Just wanted to let everyone know that I've officially bowed out of my position as "blogger" here at The Unnofficial Apple Weblog. Between my real job and my growing side project I don't have the time that I once did to keep these pages full of new and exciting news so rather than drag the blog down I'm walking away and making room for some new blood. I'll be trying to make a few posts here in the next week or so while the WIN team works on a replacement so this isn't so long forever. Of course I'll still be blogging on my personal site, SBDC, I just can't promise an endless supply Macintosh-related content. Anyway, it's been fun. Keep making fun of Window's users for me.

TUAWFarewell and Adieu to You Fair Spainish Ladies... originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 25 Aug 2004 11:34:45 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Further down in the listing, Apple says, "Experience in the following areas is important: system integration, digital logic, SDRAM, Flash, ASIC's, processor selection, ATAPI, various communication protocols (ie: GSM, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, Firewire, and USB), display types and video and analog integration."

While the job listing does not explicitly imply that the next-generation iPod will be capable of displaying video and connecting to WiFi networks, it does indicate that the company is at least experimenting with the technologies inside its iPod division.

So it might not be here in time for Christmas as we'd hoped, but at least we know people inside Apple are thinking along the same lines we are. Wireless is super-cool.

TUAWHere comes the wireless iPod originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 25 Aug 2004 11:29:21 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The recalled batteries have the Model Number: A1045 and serial numbers that begin with: HQ404, HQ405, HQ406, HQ407, or HQ408. Batteries with the affected serial numbers contain cells that were manufactured by LG Chem, Ltd. of South Korea during the last week of December 2003 only. 

The model and serial numbers are located on the label on the bottom of the battery, and can be viewed by removing the battery from the computer.

TUAWPowerBook Battery Recall originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 19 Aug 2004 15:36:44 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well, if you are a toy nerd like me anyway. Engadget points out the iKub available from HMV in Japan. This looks like a 400% Kubrick that has been tweeked a bit to hold your favorite MP3 player. Which is great news for me since I've sworn off buying anything smaller than 400%. Now if they can just make a 1000% version that will hold my old PowerBook I'll be set.

TUAWBest iPod Holder Yet originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 16 Aug 2004 12:30:07 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The filing, made in May this year but only published this week, covers a "handheld computer" and contains sketches of what look like an iBook screen minus the body of the computer.

TUAWApple Tablet? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 13 Aug 2004 12:12:18 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

And so there you have it... what was once simple is now apparently difficult again, thanks to the otherwise brilliant piece of engineering that is OS X Panther. I'm sure the explanation has something to do with floating-point calculations, whatever the hell those are, but that doesn't make this bug the least bit more acceptable. My worst nightmare is that the repeating decimal answer actually is the correct answer from a computing standpoint but most computers are smart enough to round it for us, knowing what we really want. That would really alter my perceptions of low-level computing quite a bit.

On the bright side, we finally found something PCs are better than Macs at.

Subtraction.

TUAWWARNING: Apple Calculator jacked all to hell originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 13 Aug 2004 03:07:01 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWHolding out on the OS Update? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 12 Aug 2004 12:30:54 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWNew MacSlash RSS Feeds originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 11 Aug 2004 00:59:45 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

OK, so Apple and Motorola have teamed up to bring iTunes to some Next-Gen Motorola phones, and with todays release of iSync 1.5 they are yapping on about how this version works with a whole bunch of motorola phones that it didn't before. The catch? USB only. No bluetooth. Clearly the two companies are working together. Clearly they know that their customers want their products to work together. Mac has been pushing bluetooth. Many of the new Motorola phones on the list have bluetooth. WHY is this USB only? Not technically why, but why isn't there a single person at Motorola or Apple who can look at this situation and say "damn, we should do whatever we need to to make these phones work via bluetooth for iSync."

TUAWApple + Motorola = WTF? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2004 20:46:21 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you only need a remote control, however, this appears to be built-in now in Mac OS X 10.3.5, as evident when I pair a Sony Ericsson K700i to my PowerBook. Not only does OS X know the K700i has a built-in remote control feature, but it even offers to set it up for me. The first time you do so, the K700i will go to the "remote control" panel and allow you to give it a whirl. Rather neat, but still haven't played with the Media Player remote yet, and I think that is probably one of the cooler ideas. Moving my mouse across a 20" Cinema display with a mobile phone takes a little while… to have such problems, I know.

TUAWBluetooth remote in OS X 10.3.5 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 10 Aug 2004 10:51:23 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWOS X 10.3.5 Available Now originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 09 Aug 2004 18:49:48 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yesterday iPhoto 4.0.2 was released on Apple.com and Software updater and just as quickly today it's been pulled from both sources. No real word on why yet, and no messages boards aflame with complaints so it's anyones guess at the moment. I'm going to have to assume that we'll hear much more about this one soon.

