Mar 07

In this episode of the Apple Universe Podcast, Sam Levin (@samlevin) from the Cool Mac Picks show joins us to talk about some Apple news!

News:

Don’t forget about Speck’s MacBook Air SeeThru discount!

Host/Executive Producer: Daniel Brusilovsky
Associate Producer: Sam Levin
Length: 32:38

Sponsors:

  • shinywhitebox – Great software for Mac. The makers of iShowU, Stomp and now Chatter!

If you would like to sponsor Apple Universe, contact the Sales team at .

Theme Music is provided by Daphna Kalfon. Apple Universe is a proud member of the Tech Podcast Network and the Teen Podcasters Network.

written by Daniel Brusilovsky \\ tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Feb 27

February 27, 2009, Woodstock, IL — Other World Computing (OWC), a leading Mac and PC technology company, today announced two instant rebates, on the purchase of an Axiotron Modbook, the world’s only Mac-based tablet computer that lets users draw and write directly on the screen, and Modservice, a service that converts an existing Intel Core Duo based MacBook computer into a Modbook. With the $100 instant rebate applied, the Modbook 13.3″ model is priced at $2,139.00 and the Modservice $150 instant rebate reduces the conversion service cost to $1,149.00.

OWC – The Single Source For Buy New or “Bring Your Own “Book” (BYOB) Options

OWC is the exclusive US-based distributor of the Axiotron Modbook, as well as being an Axiotron Authorized System Manufacturer (AASM), and fully certified to convert existing MacBooks into full-featured Modbooks with all of the same functionality that has earned Modbook numerous awards and accolades.

Custom Configure With Upgrades, Extended Warranty

The Axiotron Modbook solution, starting from $2139 (including instant rebate), is available equipped with up to a Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz processor, Intel X3100 or Nvidia 9400M video chipset, up to 6GB of memory, up to 750GB of internal hard drive capacity, and a 8X Dual-Layer SuperDrive.

For those who already own an Apple MacBook “White” or “Black” Core Duo or Core 2 Duo Model, for $1149 (including instant rebate), OWC provides Modservice which converts the existing MacBook into a full-fledged Modbook solution. Included in the Modservice price from OWC is a protective shipping box for the MacBook and both pickup and return delivery services via Federal Express. In addition to the tablet conversion, OWC customers can further choose to upgrade their solution with options of up to 6GB of memory starting from $39, faster and higher capacity hard drives up to 500GB from $65, and faster DVD and CD burning with an 8X Dual-Layer SuperDrive. Data transfer options are also offered so customer data can be backed-up and reloaded after the Modbook conversion is completed.

Both the new Modbook and Modservice offerings are backed by a One Year Warranty, which can be optionally extended to a full Three-Year Warranty for an additional $349.00. The Extended Warranty covers the original MacBook components; any customer-selected upgrades installed by OWC at the time of modification, and the tablet components.

“Declassified” Video Shows Entire Modservice Assembly Process

Because of the unique status of the Modbook being the only Mac-based tablet computer available and the proprietary process of Modservice, detailed production information wasn’t available to the general public until OWC recently declassified assembly video footage taken in its engineering labs. To learn the previously closely guarded process on how the conversion process is performed, visit:
http://eshop.macsales.com/Modbook/Video/Declassified_Modservice

To order a Modbook or the Modservice to convert an existing MacBook into Modbook, visit: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/Modbook

About Other World Computing (OWC)

Other World Computing (OWC) has been providing quality hardware products and support to the computer industry since 1988. The Illinois based company operates the popular e-commerce portal www.MacSales.com, which features one of the largest online catalogs of computer and iPod enhancement products, including Mercury, Neptune, and NewerTech(r) acceleration, storage, and FireWire(r) product lines.

OWC is a Premiere Level Apple Developer Connection member and provides extensive US-based technical support for Macintosh users around the world. OWC is also a strategic partner with Axiotron and exclusive US distributor of the award winning Axiotron Modbook.

