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Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Multimedia, Odds and ends, Freeware, Apple

Channel Four on Demand: Sorry, Mac users


Mac users in the UK have been waiting a long time (like, years) for Channel 4's Video on Demand "Catch Up" service to come to their platform, and finally, after long last, the day is here. And they're sorry, Mac users -- they say so with the cute video above. Of course, the reason why it's now compatible is because it's the Flash-based web version linked above, and not actually the desktop app that Windows users had. But late and web-based is still better than never, right? Right?

At any rate, it's nice to know they care enough to make a funny video. The site features Channel 4 content for up to 30 days after broadcast, so if you happen to miss Hollyoaks, Skins, or Fat Pets (I'm just kidding -- being an ignorant American, I have no idea what those shows are or if they're any good), there's your chance to catch up.

Filed under: Accessories, Peripherals

Photojojo offers keyboard shortcut skins

For listeners of The Talk Show's marathon keyboard episode, you might remember a brief mention of those templates you used to get with software that fit over the function keys of your old Apple Extended Keyboard.

If you still pine for those, Photojojo has a brand new set of keyboard overlays for Photoshop, Aperture, Final Cut Pro, and more for a vast array of recent Apple desktop and laptop keyboards.

They're molded from rubber, washable, and fit your keyboard like a glove. Plus, they keep out the dust and crud that keyboards typically accumulate.

Laptop skins are $30, and desktop skins are $40. Fast shipping options are available, too.

Thanks, Amit!

Filed under: Internet, Internet Tools, Mods

Make Thunderbird resemble Leopard Mail

I use Thunderbird for email on my laptop running Ubuntu. It works great, but the default skin isn't to my liking. I've tried skinning it with mixed results, but today I've found The Skin I've Been Looking For (but not in a creepy, Buffalo Bill kind of way).

Deviant Art user ~Rio-2007 has posted a very convincing Mail for Leopard skin. After download, simply apply the skin via Thunderbird's Add-Ons option (Thunderbird 2.0 is required).

Try it out. Because even our non-Macs must resemble Macs, not that we're obsessed.

[Via Lifehacker]

Filed under: Mods, iPhone

iPhone skins from DecalGirl



If going all-out with a custom Colorware paint job for your iPhone is a bit too over-the-top, perhaps some new iPhone skin kits from the everlasting DecalGirl are more your style. Printed on premium grade adhesive-backed cast vinyl with a high-gloss clear protective coating, all of their skins boast easy repositioning and goo-free removal (I've never used one of these - can anyone comment on their experiences with accessories like this and their goo factor?).

For the iPhone, DecalGirl already has over 160 designs that can easily be sorted by a large selection of colors and themes, and as a bonus, you also receive a matching iPhone wallpaper to complete the redecoration. Skins seem to all be priced at a reasonable $6.99, with extra protective or stylistic finishes - like Screen Armor, Matte and Gloss - available for $4.50 to $9.99.

Filed under: Audio, Multimedia, Software, Video, Internet Tools

VLC 0.8.5 released with Intel Mac, Growl support, many improvements


The most excellent jack-of-many-formats VLC media player has just reached version 0.8.5, and boy  does it pack a whallop - just check out the release notes. The biggest new additions to write home about are Universal Binary support, Growl notifications, a statistics system, new skin support including skins from Winamp 2 (for those who just can't let go), new video filters, support for downloading updates (possibly due to Sparkle?) and a whole lot more.

VLC is a feature-packed media player with support for a boatload of media formats, and is available free for many OSs from VideoLAN.

Filed under: Software

The Iconfactory releases new iPulse jackets

What fun are your utilities if you can't dress them up, right? The Iconfactory has released four new skins (or "jackets") for iPulse, their system monitoring tool (I personally like Scarab). With iPulse, you can monitor disk usage, CPU usage, system load, motherboard temperature and a lot more. Plus, it just looks cool.

iPulse requires Mac OS 10.3 or better, is universal and costs $12.95US for a single license.

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