Mac Games and More The Blog

From Valleywag:

Our sources tell us that Apple may include WiMax, the high-speed, long-range wireless broadband technology, in an ultraportable 13″ notebook computer, and possibly across the entire MacBook Pro line. Just part of the rumor mill flying in preparation for Steve Jobs’s Macworld keynote next week in San Francisco, of course, but our source gives it a “60 percent chance.” AppleInsider has pictures of Apple’s banners inside the Moscone center with “There’s something in the air” as a slogan. If true, this could be a risky move for Apple.

WiMax is an unproven technology with questionable…

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You might have heard already here but just in case you haven’t, a security company has spotted iPhone’s first trojan.

The Trojan specifically targets users that have modded their iPhone so they can install third-party applications.

Makes me wonder who JUST WHO is behind this trojan. Hint: WHO doesn’t want the iPhone open to third-party applications????????

SteveNote Expo – the game
Imagine being Steve Jobs.
Imagine getting ready for this years MacWorld Expo keynote presentation.
Imagine having to collect all the insanely great stuff you are going to present at Macworld Expo without revealing it to industrial spies and journalists.
Try the game that lets you experience what it feels like to be Steve Jobs just before your Keynote presentation.

Instructions:
- Collect all of the 10 items you need for your presentation (the blue dots)
- Avoid industrial spies and journalists (arrow keys)
- Use your “Reality distortion field” to momentarily stun spies and journalists (spacebar)

Play Now!

Bruce Schneier writes about how he leaves his wireless network open to share a free internet connection with others. He’s so nice!

“Whenever I talk or write about my own security setup, the one thing that surprises people — and attracts the most criticism — is the fact that I run an open wireless network at home. There’s no password. There’s no encryption. Anyone with wireless capability who can see my network can use it to access the internet.

To me, it’s basic politeness. Providing internet access to guests is kind of like providing heat and electricity, or a hot cup of tea. But to some observers, it’s both wrong and dangerous.

I’m told that uninvited strangers may sit in their cars in front of my house, and use my network to send spam, eavesdrop on my passwords, and upload and download everything from pirated movies to child pornography. As a result, I risk all sorts of bad things happening to me, from seeing my IP address blacklisted to having the police crash through my door.

While this is technically true, I don’t think it’s much of a risk. I can count five open wireless networks in coffee shops within a mile of my house, and any potential spammer is far more likely to sit in a warm room with a cup of coffee and a scone than in a cold car outside my house. And yes, if someone did commit a crime using my network the police…”

Read the whole article

Police in Australia want to raise awareness of the dangers of listening to your iPod while walking near and crossing roads. Apparently, it’s an escalating problem where many teens have been hit and continue to be be hit by cars while they were getting into their music instead of paying attention to traffic.

Scary. Hey, pay attention out there.

[via]

More fun ads from Apple:

Watch the video

Well, yaaa. (article here)

PC users have gotten used to all the so-called freebies for all those years of pirating music that they simply continue to do so. And freakin’ expect things to be free for them. The nerve.

Mac users, on the other hand, CAN pirate music but tend not to. Perhaps because they have a conscience.

Of course, I think that’s going to change with all the Switchers to Mac. Cuz. What were those those switchers before they became Mac users? PC USERS! Switchers, you’re gonna give Mac users a bad name. Cut it out, will you?

From Macworld:

With just a week before MacWorld, we’re hearing rumors left and right about what Apple will be upgrading and releasing. Well we decided to compiles a list of rumors from various sites, and give our opinion on the likelihood of those rumors actually becoming reality.

Very Likely

Mac OS X 10.5.2- A list of 75 fixes adorns the latest builds of 10.5.2. The feature we have heard most about is the semi-fixed stacks: users are now able to display a list view, and essentially turn off stacks altogether. Displaying the folder icon instead of contents is also an option.
via [Mac Rumors, Engadget, Appletell, Macenstien]

Mac Pro- New Mac Pros may have Intel’s Penryn processors up to 8-core 3.2 GHz with a 32 GB RAM ceiling now official. 4 TB maximum Hard Drive Space isn’t far fetched, and there are rumors of a Build to Order Blu-Ray Option.
via [Appletell, HardMac, Macworld]

Cinema Displays- New Cinema Displays may see a case change, and will definitely have LED backlighting. An iSight camera built in is debatable, as users of Mac Pros would most likely not be doing much video conferencing. New display sizes,24”, 27” and 30”, are possible, as is a glossy option. Any of these features are likely, but not all at once.
via [Appletell, APC Magazine]

Sub-notebook- Apple’s “MacBook Nano” will have a 12 or 13 inch screen, 32 or 64 GB of NAND-based SSD, and no optical drive. An external optical drive is rumored to be released with the sub-notebook. The rumors are that the MacBook Nano will sport aluminum or black finish.
via [Mac Rumors:[1] [2], AppleInsider, Gizmodo]

Apple TV 2.0- Apple TV 2.0 may get DVR capabilities. More likely is iTunes Movie Rentals: Apple has already partnered with FOX and Disney with more studios coming aboard later. A DVD drive to take advantage of iPod sized versions of 20th Century Fox is possible, but not likely.
via [Appletell, Infinite Loop Paris Lemon]

iTunes Movie Rentals FOX and Disney have signed on for iTunes rentals, with more studios to come.
via [World of Apple, Mac Rumors, TUAW]

Possible

iMac- Baseline speedbump from 2.0 to 2.2 GHz is all that the iMac will probably get. There has been light chatter about a touchscreen, but that is highly unlikely.
via [Appletell]

iPod HiFi- The iPod HiFi rumors started very recently, and indicate HD Radio and iTunes tagging support, which would tag favorite radio songs for later purchase on iTunes.
via [iLounge]

