Apple puts MobileMe on Vista, XP, mirrors Safari push...

Apple has quietly slipped a MobileMe preference pane into Windows Vista, and allegedly on some versions of XP, for users who have the latest version of iTunes installed on their computers. Blogger Steve Clayton notes that while exploring Vista's Control Panel, a MobileMe preference pane was found at the very bottom, even though he is not an existing MobileMe customer. Users who wish to use the latest versions of Nike+ gear or iPhone/iPod touch 2.0 are required to have iTunes 7.7.

NovaMind Platinum adds screenwriting module...

Project Wizards on Friday unveiled a new screenwriting module with NovaMind Platinum, allowing film producers to accurately capture film ideas during planning stages, while simultaneously linking the Mind Map to a script. NovaMind can now use industry standard screenplay formatting options, with several configurable and automatic functions built in, such as text completions for movie elements, and sentence casing of dialog or actions. ProjectWizards is selling NovaMind Platinum for $250.

Games, entertainment dominate App Store charts...

Games and other forms of entertainment are currently dominating in popularity at the App Store, according to new data. Mobile advertiser Medialets says it has been keeping track of the store's metrics, specifically a combination of downloads, scores, and number of ratings. Top on the list of paid apps is Sega's Super Monkey Ball, an iPhone edition of the popular GameCube title. Most of the other titles in the top 10 are games as well, including Texas Hold'em, Enigmo and Solitaire.

Yamaha launches the YDS-11SL iPod dock...

Yamaha has launched the YDS-11SL iPod dock, which allows users to play the digital music stored on their iPods via their home theater system. The dock is made to connect to Yamaha's receivers as well as the company's YSP-3050 speaker bar, providing full control via the home theater electronics maker's remote. The iPod screen comes up on users' video displays via Yamaha's On-Screen Display visual interface.

Radio Shack trialing Apple-like stores...

Radio Shack is experimenting with stores that will closely follow the designer look of Apple's locations, according to an investment note by Deutsche Bank analyst Mike Baker. While not describing the stores visually, the researcher says the electronics shop will try out three stores that mirror the "look and feel" of Apple's stores and will focus more closely on cellphones, carrying touchscreen devices from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. The stores would appear in non-mall, upscale locations.

Apple limits MacBook shipments to Best Buy, others...

Rumors are swirling about new MacBooks and MacBook Pros, with recent reports of increased notebook circuit board orders and limited shipments to Best Buy over the next two weeks. Intel's introduction Monday of its new Centrino 2 platform has been considered the last hurdle in the race to new MacBooks, which were rumored for a possible WWDC introduction in June before Intel delayed the Centrino 2 launch.

Apple wins 4 2008 IDEA Awards, XO OLPC earns 2...

The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and BusinessWeek magazine on Thursday announced the winners of the 2008 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA). IDSA has been recognizing design excellence in products from around the globe, including environmental frendliness, packaging, and strategy, among others, since 1980. This year, 17 categories were included, and designs from student took the most trophies ever, taking 16 percent of all the awards and 6 of the 35 gold prizes.

First Look: Adeona, open-source laptop tracking...

If you have a MacBook (or MacBook Pro), you know how convenient it can be to pack it up and take it with you. Unfortunately, the small size and weight of a Mac notebook also makes it a prime target for thieves. Short of locking down your Mac with a metal cable wherever you go, the next best defense for your notebook may be a special tracking program such as Adeona.

Forums: new MBPs, MobileMe, iPhone games,...

Forum roundup: Rumors about the possibility of new MacBook Pro models have MacNN forum goers discussing upgrade possibilities and most users expect to see new models arriving in anywhere from two weeks, to right after the start of the new school year. With all the problems surrounding the release of MoblieMe, Apple has announced a free automatic 30-day extension to the MobileMe service for current subscribers much to the delight of some of our forum users.

NVIDIA slips GeForce 9700M, 9800M video...

NVIDIA today quietly published details for its two highest-end GeForce 9M series notebook graphics chips following leaks by PC makers. The 9800M line is now NVIDIA's flagship and is much closer to desktop-class graphics than the earlier 9600M; the top-end 9800M GTX has 112 effects processors that compares closely to the 128 of the desktop 9800, suiting it to desktop replacement portables and very compact desktops. It runs at 500MHz at its core with a 1.9GHz effective memory speed.

