MediaCentral 2.1
Company: Equinux
Price: €29.95 / $29.95
Web: http://www.equinux.com/us/products/mediacentral/index.html
System Requirement:
Apple Macintosh G4 1GHz or Intel Mac / Mac OS X 10.4 or higher / An active internet connection
Introduction
In March I did a review of MediaCentral 1.2, just as the new Intel MacMinis were released to the public with FrontRow part of the package. MediaCentral had a lot to offer though and scored a strong 4 out of 5.
Recently Equinux released version 2.0 and shortly thereafter version 2.1 – it is no longer a free download, but pay for software. It no longer is a tiny 1.8MB download, but a 33.4MB download. So it raises the question – what’s new?
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MacAlly IP-A411 iPod charger
MacAlly Inc.
Price: US $19.95
http://macally.com/spec/ipod/ip-a411.html
When you buy an iPod, you get a wall charger, so you can charge ye olde iPod without hooking up to a computer.
Do you want another wall charger, so you can keep one in two locations?
Mother Apple will charge(r) you $29.99, and then you’ll still have to buy the requisite USB cable, as Apple does not supply a cable with the charger.
MacAlly will sell you their AC wall charger for a mere $19.95. It is virtually identical with the Apple wall charger, except it has a small LCD that glows when the iPod is charging. It is exactly the same size and color as Apple’s.
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Shortly after the PowerBook 5300 shipped in 1995 it was discovered that the installed Lithium Ion battery, then a new technology, carried with it a risk of severe overheating. Apple immediately recalled each and every one, a few of which had reached end users, and replaced the Lithium Ion battery with a Nickel Metal Hydride battery. No Apple computer since then has carried this risk, until now.
Some in the mainstream media have implied that Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops may have the same risks as the recently recalled Dell laptops, since Apple also uses battery components from Sony. The MacBook & MacBook Pro don’t, but last week on Thursday Apple announced the Battery Exchange Program for iBook G4 and PowerBook G4. There are no reported cases of a 12″ iBook G4 or 12″ or 15″ PowerBook G4 catching fire, but if yours was purchased October 2003 or later follow the instructions on the recall web page to determine if your battery may have the problem and need to be exchanged. The 14″ iBook G4 and the 17″ PowerBook G4 are not affected, and not all 12″ iBook G4s and 12″ or 15″ PowerBook G4s are. I own a 15″ PowerBook G4 and the battery in mine is not part of the recall.
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MacAlly iLaser mouse
Company: MacAlly, Inc.
Price: $29.99
http://macally.com
Computer mice are becoming as plentiful as rats in the New York subway. There’s a mouse for almost every type of user. MacAlly has just made the choice harder to make with their new iLaser mouse. I spent a while with MacAlly’s new iLaser mouse, and came away with mixed feelings about it.
Everyone knows that mice likes and dislikes are extremely personal; what fits my hand perfectly may cause RSI (repetitive strain injury) with yours. Personal feelings about weight, click resistance, and the overall feel make it hard to believe any mouse review.
Having said that, let’s take a look at the iLaser. Continue reading »
The little rodent uses a laser for its optical tracking mechanism. This means it can track well over almost eny surface, even glass. Not having a glass desk handy, I didn’t evaluate this, but the mouse did track nicely on several different mousepads, and the unadorned surface of my desk.
This installment of the Download Drawer has four great utilities for the Mac user. They are all free, just like we like them.
http://www.flip4mac.com
Have you ever visited a website with a movie file you can’t play because it is in Windows Media Format? Or has someone emailed you a file with the .wmv extension? Quicktime won’t play these files. At least, it won’t play these files without Flip4Mac. Flip4Mac is a free download which will allow Quicktime to play these files. It will play them through a Quicktime window, or through your web browser. To make this even better, they just released a universal binary version!
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Now I’ve got my new MacBook and I’m chomping at the bit to get some Photoshop onto it. I decided, after a bit of reflection, that I need professional Photoshop CS2 like I need a Bentley. The way Photoshop is going the best deals for the average Joe, like me, is to get one of the Elements programs, such as Elements 4. There’s enough features on that application to keep me slobbering over images for years.
