rashbre's xtra

twin Blog

2006-07-15T00:54:00.000+01:00

I'm proud to say that for this weekend only, rashbre central is twinned with holyhoses. Twinned you say? Yes, we have decided to adopt the same process as a twin town and post and collect comments together on a single topic.

And the topic is...Donuts!

So, the burning question...Are donuts better with a hole in the middle, or with jam? and what type of coating?
Please play along...
a) add your blog below
b) make a comment
c) visit our twin!

Show you have visited below!

test using qumana

2006-03-24T20:19:00.000Z

Tags: testPowered by Qumana

title of experimental post

2006-02-25T01:08:00.000Z

experimental post

this is an ecto test

2006-02-06T21:38:00.000Z

I am checking the ways that I can blog using ecto

Inside the ipod nano

2005-09-11T12:38:00.000+01:00

Inside the iPod nano: "

Filed under: iPod Family

Thanks to narco for sending in this little tidbit of info. This Japanese site has already managed to grab an iPod nano and they even performed a detailed dissection of the little wonder. Here's a link to the Beta Google translation of the page.

From the looks of these pics and the horribly translated Japanese, it appears that the 4GB iPod nano features two 2GB flash chips while the 2GB features only one. It also doesn't look like people will be able to canabalize the memory to use in their digital cameras the way people did with the iPod mini. Too bad.

In any case, head over to the site and make sure you click on the pics to see the full-sized pics.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

itunes 5 shuffle gets more random

2005-09-10T12:37:00.000+01:00

iTunes 5 shuffle got more random: "

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iTunes, Software

Not like we haven't blabbed enough about iTunes 5 already, but I just wanted to get my angle in on one of the hot new features I feel hasn't gotten enough face-time yet: Smart Shuffle. I think with this new feature Apple has given us a powerful new tool to help end that hotly debated topic of how intelligent or random iTunes' shuffle really is.

I hammered on this feature all evening yesterday with a number of playlists and my entire 5274 song library of everything from Enigma to Nine Inch Nails, Nick Drake, Outkast and Phish. After listening to almost too much music, I'll toss my vote in for a thumbs up on this most powerful of shuffling features, as I can now truly let my library's randomness shine.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

itunes phone not an ipod phone

2005-09-10T12:15:00.000+01:00

Why an iTunes phone instead of software?: "

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPod Family, iTunes

I was chatting with C.K. today about why Apple, Motorola and Cingular shook hands on an iTunes phone, instead of Apple just going ahead and making a client (probably in java) so that all sorts of phones could use it. I was listening to a great podcast, Inside Silicon Valley (iTMS link), that presented an insightful answer to this very question, and I tend to agree.

Here's how it breaks down: since the wireless networks have been talking about debuting their own wireless download services for phones for a while now, Apple probably wouldn't have made a whole lot of headway into this mobile phone music market without coming up with something they could sell to both a wireless provider and a hardware manufacturer. By working with Motorola and Cingular to create a dedicated and *exclusive* iTunes phone, everybody wins: Apple gets to sell more music, the wireless networks rake in precious boatloads of new subscribers and Motorola gets to sell a ton of special little phones.

While I really don't want one of those phones - I'm heading out the door soon to pick up a 4 GB black iPod nano - this reasoning makes a lot of sense to me. Anyone else want to weigh in?

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

itunes 5 gets new features

2005-09-09T12:33:00.000+01:00

iTunes 5: The star of the show: "

Filed under: iTMS, iTunes

There are those amongst us that stifled a yawn at the new features, or lack thereof, in iTunes 5.0, however, I believe this was the biggest announcement of the day.

A cell phone running iTunes, and that has an artificial song cap of 100 songs? Eh.

Even smaller iPods? They look cool, and I want one, but at a certain point smaller isn't better, even in consumer electronics.

No, gentle readers, iTunes 5 is where all the interesting stuff is happening. Are there any knock down, jaw dropping features? Not really, however, what iTunes 5 does give us is a glimpse into what iLife, and other Apple applications, will look like in the near future. I predict the death of Brushed Metal, and the rise of.. plasticy metal, of which I am a fan. iPhoto's next rev will look very much like iTunes 5, gone will be the fat metal margins, and in with the non-existent margins. Streamline, streamline, streamline!

Garageband will still retain its odd windows, some things you just don't mess with.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

ipod nano brief review

2005-09-08T12:32:00.000+01:00

Playlist's Hands-on Review of the iPod nano: "

Filed under: Books and Blogs, iPod Family

I'm very jealous of Christopher Breen over at Playlist right now. He managed to get his hands on exactly the iPod nano I want (but will not splurge for): the ~~2GB~~4GB black one. It's a good first hands-on review, noting a few of the things that some of us may have wondered about: '...you'll find no TV Out commands in its Slideshow Settings window because it can't project pictures to an attached television. Also, it doesn't work with Apple's iPod Camera Connector or Belkin's Media Reader, which means you can't upload pictures to it. And although the Diagnostic Screen shows a LineIn test, current iPod microphones require a connection to the Remote Control port as well, which is missing on the nano.'

Also, it looks like the black iPod nano comes with the same white earbuds. Dumb! The lanyard is currently only offered in white, too. I hope Apple rectifies this and gives us matching black peripherals.

One cool thing that I wasn't expecting: the iPod nano comes with a little dock adapter so that you can slip the nano into any existing dock you may already own. Nice.

black nano ipod outselling white

2005-09-08T12:18:00.000+01:00

Report: Black nano outselling white: "

Filed under: iPod Family

According to a report at iPod Garage, iPod nano sales are taking off, even this early in the game. The black 4GB iPod nano has jumped to the #4 position on Amazon already, and the 4GB white model is at #22. While the black 4GB nano is doing better than its white counterpart, both 4GB models are really blowing away their 2GB siblings. The black and white 2GB models are at # 120 and #288 at Amazon, respectively.

It looks like, for the early adopters at least, the black 4GB model is the nano to have. It's definitely the one I want. I've even got a name picked out: Mini Vader.

So, will you buy a nano, which model will you choose and what will its name be?

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

ipod nano first 24 hours

2005-09-08T12:13:00.000+01:00

iPod nano: the first 24 hours reviewed by the unofficial apple weblog: "

Filed under: Reviews, iPod Family

I've had my iPod nano in hand (and large ogre-like hands if the picture with this post is any indicator) now for 24 hours. Three words: best iPod ever.

I love it. It's flash-based, so it is fast. It's super light and small. The plug on the bottom isn't weird like I thought it'd be. If I drop the iPod nano, it hangs nicely from the earphone cable without pulling free. It fits nicely in my shirt pocket.

