that would make it better. Like most people, I wanted to check my birthday and see what notable events, other than my birth, took place. But the app only displays history from the current date. That's a real downer. I talked to the developer and he says he'll change that in a future version. I also found the info button with links to support and sources a bit picky about where I tap. The developer agrees, and says he'll fix it.
On this Day adds a nice feature to the iPhone, and has some real depth. I think a really nice 'blue sky' feature would be links to Wikipedia so I could learn more about these events if the mood strikes me.
Sample screens below:
TUAWOn this Day is an iPhone app for the history buff originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Component Manufacturers Of Next-Gen iPhone
Ok, here’s a list of component manufacturers provided by, Digitimes.com. Nothing too dramatic to report. The list confirms (if it’s correct) that there will be a 3.2 megapixel camera instead of the current 2 megapixel. It’s also great to just see ‘bluetooth’ in writing some where as well.. 
iPhone Software 3.0 beta 3 delivers gradual improvements
Apple on Tuesday evening made available to iPhone developers a third beta of iPhone Software 3.0 showing some early signs of optimizations and carrying with it an updated version of the iPhone SDK 3.0.
Backblaze for Mac officially launches
Filed under: Software, Productivity, Internet, Security
Configuration and setup
Just like in the beta, Backblaze remains extremely easy to set-up and use. You just install the program (by default it will run in the background, though you can change this), enter in your e-mail address and password, and it will start backing up your files. The default setting has Backblaze running any time it finds an available internet connection. The backup process is constant and Backblaze stores multiple versions of a file for 30 days (so if you are frequently changing a document or spreadsheet, 30 days worth of revisions are saved to Backblaze).
If you want to remove Backblaze, the company has made the uninstall process easier and more intuitive. There is now an uninstaller built into the install DMG image, just double-click on Uninstall (right next to the install option) and you can take Backblaze off your system. If you trash the DMG, just download it again off the Backblaze web site for easy removal.
Backblaze won't backup your Applications (thought it WILL backup stuff in your User/Library folder, so many of your application settings will remain backed up), but it will backup your photos, movies, audio files as well as things like your iPhoto or Aperture database, various documents, and more. By default, .ISO, *.exe and *.DMG files are excluded from the backup file type list, but you can remove most of those extensions (*.ISO cannot be removed) if you want to backup that information.
The maximum single file size is still 4 GB, but keep in mind this doesn't mean your iPhoto or Aperture databases won't be safe. Those databases are actually just folders with lots of smaller individual files, that's fine. If you have individual files over 4 GB in size, those won't be backed up with Backblaze. You'll need to split the files into smaller segments or make alternate arrangements.
Continue reading Backblaze for Mac officially launches
TUAWBackblaze for Mac officially launches originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Devs invited to test push notifications in iPhone OS 3.0
Apple sent out an e-mail to developers opening the doors to live push notification testing. Ars looks at push and tells you how it measures up to notifications from SMS and e-mail.
Getting started with Times, an RSS reader for everyone
Filed under: Software, Cool tools
Most RSS readers on the desktop look like lists. Times, a reader Mat covered last year, looks like a newspaper. In a "normal" RSS reader, the river of information can become a blur and users may be put off by the incessant noise. Times, on the other hand, aims to make feeds more pleasant to peruse. Check out the gallery to see the curled edges, slight texturing on the sides of the "paper" and page effects. It's the app I'd get my grandmother to use to read RSS feeds, and I think it's a great introduction to feed reading for "the rest of us." Here's how to get started.When you click on a story's headline or body text, the page folds down, and you read. When you're done, you click the folded page and it pops back up to reveal the feeds again. Added to this basic "graze and read" functionality seen on all RSS readers is the shelf (something many readers have as well, like the clippings in NetNewsWire), a place to temporarily hold stories you are interested in. You can read these later and then throw them out. Times isn't intended to be a storage locker or book reader -- it is designed for quick scanning and reading. Likewise, the shelf is only so large and can be set to automatically clear itself at certain intervals.
The first thing you'll want to do with Times is customize the feeds. Especially if you are setting this up for someone else (like grandma), you can easily remove the pre-configured feeds and add your own. I recommend not adding dozens of feeds to Times. While power users may scan hundreds of sites, the average person may only make time for a few. NetNewsWire and other readers are better equipped to serve the sort of information overload of a "power reader" and I've included a shot of Feeds and NetNewsWire for comparison in the gallery. Times is designed for some "light" feed reading and aims to make the process more pleasant, not powerful. I recommend no more than 6-8 per category page.
Next I'll show you exactly how to set up your own category pages and fill those in with feeds. Then I'll show how to use the shelf and sharing tools.
Continue reading Getting started with Times, an RSS reader for everyone
TUAWGetting started with Times, an RSS reader for everyone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Microsoft offering Office 2008 free trial for Mac users
Microsoft's Mac Business Unit this week is making available to Mac users a "fully functional, no strings attached" free trial of Office 2008 so that prospective buyers and users of previous versions can 'kick the tires' on new suite before plunking down the cash for a permanent copy.
AT&T pushing to keep iPhone exclusive through 2011
Having locked down the iPhone for at least three years, AT&T is now expected to take one more shot at an exclusive deal for the Apple handset and may keep it away from competitors until 2011.
iPhone Apps Apple Doesn't Want You to Install
Here's a selection of favorite forbidden -- but useful and fun -- iPhone applications on Apple's banned list.
First Look: App4Mac Projector
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Enterprise, Software, First Look
In a previous work experience, I was a project manager for a certain large IT service provider with a three-letter acronym for a name. Part of the reason I left that job to become a self-employed Mac consultant was that the project management tools we used were non-intuitive, slow, and Windows-based (the fact that my boss sucked was the other part of the reason...).App4Mac has just announced the final beta of Projector, their new project management application for the Mac platform. The official version will ship on April 24th at a price of €49 (US$65.25). Projector replaces App4Mac's previous project management offering, xTime Project. If you're an xTime Project user, you can upgrade for free to Projector by simply installing the new application and using your existing license.