TUAWiPhoto 4.0.2... or not? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 04 Aug 2004 13:26:59 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

An obscure component manufacturer somewhere in the Pacific Rim announces a major order for some bleeding-edge piece of technology that could conceivably become part of an expensive, digital-lifestyle-enhancing nerd toy.

Some hardware geek, the sort who actually reads press releases from obscure Pacific Rim component manufacturers, posts a link to the press release in a Mac Internet forum.

The Mac rumor sites spring into action. Liberally quoting "reliable" sources inside Cupertino, irrelevant "experts," and each other, they quickly transform baseless speculation into widely accepted fact.

to:

Wall Street analysts appear on CNBC to explain that Apple's device will never be able to compete with the onslaught of cheaper Windows-based competitors. Apple's stock plummets. Idiot technology investors experience a brief moment of deja vu before they return to masturbating to photos of Maria Bartiromo.

Consumers discover that the Windows-based competitor to Apple's device contains a proprietary digital rights management technology that prevents them from using the device to do anything expect look at family photographs taken in the last 20 minutes.

An obscure component manufacturer somewhere in the Pacific Rim announces a major order for some new bleeding-edge piece of technology that could conceivably become part of some expensive, digital-lifestyle-enhancing nerd toy. The fun begins again…

TUAWThe Apple Product Cycle originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 03 Aug 2004 13:34:04 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jon has just spent countless hours digging up every bit of info you need to get your PowerBook online via your Motorola V600 from anywhere at anytime.

I'm going to test this out this weekend, I swear.

TUAWMotorola V600 + Cingular + Bluetooth + Powerbook = Heaven originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 31 Jul 2004 19:49:29 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWYou got your politics in my iTunes! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 30 Jul 2004 13:59:53 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

But analysts think mobile operators will obstruct the partnership unless revenue streams are offered to them. It could make it hard for Motorola to ship iTunes handsets when they launch at the start of 2005.

"The deal implies that fixed broadband connections are a better way to deliver high quality music downloads than mobile networks," said Ian Fogg, broadband and personal technology analyst at Jupiter Research Europe. "It suggests that operators hoping to profit from music downloads will be bypassed by PC transfer services like this."

.

TUAWService Providers throwing wrench into Motorola/Apple deal originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 30 Jul 2004 12:14:37 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple's continuing support of all things wireless has led to countless rumors of iPods with Bluetooth or iPods with wifi and a whole collection of other cable-less options. None of these have been confirmed, but the recent replacement of the three model iPod line with 2 models has sparked even more talk of what the yet unreleased high-est-end iPod flagship might include. 60GB? Color Screen? Bluetooth? Engadget posted this (probably fake) iPod ad that was "leaked" (read: photoshopped) which is more than likely just wishful thinking. In all honestly though, I can't imagine something like this being too far off. It just seems like a natural progression for them.

TUAWA Bluetooth iPod? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 30 Jul 2004 12:07:17 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The iPod and the Treo are about the same size, they both play MP3s, and yet the iPod only does a few things better. It has up to 40 gigs of storage, as compared to the 1 gig SD card you can stick in a Treo. That's about 10,000 songs vs. 250 songs (albeit in removable form). The second thing is does better is provide a dedicated music-centric interface. The Treo's interface must do 1000 things with the iPod's does only do a few. And finally, the iPod looks a little better than the Treo, and that is a testiment to Apple's legendary design prowess.

Aside from those three things, however, the Treo dropkicks the iPod right off the playing field. It makes calls, organizes contacts, syncs with PCs and Macs, plays games, runs applications, gets email, surfs the web, checks blogs, has crazy-high battery life, and on and on and on. So if I only have room for one cigarette-pack-sized device in my pants pocket, which one am I going to pick? That's easy. There is no good reason for portable music players to continue on as standalone units, and Apple, being a smart company, realizes this.

TUAWMike Davidson makes the case for the Apple iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Jul 2004 07:13:29 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Just in time for the new iPods, BayAreaFreeFi has announded the WiPod, which is basicallly "an iPod-based guide to free wi-fi in the San Francisco Bay Area." It's a Note File with all the info from their site about where you can get your wireless groove on. The downside to this, obviously, is you need to regularly download the file and replace it on your iPod to have the most uptodate version (guess we'll have too wait for the wifi enabled iPods that will auto sync with the master file!), but otherwise it actually sounds pretty handy. If there was an LA version I'd be using it in a minute.

TUAWFind WiFi hotspots on your iPod (Bay Area Only) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 20 Jul 2004 02:24:55 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As of this morning the 4G iPods are available on Apple's website. Both Mac and PC versions are offered, and the prices did drop, so you can now purchase a 20GB iPod for $299. Or a 40GB iPod for $399. However there doesn't seem to be any mention of a 60GB version anywhere (nor a color screen) - perhaps that will be the boost to go along with the first revision to these in a few months?