It doesn't fit as neatly in the little jean pocket that Steve Jobs' intro to the unit indicated. It's too tall to fit straight down, and with the earphones plugged in, it won't fit fully in sideways. Nevertheless, the thing is so small you won't have any difficulty whatsoever finding a place to tuck it away. Also, it feels pretty solid. One of my complaints about the iPod shuffle was how light and plastic it felt. Walt Mossberg was right: this feels just right. Nice and solid with just enough weight. I think I could skip this sucker pretty nicely across the face of a lake.

More after the jump...

Here's a pic of the illustrious bag it comes in if you buy one from the Apple Store (previously mentioned by Dave in his hands-on review). It's a rather stiff bag, but if I can figure out how to ship it, I'll include the bag with the white 2GB iPod nano I bought to send to the winner of our contest. If not, maybe I'll auction it off to the suckers on ebay.

The black picks up fingerprints like you wouldn't believe and I've already put a scratch in the front, but honestly, I don't care. I've never been squeamish about scratches on my iPods. I bought this for its size and functionality. It delivers nicely in both areas. The USB only file transfer is a bit of a drag, and I don't think the file transfer is nearly as fast as Christopher Breen's review seems to indicate. It took quite some time for the iPod nano to get the 500 songs I chose to cram on it transfered over alongside all the photos I chose to transfer. That being said, the performance of the iPod nano when it is not connected to a computer is amazing. It flies through the interface and displays the photos much faster than my 60GB iPod does. The screen is great. Bright and clear. The only negative I can say about the screen is that the Notes font is more than a bit small on the nano's small screen and will most likely not make it an attractive choice for people with bifocals. Apple should release a firmware update that adds a preference to toggle the font size from miniscule to mega-big.

The sound is great. The iPod is great. Get one. Try to win one. I'll add more bits later.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

old iPods R.I.P.

2005-09-07T12:31:00.000+01:00

R.I.P., iPods: "

Filed under: Cult of Mac, Humor, iPod Family, Odds and ends

iPod mini, we hardly knew ye. Engadget takes a humorous look at the deceased members of the iPod family in the iPod Family Cemetery. The original 5GB iPod, third generation iPod and the first generation iPod mini are all represented. Go and pay your respects to the fallen patriarchs of this proud family.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

video ipod ready itunes

2005-09-07T12:30:00.000+01:00

Video iPod-ready iTunes: "

Filed under: iPod Family, iTunes, Rumors

TUAW reader Mike writes that under iTunes 5:

If you try syncing videocasts to your iPod via iTunes5, it tells you
that your 'particular model' of iPod is incapable of playing video.

A hint of things to come? Probably. Don't hold your breath, though. There's been an OGG icon lurking in there since 4.5, and still no love.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

first nano thoughts

2005-09-06T12:20:00.000+01:00

First nano thoughts: "

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, iPod Family

This is by no means meant to be a review, but after using and tinkering around with my 4 GB black iPod nano I figured I'd post some initial thoughts. These are coming from a guy who's owned 1 of almost every iPod since the original 5 GB, and who got rid of a 60 GB iPod photo for a shuffle:

The nano feels like what would happen if a regular iPod got caught in the wash and shrank. I know we all know this, but I can't repeat it enough: this thing is small. Really small.
The color screen is gorgeous and holds up in sunlight well
Sound quality is superb. Regular iPod worthy.
Loading lots of data like long contact lists (mine's 300+) or flying through image thumbnails is worlds faster than on color iPods, formerly known as iPod photos
Lack of firewire cable is one thing. Lack of firewire support all-together is annoying
Black looks really, really, really hot. Too bad the accessories don't match. (All the extras are still white)
If you buy a nano in an Apple store, they come in an exclusive bag that looks almost as expensive as the packaging the nano comes in.

So there, nothing earth shattering. I think C.K.'s working on a review, so stay tuned.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

too early to register a nano

2005-09-06T12:17:00.000+01:00

Too early to register a nano: "

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Humor, iPod Family

So I just brought home and unwrapped my brand new 4 GB black iPod nano. While I'm not gonna fire off a review or 'first look' just yet, something kind of amusing happened that I'd like to share: I plugged it in, and the short iTunes setup process asks me if I'd like to register my new iPod. I think: sure, why not? Couldn't hurt right?

Well apparently you can't register just yet, as 'iPod nano' is not one of the options on Apple's product registration page yet. Funny, isn't Apple usually a step ahead of everyone else?

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

ipod getting into cars

2005-08-29T12:28:00.000+01:00

Apple's iPod auto drive fuels up: "Apple is now working with 15 car makers worldwide to make iPods part of the way we drive."

(Via Macworld UK News.)

2005-07-30T13:12:00.000+01:00

London Tourists and Workers: "

Spent today in London, mainly around Whitehall. I wondered whether there would be a discernable decrease in the number of people, but the area around Parliament and Trafalgar Square was seething. Normal workers and many tourists, giving a lie to the thought that there would have been a major impact to London's flux of people after the recent tragic events.

And there was a typical sprinkling of protesters around Parliament - including, today, one for the Parliamentary cleaners, who are on strike for better pay. In the hot sunshine, the Capital seemed to have returned to its normal hectic, eclectic mix of action.

(Via rashbre2.)

2005-07-30T13:11:00.000+01:00

Tiger upgrade poll results: "

Filed under: Cult of Mac, OS, Surveys and Polls

The results are in!

On July 14th, we asked you about your Tiger upgrade plans, and in the 12 days since more than 1,800 of you have taken the time to fill out our informal survey. Not surprisingly, TUAW readers have overwhelmingly chosen to make the jump: a whopping 76% of you have upgraded in the first three months. The bulk of the rest of you plan to upgrade before the end of the year, and those of you who haven't taken the plunge yet mostly like Panther's stability and are just waiting for Apple to get the bugs worked out of Tiger.

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Ads by Google

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

2005-07-30T13:10:00.001+01:00

ICE - In Case of Emergency: "

In view of the recent events in London, NHS East Anglian Ambulance Service have launched a national 'In Case of Emergency (ICE)' campaign in association with Vodafone's annual life savers award.

The simple idea is that you store the word 'ICE' in your mobile phone address book, and against it enter the number of the person you would want to be contacted 'In Case of Emergency'.

In an emergency situation, relevant personnel will be able to quickly find out who your next of kin are and be able to contact them. It's as simple as that, and for more than one contact name you can use ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc. There's more info on the ICE website.

(Via rashbre2.)

2005-07-30T13:10:00.000+01:00

Hybrid maps: "Google Maps now has a hybrid style which overlays satellite images with street map data. The two systems (street maps and satellite images) match up now, too, whereas on the last version they still looked different.