Legg Mason sides with Yahoo management...

One of Yahoo's largest shareholders has declared its support for existing management, according to an announcement. Legg Mason Capital Management, which owns 60.7 million shares (4.4 percent) of Yahoo stock, has declared its intentions to vote in favor of Yahoo's current bosses at next month's critical shareholder meeting. "We believe the current Board acted with care and diligence when evaluating Microsoft's [acquisition] offers," reads a statement from Legg Mason chairman Bill Miller.

Apple deals: MacBook Air, Pro, iMac, more...

Currently the Apple store is offering refurbished MacBook Air models in three configurations. Prices start at $1,499 for the 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo model with 2GB of RAM and 80GB PATA hard drive; next is the 1.8GHz model with 2GB of RAM and 80GB PATA hard drive for $1,699 and finally the 1.8GHz model with 2GB of RAM and 60GB solid-state drive for $2,299. All three models have 13.3-inch glossy widescreen displays and include built-in wireless, Bluetooth, iSight webcam and multi-touch track pad.

Sony Ericsson sales drop, iPhone to hurt sales...

Sony Ericsson on Friday reported spring quarterly results that confirm a continued drop in the company's influence. The cellphone designer today said it has largely met its lowered predictions and shipped 24.4 million phones between April and June, or a two percent drop from the same season a year earlier. Net income for the company was also near-flat at the equivalent of $9.5 million, while the firm also warned that the average selling price for one of its phones dropped from approximately $198 to $184.

PDO ships TopSkin for 3G, announces power gear...

Accessory maker PDO has confirmed that its TopSkin case for the iPhone 3G, first announced in late June, is now shipping. The case uses a form-fitting, translucent design, and provides openings to key areas such as the camera, touchscreen, vibrate button and microphone. Black, blue, pink and white colors are being sold for $20.

Panasonic develops Digital Wall surface computer...

Panasonic is working on a wall-mounted surface computer with an enormous touchscreen. What the company aptly calls the Digital Wall is reportedly twice the size of a normal 110-inch display, and allows users to drag folders and windows across it. Unlike the similar Microsoft TouchWall currently under development, which is based on its Surface computing technology, the Digital Wall does not yet support multi-touch inputs, although Panasonic is said to be working on it.

Balance public beta offers Labyrinth-like gaming...

Kampo Interactive has released a public beta of its new Balance Mac Beta, an accelerometer controlled puzzle game. The game, reminiscent of the wooden board game Labyrinth, tests users' mouse-control abilities. Gamers nudge playfields up and down to guide balls to targets and through obstacles. It offers over 75 levels, with community records available. Kampo has promised an iPhone version in the future. The Mac beta requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher, with a 350MHz G3 or higher (including Intel), 128MB RAM and a 3D graphics card. After the beta period the software will be available for $20.

AT&T confirms free Wi-Fi for iPhone owners [u]...

(Updated with AT&T denial) AT&T has, after some delay, officially reintroduced a free Wi-Fi plan for iPhone owners. The carrier has changed its policy on the service several times, announcing it and then retracting it; the company now confirms, though, that people should be able to access free Wi-Fi from an iPhone at over 17,000 hotspots, among them more than 8,000 restaurants, many of which should be Starbucks Coffee locations.

AMD exec on Atom rival, no iPhone-like devices...

AMD intends to make a serious push into the realm of ultra-low-cost notebooks, according to the company's new CEO. Only promoted to the role on Thursday, Dirk Meyer says that AMD intends to provide serious hardware competition in the realm of "netbooks," computers that typically cost less than $400, and embody UMPC traits such as small size and weight. Perhaps the best-known example is ASUS' Eee PC.

Apple opens first Chinese retail store...

Apple has opened its first retail store in China, according to reports. While the store will only technically open on July 19th, Apple has taken the unusual step of providing a sneak preview a day in advance, instead of an hour in advance as at most of its retail openings. The store is located on Sanlitun street in Beijing, and is surrounded by a number of other Western retailers, most notably Adidas.