Continue reading First Look: App4Mac Projector
TUAWFirst Look: App4Mac Projector originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
On this Day is an iPhone app for the history buff
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
I admit I wasn't much of a history nut when I was very young, but as I got older I found the subject more and more fascinating. Heck, I even wound up writing a book about a producer of historical epic films. I think a good perspective on history helps you understand the present, so I welcome On this Day [App Store link] for the iPhone/ iPod touch. For $0.99US it's a pretty good way to find out what happened on the current day. It includes 14,000 historical events, so instead of seeing 2 or 3 items you often get 40 or so. There are some other similar apps for the iPhone, including World Book- The Day in History and Today's History, but neither of them have as many events, and one requires an internet connection to work.
On this Day worked with no issues, but there are a few things that would make it better. Like most people, I wanted to check my birthday and see what notable events, other than my birth, took place. But the app only displays history from the current date. That's a real downer. I talked to the developer and he says he'll change that in a future version. I also found the info button with links to support and sources a bit picky about where I tap. The developer agrees, and says he'll fix it.
On this Day adds a nice feature to the iPhone, and has some real depth. I think a really nice 'blue sky' feature would be links to Wikipedia so I could learn more about these events if the mood strikes me.
Sample screens below:
TUAWOn this Day is an iPhone app for the history buff originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Component Manufacturers Of Next-Gen iPhone
Ok, here’s a list of component manufacturers provided by, Digitimes.com. Nothing too dramatic to report. The list confirms (if it’s correct) that there will be a 3.2 megapixel camera instead of the current 2 megapixel. It’s also great to just see ‘bluetooth’ in writing some where as well..
iPhone Software 3.0 beta 3 delivers gradual improvements
Apple on Tuesday evening made available to iPhone developers a third beta of iPhone Software 3.0 showing some early signs of optimizations and carrying with it an updated version of the iPhone SDK 3.0.
Backblaze for Mac officially launches
Filed under: Software, Productivity, Internet, Security
Configuration and setup
Just like in the beta, Backblaze remains extremely easy to set-up and use. You just install the program (by default it will run in the background, though you can change this), enter in your e-mail address and password, and it will start backing up your files. The default setting has Backblaze running any time it finds an available internet connection. The backup process is constant and Backblaze stores multiple versions of a file for 30 days (so if you are frequently changing a document or spreadsheet, 30 days worth of revisions are saved to Backblaze).
If you want to remove Backblaze, the company has made the uninstall process easier and more intuitive. There is now an uninstaller built into the install DMG image, just double-click on Uninstall (right next to the install option) and you can take Backblaze off your system. If you trash the DMG, just download it again off the Backblaze web site for easy removal.
Backblaze won't backup your Applications (thought it WILL backup stuff in your User/Library folder, so many of your application settings will remain backed up), but it will backup your photos, movies, audio files as well as things like your iPhoto or Aperture database, various documents, and more. By default, .ISO, *.exe and *.DMG files are excluded from the backup file type list, but you can remove most of those extensions (*.ISO cannot be removed) if you want to backup that information.
The maximum single file size is still 4 GB, but keep in mind this doesn't mean your iPhoto or Aperture databases won't be safe. Those databases are actually just folders with lots of smaller individual files, that's fine. If you have individual files over 4 GB in size, those won't be backed up with Backblaze. You'll need to split the files into smaller segments or make alternate arrangements.
Continue reading Backblaze for Mac officially launches
TUAWBackblaze for Mac officially launches originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Devs invited to test push notifications in iPhone OS 3.0
Apple sent out an e-mail to developers opening the doors to live push notification testing. Ars looks at push and tells you how it measures up to notifications from SMS and e-mail.
Getting started with Times, an RSS reader for everyone
Filed under: Software, Cool tools
Most RSS readers on the desktop look like lists. Times, a reader Mat covered last year, looks like a newspaper. In a "normal" RSS reader, the river of information can become a blur and users may be put off by the incessant noise. Times, on the other hand, aims to make feeds more pleasant to peruse. Check out the gallery to see the curled edges, slight texturing on the sides of the "paper" and page effects. It's the app I'd get my grandmother to use to read RSS feeds, and I think it's a great introduction to feed reading for "the rest of us." Here's how to get started.When you click on a story's headline or body text, the page folds down, and you read. When you're done, you click the folded page and it pops back up to reveal the feeds again. Added to this basic "graze and read" functionality seen on all RSS readers is the shelf (something many readers have as well, like the clippings in NetNewsWire), a place to temporarily hold stories you are interested in. You can read these later and then throw them out. Times isn't intended to be a storage locker or book reader -- it is designed for quick scanning and reading. Likewise, the shelf is only so large and can be set to automatically clear itself at certain intervals.
The first thing you'll want to do with Times is customize the feeds. Especially if you are setting this up for someone else (like grandma), you can easily remove the pre-configured feeds and add your own. I recommend not adding dozens of feeds to Times. While power users may scan hundreds of sites, the average person may only make time for a few. NetNewsWire and other readers are better equipped to serve the sort of information overload of a "power reader" and I've included a shot of Feeds and NetNewsWire for comparison in the gallery. Times is designed for some "light" feed reading and aims to make the process more pleasant, not powerful. I recommend no more than 6-8 per category page.
Next I'll show you exactly how to set up your own category pages and fill those in with feeds. Then I'll show how to use the shelf and sharing tools.
Continue reading Getting started with Times, an RSS reader for everyone
TUAWGetting started with Times, an RSS reader for everyone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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