Here's my area in UK."

(Via rashbre2.)

2005-07-30T13:09:00.000+01:00

Stephanie Klein: "

Stephanie Klein's blog started out as a wau to get space in her life and to tell her friends what was happening. This post describes her thought processes about getting started.

The blog reflects Stephanie's return to single life in New York. She has also bagged a book deal for 'Straight up and Dirty' to be published in 2006 and that is based upon similar stories and observations. Stephanie is regarded as the Carrie Bradshaw of New York bloggers. According to Technorati, her Greek Tragedy blog ranks in the top 1% of all blogs, giving her instant name and face recognition in the New York area.

(Via rashbre2.)

apple iphone again

2005-06-18T10:17:00.000+01:00

Remember the first Apple iphone picture from iCreate?

Here is another one doing the internet rounds, which is in keeping with the new style iPods and has a flip out key pad modelled on iCalc.

The telephone companies want to make money from music downloads, whereas the traditional iPod is uploaded from the owner's CD music collection.

This makes the debate about listening to music via a phone rather convoluted because of the economic model used by the phone companies.

iWonder?

apple and nokia?

2005-06-18T09:53:00.000+01:00

Russell Beattie on Nokia and Apple: Who Approached Whom?: "

Filed under: Internet Tools, iPod Family, iTunes, Rumors

Today on his excellent blog, Russell Beattie thinks aloud about the recent news that Nokia would be getting a browser based on Apple's Safari OSS: 'What if it was actually Apple who approached Nokia about creating a new web browser based on their Safari OSS technology? Hey, now we have something for gossip, no? The situation then is that Apple has learned from past mistakes of relying on Motorola too tightly (think CPUs) and is looking around for other top-tier manufacturers to help them with their vision of the perfect mobile companion to OSX: the proverbial and mythical iPhone.'

This is total speculation, but it is fun speculation. Beattie goes on to speculate that 'the entire phone UI could be done on top of the browser. Super compelling UI with super easy to create apps which run on Apple and Nokia branded phones.' What do you think? Is this the first sign of the fabled iPhone to rival the iTunes support of the supposedly coming-forth-any-day-now Motorola iPhone, or merely another red herring?

Note: the pic in this post is not an actual iPhone.

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(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

apple->intel

2005-06-06T10:11:00.000+01:00

Apple will begin shipping Macs with Intel microprocessors next year, and plans to complete a full switch away from PowerPC by the end of 2007, CEO Steve Jobs announced today at his Worldwide Developers Conference keynote address in San Francisco.

The announcement had been widely reported over the weekend by CNET News.com and the Wall Street Journal, and this morning by the New York Times.

The move may come as a surprise for some users who remember Apple as the company that ran ads toasting Intel "bunnies." But at this morning's keynote, Jobs confirmed that Mac OS X has led a "secret double life" for the last five years where it has been developed simultaneously for PowerPC and Intel processors under a project called "Marklar."

Details of the Marklar project -- a code name Jobs confirmed publicly today -- were first reported in August 2002 by Ziff Davis Internet's Matthew Rothenberg and Think Secret's Nick dePlume, described as "a feature-complete version of Mac OS X running atop the x86 architecture." The story reported that "as [Apple] weighs the future of the Mac as a PowerPC platform, Marklar offers a relatively low-cost way of keeping the company's options open." Today in San Francisco, developers got the first sneak-peek of Marklar, which Jobs demonstrated on a Pentium 4 system, complete with iApps.

Other significant developments from today's keynote address:

- Road to Intel: Xcode 2.1 is available today supporting both PowerPC and Intel development, and the creation of "universal binaries" that run on both processors. Apple is encouraging developers to create the latter.

- Dashboard Widgets, scripts and Java code will require no work to run on Intel-based Macs, while Cocoa apps developed with Xcode will require a few days of porting work and must be recompiled to run. Carbon apps developed with Xcode will require a few weeks of work; apps developed with Metroworks CodeWarrior will need to be moved over to Xcode.

- Jobs also demonstrated Rosetta, which translates binaries on-the-fly to transparently run PowerPC code on Intel processors without any porting work.

- Apple is offering a developer transition kit for $999 within the next two weeks. The kit will include Intel compilers and a Mac driven by a 3.6GHz Pentium 4 processor.

- Adobe and Microsoft both publicly committed to compiling its software for Macs using Intel processors.

- The next major upgrade to Mac OS X is code-named "Leopard" and will be released in late 2006 or early 2007. No other details were revealed. Apple is on track to deliver two million copies of Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" to users by the end of this week.

2005-06-06T10:09:00.000+01:00

WWDC: Jobs discusses Intel, more on CNBC: "Following his keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, Apple CEO Steve Jobs appeared live on CNBC's 'Street Signs' where he discussed the company's announcement today that it will transition its processors to Intel."

(Via Think Secret.)

Essential Mac Freebies

2005-05-16T23:31:00.000+01:00

Essential Mac freebies: "

Firefox web browser
Tabbed, pop-up-blocking web browser is my pick over Safari solely because of its ever-expanding base of functionality-enhancing extensions.

TextWrangler text editor
Light and powerful plain text file editor for todo lists, web pages, code, scripts, whatever.

Quicksilver productivity tool
App launcher and shortcut software streamlines interaction with your Mac. Once you QS, you never look back!

Adium IM
Tabbed instant messenger client - multi-protocol support beats out iChat (on Panther.)

Gmail notifier
Tells you if you've got new Gmail right in the status bar.

Renamer utility
Renames multiple files based on search and replace criteria.

iTerm terminal
Replace Terminal with iTerm for tabbed sessions, bookmarkable logins, transparency and color coding.

Update: How could I have forgotten VLC media player? For all your digital movie-watching needs.

Windows users: see Essential Windows freebies.

(Via Lifehacker.)

Katie sings at VE 60

2005-05-09T22:53:00.000+01:00

VE Melua
Originally uploaded by rashbre.

We drove to Kensigton and then ambled through streets devoid of cars to Trafalgar Square for the VE 60 Party.

After a lone RAF Dakota flew over the square, Katie Melua sang "White Cliffs of Dover" to start the show.

2005-05-03T22:41:00.000+01:00

Apple releases new iMac G5 line: "

Apple today unveiled a new iMac G5 line with faster 2.0 GHz PowerPC G5 processors, built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth wireless connectivity and Mac OS X version 10.4 ‘Tiger,’ the latest version of the world’s most advanced operating system. The new iMac G5s also include faster graphics, a new 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support, built-in Gigabit Ethernet for faster networking, and 512MB of memory across the line. Every new iMac G5 comes with iLife ‘05, Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, making it the ultimate consumer desktop for today’s digital lifestyle.

