Macworld articles from August 2007

Macworld archives from August 2007

In the shadow of the iPhone: at WWDC, Leopard loses the spotlight.(Apple Worldwide Developers Conference)(Editorial)
August 1, 2007... Eighteen days. The number hung over the auditorium like fog on a gray San Francisco day. Although Steve Jobs spent most of his keynote address at June's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) discussing the next version of Mac OS X (Leopard),...

Mac meets Windows; Parallels report.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... Thanks for writing the article about running Windows on a Mac ("4 Ways to Windows," May 2007). I have one question: I'm about to buy a new Mac mini. I'd really like to purchase Apple's Bluetooth keyboard and mouse with it. But in your article,...

Overheard on the forums.(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... I disagree with the notion of adding subscription services to the iTunes Store. All it will bring is complexity and confusion. Which of my songs are subscription based and which are purchased? Which ones can I burn to a CD and which can I not?...

Mac meets Windows; The Not-So-Ultimate Office.(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... No UPS solution for "The Ultimate Home Office" (May 2007)? Christopher Breen must think either that home power generators are common, or that it is no big deal to save your work every few minutes. Scott Bunnell While I'm a firm...

Mac meets Windows; rough landings.(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... Regarding your review of the new AirPort Extreme Base Station: why did you give it a rating of [VERY GOOD] 1/2? The fact that it has no Gigabit Ethernet ports should have knocked off a full mouse. Other problems include the absence of an option...

Reader poll.(FEEDBACK)
August 1, 2007... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] READER POLL Will Apple's delayed release of Leopard affect your Mac-buying plans at all? Yes, I'll postpone new Mac 31% purchases until after Leopard comes out. No, I'll make new Mac 34%...

Mac meets Windows; way-back machines.(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... I like your article on what to do with old Macs ("New Life for Old Macs," April 2007), but could you get a little older in your thinking? A Mac that can run OS X 10.4 is not an old Mac. Can you do an article on, say, a Quadra 660AV stuck at OS...

Mac meets Windows; the important ports.(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... In your May 2007 issue, you have a very informative article about how to set up a secure VNC session through an SSH tunnel (Geek Factor). It's mostly correct, except on one point: you say that if you have a NAT router, you need to use port...

Mac meets Windows; the mighty fall.(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... I had to laugh when I read your May hard-drive review ("One Drive Fits All"). You said, "[SATA is] here to stay, and we'll be using it for years to come." Just like SCSI, Zip, Jazz, and a long list of other old technologies. As soon as another...

Mac meets Windows; welcome to my shop.(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2007... Many thanks to Jonathan Seff for his easy-to-follow guide to converting video for the iPod and TV (Playlist, May 2007). As a huge animation buff, I've been dying to rip my DVDs of the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection" to my Mac but was unsure of...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
August 1, 2007... In July's Feedback, one of the wedges in the "Reader Poll" pie chart was incorrect. The "I don't have plans to upgrade at this time" number should have been 11 percent, not 36 percent. Contact Us Post comments on our forums...

More of Leopard revealed: Steve Jobs shows off new features of OS update.(Mac OS X 10.5 operating system)
August 1, 2007... When Mac OS X 10.5, code-named Leopard, makes its debut in October, it will feature a redesigned Desktop and a new Finder. Those features were among the changes that Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced while previewing the forth-coming OS X update...

Apple brings Safari to Windows.(developing web browser)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Apple expanded its presence on the Windows platform by releasing a Windows-compatible public beta of its Safari Web browser. The final version, Safari 3, will be included with Mac OS X 10.5, and will be a free download for users of OS X 10.4,...

Developers get some iPhone access: Web applications will work through Safari.(SMART PHONES)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... In addition to getting another preview of Mac OS X 10.5, developers at Apple's WWDC received some welcome news from Apple CEO Steve Jobs--they'll be able to write applications that will run on the company's highly anticipated iPhone. Jobs...

EA makes play for Mac gamers: company promises its support.(Electronic Arts Inc.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Taking the keynote stage with Steve Jobs, Electronic Arts (EA) cofounder and chief creative officer Bing Gordon told attendees of Apple's WWDC that the video and computer game publisher would return to the Mac beginning in July, with four of...

Exilim Zoom EX-Z1200.(HARDWARE)
August 1, 2007... Exilim Zoom EX-Z1200, from Casio (www.casio.com): This 12.1-megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom lens features face-detecting autofocus technology ($400).

ToughTech XE mini.(HARDWARE)
August 1, 2007... ToughTech XE mini, from WiebeTech (www.wiebetech.com): This pocket external hard drive enclosure, which is available in capacities up to 160GB, features external Serial ATA and USB 2.0 interfaces in a single port, as well as two FireWire 800...

