NOTE: this program is not yet available in Canada. More information
can be obtained by leaving questions at:
http://developer.apple.com/contact/
...from:
http://developer.apple.com/iphone/program/university.htmlhttp://www.macworld.com/article/135675/2008/09/iphone_university.html?t=213
The iPhone Developer University Program is a free program designed for
higher education institutions looking to introduce curriculum for
developing iPhone or iPod touch applications. The University Program
provides a wealth of development resources, sophisticated tools for
testing and debugging, and the ability to share applications within
the same development team. Institutions can also submit applications
for distribution in the App Store.
The free iPhone Developer University Program is currently available to
accredited, higher education institutions in the
United States.
The iPhone Developer University Program includes:
iPhone SDK
iPhone Dev Center Resources
Testing on iPhone and iPod touch
Internal or App Store distribution
Student Development Team
The iPhone Developer University Program allows instructors and
professors to create a development team with up to 200 students.
Development Resources
With the suite of sophisticated and elegant tools included in the
iPhone SDK, and a wide-range of resources in the iPhone Dev Center,
students participating in the class will have everything they need to
create innovative applications for iPhone and iPod touch.
Testing, Debugging, and Optimizing
Students can test, debug, and optimize their applications using
Xcode's graphical debugger, or collect real-time performance data in
Instruments' timeline view. These powerful optimization tools allow
for quick identification of any performance issues.
Distributing Applications
The iPhone Developer University Program allows students within the
same development team to share their applications with each other
through email, or by posting them to a private website for
presentation and grading purposes. In addition, higher education
institutions can submit applications for distribution in the App Store.
...from:
http://www.apple.com/support/usbadapter/exchangeprogram/?sr=hotnews
Apple Ultracompact USB Power Adapter Exchange Program
Important Safety Notice
Today Apple announced the Apple Ultracompact USB Power Adapter
Exchange program.
Apple has determined that under certain conditions the new
ultracompact Apple USB power adapter's metal prongs can break off and
remain in a power outlet, creating a risk of electric shock. We have
received reports of detached blades involving a very small percentage
of the adapters sold, but no injuries have been reported.
The ultracompact USB power adapters were supplied with every iPhone 3G
sold in the following countries, and may also have been purchased
separately as an accessory:
US
Japan
Canada
Mexico
Several Latin American countries (click here for a detailed list of
countries)
Note: Apple USB power adapters supplied with original iPhones or
supplied with iPhone 3G units sold in other countries are not affected.
Customer safety is always Apple's top priority, and therefore we have
voluntarily decided to exchange every ultracompact power adapter for a
new, redesigned adapter, free of charge.
Users with ultracompact power adapters should immediately stop using
them until they exchange them for a new, redesigned ultracompact
adapter.
In the meantime, they should charge their iPhone 3G by connecting it
to their computer with the USB cable that came with their iPhone or by
using a standard-sized Apple USB Power Adapter (with fold up prongs)
or with a third party adapter designed to work with the iPhone, such
as a car charger.
Identifying your adapter
If you purchased an iPhone 3G in any of the countries listed above,
you received the ultracompact USB adapter.
Compare your USB power adapter to the pictures below. If it matches,
we will provide a replacement adapter in exchange for your current one.
If you have purchased this ultracompact adapter as a standalone
accessory, you may also exchange it for a new one.
Replacement adapters have a single green dot on the bottom, like this:
If you have an ultracompact adapter with a green dot on the bottom,
you already have a new, redesigned adapter and do not need to
participate in this exchange program.
The Exchange Process
Replacement adapters will be available starting Friday, October 10,
2008.
There are two ways to exchange your current ultracompact Apple USB
power adapter for a new, redesigned adapter.
Order a replacement adapter via the web. These replacement adapters
will ship within three weeks of your order, starting on Friday,
October 10.
Exchange your adapter at an Apple Retail Store starting on October 10.
We'll need to collect your iPhone 3G's serial number as part of the
exchange process.
If you apply via the web, you will also need to provide your name and
address so that we can send you a new adapter along with a shipment
box so that you can return the affected adapter to Apple.
If you visit an Apple Retail Store, you need to bring your affected
adapter(s) and your iPhone 3G(s) with you to complete the exchange
process.
If you live in Latin America, we will announce the appropriate
exchange program information before October 10.
Thank you for your cooperation with this exchange program, and we
apologize for any inconvenience.
...from:
http://www.macworld.com/article/134496/2008/07/mbpbadbattery.html
MacBook Pro Battery Woes
Mac 911 Tip of the Week
Another year, another iPhone.