(Via MacMegasite.)

tiger boxes

2005-05-02T23:06:00.000+01:00

tiger boxes
Originally uploaded by seanbonner.

Long weekend in Europe was an ideal time to get the Tiger on the prowl.

Solar Backpack for iPod and Phone

2005-05-02T22:56:00.000+01:00

O'Neill's H2 solar backpack: "

We’re not sure that it’s very fair of O’Neill to call their new H2 the first integrated solar backpack, but it is one of the nicer ones. Not only does it rock USB-based charging of devices, it’s also got extensive iPod integration not only via a control panel in the left shoulder strap, but also via its integrated Bluetooth module, which connects to a mic system in the straps—when you get a phone call, the H2 will automatically pause your iPod and put it through.

(Via Engadget.)

Bill Gates plays games at WinHec

2005-05-02T22:22:00.000+01:00

The Engadget Interview: Bill Gates, Pt. 1: "

We couldn’t pin him down for as long as we’d have liked, but Bill sat down with us at last week’s Windows Hardware Engineering Conference for a one-on-one. The clock ran out before we were able to ask him about Portable Media Center, what smartphone he uses, and of course, getting knighted (among other things), but we were able to rap withhim about the launch of the next Xbox console, whether or not Microsoft is going to come out with a competitorfor the PlayStation Portable, and the future of Windows Mobile (plus lots more in part 2, which goes up
tomorrow):

Thanks for taking the time to meet with me today. First off I wanted to ask you about the next Xbox console,
which is arguably going to be the biggest Microsoft launch of the year. Why launch the console on MTV as opposed to E3?
Do you risk alienating the original Xbox’s audience of hardcore gamers by going mass market from day one?

I’m going to call it Xenon, that’s the codename for the thing; Xenon is good enough that we’ll have no problem.Hardcore gamers are going to love Xenon because of the applications that are on Xenon. And it’s not just the technicalspecs. It’s the partnership we have with the game creators and we’re going to have this next generation machine out sothat it’s going to be timed with high definition becoming very mainstream.

We’ve learned a lot from Xbox 1. In Xbox 1 we let ourselves sort of be second in and to not have the momentum. We hadto learn a lot about building the partnerships. We’re new to the industry so people naturally didn’t know if we werehardcore committed to the thing. We’ve really gotten over that now and so it’s been a lot easier this time around, butwe want to broaden video gaming, and without giving up any of the hardcore players we want more women, older people [tobe playing games]. We’re going to have games that are more sociable, more approachable, particularly by taking thisidea of Xbox Live and bringing in contests and spectators and ratings and talking to your friends and various new things there we think we can make it much bigger category than it’s ever been to date. That is important for us.

When the original Xbox came out it was widely thought that the inclusion of a hard drive is what gave the
console a competitive edge over the PlayStation 2 and the GameCube. What is going to be the next Xbox’s competitive
edge? Even though the PlayStation 3 is debuting later, it seems likely to include more advanced components like a
Blu-ray drive.

That’ll be interesting to see. Sony is sort of committed to that, but if you look at the cost and complexities and timing of that, we’ll have to see. With the Xbox, remember what we’re delivering is the experience, and so when you have better tools, better software, and this better live experience where all your friends are up there on Live, that’s where you can connect to them and compete with them, it’s going to be pretty phenomenal. We want to have the best experience there, and we obviously saw with something like Halo 2 that when you get the pieces together it’s amazing the phenomena you can create around that.

How is the next Xbox going to fit into the rest of Microsoft’s home entertainment strategy? Will it be able to double as a digital entertainment hub?

I’m not sure what you mean by the word hub there. Often we would think of the Media Center PC as being the hub and then the living room being able to connect up to all the music on the PCs in the house, all the photos on the PCs in
the house, and having remote display capabilities so that if you’ve got video up on that PC, then great you can watch
it, connect to it, set up to record it right with a remote control in the living room. So the high-end scenario for us
is you’ve got Media Center PC, that’s where your state is, but then you’ve got your Xenon out that are connecting up to that. Xenon itself will have some neat capabilities, but we’re in pre-introduction here, and that group is brilliant about the unveiling. They’ve been very coy up ‘til this point and I wouldn’t want to steal any of their thunder.

But what if someone doesn’t have a Media Center PC, will the Xbox have some of that same
functionality?

It won’t be a Media Center PC, so there’s some things you won’t be able to do. You’ll be able to do a lot of media things including storing music, playing music, connect up your player. There’s an overall media vision, and we certainly see households that just have Xenons in them, and we see households that have normal PCs and Xenons, and we see households that have media center PCs and Xenons. We’re going to make all those do what you’d expect.

Have you had a chance to play with the PlayStation portable?

Actually yeah. Because we both work with Sony and compete with Sony, Kutaragi and Idei were here some months ago, and
they sent me one even before it was in the marketplace. We’re not in that segment of the business. I don’t know if he would have done the same with the PS3, but so he sent a PSP and that was very nice.

I know that in the past you’ve indicated that Microsoft wasn’t planning to introduce a competitor into the portable gaming space, but has your position changed at all? What would make Microsoft get into portable
gaming?

Right now our entertainment group is veryfocused on Xenon and doing an absolutely fantastic job on Xenon, and it’s very exciting to see how that is coming together. In the portable space you have to think of okay what will the phone become over time. The phone sort of trumps everything. It trumps media players, it trumps cameras, it trumps GPS-mapping devices, digital wallets, and even entertainment. And obviously we’re in the phone software space. We have partners who build the hardware there. And soI’m not sure that you’ll ever see us do something that’s a game-only device. I think you’ll see us do flavors of the phone that are better for gaming and have an affinity to PC gaming and Xenon gaming, but and we’re doing a bit of that now. Nothing dramatic. We see a generation of phones coming that really can do this without too much compromising being available in the two to four year time frame. So at least in that sense we’ll roll out some portable gaming. Right now we don’t see a dedicated device on our road map.

The next version of Windows Mobile is due out later this year, what is Microsoft going to do to overtake
Symbian as the dominant operating system for smartphones?

You really wouldn’t say Symbian, they’re really just an ingredient provider to a few people. You really have to say Nokia, because they’re the ones who take that and add a bunch of things to it and change it, who create a user
interface around it. Really you can say it either way. If you ask our mobile phone guys, when they do a comparison, they’re comparing what Nokia’s getting in the market, and what Treo [palmOne], and RIM are getting into the marketplace. They look at those end products and think of those services. Obviously there’s a business market where connecting up to Office and Outlook is a very big deal and as we’re making Office better we can have the phone evolve—essentially what’s the best Outlook in the phone… we ought to be able to do a really great job of that. You also have down in the consumer space this idea that as you get camera features in and data browsing in it plays much more to our strengths. It’s much more of a software device, and so setting it up so that every photo you take just shows up on your MSN Space without any work, or everything you’ve got on the phone just shows up on your PC in a simple way.