Apple seen ordering 20% more MacBooks...

A rush in component orders hints at a major increase in Apple's notebook production during the summer, says the Taiwan-area newspaper Commercial Times. The company is reportedly ordering 20 percent more of the circuit boards it needs for notebooks than it has in the spring, pointing to an according increase in production for the MacBooks themselves. Four companies in Taiwan alone are seeing the benefit, the report claims.

HyperOffice offers iPhone document collaboration...

HyperOffice on Thursday launched a new public beta of its tool suite that further develops the iPhone into a business tool. HyperOffice is designed to enhance interactions between business staff and their clients or suppliers, connecting them for projects, detailing schedules, or sharing information, utilizing any Internet connection. This second beta claims to have better usability, while adding access to shared documents, as well as built-in tools allowjng for a link between the iPhone and corporate messaging systems.

MLB orders action against Baseball iPhone app...

The Major League Baseball association is seeking action against a free iPhone application called Baseball (opens in iTunes), regarding its use of MLB team logos throughout the app. PC World reveals the app contains thousands of team and player statistics, reaching back to 1888, all the way until the current baseball season. On Monday, Mark Knopper – owner and proprietor of Bulbous Ventures – was instructed by email to remove all logos related to Major League Baseball, and associated teams.

Adeona offers open-source laptop "Lojack" software...

A development team at the University of Washington recently unveiled Adeona – named after the Roman goddess of safe returns – Open Source security software that parallels functionality of paid services such as LoJack. The dev team claims that the software is privacy-preserving, in that no one other than the owner of the device can track a stolen computer through Adeona. Users are merely required to install Adeona, and do not have to rely on a third-party service to track the device.

Quark acquires In.vision for XML document handling...

Quark on Thursday announced its acquisition of In.vision Research, a Florida-based software firm that develops the Microsoft Word for XML authoring tool, allowing the two companies to tightly integrate XML document creation in QuarkXpress. Neither company mentioned how much the purchase cost Quark, but it is said to be a boon for the design software company, since In.vision's client base includes over 200 financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies, and several government-level clients.

Apps: RiftVault, VectorDesigner, SMTPit Pro

• RiftVault 1.0 ($40) 256-bit AES encryption keeps credit card numbers secure, documents safe, and secrets confidential. Designed exclusively for Mac OS X Leopard. The new release includes major improvements to the UI, has a full feature set and include ssignificant stability and security improvements [Download - form]


• VectorDesigner 1.4 ($70) application for vector drawings, diagrams and illustrations, raster image handling, filtering and color correction. This release introduces user definable templates: a template can contain all the elements that are available in a standard VectorDesigner document, such as paper size, units, rulers positions, layers etc. [Download - 4.9MB]


• SMTPit Pro 4.1.0 ($65) FileMaker plug-in that provides a vast array of email options. You can send simple text based messages or you can send complex HTML messages. You can send a single message or an entire mail out. Its functionality is flexible enough to cover many email tasks. The new release fixes issues dealing with Files and Folders that contained forward and backward slashes and issues on Mac where the plug-in couldn't deal with files on mounted volumes in certain circumstances. [Download - form]


• Merlin 2.6 ($225) project management software designed exclusively for the Mac. With Merlin 2.6, you will be able to publish your project file over the web either as a live HTML document so you can collaborate with other users over the web or as a static HTML page that you can share with the team. This feature opens the door for all users who wish to use Merlin but can't because they are tied to an operating system other than Mac OS X. [Download - 37MB]

XTension home automation adds new hardware support...

Sand Hill Engineering on Thursday unveiled XTension 6.0, a major update to its home automation software that adds support for a number of new hardware devices, as well as a new web-based interface. XTension now offers connectivity with multiple concurrent powerline and RF interfaces, supporting devices from Oregon Scientific, such as barbeque temperature monitors, atomic clocks, power monitoring, and more. Sand Hill Engineering is selling XTension 6.0 for $150, while a free "lite" version is also available.

Microsoft sells 180m of Vista in 18 months...