MacBook Pros get Santa Rosa chip set.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
August 1, 2007... On the heels of an update to its MacBook line (see our review on page 40), Apple has also overhauled its MacBook Pro laptops. The latest MacBook Pros feature the "Santa Rosa" chip set that Intel introduced in May. This chip pushes the laptop's...

Adobe tells FreeHand users to move to Illustrator.(NEWS IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... The end is nigh for FreeHand MX, the venerable vector-based illustration program that became the property of Adobe after the company bought Macromedia in 2005. Adobe has told FreeHand users that it won't develop any new features for FreeHand,...

When Steve met Bill.(Steve Jobs and Bill Gates speak about each other)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Side by Side No, that's not a Photoshop trick--Steve Jobs and Bill Gates appeared alongside each other during May's D: All things Digital conference in Carlsbad, California. The two tech heavyweights reminisced about the past while looking...

Web Creators.(survey on internet usage)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... A new Forrester report divides the U.S. online population into six groups according to their social participation on the Web. More than one-fifth of those classified as Creators--people who blog, publish Web sites, upload videos, or participate...

When 'millions' of colors equal 262,144: lawsuit raises questions over display-industry claims.(DISPLAYS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Two Mac users have filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple that contends the company misrepresents the amount of colors its laptops can display. Specifically, the suit alleges that MacBooks and MacBook Pros are capable of displaying only the...

Searching for MagSafe accessories: Apple has yet to license its connection technology to third-party developers.(MOBILITY)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... One of the niftiest features introduced when Apple rolled out its Intel-based laptops in 2006 was the MagSafe power connector (shown here)--the magnetic ring surrounding four small power nubs at the end of the notebook's power cable. If you...

DRM-free music arrives at iTunes: what you need to know about iTunes Plus.(MUSIC)
August 1, 2007... In April, Apple and EMI Group vowed to put DRM-free (digital rights management) versions of the record label's entire catalog on the iTunes Store. In June, the companies delivered with the launch of iTunes Plus, which offers DRM-free tracks...

Microsoft: all your iPods belong to us: company encourages purging Apple's players.(marketing Zune MP3 player)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Microsoft may be turning to more-inventive ways to get people to try the Zune MP3 player, its would-be iPod killer. In an article that you can read at macworld.com/2858, IDG News Service's Elizabeth Montalbano reports that the Zune team at...

iStat nano.(widget from iSlayer)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Looking for a simple way to view your Mac's vital stats? iSlayer's iStat nano (payment requested) is a compact and easy-to-read widget that gives you just that. You can quickly view CPU usage, memory usage, disk space, network addresses and...

CrossOver Mac 6.1.(SOFTWARE)
August 1, 2007... CrossOver Mac 6.1, from CodeWeavers (www.codeweavers.com): This Windows-compatibility program for Intel-based Macs adds the ability for Microsoft Outlook users to work remotely using RPC over HTTP ($60).

Skype 2.6 for Mac.(SOFTWARE)
August 1, 2007... Skype 2.6 for Mac, from Skype (www.skype.com): This voice-over-IP communication program adds a Call Transfer feature for transferring an ongoing call to another Skype user over a contact list (free).

StarCraft II headed to the Mac and PC: legendary game slated for release.(GAMES)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... StarCraft II, the sequel to the legendary game, is in development at Blizzard Entertainment. And unlike with the original game, Mac users won't have to wait while their PC counterparts vie for control of planetary surfaces. The Mac version of...

Aquaria.(action game from Ambrosia Software Inc.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... Ambrosia Software has announced plans to publish a Mac version of Aquaria. The game was the winner of the grand prize at this year's Independent Game Festival Awards, part of the Game Developers Conference. Aquaria is a side-scrolling...

Celesta.(laptop keyboard from Moshi)(Brief article)
August 1, 2007... I'm a fan of laptop keyboards--not necessarily their size, but their low-profile, scissor-switch keys. Moshi's new $120 Celesta is a full-size desktop keyboard with a laptop feel--and with an attractive design and good ergonomics, to boot....

HomeDock Music Remote.(Hot Stuff)
August 1, 2007... Fans of Digital Lifestyle Outfitters' HomeDock line will be excited by the company's new $130 HomeDock Music Remote. Connect the HomeDock iPod dock to your stereo (or TV), and you can pump your music player's tunes throughout your house, using...

DataTraveler Reader.(Hot Stuff)
August 1, 2007... There are plenty of SD card readers in the world. But Kingston Technology's sleek, $35 DataTraveler Reader also doubles as a 2GB USB 2.0 flash drive, so you can get photos off your camera and keep them backed up with the same device. The...