You mention the consumer space, but so far there hasn’t been much emphasis on hardware running Windows Mobileas consumer-centric devices. It seems like so far it’s positioned almost entirely towards business users. Is Windows Mobile 2005 going to be more consumer-friendly?

Our mobile phone strategy includes consumer up to business users. It’s fair to say that we’ve sold a lot more to thebusiness user. It’s very typical for Microsoft, we anticipated hardware getting more powerful and so we hit a high hardware design point. For example saying, ‘Hey, let’s go for 32-bit.’ And then we couldn’t even run on the 16-bit devices. Now everything we require [in terms of specs] is coming down into the consumer price point. So, yes, in terms of getting a high share of the volume that we’re ambitious over time to get we need to have consumer phones and business phones.

The taxonomy isn’t going to stay so static, where those are so isolated. Remember the PC; part of its beauty is that when you go home you use the same interface that you use at business, and so you can do your family planning while you’re in the business, you can do your work while you’re at home.

With phones over time you won’t have to think, okay the trade-ups are just to make this a business device or just to
consumer device. And some of the really interesting stuff, like where you take a photo and it recognizes that that’s a
sign you want translated or that’s an address you want to see a map related to, or it’s an expense report so you just OCR it and get it into expense software.

The kind of automatic behavior that can come out of deep software running on the phone, that plays to our strength. I’d say the same thing to you about the phone as the video game. Why did we get into video games? Because we saw a huge software component in tools, run times, and applications. Likewise on phones we’re able to get our partners’ hardware capability from many different partners— Motorola, Samsung, a lot of companies around Asia—and then we bring the connection to Office, the connection to the PC into of that.

So we’re just at the beginning of our mobile phone thing, because speech recognition, visual recognition, and data is just beginning to be a meaningful thing in terms of phone usage. Mail, yes. That’s started. But data is just getting reasonably priced.

But how do you get Windows Mobile to that mass market acceptance? Does the interface have to become dramatically more simple, more intuitive for people who don’t necessarily need the expanded capabilities a business user or power-user looks for? If I gave my mom the Audiovox SMT 5600 I think she’d probably have some trouble figuring everything out.

Well, automatic provisioning is a very good thing for all user classes, not just consumers. And so we will do that for
all user classes. In fact, in some cases sometimes you’ll want to actually go to a PC and pick your preferences and
things like that and then have that just show up on the phone. So you could do it. If you want to help her you could do
that on your PC. There’s a lot of simplicity, but I don’t see that as only a consumer thing. There’s no nothing inherent about Windows Mobile that impedes us in anyway from competing for the full spectrum of phone users. These phones are rich 32-bit data-oriented and you want to connect up to the Internet and the PC so that plays to our
strength.

Is the goal to have a Windows Mobile phone in every pocket just like the goal is to have a Windows PC on every
desk?

Well there’ll always be tons of operating systems. There’ll always be tons of software stacks in mobile phones. We’re trying to make the best software we can and we have no shortage of ideas where we can make that phone way better than it is today.

What comes after Windows Mobile 2005? Is it just further refinement and evolution of the
platform?

When you get visual recognition in there is that an evolution? When you get speech recognition in there is that an
evolution? When you get the kind of mapping GPS stuff that’s so powerful? When you get the ‘Are my friends near me, then notify me’ type of stuff? There’s so much happening in that mobile phone space that we’ve had to get super reliability, super testing stuff, get the foundation, get the credibility.

I’d say in some ways the mobile phone space is a little bit like Xbox, where it took many years to get the foundation and get the credibility where you’ve got hardware relationships, where you’ve got higher ARPU on your device and you can show you’re connecting up to different things, and so we’re poised now with the phone thing to have more of an impact.

(Via Engadget.)

Tiger Feet

2005-05-01T17:59:00.000+01:00

I'll be posting cam phone images to my flickr account from the Tiger launch at The Apple Store at The Grove. Good times.

TrackBack (0) | Comments (6)

Comments on this Entry:

(lisa on
Apr 29, 2005 11:38 PM)
Wait a sec. Those people are waiting in line for an operating system? I just don't get Mac users...

(Ataki on
Apr 30, 2005 7:12 AM)
The best part is they're lining up at the wrong store.

(tammara on
Apr 30, 2005 11:33 AM)
I'm always amazed at line thing....why not just order it online and get it next week...or wait a month. Geez...I guess some people just have too much time on their hands.

(sean bonner on
Apr 30, 2005 11:49 AM)
Few justifications..

At it's longest point the line took abolut 5 minutes, and at the end of the line were scratch off cards with chances to win stuff. While I was there someone won a powerbook, and 2 people won iPods. I'd say that's worth waiting 5 minutes for...

(What th--? on
Apr 30, 2005 12:00 PM)
Ah yes, the perennial online insult: Too Much Time On Their Hands. 'I don't get what you're doing so you have too much time on your hands.' Usually posted on blogs. Ha!

If you're on the intarweb, you have too much time on your hands. Get over yourself.

(5000! on
Apr 30, 2005 12:10 PM)
>I'm always amazed at line thing....why not just order it online and get it next week...or wait a month. Geez...
>I guess some people just have too much time on their hands.

I was there too, and I second Sean's comments. The line really moved pretty fast and there was a pretty decent chance to win stuff. And even if you didn't win, you at least got a 10% discount on your total purchase which saved me $200 on my new tower.

Plus, it's just fun. Everybody's been to a film on opening night. That's not exactly the easiest way to see a film, but I doubt that you're waiting for everything to come out on DVD before you see it.

(Via Metroblogging Los Angeles.)

i link, therefore i am

2005-05-01T13:57:00.000+01:00

MediaDailyNews reports that a man has died of starvation because he was addicted to commenting on blogs and forums and couldn't be bothered to eat. From I Link, Therefore I am:

'He was glued to his computer 24/7,' (his wife) said tearfully. 'He was so afraid he was going to miss an opportunity to contribute a comment or start a discussion, that he just stopped eating.' She added that Wanamaker's last words were 'OK Picard, stick that in your pipe and smoke it...'

We are sure that this article is a joke, but we at Blogger would like to take this opportunity to remind you to grab a sandwich (or at least some Funyuns ^®) now and again while you are blogging."