Reader Bill Grant has a problem with power, specifically the battery
in his MacBook Pro. He writes:
"Recently, my MacBook Pro has been
behaving strangely. I charge the battery over night, yet the battery
menu constantly flickers between estimating a fully-charged state and
telling me that the battery isn't charging. When running from battery
power, I see a readout of about half full and then the computer shuts
off abruptly. Any idea what's going on?"
It's quite likely you have a bad battery. From the Apple menu, choose
About This Mac and then click the More Info button in the resulting
window. When System Profiler appears, select the Power entry and
eyeball the Health Information entry. If, under Condition, it says
"Check Battery," that battery is probably on the fritz.
Fortunately, these batteries are under an extended replacement program
as they're defective. Apple has issued a document that outlines
symptoms a defective battery might exhibit as well as a link to a
software update that can fix some battery issues.
http://www.apple.com/support/macbook_macbookpro/batteryupdate/
If the software fix doesn't work, you should follow the document's
advice and contact Apple about having the battery replaced.
If you've been thinking about Apple's iPhone, this article may give
you an idea of the kinds of things it can do.... oh, ya, it's a cell
phone and mp3 player too. ::-)
If you're interested, I'd suggest reading the NYTimes article below
first but then also read the articles at these links to become aware
of some of the things you should be aware of when traveling with your
iPhone:
- Roaming charges - iPhone and international travel: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=6415357&tstart=0
- solar charger: http://www.iphoneworld.ca/iphone-reviews/2008/04/28/solio-magnesium-review/
- displaying UTC on WorldClock: http://automators.net/news/macosxhints-com/display-utc-on-the-iphone-s-worl…
- transfer data from Blackberry, WinMob, to iPhone: http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2008/01/02/missing-sync-for-iphone-migrate-data-…
Wayne
....from:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/travel/07praciPhone.html?th&emc=th
Clueless in Cleveland? Use Your Thumb
Doug Panton
By MICHELLE HIGGINS
Published: September 7, 2008
SURE, you can turn your iPhone into a Star Wars-like light saber, a
virtual pet or an interactive mug of beer. But did you know that those
newfangled applications can also tell you the nearest sushi bar
inLondon, the wait time at La Guardia’s security checkpoints or how to
say “Where’s the toilet?” in Cantonese?
New iPhone ads: http://www.apple.com/iphone/gallery/ads/
As Apple’s iTunes App Store continues to grow with hundreds of titles,
the iPhone is proving to be a useful travel tool — and not just for
when you’re bored on that 18-hour flight to Singapore. The best
programs take advantage of the iPhone’s location-aware feature,
tailoring the information to your whereabouts. Say you land in
Baltimore and you have a sudden craving for crab cakes. With a few
taps, iPhone apps with names like Yelp, Urbanspoon and iWant can
quickly guide you to Faidley Seafood or Obrycki’s Crab House. Other
apps can point you to the cheapest gas station, book a hotel and even
call a cab.
Below are some of the handiest apps for travel. Many are free, though
some cost from 99 cents to $24.99. Warning: Some apps require data
downloads that may incur roaming fees if you’re overseas. To avoid
such fees, turn off “Data Roaming” and look for Wi-Fi hot spots.
Getting There A number of airlines are creating mobile-friendly
versions of their Web sites, allowing iPhone users to shop for
flights, buy tickets, check in, select seats and modify reservations.
Now, at least one, British Airways, has a free downloadable iPhone app
that makes finding the next red eye to London as easy as flicking your
thumb.
Frequent fliers might want to download Flight Status ($3.99). It gives
the status of thousands of flights, as well as the arrival gates and
baggage carousels. Another app that can be useful for today’s delay-
plagued skies is AirportStatus (free). It displays a list of airports
in North America with delays or closings.
Travelocity (free) takes an all-in-one approach, letting you check
flight schedules, gate numbers, security wait times and — if you
booked through Travelocity — your itinerary. The app also lets you
search for “Hotels Nearby Me” — a feature that could come in handy in
travel emergencies (or, perhaps, for some other purpose).
Where to Eat Looking for a place to nosh on the road? Urbanspoon
(free) recommends restaurants in more than 50 cities using the
iPhone’s location-aware capability and offers reviews from newspapers,
blogs and fellow users. While suggestions (and prices) can be out of
date, the fun and easy-to-use app looks like a slot machine and is
activated by shaking the phone.
Foodies, however, might prefer Local Eats (99 cents), an iPhone
version of the guidebook series “Where the Locals Eat,” which ranks
what it considers the top 100 restaurants in 50 American cities.