Microsoft on Thursday afternoon revealed as part of its latest quarterly results that it has sold 180 million copies of Windows Vista in the roughly 18 months since the operating system's launch in late January 2007. The news comes as Microsoft also reveals that it has earned more than $60 billion in revenue for one fiscal year and notes that its income grew 18 percent over the 12-month span. Unlike some past years, Microsoft credits the success to a broader success that includes Vista alongside the recently-launched Windows Server 2008, Office, various server apps, and the Xbox 360.

Portrait Professional 8 released for Mac...

Anthropics Technology on Thursday unveiled Portrait Professional 8 for the Mac, offering users intelligent portrait touchup software, which the developer claims will create custom controls specifically for a given image. Portrait Professional offers users over 80 beautifying controls that can soften skin tones, change hair and eye color, reduce pore size, or add an airbrushed effect, as well as many others. Portrait Professional 8 for Mac sells for $80, with a RAW-enabled version available for $120.

Digital Foci launches Photo Safe II external HDD...

Digital Foci on Thursday launched its Photo Safe II storage drive designed to allow users to transfer photos from their digital camera media and keep shooting while away on vacation. Available in either 80GB or 160GB capacities, the external hard drive features a built-in memory card reader that supports most the memory card formats commonly used for digital cameras.

First Look: Squirrel personal finance app...

Everyone makes money and spends it, but not everyone bothers to track their income and expenses. To make managing your money simple, you can choose from a variety of programs, including Intuit's standard Quicken. The problem with most of these applications is that they come loaded with so many features, few people take the time to learn them all. As a result many people ignore these programs, and those that do use them can only understand a fraction of the available options. If you find traditional budgeting programs too complicated, then you might appreciate the simplicity of Squirrel.

Creative intros EP-630i headset for iPhone and iPod...

Creative recently introduced its newest headset, designed for use with Apple's iPhone and iPod. The EP-630i uses a pair of in-ear buds, which come with three different silicone covers to ensure users find an ideal fit. Each earbud is powered by a 9mm Neodymium magnet to deliver above average sound quality.

Firefox 2, 3 updated to fix 'carpet bomb' attack...

In an unusual move, Mozilla has released updates to two versions of its Firefox web browser. The current browser has been updated to v3.0.1, while its otherwise outdated predecessor has been updated to 2.0.0.16. One of the reasons for the patching is a remedy to a potential "carpet bomb" attack against Windows users, who must have both Safari and Firefox installed on the same computer. The attack also requires that a person actually have Firefox closed, while still running another online application. Having even the unpatched browser up and active will prevent any intrusions.

Rogers drops Nokia N95 to $199 post-iPhone...

Rogers along with Nokia today announced a price cut on the N95 8GB to $199 with a three-year contract from its normal $400 on the same terms. The drop takes effect immediately and is already believed to be prompted by the launch of the iPhone 3G in the country last week, which undercuts the price of the Nokia smartphone for the same amount of storage and media playback. It's unclear as of press time whether the discount also applies to shorter contracts or contract-free use.

Brando ships stereo Bluetooth adapter for iPhone 3G...

Hong Kong exporter Brando has begun shipping one of the first Bluetooth adapters compatible with the iPhone 3G. The Infinxx AP23 is meant to cope with the absence of stereo Bluetooth on iPhones, by converting USB output to A2DP. The adapter plugs directly into a phone's dock connector, and does not require any removable batteries as it consumes power from the phone itself.

Briefly: Audio Kontrolreview, Office promo, REALBasic...

In brief: We have posted a review of the Audio Kontrol 1, REALbasic Professionals announces membership pricing, "Togg," a new theme for RapidWeaver 4.0 has been released, Xcode 3 unleashed debuts, and users can save 30% off Office 2008 with the purchase of a Mac ... We have posted a review of the Audio Kontrol 1 from Native Instruments, a perfect compact audio interface for today's music producer. It is small, compact, portable, and made of sturdy light-weight aluminum. It has a continuous controller knob, three buttons, a mic or instrument input, a line input, four outputs, a MIDI input and output, and a headphone output. It is a USB 2.0 bus powered interface and all inputs and outputs are balanced.

EU files extra complaints against Intel...