(Via Blogger Buzz.)

Playing with the Tiger

2005-05-01T12:56:00.000+01:00

Everyone else is playing with the Tiger and so the sites providing Widgets and Dashboard components are all overloaded. USA is awake now and this could also be part of the phenomenom

The Tiger is Fine

2005-05-01T12:53:00.000+01:00

Everything is working on two powerbooks. A far less traumatic upgrade than some from PCs in the past.

A better dashboard

2005-05-01T12:05:00.003+01:00

We've got the best Dashboard links and we're sharing them with you.

(Via Journals.ars.)

Midday in the Tiger line

2005-05-01T12:05:00.002+01:00

The day is waning on. I wish I could go home and play with the Tiger. Here's some links to hold everyone over for a while."

(Via Journals.ars.)

iger

2005-05-01T12:05:00.001+01:00

Fix the icons in Mail 2.0 and then go read a book: "Who's idea was it to make the toolbar icons in Mail 2.0 like they are? Cagefighter tries to return us to a sense of normalcy."

(Via Journals.ars.)

2005-05-01T12:05:00.000+01:00

G5s see performance boost in Tiger...: "for tests on performance speeds in Tiger vs. Panther on a G5. According to the author, who quotes Apple, any app that uses the 'system math functions' will get a nice boost in performance in Tiger."

(Via Journals.ars.)

2005-05-01T12:04:00.004+01:00

Techworld gives a sneak peak of Longhorn's powerful metadata, search, tagging and visualisation technology.: "Jim Allchin, Microsoft's Platform chief, gives everyone a peak under the hood of Longhorn's new search technologies."

(Via Journals.ars.)

2005-05-01T12:04:00.003+01:00

The new and improved help browser in Tiger: "The help browser used to be one of the most reviled applications that shipped with OS X (besides the Finder). Tiger brings even more 'snappy' and some cool updates."

(Via Journals.ars.)

2005-05-01T12:04:00.002+01:00

Airport UI updated in 10.4 Tiger, new PDF workflow tools: "Apple's been working on the finer details in 10.4 (in most places, lets not talk about the Finder)"

(Via Journals.ars.)

2005-05-01T12:04:00.001+01:00

Daring Fireball is compiling a user-submitted list of Tiger details: "John Gruber runs a great Apple and OS X based website and is putting together a list of Tiger details based on user submissions."

(Via Journals.ars.)

2005-05-01T12:04:00.000+01:00

MacWorld has an "exclusive" review of Mac OS 10.4: "Can someone please tell Macworld that at least 50 other people reviewed Tiger before they even hit 'Post' in their CMS?"

(Via Journals.ars.)

2005-05-01T12:03:00.000+01:00

Tiger odds and ends: "How to edit smart folders manually, execute raw spotlight queries from the Finder, looking up words with a keystroke."

(Via Journals.ars.)

2005-05-01T10:40:00.002+01:00

Put a Tiger in Your Mac: "The new version of Apple's operating system, Tiger, is due out Friday. Wired News' Daniel Terdiman got an unofficial sneak preview."

(Via Wired News: Cult of Mac.)

2005-05-01T10:40:00.001+01:00

Mac Fans Drooling Over Tiger: "Apple is poised to release one of the biggest updates yet to its Mac OS X operating system. Some fans can hardly wait. By Daniel Terdiman."

(Via Wired News: Cult of Mac.)

2005-05-01T10:40:00.000+01:00

Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright: "Apple fans flock to release parties in major cities for the new Mac OS X Tiger. Some folks just have to be the first to own a new product. Daniel Terdiman reports from San Francisco."

(Via Wired News: Cult of Mac.)

2005-05-01T10:37:00.000+01:00

How to safely upgrade your Mac to Tiger: "If you're spending the day awaiting the moment a brand spankin' new copy of OS X Tiger gets into your upgrade-crazy hands, give this MacFixIt Special Report on how to prepare for the upgrade a read. I know, you're excited,..."

(Via Lifehacker.)

2005-05-01T10:26:00.000+01:00

Tiger screenshots inside: "Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger is now up and running on my 1 GHz PowerBook Titanium. It's nice, and it's fast. :)

Click here for more Tiger screenshots.

--- This is a summary of the article content only. ---"

(Via Everything Apple.)

2005-05-01T10:20:00.001+01:00

Ars Technica posts comprehensive Tiger review: "Ars Technica has posted a very comprehensive review of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, written by their Apple specialist, John Siracusa. It may be too detailed for some, but if you want to get deep into the guts of Apple's new OS, John's article is highly recommended.

--- This is a summary of the article content only. ---"

(Via Everything Apple.)

2005-05-01T10:20:00.000+01:00

Apple posts HD H.264 trailers and video clips: "Apple has posted a new high definition video webpage with several trailers and video clips in HD. These clips have resolutions of up to 1280x720 which should provide stellar image quality. Full 1920x1080 HD clips are also available for download.

--- This is a summary of the article content only. ---"

(Via Everything Apple.)

2005-05-01T08:41:00.000+01:00

Tiger Happy: "

It’s been just over 24 hours since I installed Tiger on the powerbook so I thought it was about time I pasted some random thoughts up here.

Everything certainly feels more zippy, but that may also be due to the fact I did a clean install and my previous system had seen some incredibly strong experimentation over the past year.

Safari is definitely faster, it’s the absolutely best web browsing experience I’ve had yet. Yes, even compared to a heavily tweaked firefox. The built-in RSS reader feels like a gadget or last-minute add-on; you can, however, define an external feed reader and NetNewsWire keeps that honour for me. The RSS screen saver feature had me amused for a while though.

Mail also feels faster. The interface, as many people seem to agree on, is a step backwards (cleanup hacks are already available). An interesting new feature for people forced to interact with the corporate world is that you can now talk to exchange servers, meaning I can hopefully retire that horribly bloated Entourage for work-related email. I’ll check that out on Monday as I no longer have VPN access due to Cisco not being ready with a Tiger-compatible client yet.

I was never impressed with widget systems like Konfabulator and can’t say I was awaiting Dashboard with bated breath, but I can see potential there. TailDash has already found a home on my desktop and I’m playing with some widget ideas of my own.

You’ll have noticed that several widgets come pre-installed, one of them is a small weather forecast panel. Here’s a tip: it correctly guesses your city from the system settings; however, it seems to assume everyone lives in the good old US of A. The default setting for Brussels is actually pulling weather for Brussels, Illinois and I’ll bet our neighbours in Paris are getting Texas or Arkansas forecasts. So if your local forecast looks strange, check the location settings.