So I got in the car and drove down to the nearest shopping center a mere 6 miles from home. I went to Circuit City first only because I did not wish to go to Best Buy (see my reason a couple of paragraphs below here).
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MyMacMini Podcast 6 features David Cohen, John Nemo, Tim Robertson, and Guy Serle.
This podcast is sponsored by SmallDog.com, RamJet.com, and Inno-Tech.com.
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It is too early for it to be fall, but I was riding my motorcycle up to Burlington over the Appalachian Gap (Route 17) and I actually spotted a couple of maple saplings in full red already. With the cool evenings and shorter days it isn’t long before the woods will be ablaze with color.
Okay, even though I am counting carbs, I couldn’t resist having two corn-eating orgies. It used to be that Artie and I would have a contest to see who could eat the most ears of corn in a season, but these days it is a rare treat for me. I’m sure Art is still putting away a couple bushels each year, though.
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Tim and Chad spend most of the podcast talking with Vern Seward, writer at The MacObserver. Vern is a long-time Mac writer, and goes way back with computers. From Mix Tapes to Atari to a colored iPod Nano, we hit a lot of topics.
Leave audio feedback by calling 801-938-5559
This podcast is sponsored by SmallDog.com, RamJet.com, and Inno-Tech.com.
Get the show from these links:
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Although there had been a version of the PowerBook 3400 with a G3 processor, the real G3 show began with a totally redesigned PowerBook featuring a slim, black exterior and a larger screen. Apple referred to them all as G3 PowerBooks, but Mac users have instead used their code names, Wall Street, Lombard, and Pismo respectively, for the three generations of G3 PowerBook.
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E500PTH Sound Isolating Earphones with Push-To-Hear Control
Company: Shure
Price: $500
http://www.shure.com
First time I listened to songs on my iPod using Shure’s super-premium in-ear earphones, I thought it was the most immediate, exciting audio playback experience of my longish life as a musician and music lover. And the most uncomfortable. I had no interest in becoming accustomed to idiotic compressed foam tips inserted into my precious ear canals. With some enthusiasm (meaning not much), I told Shure’s product manager I could hardly wait for a personal evaluation leading to a favorable review in MyMac.com. That was January, 2005, in an exceptionally noisy Moscone Center exhibition area of San Francisco’s Macworld Expo a year and a half ago, accompanied by colleague Owen Rubin.
One year later, same people and location, updated products, same reaction to the foam tips. Shure introduced E500PTH at Macworld 2006, with better audio drivers plus a clever in-line on/off microphone, so earphone listeners can communicate with the real world without having to remove aforementioned tips from ears. Owen and I were impressed. Artie Alinikoff visited the Shure booth later that day, writing his own report.
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iPlayMusic Beginning Guitar Lessons DVD
Company: iPlayMusic
Price: $49.99 US
http://www.iplaymusic.com
Learning to play a musical instrument is difficult enough with the help of a paid instructor’s weekly lessons. How is a person, young or old, supposed to acquire basic guitar skills via QuickTime video computer lessons and on-screen chord charts?
iPlayMusic’s Beginning Guitar Lessons (iPM/BGL) is the best instructional method we’ve seen at MyMac.com for learning instrumental basics. eMedia Music, the established competitor, will need to work on its chops in order to regain top spot on the tutorial charts.
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Macally External Li-ion Battery for iPod
Company: Macally
$49.99
www.macally.com
Do you go on long trips and never have enough battery life for your iPod? If so, the Macally External Li-ion Battery for iPod is for you.
The Macally External Li-ion Battery is an external battery source for the iPod nano, iPod 5G, iPod Photo, iPod with color display, iPod 4G, iPod 3G, iPod Mini, and iPod shuffle. It is a black box about the size of the current 60GB iPod, but it weighs a lot less.