The European Union's European Commission on Thursday filed its previously rumored additional complaints about Intel's practices. The Statement of Objections argues that Intel offered discounts to European resellers in exchange for either delaying, limiting, or completely eliminating AMD-based systems from their lineup. This unfairly prevented AMD from getting a foothold in the market, the Commission says.

iPhone petition gains attention of Italian antitrust...

Competition among multiple iPhone carriers in Italy has not resulted in low prices and happy customers, notebook italia reports. Controversy over service prices has led to a 10,000-signature petition, expressing disappointment with excessive costs.

Sega: iPhone hardware as powerful as Dreamcast...

The hardware in the iPhone is about as powerful as the now-defunct Dreamcast console, according to Sega of America president Simon Jeffrey. The comparison comes from an interview at this week's E3 gaming expo, and refers to Sega's last official hardware, released in 1998. While outdated in terms of living room consoles, most other phones are relegated to performance closer to Sony's original PlayStation, or even earlier machines like the Super Nintendo.

Nikon prepping D90 for early September?...

Nikon has scheduled a press event that could see the release of an anticipated upgrade to the D80, say multiple reports. One claims that the media is receiving invitations to a gathering to be held on September 3rd, three weeks before the Photokina photography expo in Germany. The camera maker often announces some or all of its new cameras for the show in advance but only occasionally uses its own conferences to announce products outside of the normal cycle, suggesting a major release.

Samson releases StudioDock 3i for iPod...

Samson on Thursday released its StudioDock 3i USB studio monitor speakers with a built-in iPod dock. The speakers also have a USB interface on the rear panel that allows other USB devices or computers to play their audio content. For more traditional sources, the desktop speaker system has an RCA input on the rear, as well as an 3.5mm auxiliary input jack on the front panel, right next to the a headphone output jack.

Smart Backup Battery extends iPhone 3G's capacity...

Though the iPhone 3G offers faster connections over 3G networks, it sacrifices battery life to do so. The Smart Backup Battery can double battery capacity for owners of the new iPhone. The external aluminum-cased lithium-ion battery attaches to the data-port at the base of the iPhone to charge the iPhone's battery. It can be used to charge while the phone is in operation and will charge first the iPhone, then itself, in sequence when attached to AC power. The Smart Backup Battery also works with the original iPhone, iPod touch and all other data-port iPods. It costs $50, with discounts on volume purchases.

Yuma: BASIC programmimg for Web development...

Inspiring Applications has released Yuma, a development tool that allows BASIC programmers to design web software for any server platform. Yuma allows users to build web sites with an object-oriented language similar to VB.net and REALbasic, resulting in faster and more efficient development. It supports Apache for web serving and features type-checking, classes and class interfaces, modules and other development-savvy tools. The Yuma Enterprise Server runs on Mac OS X 10.3 and higher, requiring 1GB RAM and a 1GHz G4-, G5- or Intel-based Mac. Windows and Linux are also supported.

VirusBarrier X5 10.5.3 adds iPhone support...

Intego has released the v10.5.3 update to VirusBarrier X5, its antivirus protection software. The program continually scans the files read and written on a Mac, and also monitors for unusual program behaviors that could signal an existing infection. It is otherwise said to remain out of the way unless a virus detected, and can be left active when installing software.

Canaccord: iPhone isn't hurting BlackBerry...

The launch of the iPhone 3G have had no tangible impact on BlackBerry sales, according to a new research note by Canaccord Adams. Group analyst Peter Misek notes that the announcement of Apple's device on June 9th still led to BlackBerry maker Research in Motion enjoying a breakthrough the same month, with both sales and real activations of BlackBerries understood to have climbed between 20 to 30 percent.

Piper Jaffray disputes '1 million iPhones' claim...

Apple may have been deliberately ambiguous in announcing sales of 1 million iPhones during the launch weekend, says analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray. Challenging claims that his firm's estimate of 425,000 units sold was inaccurate, Munster notes that while Piper was estimating phones actually bought by the public, Apple's figure appears to have been derived from phones sold to carriers and even its own retail stores.