Spotlight is great for searching inside documents and the finder integration is really neat but I’ll stick to Quicksilver for the rest. It’s faster and more powerful.

Automator is the gem in this release. I’ve only scratched the surface and my workflow has already improved. User-contributed actions are already pouring in.

And if you’re into Ruby on Rails, a Tiger installer is on its way.

Last but not least, this is the first OS upgrade where hardware specifications have reduced the features available to me. Granted, these features aren’t critical (visual effects in Dashboard, multi-party videoconferencing, high-definition quicktime,...) but the time to upgrade may be approaching.

(Via one.point.zero.)

2005-05-01T08:05:00.001+01:00

Feature: Searching in the Spotlight: "The box for OS X 10.4 features Apple’s X logo bathed in a spotlight. It’s no coincidence—the new Spotlight search technology is at the center of this OS upgrade.
"

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-05-01T08:05:00.000+01:00

Feature: The inbox makeover: "The key to managing important e-mail messages is to evaluate each one for the response it requires and then quickly convert that evaluation into action. What follows is one such system.
"

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-05-01T08:04:00.000+01:00

Feature: Expanding your chats: "With Tiger, Apple has upgraded iChat AV with the ability to set up multi-person video and audio chats. But there’s more to this latest version of OS X’s built-in instant messaging software than the prospect of having more than one person staring back at you in video chats. Jason Snell has the details.
"

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-05-01T08:03:00.004+01:00

Feature: Surfing with Safari, Tiger-Style: "The latest version of Safari adds RSS features to Apple’s Web browser. But, as Dan Frakes explains, those aren’t the only changes to Safari that Tiger has introduced.
"

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-05-01T08:03:00.003+01:00

Feature: Sharpening the picture: "The latest update to OS X also brings a new version of QuickTime. The biggest enhancement is the addition of the H.264 video codec, but there are other notable changes as well.
"

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-05-01T08:03:00.002+01:00

Feature: Overhauling the inbox: "A new version of Tiger brings a new version of the built-in Mail application. And Apple has taken great care to integrate OS X 10.4’s Spotlight search technology into the e-mail client.
"

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-05-01T08:03:00.001+01:00

Feature: Adding to the Core: "Much like the Core Audio and Core MIDI changes introduced in Panther, OS X 10.4 adds a technology of its own—Core Image. Find out what this will mean to the graphics you’ll see in future software.
"

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-05-01T08:03:00.000+01:00

Feature: Exploring under the hood: "While it doesn’t have the cool factor of things like Automator and Spotlight, the Unix plumbing in Mac OS X has gotten just as much attention in Mac OS X 10.4, and has as many changes in store for technical users as the user-interface improvements.
"

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-05-01T08:02:00.000+01:00

Feature: Delegating the grunt work: "Think of Automator, one of the new features added in Tiger, as one of those 21st-century robots you used to see in old cartoons—it’s a user-friendly application designed to tackle the repetitive tasks you don’t have time to do yourself. Jason Snell explains.
"

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-05-01T08:01:00.001+01:00

Feature: Software we can’t work without: "Do you have an app that makes your Mac experience unbelievably better? Here’s the lineup of programs that the panel of experts from our ‘Secrets of Mac Superheroes’ series fires up every day on their own machines.
"

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-05-01T08:01:00.000+01:00

News: Survey: Mac Users Ready for Tiger: "As Tiger arrives on retail shelves across the country, Mac users appear to be eagerly awaiting the OS X update, according to a survey of the Macworld Reader Panel. The majority of the 1,894 readers surveyed say that they are very likely to buy the Tiger update, with roughly half planning to purchase it within the next two months. Also, reader attitudes toward OS X 10.4 have become more favorable since a similar poll was conducted following last year's Worldwide Developer Conference debut of Tiger."

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-05-01T08:00:00.000+01:00

Mac 911: Weather or not: "Going nowhere? Use Tiger’'s Weather widget to learn how to dress."

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-04-30T23:14:00.001+01:00

Tiger's Core Data Draws Developers: "eWeek: ‘As Apple Computer Inc. rolls out Mac OS X 10.4 by touting over 200 updated features, one new element of the operating system—Core Data—is generating a lot interest among developers. In fact, most Mac users will never notice Core Data’s existence.’"

(Via Ranchero.)

2005-04-30T23:14:00.000+01:00

dashLicious: "dashLicious is a Dashboard widget that ‘implements a post to your del.icio.us account on the fabulous web service created by Joshua Schachter. dashLicious is optimised for Safari and NetNewsWire users. When you enter into the dashboard dashLicious will automatically populate the url and description fields from either Safari or NetNewsWire (and will allow you to toggle between the two inputs).’"

(Via Ranchero.)

2005-04-30T23:13:00.000+01:00

The Tiger Details List: "

I’m compiling a list of observations and interesting details about Mac OS X 10.4, and I’m looking for submissions from readers.

(Via Daring Fireball.)

2005-04-30T23:08:00.000+01:00

iPod Shuffle alien autopsy: "" border="0" align="right" />

Post-industrial designer Daniel Kushner performs an iPod Shuffle alien autopsy, popping the top, bottom, and everything in between off his shiny new iPod Shuffle. Not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.

Buy from Amazon |
Discuss this story"

(Via MobileWhack.)

2005-04-30T23:02:00.000+01:00

RIP the IBM PC Aug 1981--Dec 2004 Phenomenon or Phoenix: "So IBM has left the PC market, lock, stock, and keyboard, while Apple carries on. Is this an end or the beginning of a new partnership?"

(Via The Northern Spy.)

2005-04-30T22:27:00.000+01:00

Revealed: New Power Mac G5, iMac G5, eMac Specs: "Highly reliable sources have confirmed the specifications of Apple's forthcoming revisions to its Power Mac G5, iMac G5 and eMac systems, expected to start shipping within a few days of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger's April 29th release."

(Via Think Secret.)

2005-04-30T15:48:00.002+01:00

Feature: Giving OS X a voice: "VoiceOver, a built-in screen reader, highlights the improvements to accessibility features in OS X 10.4.
"

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-04-30T15:48:00.001+01:00

News: TidBits releases four Tiger-themed eBooks: "TidBits Electronic Publishing, which produces the popular TidBits online newsletter, released a spate of Tiger-related electronic books Friday to coincide with Apple's release of OS X 10.4. All four books, part of TidBits' Take Control ebook series, are available for download immediately."

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-04-30T15:48:00.000+01:00

iTunes Mobile 1.0 slated for June, iTunes 4.8 Mac/Win expected soon: "Apple is currently on track to finish up the first version of its iTunes software for mobile phones, dubbed iTunes Mobile 1.0 by June. Meanwhile, iTunes 4.8 is expected for Mac and Windows within the next two weeks."