Actually, other than that there's not a lot to announce, since all the real info was leaked this weekend. A quick recap - redesigned scroll wheel using the one from the iPod mini, 12 hour battery, new menu features and functions, etc. I'm am looking forward to the first person who gets their hands on one of these doing a side by side photo with an older one so we can see the size difference.

TUAW4G iPods Are A Go! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 19 Jul 2004 10:40:57 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If there are no 60Gb iPod 4G models for Christmas shopping season 2004, at the latest, these sources shall be marked "Dvoraks" and will be added to our Mail.app's Junk Mail filter faster than you can say "We don't care what Newsweek says, we guarantee you there is a 60GB iPod 4G model!"

TUAWWill we See 60GB iPods tomorrow? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 18 Jul 2004 23:12:34 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWIndispensable Mac OS X products originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 18 Jul 2004 17:30:48 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Well kids, there you have it. This is the issue that is coming out on Monday [ larger version here ]. That's the 4G iPod in Steve's hand. It looks a touch smaller, and has the scroll wheel with built in buttons like the iPod Mini. Apple said they would be announcing it in an unorthodox way (not a press release) so I guess the cover of NewsWeek is a pretty good way to do that. No word yet on the drive sizes or prices, but I'm sure that info will be everywhere come Monday.

UPDATE: The news week story is online now. The details are it's cheaper (40GB is $399), the 15GB is history, obviously the scroll wheel has been updated, the batter now lasts 12 freaking hours, and there's a buncha new menus and playlist functions.

P.S. - Dear MacOSX.com: Please note the screen is NOT color.

TUAW4G iPod leaked! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 17 Jul 2004 22:59:44 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Earlier this week we were talking about the rumor that the next update to the iPod would make them smaller, and introduce color options and probably happen in August. And today, as is not uncomon with rumors, that all changed. The word now, according to ThinkSecret, is that we might see new iPods as early as Monday. The clairifcation here is that these are new "white" iPods. Yes they will be smaller, slimmer, and have a new scroll wheel, but they will still be white. It looks like the reports of color iPods were related to the iPod mini line, and an upcoming announcement that will relate to them.

REMINDER: Back in May MacOSX.com said this:

Our sources have confirmed the next generation iPod will have a color screen. The new iPod will not be much different in form and function from the current models, but the primary difference is the color screen. Other details about the iPod are scetchy on our end but the fact it will be color is not up for debate.

Guess we'll find out for sure early next week.

TUAWiPod Updates originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 17 Jul 2004 10:58:23 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's a light little device. Really light. Strangely light. Range is pretty decent, even through walls, 50-100 feet is pretty easily doable. Running through the AirPort Admin Utility, I caught this screen and wondered just a little bit. So, if this is a true access control list...does that mean a RADIUS implementation from OS X Server is far off?

It has more than one name. It's got both an AirPort name (Dionysus) and a Room name (Roaming, for iTunes). However, when it shows up in the AirPort Admin Utility, it appears as the Room name, likely to help preserve continuity of the interface.

TUAWFirst 5 Minutes with AirPort Express originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:08:10 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

One thing I've wanted for awhile is a Google Toolbar for Macintosh (mostly because I want to see the PageRank of a site I'm browsing). So anyway, to make a long story short, I hacked together a Konfabulator widget that monitors what page is active in Safari and shows you the PageRank. That's about it… Was really made for myself, but figured others could use it.

TUAWPageRank Widget for Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 15 Jul 2004 10:46:53 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2004 third quarter ended June 26, 2004. For the quarter, the Company posted a net profit of $61 million, or $.16 per diluted share. These results compare to a net profit of $19 million, or $.05 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Revenue for the quarter was $2.014 billion, up 30 percent from the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 27.8 percent, up from 27.7 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 39 percent of the quarter's revenue.<></><></>

<><>The quarter's results include an after-tax restructuring charge of $6 million. Excluding this charge, the Company's net profit for the quarter would have been $67 million, or $.17 per diluted share.</></>

TUAWApple Is Making Bank! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 15 Jul 2004 10:41:15 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Oppenheimer also let it be known that the new iMac coming this September will be based on a G5 processor. The delay in the new model's release is supply problem involving the G5 processor itself - it's manufactured by IBM in its East Fishkill, NY.

TUAWIt's Official: Next iMac's To Have G5 Chips originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jul 2004 19:05:15 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

(yes, we know it's a fake)

TUAWSuper Customized iPod Mini originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jul 2004 18:13:33 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In iCal, why can't I change the width of the days in the calendar view so Saturday and Sunday are narrower than rest of the week?

In Safari, why does clicking the tab for groups of links in the bookmarks bar not respond to the first click?

Why doesn't Safari's bookmark collection pop out from the side so you can still see the page you're browsing and do things like drag the URL to the appropriate folder without clicking on something?