Tapping “Near Me” finds places nearby from that list, along with
reservation numbers and directions.
What to Do Need an A.T.M.? Thirsty for a sakitini? Shopping for a
Marni purse? Several location-aware apps are vying to be your mobile
concierge. Among the best are Yelp (free), which has a fanatical base
of reviewers who weigh in on everything from dry cleaners to karaoke
bars. Where (free) lets you scroll through different services (like
Starbucks, gas stations and restaurants) and plots them on a Google
Map, along with your location. And iWant (free) offers a similar
service, but in a streamlined interface with clean black-and-white
icons: a martini for bars, a projector for movies, a hanger for
clothing stores, and so on.
Traditional travel guides are getting into the action, with mixed
results. Frommer’s has turned several of its guides, including New
York, Paris and London, into iPhone apps ($9.99 each). The e-guides
offer many of the same maps, reviews and suggested itineraries as the
bulky book. But unlike Yelp, Frommer’s doesn’t take advantage of
location-aware technology; you still must look up the suggestions
manually, as with a book.Washingtonpost.com’s City Guide app (free) is
smarter; it lets users easily navigate through 2,000 bars and
restaurants, many with well-written reviews. Unfortunately, it is
limited to the Washington area.
How to say it A handful of apps seek to lower the language barrier.
Lonely Planet ($9.99) offers phrasebook apps in 10 languages including
Czech, Italian and Vietnamese. In addition to translating phrases like
“I’ll buy you a drink,” in written text, the app also translates it
verbally (“Te invito a una copa,” it says in Spanish, in a suave male
voice).
A different approach is taken by Babelingo ($5.99), which may appeal
to those afraid of mangling pronunciations. After choosing a phrase
like “Please take me to the airport,” it displays the translation in
big bold type, making it easier to show to someone, like a taxi
driver. Babelingo offers 300 phrases in seven languages, including
Italian, German and Japanese.
How to Get Around Numerous subway and mass-transit apps are available
for major cities, with the best offering clean design, location-based
station finders and service advisories. Worthwhile apps include
CityTransit (for New York City, $2.99), Tube London City ($9.99) and
iBart (for the San Francisco area, free).
Taxi! (free) has a yellow cab-inspired design and finds taxi services
throughout the United States based on your location. Just tap one of
the companies, and the iPhone dials it for you. It also offers user
ratings, whether the company accepts credit cards and, according to
the App Store’s description, a prescreened list based on hotel
referrals.
Cool Tools Until Skype creates an iPhone app, Truphone may be the
closest thing. It allows you to make cheap international phone calls
over Wi-Fi (about 6 cents a minute to landlines and 30 cents to mobile
phones), especially when compared with roaming rates. Some kinks need
to be worked out — voice quality can be poor and calls didn’t always
go through.
How much is that Chinese wardrobe in dollars? Currency (free) is a
frequently updated converter for more than 50 currencies. Easier to
use is MOMPF Currency Converter (free), which has a funny-looking
cartoon for a mascot, and allows you to easily switch among currencies
and to store favorites.
Most everyone will just pass over this item, I know, but if you need
64-bit Vista support, I hope this helps...
...from:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1846?viewlocale=en_US
Boot Camp: Macs that work with 64-bit editions of Microsoft Windows
Vista
Last Modified: May 07, 2008
Article: HT1846
Summary
64-bit editions of Microsoft Windows Vista are supported on certain
Intel-based Macs via Boot Camp. (Boot Camp is included with Mac OS X
10.5 Leopard).
Products Affected
Boot Camp, Microsoft Windows Vista (64 bit editions)
These Macs support 64-bit editions of Windows Vista:
MacPro (Early 2008)
MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2008)
MacBook Pro (17-inch Early 2008)
Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is
provided for information purposes only and does not constitute Apple’s
recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for
additional information.
= - = - = - = - = - = - =
[thanks, Doug.
Wayne]
Why another web browser?
...from: http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/why.html?hl=en
A fresh take on the browser
At Google, we spend much of our time working inside a browser. We
search, chat, email and collaborate in a browser. And like all of you,
in our spare time, we shop, bank, read news and keep in touch with
friends - all using a browser. People are spending an increasing
amount of time online, and they're doing things never imagined when
the web first appeared about 15 years ago.
Since we spend so much time online, we began seriously thinking about
what kind of browser could exist if you started from scratch and built
on the best elements out there. We realized that the web had evolved
from mainly simple text pages to rich, interactive applications and
that we needed to completely rethink the browser. What we really
needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for web
pages and applications, and that's what we set out to build.