OWC is the winner of numerous awards, including Computerworld Magazine’s Top Green-IT Companies for 2008, BizRate’s Gold Circle of Excellence for 2008, and the 2008 “Business Champion Award” from McHenry County Economic Development Corporation. The company’s management umbrella includes leading Internet Service Providers www.fastermac.net and www.owc.net and is the leading technology employer as ranked by the McHenry County Business Journal. For more information, visit www.macsales.com.

written by Daniel Brusilovsky \\ tags: , , , ,

Feb 25

USA — February 24, 2009 — Universal Electronic Accessories (“Uniea”), a leading designer and manufacturer of innovative electronic accessories, announced today that Barnes & Noble, one of the largest online retailers of consumer products of all kinds, is now offering Uniea’s full product line to customers through its far-reaching website. Uniea’s cases and accessories are available through the Barnes & Noble website at books.com, and are featured in both the home and gift sections under the “electronics” categories. To date, this strategic partnership between the two companies has been highly successful, netting impressive U.S. sales results for Uniea in the first quarter of 2009.

The addition of Barnes & Noble as a key sales partner for Uniea follows the company’s steady and impressive efforts in recent months to significantly expand its exposure to various markets globally and forge new distribution alliances with key vendors. Earlier in the year, Uniea announced new ties with both Navarre and Tech Data, two of the largest distributors of consumer electronic products, as well as with the Japanese distributor Focal Point (site in Japanese).

Given the fact that Barnes & Noble remains one of the most popular and successful online retail stores, sales in the U.S. are expected to climb throughout the fiscal year 2009, according to a Uniea spokesperson.

written by Daniel Brusilovsky \\ tags: , , , , ,

Feb 24

CUPERTINO, Calif., Feb. 24 — Apple today announced the public beta of Safari(R) 4, the world’s fastest and most innovative web browser for Mac and Windows PCs. The Nitro engine in Safari 4 runs JavaScript 4.2 times faster than Safari 3.* Innovative new features that make browsing more intuitive and enjoyable include Top Sites, for a stunning visual preview of frequently visited pages; Full History Search, to search through titles, web addresses and the complete text of recently viewed pages; Cover Flow(R), to easily flip through web history or bookmarks; and Tabs on Top, to make tabbed browsing easier and more intuitive.

“Apple created Safari to bring innovation, speed and open standards back into web browsers, and today it takes another big step forward,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Safari 4 is the fastest and most efficient browser for Mac and Windows, with great integration of HTML 5 and CSS 3 web standards that enables the next generation of interactive web applications.”

Safari 4 is built on the world’s most advanced browser technologies including the new Nitro JavaScript engine that executes JavaScript up to 30 times faster than IE 7 and more than three times faster than Firefox 3. Safari quickly loads HTML web pages three times faster than IE 7 and almost three times faster than Firefox 3.*

Apple is leading the industry in defining and implementing innovative web standards such as HTML 5 and CSS 3 for an entirely new class of web applications that feature rich media, graphics and fonts. Safari 4 includes HTML 5 support for offline technologies so web-based applications can store information locally without an Internet connection, and is the first browser to support advanced CSS Effects that enable highly polished web graphics using reflections, gradients and precision masks. Safari 4 is the first browser to pass the Web Standards Project’s Acid3 test, which examines how well a browser adheres to CSS, JavaScript, XML and SVG web standards that are specifically designed for dynamic web applications.

Safari for Mac, Windows, iPhone(TM) and iPod(R) touch are all built on Apple’s WebKit, the world’s fastest and most advanced browser engine. Apple developed WebKit as an open source project to create the world’s best browser engine and to advance the adoption of modern web standards. Most recently, WebKit led the introduction of HTML 5 and CSS 3 web standards and is known for its fast, modern code-base. The industry’s newest browsers are based on WebKit including Google Chrome, the Google Android browser, the Nokia Series 60 browser and Palm webOS.