And while we're on the subject, does anyone know why Safari keeps telling me "Your bookmarks can't be changed right now" so I have to add bookmarks twice every time?

TUAW20 Suggestions for a better Mac Experience. originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jul 2004 11:19:43 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWSleeker, Smaller iPods in August originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jul 2004 11:11:52 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The 2nd Edition of O'Reilly's "Mac OS X Panther: In A Nutshell" has been released. Anyone who has read any of their Nutsell Serries knows these things are crammed with info. This book "offers a thorough treatment of Mac OS(R) X Panther, from its BSD Unix(R) foundation to the finer points of its user interface. It familiarizes readers with the Finder(R) and the Dock, file management, system configuration, network administration issues, and more, including a clear picture of what's new. The book also includes the most complete Unix command reference found in print-with each command and option painstakingly tested and checked against Panther."

TUAWO'Reilly Releases 2nd Edition of OS X Book originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jul 2004 10:43:02 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple's new 802.11g base station / wireless USB printing hub / home stereo speaker hooker upper is coming to a home near you. 80,000 of them to be exact. That's how many pre-orders Apple has for the $130 device which they started shipping yesterday.

Can I just point out how bummed I am that I had to go buy a new base station LAST WEEK and this thing is shipping now?

TUAWAirport Express Shipping originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Jul 2004 10:37:06 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Looks like Office Depot is now an official Apple Reseller. Since there's an Office Depot a whole 1 block from my office and I'm regularly driving all the way across town to get to The Apple Store for some minor thing, this is great news. They just remodeled the entire store too, so it will be interesting to see how they display the Apple wares.

TUAWOffice Depot Gets Apple originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 13 Jul 2004 10:59:56 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWPhotos from MacWorld Expo / Boston originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 12 Jul 2004 17:14:45 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Since the end of last year Caryn Coleman, Xeni Jardin and I have been working on SENT: America's First Phonecam Art Show. Xeni teamed up with sixspace to explore this new device and see what kind of creative potential it might have. The online aspect where the public can send in images to the website has been live for months, but this weekend in Los Angeles is the offical opening of the physical in-gallery exhibition side of the show.

We invited a collection of photographers, fine artists, film directors, bloggers, and celebrities to take a phonecam (V600 model provided by Motorola) around with them for a month and see what they could get it to do. Those images, 3-5 from each artist, have been printed out and will be on display at an opening this weekend, and all next week for public viewing. Images submitted by the public will also be shown shown on a collection of flat screen iMacs. Artists either e-mailed the images they took directly from their phones to us, or came into the gallery and used the phones built in bluetooth to transfer their submissions directly to the PowerBook being used as the main database.

Invited artists: Cynthia Connolly, Mark Cuban, Clayton James Cubitt, Elizabeth Daniels (image at right), Jason DeFillippo, Warren Ellis, Eriberto Oriol, Glen E. Friedman, Steve Diet Goedde, Lana Kim, Randal Kleiser, Kathleen McGivney, Meeno, Andy Mueller, Megan Mullally, Estevan Oriol, Chad Robertson, Shawn Scallen, Penelope Spheeris, Manuel Wanskasmith, Ruth Waytz, Wil Wheaton, and "Weird Al" Yankovic.

Public Reception: Saturday, July 10 from 7-10pm
Continues through July 17 from 12-5 pm daily
@ The Standard Hotel - Brunette Room 4th Floor - 550 South Flower Street (downtown Los Angeles)

(Ed Note: as an aside, that's why I've been so quiet around here recently, since I've been spending every waking moment on this project, but after the opening this weekend, things should be back to normal -sean)

TUAWSENT: cameraphone art exhibition opens this weekend originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 08 Jul 2004 09:54:17 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sick of booting up classic just to get your old school newton to play nice with your new G5? NewTen just solved that for you. With the use of a serial cable, NewTen lets you sent packages to a newton natively in OS X. Right now this is only good for installations so you are still on your own for any kind of backing up or what-have-you.

TUAWNewTen: OS X for Newtons originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 07 Jul 2004 01:36:50 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAWTiger's Mail 2.0 originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 05 Jul 2004 19:55:56 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I just dropped my 4th of July Veggie Burger with Onions because I found out Mike Hall has gotten OS X to run on Windows XP. I thought you'd want to know too. (via Scob)

TUAWOS X on Windows XP originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 04 Jul 2004 15:54:50 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The last time we posted a link to a site with a bunch of Tiger preview images they got shut down by Apple Legal, as Apple themselves hadn't released them - but now they have. Since the cat is officially out of the bag, eWeek has put up a bunch of images from the new OS, detailing many of it's new features. You can even check them out via a slideshow!

TUAWLOTS of Tiger Images originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 04 Jul 2004 03:08:34 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.