The battery has a standard USB port for connecting your iPod via the USB iPod cable. If you have an iPod Shuffle, the iPod connects directly to the battery through this port. There is also a port for an AC/DC 5v adapter (not included) for charging the battery, a mini USB port for charging the battery with the
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This week you get the benefit of saving time from my wasting it. Recently, my grandparents switched from dial-up to DSL. My DSL service was a piece of cake to set up, so I figured theirs shouldn’t be a problem. Was I wrong.
Filters, Filters, Filters
Besides the modem, the most important items you’ll need when you install DSL are filters. The filters block out the noise on the line that DSL signals cause. EVERY outlet in your house that is connected to a phone device (cordless phone, fax, dial-up modem, etc.) must be connected to a filter. The only hardware that should not have a filter running to it is the modem.
When ordering DSL make sure you ask how many filters you are getting with the setup kit. Some providers will give you two, others will give you five. If you aren’t getting enough, order more. Providers differ here, too. Some will give you as many filters as you need, while others charge a fee.
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InDesign Production Cookbook,
by Alistar Dabbs and Ken McMahon
ISBN 0-596-10048-5
Orielly Press
192 pages
US $29.95 CAN $41.95 UK £21.99
www.oreilly.com
The gangs all here for the fifth MyMacMini podcast, including David Cohen’s Fenestration, Nemo talks backing up and Chocolate, Robert looks reviews the Neuros MPEG4 Recorder 2, and Guy Serle looks at more Must Have widgets
Leave audio feedback by calling 801-938-5559
This podcast is sponsored by SmallDog.com, RamJet.com, and Inno-Tech.com.
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Interarchy 8.1
Company: Stairways Software Pty
http://www.interarchy.com
(Native to both PowerPC and Intel Macs) Continue reading »
When is an FTP client not just an FTP client? When it”s Interarchy. While I am not going to claim that Interarchy is the best FTP client on the planet, or even on the Mac platform (I have not tried them all) I will say I really enjoy using it almost every day.
Aluminum V2 iPod Case
Company: PodsPlus
Price $29.99
http://www.podsplus.com/
Time for another iPod case review. I have seen so many iPod cases, I fear I may eventually become jaded in reviewing them. Seriously, how many different types of iPod cases can you come up with? Well, in the case of the Aluminum V2 from PodsPlus, a lot.
The Aluminum V2, as the name suggests, is an Aluminum iPod case. Your iPod fits cleanly inside the back of the case, and you snap close (the a clasp)the front to seal your iPod in. The clasp feels very secure, so there are no worries about the iPod falling out.
The top of the case is open to allow access to the headphones jack and the sliding hold button. It is also where the clasp is located. The bottom is open to allow access to the dock port. Also on the bottom is the hinge that holds the two halves of the iPod together. The hinge is small, and for the most part unobtrusive. A regular iPod dock cable has no problem fitting in the opening, but there is not enough room for thicker iPod dock cables, such as the one that comes with the Harman Kardon Drive + Play. Is this a problem with the case, or with third-party iPod dock cable companies? I leave it to you to decide.
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My plane was on-time coming back from San Francisco last night and the pilot pointed out some fireworks on the right side of the plane when we were landing. As I exited the plane I was surprised to see Governor Jim Douglas and Senator Pat Leahy standing by the door to welcome us home. With the other dignitaries were also the families of the dozen or so Vermont National Guard members returning from duty in Iraq. My seat mate told me that he had been traveling for nearly 35 hours from Qatar and boy was he happy to be coming home. So, I joked a bit with the Governor and Senator and took my place in the welcoming line as the soldiers exited the plane. It was good to see our Vermont guys home safely.
Why wireless?
There are many people with ideas. Many ideas sound good, until you know what you’re talking about. In other words, common sense isn’t all that common. To me it means thinking something through, and taking apart and idea, disecting it and the ramifications.
My brother sold his Apple stock because he heard that Microsoft was coming out with a wireless iPod competitor, and figured that would take away sales. Heck, who wouldn’t? A new wireless iPods just sounds cool, until you really think about it. Sure it is easy to market as sexy, and it’ll sell, but will people use it and like it long term?
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MyMac Podcast #385
MyMac Podcast #384