Innovative new features in Safari 4 include:
— Top Sites, a display of frequently visited pages in a stunning wall of
previews so users can jump to their favorite sites with a single click;
— Full History Search, where users search through titles, web addresses
and the complete text of recently viewed pages to easily return to
sites they’ve seen before;
— Cover Flow, to make searching web history or bookmarks as fun and easy
as paging through album art in iTunes(R);
— Tabs on Top, for better tabbed browsing with easy drag-and-drop tab
management tools and an intuitive button for opening new ones;
— Smart Address Field, that automatically completes web addresses by
displaying an easy-to-read list of suggestions from Top Sites,
bookmarks and browsing history;
— Smart Search Field, where users fine-tune searches with recommendations
from Google Suggest or a list of recent searches;
— Full Page Zoom, for a closer look at any website without degrading the
quality of the site’s layout and text;
— built-in web developer tools to debug, tweak and optimize a website for
peak performance and compatibility; and
— a new Windows-native look in Safari for Windows, that uses standard
Windows font rendering and native title bar, borders and toolbars so
Safari fits the look and feel of other Windows XP and Windows Vista
applications.

Pricing & Availability
Safari 4 is a public beta for both Mac OS(R) X and Windows and is available immediately as a free download at http://www.apple.com/safari.

Safari 4 for Mac OS X requires Mac OS X Leopard(R) version 10.5.6 and Security Update 2009-001 or Mac OS X Tiger(R) version 10.4.11, a minimum 256MB of memory, and is designed to run on any Intel-based Mac or a Mac with a PowerPC G5, G4 or G3 processor and built-in FireWire(R). Safari 4 for Windows requires Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista, a minimum 256MB of memory and a system with at least a 500 MHz Intel Pentium processor. Full system requirements and more information on Safari 4 can be found at http://www.apple.com/safari.

* Performance will vary based on system configuration, network connection
and other factors. All testing conducted on an iMac(R) 2.8 GHz Intel
Core 2 Duo system running Windows Vista, with 2GB of RAM. JavaScript
benchmark based on the SunSpider JavaScript Performance test. HTML
benchmark based on VeriTest’s iBench Version 5.0 using default settings.

written by Daniel Brusilovsky \\ tags: , , , , ,

Jan 20

The Apple Universe Podcast goes to Macworld 2009 in San Francisco, and to start things off, we talk to Rick Kalman, Sr. Product Manager, Desktop Products at FileMaker, Inc. FileMaker at Macworld announced it is shipping the new FileMaker Pro 10, a breakthrough version of the award-winning database software, which features a sleek new interface and intuitive new design. With a fresh new interface, FileMaker Pro 10 delivers the most dramatic design changes in over a decade. The redesigned and customizable Status Toolbar – similar to browser toolbars – puts commonly used FileMaker Pro features, previously only accessible from the main menu, right at users’ fingertips for streamlined navigation, better workflow and time-saving shortcuts.

Host/Executive Producer: Daniel Brusilovsky
Associate Producer: Sean Blake
Length: 13:54

Sponsors:

  • Drop.io – Simple Private Sharing
  • iCulturiCultur.com is a new and exciting environment on the Internet for everyone out there who loves to “think different”
  • shinywhitebox – Great software for Mac. The makers of iShowU, Stomp and now Chatter!
  • Skitch – The best screen capture program for the Mac!

If you would like to sponsor Apple Universe, contact the Sales team at .

Theme Music is provided by Daphna Kalfon. Apple Universe is a proud member of the Tech Podcast Network and the Teen Podcasters Network.

written by Daniel Brusilovsky \\ tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Jan 19

Ustream has received approval from Apple for its live video viewing application on the iPhone just in time to watch the Obama inauguration live from wherever you are. The application requires an open WiFi connection to show video. Audio is pretty good, picture quality is good but with a low frame rate. Of course, there is a lot of buffering, even over WiFi, and users can both read and leave comments in the chat stream. Get it here.

I have taken some screen shots, and posted on my Flickr stream.

Update: The application is only running on iPhone’s, and not iPod Touch’s like the App Store mentions.

Ustream Live Video Viewer iPhone Application

Ustream Live Video Viewer iPhone Application

written by Daniel Brusilovsky \\ tags: , , , ,

Jan 06

Tonight out at the ShowStoppers event at Macworld in San Francisco, Skype announced the new 2.8 Beta for Mac OS X. The new version will apparently be available for download tomorrow, January 6, 2009, from Skype’s website.