So today we're releasing the beta version of a new open source
browser: Google Chrome.
On the surface, we designed a browser window that is streamlined and
simple. To most people, it isn't the browser that matters. It's only a
tool to run the important stuff - the pages, sites and applications
that make up the web. Like the classic Google homepage, Google Chrome
is clean and fast. It gets out of your way and gets you where you want
to go.
Under the hood, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that
runs today's complex web applications much better . By keeping each
tab in an isolated "sandbox", we were able to prevent one tab from
crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. We
improved speed and responsiveness across the board. We also built V8,
a more powerful JavaScript engine, to power the next generation of web
applications that aren't even possible in today's browsers.
This is just the beginning - Google Chrome is far from done. We've
released this beta for Windows to start the broader discussion and
hear from you as quickly as possible. We're hard at work building
versions for Mac and Linux too, and we'll continue to make it even
faster and more robust.
We owe a great debt to many open source projects, and we're committed
to continuing on their path. We've used components from Apple's WebKit
and Mozilla's Firefox, among others - and in that spirit, we are
making all of our code open source as well. We hope to collaborate
with the entire community to help drive the web forward.
The web gets better with more options and innovation. Google Chrome is
another option, and we hope it contributes to making the web even
better.
New CHROME features:
http://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/features.html?hl=en
...from:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/technology/02google.html?th&emc=th
Microsoft Faces New Browser Foe in Google
By STEVE LOHR
Published: September 1, 2008
The browser war is back on.
GraphicJoining the Party
RelatedTimes Topics: Google Inc.Webcast: Google Chrome
AnnouncementGoogle Chome (Beta)
This time, Microsoft’s opponent isGoogle, a familiar foe.
On Tuesday, Google will release a free Web browser called Chrome that
the company said would challenge Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, as
well as the Firefox browser.
The browser is a universal doorway to the Internet, and the use of
Internet software and services is rapidly growing. Increasingly, the
browser is also the doorway to the Web on cellphones and other mobile
devices, widening the utility of the Web and Web advertising. Google,
analysts say, cannot let Microsoft’s dominant share of the browser
market go without a direct challenge.
Google already competes with Microsoft in online search and Internet
advertising. They both make operating software for cellphones. Google
is increasingly competing with Microsoft head-on in software that
handles basic productivity like word processing, spreadsheet,
presentation and e-mail programs. Google has Web-based software in
these markets that are low-cost or free alternatives to Microsoft’s
lucrative desktop software.
Despite the frequent clashes with Microsoft — including the role
Google played in thwarting an attempted acquisition ofYahoo — Google
has come out on top only in search and search advertising. But Google
does not have to win the browser war. Strategically, opening yet
another front against Microsoft forces it to divert resources to
defend franchises.
Now, Chrome heightens the rivalry and marks a shift for Google, which
has strongly backed Firefox, the open-source browser that has gained
about a fifth of the market against the dominant Internet Explorer.
Google’s browser project has been under way for more than a year, a
person close to the company said.
In a brief statement, Microsoft welcomed the new entry and expressed
confidence that people would prefer Explorer, which is on every
Windows PC sold.
“The browser landscape is highly competitive,” said Dean Hachamovitch,
general manager of the Internet Explorer group. “But people will
choose Internet Explorer 8 for the way it puts the services they want
right at their fingertips, respects their personal choices about how
they want to browse and, more than any other browsing technology, puts
them in control of their personal data online.”
Google has clashed with Microsoft before, saying it had designed IE to
gain ground in search, a market where Google is the runaway leader.
After Microsoft introduced IE 7 in 2006, Google complained that the
browser’s search box favored Microsoft’s search service. Microsoft
responded and made modifications, and a federal judge overseeing the
antitrust consent decree against Microsoft determined that the browser
design was not anticompetitive.
The first round of the browser wars in the 1990s led to a sweeping
federal antitrust suit against Microsoft for the tactics it used to
stifle competition from the commercial pioneer in browsing software,
Netscape Communications. A federal appeals court ruled in 2001 that
Microsoft had repeatedly violated the nation’s antitrust laws.
Microsoft later reached a settlement with the Bush administration,
which included some sanctions but left the company free to bundle
browsing software with Windows, which runs more than 90 percent of all
personal computers.
Microsoft recently stepped up its own browser development efforts,
given the increasing importance of the browser and signs that Firefox
is nibbling at its lead. Microsoft released a new version, IE8, last
week to generally favorable reviews.
