The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/feedlogo.gifThe Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)http://www.tuaw.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Apple's Mac mini tops chart of 'green' computershttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/27/apples-mac-mini-tops-chart-of-green-computers/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/27/apples-mac-mini-tops-chart-of-green-computers/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/11/27/apples-mac-mini-tops-chart-of-green-computers/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The sust-it website, which provides rankings of energy usage and annual energy cost for thousands of appliances, home entertainment devices, and computers, has announced that Apple's Mac mini fills the top four spots for the most efficient desktop computer in their latest listing.

The 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Mac mini is at the top of the chart, sipping just .94W when turned off (power still goes to circuits monitoring the power status of the computer), 1.71W when in sleep mode, and just 12.6W when turned on but in an idle mode. sust-it calculated the energy cost per year for the mini (without a monitor, of course) as US$5.51 when calculated with the average US electrical rate. It's interesting to note that this model is no longer produced by Apple, and that the new 2.26 GHz mini is even more energy efficient. Apple's own environmental report for the mini shows that the revised model uses only .80W when turned off, 1.39W in sleep mode, but 13.4W while in idle mode.

Not surprisingly, other Apple models were near the top of the charts in both the laptop and all-in-one computer categories. The 1.86 GHz MacBook Air was barely edged out of first place in the laptop category by the HP Pavilion DM3. Although the two laptops had identical annual energy costs (US$2.39), the HP model had lower sleep and off power consumption than the MBA.

In the all-in-one category, the top iMac came in 6th behind eMachines, Acer, Asus, and MSI all-in-ones. Although the sust-it site is citing an iMac model that is no longer produced, even the new iMacs would be a bit behind the list-leading eMachines EZ1601.

If the power consumption and CO2 footprint of your computer is of concern to you, the sust-it site is a good place to make comparisons. Be aware, however, that due to the fast-paced changes in the computing world, the lists may be inaccurate at any particular point in time. In addition, it doesn't appear that sust-it looks at the total lifecycle energy consumption of the computers, something that Apple provides in their environmental reports for each model. When energy consumption and CO2 production are factored from raw materials at the beginning of production to recycling of an obsolete machine, Macs may very well lead the pack in all categories.

Apple's Mac mini tops chart of 'green' computers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Apple's Mac mini tops chart of 'green' computers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>co2 emissionsCo2Emissionsenvironmentimacmac minimacbook airMacbookAirMacMiniSteven SandeFri, 27 Nov 2009 14:00:00 ESTSoftware Update Alert! Performance Update 1.0 available for downloadhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/14/software-update-alert-performance-update-1-0-available-for-down/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/14/software-update-alert-performance-update-1-0-available-for-down/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/10/14/software-update-alert-performance-update-1-0-available-for-down/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Our sharp-eyed iPhone goddess, Erica Sadun, alerted us to the fact that there's a small, but potentially important, update that has just shown up in Software Update.

Performance Update 1.0 "addresses intermittent hard drive-related stalls reported by a small number of customers." It may not show up for you, unless you have one of the following Macs:
MacBook Air (Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53GHz, Mid 2009), iMac (20-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009), MacBook (13-inch, Early 2009), MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2009), MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008), MacBook Air (Late 2008), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008), iMac (24-inch, Early 2009), iMac (20-inch, Early 2009), Mac mini (Early 2009)
If you own one of these models, be sure to load the update at your earliest convenience, especially if you have experienced the problem described in the update notes.

Thanks to Erica and to Joachim Bean, who provided the link to the Apple KB article.

Software Update Alert! Performance Update 1.0 available for download originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Software Update Alert! Performance Update 1.0 available for download originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>iMacmac minimacbook airmacbook proMacbookAirMacbookProMacMiniperformancesoftware updateSoftwareUpdateSteven SandeWed, 14 Oct 2009 18:15:00 ESTPowerCurl: A quirky way to wrap up your MagSafe Power Adapterhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/12/powercurl-a-quirky-way-to-wrap-up-your-magsafe-power-adapter/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/12/powercurl-a-quirky-way-to-wrap-up-your-magsafe-power-adapter/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/12/powercurl-a-quirky-way-to-wrap-up-your-magsafe-power-adapter/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

quirky is a design firm with a difference. Rather than pay a brain trust to sit around and think up product ideas, they let average Anns and Andys submit designs that are then refined and named by a community of site visitors. When designs are ready for production, quirky sets a threshold number of units to be sold to be profitable, and once that number of orders comes in, they send the design off for manufacturing.

Plato said "...the true creator is necessity, who is the mother of our invention." In this case quirky community member Jeff Scholen was driven not only by the need to neatly wrap up the thin power cable and thick AC line going into his Apple MagSafe Power Adapter, but also keep the transformer "box" off of the floor or desk and give it a way to stay cool.

In less than 24 hours, the design was finalized through input from Apple fans worldwide and the PowerCurl (US$9.99) was ready to roll. It comes in "quirky orange" only, but has two sizes to match the 60W and 85W MagSafe Power Adapters.

The quirky community has also come up with a case design for the new iPod nano that not only protects that shiny finish, but acts as a stand and video handgrip as well. The Kickster (US$14.35) is awaiting your commitment to purchase before it moves into production.