3G/16 GB iPhone The iPhone will perhaps see a small price drop in the 8GB version to around $349, if a 16 GB version is introduced. 3G iPhones are possible, but not likely until later in the year.
via [Appletell, Mac Rumors]

Improbable

Mid-Range headless Mac- The Midrange Headless Mac would have similar specs to the iMac, but would be upgradeable. It would be priced around $1500.
via [MacWorld]

Full-size Wireless Keyboard- Essentially a wired keyboard without the wires, so that wireless users can have a number pad if they wish. Could come alongside a Mighty Mouse Redesign featuring an aluminum enclosure, and a slightly thinner form.
via [Appletell]

Mac Touch- This never was a rumor, or at least a widely believed one, but it has been wanted for a long time, and there is a chance of the sub-notebook having touch capabilities. A tablet, however, will probably not be announced. Mockups posted seem to place it in the 7 to 10 inch screen range, a and about as thick as a regular MacBook. If the device were to be released, it would rival the long time coming ModBook
via [MacRumors, SDSComics, YankoDesign]

That’s our MacWorld 2008 rumor roundup.

A quick note to let you know this week’s picks are up early on Mac Games and More, so check them out if you have a mo. Here are a few other new items I couldn’t fit on the picks’ page:

reQall – A reminding service that helps you remember ideas, images, appointments, and just about anything you can tell it to. There is no software required, just your voice, it works with any phone or web browser. (Beta) [via]

Web Tools to Help You Eat Local – here’s a quick hit list of the four best web tools for the rest of us scrambling to catch up—sourcing seasonal and local food from the luxury of your computer keyboard to your kitchen table.

Permanently delecting photos from iPhoto – If your iPhoto is full of pics that you don’t need and you want to free up some space on your hard drive, here’s a quick fix that will instantly increase your storage space.

David Lynch hates the iPhone – David Lynch is a famously outsider filmmaker, from Eraserhead right through Inland Empire. And he is no fan of handheld movie playing, as featured on the iPhone.

Igor Skochinsky has hacked Kindle, the e-reader from Amazon.

In doing so he’s discovered a some undocumented features and shortcuts, which include a minesweeper game, a basic photo viewer, and a location finder using Google Maps and the Kindles built-in CDMA networking. Take a peek at Igor’s “reverse engineering” website.

A sidebar: I’ve been wondering why the Nintendo DS Lite doesn’t have an e-reader built into it! I would use that in a second.

Axiotron has converted MacBooks into Tablet Macs (ModBook) and they are now available for $2,290. Particularly interesting to mobile users, artists, students and professionals, the Modbook enables its user to draw and write directly on the screen, while the handwriting recognition built into Mac OSX not only turns hand scribbles into text in every application, but also provides extended control of the system through gesture recognition. The Modbook comes standard with a built-in iSight™ camera and an integrated CD/DVD combo drive that can be upgraded to a 8.5 GB DVD burner, and it is the only portable Mac solution that also features an optional built-in Global Positioning System (GPS).

Axiotron

[via]

This is just wishful thinking but wouldn’t it be totally awesome if Apple reduced the amount of plastic on their MacBooks and replaced it with materials that are more sustainable? And pretty to boot. Wouldn’t you just LOVE Apple even more if they were more ecofriendly? I would. For example, these PC (*cough* *hack* *gag*) laptops have bamboo exteriors. Apple could surely make a version perhaps with lighter color bamboo. It would be totally sleek and wonderful. I would get one immediately!

From Appletell:

No matter how good Apple Mac OS X Leopard is, there will always be features that people dislike, and want to change. And while Apple may think they have the perfect recipe for a perfect OS, many power-users will want to tweak OS X to their liking. They want to change more than their desktop image, or the icons in their dock. Sometimes Apple doesn’t always make it easy to tweak your Mac, so Appletell has compiled a list of several ways to tweak your Leopard.

Read it

Videos like these are cute and adorable and give us all a warm fuzzy feeling all over but face it, it is wrong. iPhones (all cell phones, in fact) and the iPod Touch are dangerous to people, especially babies and toddlers. Keep these away from kids! Geez, are you evil?

Now, as an adult you have a choice of whether you want to expose yourself to electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) and radio frequencies (RF), which are microwaves, but little kids don’t know any better. Personally, I am not that fond of putting microwaves up to my head, but whatever. If you believe the industry when they say that cell phones are SAFE, just remember: “industries” also said asbestos, thalidamide and blood supply and PVC were safe. You know, for the bottom line. Manufacturers ALWAYS deny the existence of any dangers! It’s just plain obvious, so don’t be a naive twit. Do you think they care about what will happen to people? Answer: NO. (They just want to sell sell sell.)

It really pains me to say this about iPhone and iPod Touch as a Mac fan, but there ARE warnings on those products to “limit the use of these products.” Yes, there are warnings. I WONDER WHY?!

Anyway, please try to keep these EMF and RF emitting devices away from vulnerable parties (babies, toddlers, ill people and the elderly), and please use your devices sparingly.

If you think I’m an alarmist, conspiracy theorist, good for you. Go ahead and live your life that ignoramus way. But maybe if you care (especially about your family), you can do a little research on your own about this subject. In any case, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Links: Cell Phone Dangers Revealed, Patents Prove Cell Phone Dangers from Wired, Hidden Dangers of Cell Phone Radiation, Chemical and Cell Phones, Harmful Effects of Cell Phones, Hazards of the Wireless Age

Have the best year you’ve ever had, ok?