Trey.(Hot Stuff)
August 1, 2007... Gaming chairs have been around for a while, but they're rarely well suited to general office work. Sauder Manufacturing believes that it has found a balance between the two in a new offering called Trey, which comes in various colors ($239 when...

Jack OS X 0.74.(Hot Stuff)
August 1, 2007... What makes multitrack audio editing great is the fact that it lets you deal with each instrument or voice separately, without affecting the others. That's what makes the free Jack OS X so cool. It's a low-latency audio server that lets you add...

Elements of Web design: Adobe features Macromedia's Web tools in the CS3 package.(Adobe Dreamweaver Creative Suite 3 )(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... Adobe is currently releasing a massive suite of print, Web, and video-production programs under the rubric of Creative Suite 3. Adobe CS3 is designed to be a complete set of tools for every type of Mac-based creative professional, with...

MacBooks trade up: modest update comes with impressive speed gains.(laptop computer from Apple Inc.)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... Since its debut in May 2006, the MacBook family has earned a place in the pantheon of Apple's all-time greatest hits. The sturdy, Intel-powered notebooks have been so popular with consumers, especially students, that they've helped the company...

macworld.com/reviews: what we're reviewing online this month.(computer peripherals and softwares)(Editorial)
August 1, 2007... SOFTWARE FotoMagico 2 Pro RATING:[VERY GOOD] PRICE: $129 COMPANY: Boinx Software URL: www.boinx.com FotoMagico 2.0.1 Pro is a powerful slide-show-authoring tool. Its intuitive interface and high level of motion, text, and audio...

Top Products.(computer peripherals)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... PRINTERS LASER PRINTER C6100dn RATING: [VERY GOOD] 1/2 PRICE: $1,102 COMPANY: Oki Data URL: www.okidata.com The C6100dn, from Oki Data, produces great-looking prints, and it includes built-in duplexing. It has easy network...

Software treats: 63 great Mac programs that won't cost you a bundle.(FEATURE)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2007... There's a lot of free and low-cost software available to Mac users these days. The challenge is sifting through that vast selection to find the prized few worthy of a permanent place on your hard drive. So to help you out, we've scoured the Web...

The Google office: can the Web giant's suite of free online programs replace your copy of Microsoft Office?(FEATURE)
August 1, 2007... INSIDE: Anywhere Wordsmith PAGE 62 Number Cruncher PAGE 64 Schedule Master PAGE 67 Mighty Messenger PAGE 68 Imagine being able to access all your important documents from any computer with an Internet...

Fix password glitches: keychain on the blink? Forgotten a password? Here's what to do.(Working Mac)(Column)
August 1, 2007... Is password overload getting to you? With banks, e-commerce sites, and discussion forums--not to mention Mac OS X--all requiring logins and passwords, it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep a handle on everything. Of course, as the number...

Get a read on Audiobooks: convert your own CDs and much more.(Playlist)
August 1, 2007... Listening to audiobooks is a terrific way to while away a long commute or airline flight, and audiobooks are pleasant companions when you're hanging out in your backyard, in a park, or on a beach. They're also a great resource for people who,...

Steady your shot: combat blurry photos with image-stabilization technology.(Digital Photo)(Column)
August 1, 2007... Even if you think you have rock-steady hands, it's easy to end up with blurry photos--particularly in low-light indoor environments where you don't want to use a flash (in a church or a museum, for example). In these situations, the shutter has...

3 Geek Tools: power up your desktop, write to NTFS volumes, and selectively reinstall software.(Geek Factor)
August 1, 2007... Sometimes Mac OS X has everything you need. But sometimes it doesn't. Occasionally you need to do some kind of system work that your operating system just doesn't support. In those cases, you need to turn to specialized tools like one of the...

Mac OS X Hints: the insiders' tips you won't get from Apple.(Help Desk)(Column)
August 1, 2007... Speed Up iPhoto Image Burning It's easy to select an album or a bunch of photos in Apple's iPhoto and then click on Burn to create a disc of images. But what if you want to combine iPhoto images with other files, such as Word documents and...

Mac 911: solutions to your most vexing Mac problems.(using Mac OS X operating system)(Column)
August 1, 2007... The Not-in-a-Playlist Playlist Q: I often receive MP3s that are copied to iTunes' library when I open them. As time goes by, the library gets filled with stuff I don't want. The stuff I do want is already sorted into playlists. Can I make...

A day without Steve: someday, Steve Jobs will have to step down. What then?(SPOTLIGHT)
August 1, 2007... One sure way to dampen the spirits of a Mac enthusiast is to start talking about Apple without Steve Jobs at the helm. A decade after Jobs's return to the company he founded, the bad old days of the "beleaguered" Apple Computer Inc. have...