DealNN: Kensington AUX kit, ReCycle, more

DealNN deals for today include the Kensington LiquidAUX auxiliary car kit with wireless remote for use with iPod and iPhone for $65. ReCycle 2.1 by Propellerhead is available for only $50 from L.A.ComputerCompany.com. The TRENDnet wireless N router is dropped to $29 after $15 mail in rebate offer from Buy.com and save $300 on this Samsung 46 inch LCD HDTV that is regularly priced at $1,199, now $899. Bestbuy.com has leather Belkin Carabiner cases in white and pink for first and second generation iPod nano priced at $1.99 each and get a white USB wall charger for only $3, shipping included, after coupon code from Meritline.com.

iSoftPhone 2.3 adds smartphone capabilities...

Xnet Communications has updated iSoftPhone 2.3, its Mac-based phone emulator that provides desktop telephony services. The new version adds SMS and IM chat, with Growl support, to give the software smartphone abilities. The new SMS features allow users to chat with mobile phone users, sending and receiving SMS communications directly to and from the iSoftPhone interface. The IM (instant messaging) support allows IM conversations with users of iSoftPhone and desktop IM software. In addition, Growl support adds the ability to answer callers from Growl notifications. Version 2.3 is compatible with Mac OS X 10.4 and later, and is available now for $35.

Creative ZEN Krystal 2nd try at shuffle rival...

Creative is trying its hand again at competing with the iPod shuffle through a new and sleeker player, according to an unofficial release from its own website. The ZEN Krystal appears a successor to the earlier ZEN Stone Plus but is designed from the start to be used with its OLED screen with an upright design rather than the side layout of the pebble-shaped ancestor. It also targets the exercise market with a built-in pedometer that not only tracks jogging but comes with several games that tie into the pedometer's sensitivity to movement.

AmTech: AAPL investors mays be unforgiving with Q3...

Investors in Apple stock may not be forgiving after the results of the company's third financial quarter, says Shaw Wu of American Technology Research. Gross margin is said to be the "key metric to watch" with Apple performance, but despite positive signs for the previous quarter, gross margins did not end up growing significantly. Investors are said to have given Apple stock a "free pass" at the time, but due to the fragile US economy, they may not appreciate smaller margins (and thus smaller EPS) in Q3.

South Korea to be next iPhone country?...

The iPhone 3G's next destination may well be South Korea, an update to Apple's main website has exposed. The Job Opportunities section lists an entry for a "Korean iPhone Account Manager," who will be expected to "manage the day to day issues of our chosen carrier, ensure healthy relationship and help develop the market." Apple does not currently sell iPhones in Korea, and it has not formally announced any plans.

Nokia ships 122m phones as prices fall...

Nokia today announced largely positive results for its spring quarterly results. The Finnish company says its net sales climbed by four percent to a total of $20.9 billion based largely on the back of its staple cellphone business. About 122 million phones were shipped during the three-month period, which represents a spike of about 21 percent versus the same quarter in 2007. The rush of extra devices is estimated to give Nokia about 40 percent marketshare based on a predicted 303 million cellphones shipped worldwide during the season.

Amazon opens streaming movie service...

Amazon on Thursday is revealing Video on Demand, its second approach to online video. Unlike the company's own Unbox service, which requires that users download the entire video, the new feature will depend on streaming alone; while it depends on an active Internet connection, the feature will allow devices with little to no hard drive space to buy TV shows, and buy or rent movies, with the same access as full computer users.

DAZ 3D offers high quality extras for Victoria 4...

DAZ 3D on Wednesday unveiled the Human Data Acquisition Center, featuring extra textures, bodies, and poses for users of the Victoria 4 Elite model. The HDAC permits users to obtain high-resolution textures that are taken with a proprietary lighting/camera system to ensure that inappropriate shadows are eliminated. Users also have access to a complete set of scan data for body and joint shapes, as well as a collection of scanned poses. Victoria 4 Elite is available for a special price of $75.

TiVo integrates YouTube into Series 3, HD...

TiVo on Thursday announced that its Series3 and TiVo HD DVRs will soon support YouTube content, allowing users to browse and view videos on the Google-owned service. In the future, TiVo hopes to introduce a login interface, which would let users access their YouTube accounts, videos, channels, and playlists. Tivo expects to have the update delivered over "the next few weeks" for the aforementioned players.