(Via Think Secret.)

2005-04-30T15:47:00.001+01:00

Briefly: Additional Power Mac G5 notes; Tiger GM emerges: "Following up our Thursday report, sources have provided additional details regarding the pending Power Mac G5 update. Also, a copy of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger GM was leaked to ripping groups over the weekend, signaling that copies of the highly anticipated OS upgrade may end up in the hands of thousands of users before its official release."

(Via Think Secret.)

2005-04-30T15:47:00.000+01:00

Briefly: New systems, Apple Remote Desktop, iTunes Music Stores due this week: "Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, new Macs, an updated version of Apple Remote Desktop, and five new countries with iTunes Music Stores round out this week's expected Apple announcements."

(Via Think Secret.)

2005-04-30T15:46:00.000+01:00

Apple Trademarks 'Jam Box': "MacOSXRumors notes that Apple has recently (April 18th) filed for trademark on 'Jam Box' computer hardware; computer software; computer peripherals, n..."

(Via MacRumors.)

2005-04-30T15:45:00.002+01:00

Apple bumps Power Mac line, cuts LCD prices: "Apple Computer today updated its line of Power Mac desktop computers, offering a new top-of-the-line model that sports dual 2.7-GHz G5 processors, a new graphics card from ATI and a new 16x SuperDrive that can burn data to double-layer DVDs."

(Via Computerworld Macintosh News.)

2005-04-30T15:45:00.001+01:00

Mac OS X Tiger: All roads lead to Spotlight: "The new search technology built into Mac OS X 10.4 is expected to be one of the major selling points of Apple's new operating system, which goes on sale Friday night."

(Via Computerworld Macintosh News.)

2005-04-30T15:45:00.000+01:00

Apple posts Tiger Dashboard Widgets, Automator Actions,...: "Apple posts Tiger Dashboard Widgets, Automator Actions, Spotlight plugins"

(Via AccelerateYourMac News Headlines.)

2005-04-30T15:44:00.001+01:00

Apple Computer's Mac OS X 'Tiger' Now on Sale: "http://images.apple.com/pr/products/images/ref_tiger_box.jpg"

(Via ActiveMac.)

2005-04-30T15:44:00.000+01:00

Ten Shareware Developers Release Tiger Updates, Tiger-Specific Utilities: "The flood of software updates crested on Friday as ten shareware developers released upgrades that brought Mac OS X v10.4 ‘Tiger’ compatibility to their applications. More will continue to trickle in during the coming weeks as the floodwaters recede, but here’s the round-up of companies that issued updates just as the new OS was hitting store shelves. In addition, a couple published utilities that run only in Tiger."

(Via ActiveMac.)

2005-04-30T15:43:00.000+01:00

Apple sets Tiger free on public: "Apple is due to unveil the fourth update to its OS X operating system, dubbed Tiger."

(Via BBC News | TECHNOLOGY.)

2005-04-30T15:42:00.000+01:00

Apple sets Tiger free on public: "Apple is due to unveil the fourth update to its OS X operating system, dubbed Tiger."

(Via BBC News | TECHNOLOGY.)

2005-04-30T15:35:00.002+01:00

Tiger merits major media approval: "The world's biggest media companies offer Apple Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' debut positive acclaim."

(Via Macworld UK News.)

2005-04-30T15:35:00.001+01:00

Apple Store Birmingham first pictures: "An excited crowd is already in position waiting for Apple's second UK store to open up for business."

(Via Macworld UK News.)

2005-04-30T15:35:00.000+01:00

Tiger tunes get iMixed up: "Vote for the Tiger themed iMix."

(Via Macworld UK News.)

2005-04-30T15:34:00.002+01:00

Apple serves up .Mac 3: "New features and tighter system-level integration to tempt Tiger users to the subscription service."

(Via Macworld UK News.)

2005-04-30T15:34:00.001+01:00

Apple's Tiger stalks Windows market: "Unleashing Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger could help Apple win over the masses from Microsoft Windows, according to industry experts."

(Via Macworld UK News.)

2005-04-30T15:34:00.000+01:00

Triumph of Tiger - Macworld's exclusive review of Mac OS X 10.4: "So you have your copy of Tiger - and now what? Based on an exclusive hands-on test of the final version, here's a special guide to what you should do, and expect, from the newest version of Apple's operating system."

(Via Macworld UK News.)

2005-04-30T15:33:00.001+01:00

970MP - Still Coming?: "ThinkSecret notes that while the most recent PowerMac revision still sports 970FX processors -- Apple/IBM are still anticipating 970MP based machines ..."

(Via MacRumors.com Page 2.)

2005-04-30T15:33:00.000+01:00

Apple Relaunches Download Area for Tiger: "Apple also revised their Mac OS X Download area on their website in anticipation of the Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger launch later today.

The redesigned area..."

(Via MacRumors.)

2005-04-30T15:32:00.000+01:00

Apple offers treats for Tiger users: "Now that Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger has been released into the wild, many users are looking for things to do with their new operating system..."

(Via MacMinute.)

2005-04-30T15:31:00.001+01:00

.Mac awakens from maintenance with Tiger feature infusion: ".Mac members will want to check out .Mac's new look and try out the new features and Tiger tutorials that have been added to Apple's online service.

Information syncing has been given a big boost with the addition of Keychain passwords and Mac OS X Mail preferences (including accounts, rules, signatures and Smart Mailboxes) allowing users to carry information across all the Macs under their command.

Also new to .Mac is Address Book sharing which allows multiple users to access and edit the same address book.

Users with .Mac Mail Aliases will now be able to access them from Tiger's Mail app.

Members only Dashboard widgets are promised in the near future."

(Via MacMerc.)

2005-04-30T15:31:00.000+01:00

New Tiger download area: "

Apple has redesigned their Mac OS X Downloads for Tiger with new sections for Dashboard Widgets, Automator Actions, and Spotlight plugins.

(Via MacMegasite.)

2005-04-30T15:30:00.000+01:00

Tiger Notes: "

I've been running the final developer seed of Tiger for several weeks and now that it's released I can talk about it without invoking Apple's wrath. Here are some of my favorite features and a few tips.

(Via MacMegasite.)

2005-04-30T15:29:00.001+01:00

News: Crowds for Tiger release anything but tame: "Mac users descended upon Apple Stores from coast-to-coast Friday to be among the first to get their hands on Tiger. We've got reports from the New York and San Francisco Apple Stores on OS X 10.4's debut."

(Via MacCentral.)

2005-04-30T15:29:00.000+01:00

(Via MacCentral.)