Microsoft still holds 73 percent of the browser market, according to
Net Applications, a research firm. The market share for Firefox has
climbed to 19 percent, while Apple’s Safari has 6 percent.
Chrome also puts Google in competition with an ally, the Mozilla
Corporation, which manages the Firefox project. Just last week, Google
renewed its deal with Mozilla. Under the arrangement, Google Search is
the home page for Firefox and Google is its default search bar, and
Google makes substantial payments to Mozilla. The agreement runs
through November 2011, and will continue.
Google’s cooperation with Mozilla, however friendly, meant that it was
ceding control of the Internet’s vital gateway technology — and the
dominant supplier of that technology is its archrival, Microsoft.
Given the increasing importance of the browser and its widening
competition with Microsoft, Google’s entry into the market is not
surprising, said John Lilly, chief executive of Mozilla.
“It would be more surprising to me if Google didn’t do something in
the browser space,” Mr. Lilly said. “After all, Google is 100 percent
on the Web.”
Google’s move, he said, would put “more competitive pressure on us to
keep coming up with great browser technology. But having more smart
people competing to improve browser technology and the user experience
is a good thing.”
Mr. Lilly also noted that Mozilla, while a private company, is
entirely owned by the Mozilla Foundation. The browser project was
begun to provide an alternative to Microsoft’s browser. “The mission
of Mozilla is to keep the Web open, a pure public benefit,” he said.
“Others have other motivations and Google’s move also serves to
highlight our position in the marketplace.”
Chrome will be available to download in a test, or beta, version on
Tuesday, Google announced on its Web siteMonday afternoon. The browser
will run on Windows. Google is also working on Chrome versions for
Apple’s Macintosh, as well as Linux, an open source operating system.
In a curious twist, Google made its online announcement after its
plans appeared as a digital “comic book” that was posted by Google
Blogoscoped, a Web site that tracks the Internet search giant.
According to Google’s Web site post, by Sundar Pichai, an engineering
director and vice president for product management, Chrome is designed
for speed and ease of use.
But the other design goal, it seems, was to make sure Google could
control how well the growing range of Web-based software it is
developing will perform, instead of having to run on a Microsoft
browser.
“Under the hood,” Mr. Pichai wrote, “we were able to build the
foundation of a browser that runs today’s complex Web applications
much better.”
Later, he wrote, “we improved speed and responsiveness across the
board. We also built a more powerful JavaScript engine, V8, to power
the next generation of Web applications that aren’t even possible in
today’s browsers.”
Chrome is based on an open-source rendering engine, WebKit, and an
open-source version of Google’s Gears technology. Chrome will also be
able to run in a privacy mode, InCognito, so that no information about
a person’s browsing is collected. With IE8 last week, Microsoft added
a privacy mode of browsing, called InPrivate.
The privacy features, analysts note, could undercut the Internet
advertising business of Google, but also Microsoft, Yahoo and others
that depend on ads aimed at users based on their browsing behavior.
But it is unclear, analysts say, how large a share of users will opt
for the privacy browsing mode and give up the convenience of having a
browser store sites recently visited in tabbed settings for easy
navigation.
...from:
http://www.oto-online.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1091&It…
DVD3 technology pumps up Mac experience
Wednesday, 03 September 2008
A proprietary DVD3 authoring technology that allows studios and DVD
manufacturers to combine three separate disc formats, including set-
top DVD player, Mac and PC, on a single disc, is new from Studio 7
Media. The DVD3 application allows the three formats while reportedly
retaining full Mac OS X functionality and breaking through the data
size limitations that can restrict the amount of DVD video content
that can be included in a triple-hybrid scenario.
According to company sources, prior to DVD3, additional DVD video
content could not be added to a disc containing both PC and Mac
interactive applications without sacrificing the Mac user experience.
With DVD3, there is the ability to maximise the leftover space on disc
two with additional value-added DVD video content and with the PC, Mac
and set-top formats adhering to DVD specifications.
"With the explosion of the Mac audience, studios no longer have the
luxury of releasing new DVDs with PC-only interactive features," said
Cyndee Sugra, CEO of Studio 7 Media. "Where the problem has been is
that the existing DVD authoring software for Hollywood movies was
never really designed to offer a fully optimised Mac experience to the
consumer. By designing DVD3 from the ground up as a Mac application to
handle PC, Mac and set-top formats, we were able to offer a solution
that delivers the best possible end-user experience for Mac and PC
users, which adheres to DVD specifications and works seamlessly with
studios and mastering houses."