Mac Games and More The Blog

From infoweek:
“Apple has launched a subsection of its site that offers dozens of how-to videos to try to sway Windows users and to help new Mac customers get started.
Called “Find out how,” the site offers video on the use of the Mac OS X and separate sections on how to create and manage photos, movies, Web content, music and documents. For Windows users thinking of taking the plunge, the site offers video on how to move data from a Windows PC to a Mac.

The videos are short, lasting only a few minutes at most. Along with the videos, the site offers text tutorials in all the categories. In the “move to Mac” video, Apple first tells visitors that workers at an Apple store will move data from a PC to a Mac for them. It also gives instructions on how to move data from an external hard drive to the Mac.

Other videos include how to run Windows on the Mac using Apple Boot Camp. It also suggests buying virtualization software from Parallels or VMware, if the Mac user wants to be able to run simultaneously separate windows for each OS. Boot Camp requires the Mac to be restarted when switching from Windows back to OS X.

People who want to take the videos with them can download them to Apple iTunes. From there, the files can be transferred to an iPhone, iPod, or Apple TV.

The launch date of the site was not listed, but it appears to be fairly new. Apple is currently on a roll in selling the Mac. The company last week reported shipping 44% more Mac computers during the fiscal first quarter ended Dec. 29 than in the same period in 2006. In shipping 2.3 million Macs during the quarter, the company took in 47% more revenue than the year before.”

Here’s the link of the “How to” site for new Mac users: Apple

[via]

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From MacApper:

Alright so You have installed Leopard. You’ve started using Spaces, Time Machine, Stacks, and (my personal favorite) QuickLook. Wait a second though – didn’t Apple say there were 300+ new features?

If you look closely there are really tons of features in this cat that got lost in the crowd. I’m talking about the little enhancements that aren’t flashy or revolutionary, but are useful, fine-tuned, or actually improve or enhance the user experience.

Right after the jump is a list of ten that you might not have come across yet.

1. iChat Recording. After getting your buddy’s permission, video and audio chats can be recorded and saved.

2. iChat Invisibility. This was the only thing keeping me using Adium. Go online and talk only to the people you want to. No more getting bombarded with chats from people you’d rather not waste your time with.

3. Preview PDF Manipulation. Now you can add or remove pages from a PDF document by simple drag and drop. Especially useful for merging several documents together.

4. QuickLook Multiple Files. Select a few files and hit the spacebar. Especially useful for videos and pictures. You can go through them like a slideshow, or click on the Light Table view to see them laid out in a grid.

5…..

check out the rest of the list

iPhone 1.1.3 jailbreak now for Mac – You can download the Mac version of the software from the cre.ations.net website. Please note that this jailbreak might be hazardous to your iPhone’s health. Before you jailbreak your iPhone, be sure to backup in iTunes — and as always, hacking your iPhone is completely at your own risk. [from TUAW]

MacBook Air Dissected – As soon as we got our MacBook Air, we couldn’t help but want to tear it down to its innards. We wanted to see what made up this beautiful machine, so we grabbed our #00 phillips screwdriver and had at it. Want to know what we found? The sexiest and simplest notebook has the sexiest and simplest construction. [from Gizmodo] Update: They will post videos later.

MacBook Air: First Lab Tests - Macworld Lab releases its first tests of the MacBook Air, detailing just what level of performance you’ll have to sacrifice if you want to take advantage of its small size and light weight.

Americans Don’t Read – During Macworld, Steve Jobs told the New York Times that Apple will not make an e-book reader like Amazon’s Kindle because Americans don’t read any longer.He cited a specific number: 40 percent of Americans read a book or less a year, he said.Jobs may have been referring to a November report from the National Endowment of the Arts, To Read or Not To Read, which found that nearly 50 percent of 18-24 year-olds do not read at all for pleasure. Described as the most complete survey of reading trends, the report says Americans aged 15-24 spend two hours a day watching TV, but only 7-10 minutes reading. This includes reading for school or college.”The story the data tell is simple, consistent, and alarming,” wrote Dana Gioia, Chairman of the NEA.The decline of reading has considerable social, economic and civil consequences, says the NEA, and coincides with the rise of TV and the internet. [from Cult of Mac]

From TUAW:

Although I can be a bit of a slob, I’m pretty anal retentive when it comes to keeping my electronics clean. That goes triple for my MacBook. Although I was pretty scrupulous with my last laptop, the glossy screen and black casing that shows all have required me to become even more attentive. Even though I don’t have people touching my screen all the time, I manage to accumulate build up of fingerprints, smudges and dust marks (most likely from the keyboard) that require giving the screen a full cleaning every week.

The Apple Blog has posted some some great tips/techniques for keeping your screen looking like new, and while they are directed for glossy screen owners, the same basic techniques can be used for any screen, be it iPod/iPhone, matte LCD screen (like on a MacBook Pro or older Apple laptop), iMac, etc.

The key is getting the right…

Read more

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.

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

Did you get a new iPod and are new to the world of iTunes? Check out the iTunes Tutorial pages and learn everything you ever wanted to know about iTunes and more.

The full tutorial

No, I’m not saying “happy holidays” to you (yet). This is about the shareware app that makes it easy to create personalized photo cards. Use your digital photos, add a personal message and you have the perfect photo card! Use HappyHolidays! to create your annual holiday card for family and friends. Create unique photo cards for any occasion: birth announcements, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation, birthdays, party invites, Valentines Day and they can be great thank you cards as well as get well cards.

Not only is this method of card giving good to the environment, it’s fun and personal.

Download the demo now

From NYT:

Students staring at their iPod screens may be taking a break with a music video — or they may be reviewing a tough chemistry lecture.

Long before audio files, of course, students were doing…”

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From Apple Insider:

Gary Allen, author of ifoAppleStore and frequent AppleInsider contributor, made the pilgrimage on Wednesday to the site of Apple’s latest flagship retail store — soon to be Manhattan’s largest — and filed the following in-depth report, complete with revealing photos from the shop’s interior.

“The store is in full view and completely ready for the grand opening. The store occupies three floors, each about 40 feet wide, and the ground floor about 85 feet deep (the second and third floors are about 50 feet deep). Most spectacularly, the front 35-feet of the store spans three-stories, occupied by the most complex and immense glass staircase ever built, spiral or otherwise.

The outside of the store is completely devoid of the usual Apple architectural branding, except for a…

Continue reading and view more photos

Don’t miss the special one-day shopping event on Friday, November 30th.*

Come to the Apple Online Store this Friday for a special one-day-only holiday shopping event. You’ll find dozens of great iPod, iPhone, and Mac gift ideas.

Mark your calendars now. And until then, start your research by visiting our Holiday Gift Guide to find iPod, iPhone, and Mac gifts for everyone on your list.

Check it out

*Shopping event is available only at the Apple Online Store on Friday, November 30, 2007, from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. GMT and at Apple Retail Stores. Check your local Apple Retail Store for special hours. Sale prices are available while supplies last.

Check out this video that is a HOW TO boost your wifi signal using a soda can. Click here to see the video at Little Dumb Man.

Yup. Grab an onion and powerade and voila! Charger for your ipod. Click the above photo to see the video.[via TUAW]

With all of your RSS feeds and games and TV and and music and your iPhone, how the heck do you even get anything done? I really don’t know. If you’re having problems with productivity, this article at zenhabits could help alleviate some of your pain. Download the productivity tips here (pdf).