Here’s the quick list of what Skype notes is in this release:

  • Skype Access
  • Screen Sharing
  • Improved chat management: ability to sort chats in the drawer and set priorities to chats
  • Quick Add: much easier to add people to chats
  • Mood message chat: mood message updates from your friends as chat messages
  • Large avatars: 256×256 pixels
  • Hidden avatars in incoming contact requests
  • Ability to add your own notes to contacts

Skype Access is a worldwide, pay-per-minute WiFi hotspot access service provided by Boingo Wireless and enabled by Skype. Skype Access allows Skype users to connect to any of the more than 100,000 Boingo WiFi hotspots worldwide – including airports, hotels, cafes and metropolitan hot zones – with a single click, and to pay per minute only for what they use with Skype Credit.

The price to use Skype Access to connect to a Boingo WiFi hotspot is based on a flat, global rate of $0.19/€0.14 per minute (€0.16/$0.22 incl. VAT), which will vary based on currency. There are no connection fees or monthly charges for Skype Access.

The new screen sharing function in Skype 2.8 Beta for Mac enables you to show others something you are working on or to explain how to do something. Similar to a Skype video call, it works by capturing, encrypting and transferring the content of your screen in real-time to the person you are sharing your screen with. Once there, the content is decrypted and shown to the other person on their screen. If you are using Skype 2.8 Beta for Mac, you are also able to share your screen with Skype for Windows and Skype for Linux users, but cannot see theirs (yet).

Tomorrow, I will download the test out Skype 2.8 Beta for Mac, if all goes according to plan at Skype.

written by Daniel Brusilovsky

Jan 05

In this episode of the Apple Universe Podcast, more pre-Macworld 2009 predictions run, along with some news! Be sure to tune into the Apple Universe Podcast Macworld Coverage page for updates!

News:

Host/Executive Producer: Daniel Brusilovsky
Associate Producer: Sean Blake
Length: 9:47

Sponsors:

  • Drop.io – Simple Private Sharing
  • iCulturiCultur.com is a new and exciting environment on the Internet for everyone out there who loves to “think different”
  • shinywhitebox – Great software for Mac. The makers of iShowU, Stomp and now Chatter!
  • Skitch – The best screen capture program for the Mac!

If you would like to sponsor Apple Universe, contact the Sales team at .

Theme Music is provided by Daphna Kalfon. Apple Universe is a proud member of the Tech Podcast Network and the Teen Podcasters Network.

written by Daniel Brusilovsky \\ tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Jan 03

In this episode of the Apple Universe Podcast, Macworld predictions run high when Max Murphy, Host and Producer of Mac News Weekly joins us!

News:

Host/Executive Producer: Daniel Brusilovsky
Associate Producer: Sean Blake
Length: 17:40

Sponsors:

  • Drop.io – Simple Private Sharing
  • iCulturiCultur.com is a new and exciting environment on the Internet for everyone out there who loves to “think different”
  • shinywhitebox – Great software for Mac. The makers of iShowU, Stomp and now Chatter!
  • Skitch – The best screen capture program for the Mac!

If you would like to sponsor Apple Universe, contact the Sales team at .

Theme Music is provided by Daphna Kalfon. Apple Universe is a proud member of the Tech Podcast Network and the Teen Podcasters Network.

written by Daniel Brusilovsky \\ tags: , , , , , ,

Dec 28

In this episode of the Apple Universe Podcast, Macworld predictions run high, and a iPhone battery review heats up!

News:

Review:

Host/Executive Producer: Daniel Brusilovsky
Associate Producer: Sean Blake
Length: 20:26

Sponsors:

  • Drop.io – Simple Private Sharing
  • iCulturiCultur.com is a new and exciting environment on the Internet for everyone out there who loves to “think different”
  • shinywhitebox – Great software for Mac. The makers of iShowU, Stomp and now Chatter!
  • Skitch – The best screen capture program for the Mac!

If you would like to sponsor Apple Universe, contact the Sales team at .

Theme Music is provided by Daphna Kalfon. Apple Universe is a proud member of the Tech Podcast Network and the Teen Podcasters Network.

written by Daniel Brusilovsky \\ tags: , , , , , , , , ,