PowerCurl: A quirky way to wrap up your MagSafe Power Adapter originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)PowerCurl: A quirky way to wrap up your MagSafe Power Adapter originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>accessoriescool stuffCoolStuffipod nano 5gIpodNano5gmacbookmacbook airmacbook proMacbookAirMacbookPromagsafepower curlPowerCurlquirkySteven SandeSat, 12 Sep 2009 16:30:00 ESTHave a MacBook running Snow Leopard? Give someone your Autographhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/01/have-a-macbook-running-snow-leopard-give-someone-your-autograph/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/01/have-a-macbook-running-snow-leopard-give-someone-your-autograph/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/09/01/have-a-macbook-running-snow-leopard-give-someone-your-autograph/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Up to this point in time, if you wanted to "sign" an electronic document (other than a secure PDF), you either had to scan your signature with a scanner and import the resulting graphic into your document, or purchase a digitizing tablet. Ten One Design, the same folks who brought us the Pogo Sketch stylus, have come up with a way for anyone with Snow Leopard and a MacBook that supports multi-touch gestures to sign documents.

Autograph (US$6.95) is a signature capture application that works with your MacBook and a finger or stylus to make signing your name a snap. If you don't know if your MacBook will work with Autograph, you can download a trial copy that adds a watermark to the signature just to try it out.

To add your John Hancock to an email or document when Autograph is running (I have it set up to launch at startup), you can either select the menu bar icon or press control-option-A, and then a semi-transparent gray window appears. Using your finger or a stylus on your trackpad like a pen, you can write your name or draw a little picture. Pressing return embeds the signature or sketch into your document.

Autograph works great! I was able to use it in Mail, Word, Keynote, and Pages, and I'm assuming that it will work fine in any Mac application that lets you paste in a graphic. I know I'll be using this handy little program to add a personal touch to my documents. The short silent video below demonstrates Autograph in action.

Have a MacBook running Snow Leopard? Give someone your Autograph originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Have a MacBook running Snow Leopard? Give someone your Autograph originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>autographsignaturesnow leopardSnowLeopardsoftwarestylusSteven SandeTue, 01 Sep 2009 08:00:00 ESTThree for three: Friday's trifecta of Snow Leopard upgradeshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/30/three-for-three-fridays-trifecta-of-snow-leopard-upgrades/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/30/three-for-three-fridays-trifecta-of-snow-leopard-upgrades/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/30/three-for-three-fridays-trifecta-of-snow-leopard-upgrades/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

If you joined us Friday night for the Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard liveblog, you probably saw me say that I didn't have many issues with the upgrade. That's an understatement -- I think Snow Leopard is one of the smoothest upgrades I've ever performed with any operating system. You've probably already read the reports of fellow bloggers David Winograd and Mel Martin, which noted many similar findings.

During a four hour period after the delivery of my 5-install Family Pack by FedEx, I upgraded three Macs. The experience with each of them was slightly different, which is something you'd expect since all three are completely different models, but in each case the end result was essentially the same. All had about 10 - 15 GB more hard drive space than when I began, all were more "snappy" in terms of response, and the display looked crisper.

After surprising the FedEx delivery person with my HD video camera (yes, there's going to be an unboxing video coming later this weekend), I ripped open the box, pulled out the Snow Leopard box, pulled off the plastic, and then got the disk ready to go. I had done a final Time Machine backup of my MacBook Air just to make sure I had captured the last changes made on documents, so I plugged in the MBA's external SuperDrive and popped in the disk. I'm not exactly sure what I did after starting up the installer, but on the MacBook Air, I was asked to reboot the machine and then the installation began.

Continue reading Three for three: Friday's trifecta of Snow Leopard upgrades

Three for three: Friday's trifecta of Snow Leopard upgrades originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Three for three: Friday's trifecta of Snow Leopard upgrades originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bloggersimacmacbook airmacbook proMacbookAirMacbookProsnow leopardSnowLeopardtuawSteven SandeSun, 30 Aug 2009 16:00:00 ESTAsk TUAW: Syncing notes, iLife '09, iTunes downloads, keychains and morehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/26/ask-tuaw-syncing-notes-ilife-09-itunes-downloads-keychains/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/26/ask-tuaw-syncing-notes-ilife-09-itunes-downloads-keychains/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/08/26/ask-tuaw-syncing-notes-ilife-09-itunes-downloads-keychains/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly Mac troubleshooting Q&A column. This week we've got questions about syncing notes, iLife '09, iTunes downloads, the importance of keychains and more.

As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Questions for next week should be left in the comments. When asking a question please include which machine you're running and which version of Mac OS X (we'll assume you're running Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions.

Scott asks

When I sync my iphone (3.0.1) with my Mac (10.5.8) and have "sync notes" checked in iTunes, I cannot find my notes synced anywhere in Mail.app - including under "Notes"...what am I missing?

To sync 'Notes' first make sure you have your iPhone connected to your Mac with iTunes open. Then, be sure to have "sync notes" checked in iTunes. Also, be sure to check "Sync Notes" in the MobleMe Sync options in System Preferences.

Then, sync your iPhone as normal. After that, check in Apple's Mail program under "Reminders" to see if the notes appear. You need to click on the little triangle to show the contents of Reminders. If they don't appear, close Mail and open it again. Also, restart your iPhone completely before trying another sync.

Also, keep in mind Notes sync works only via USB and not over the air. If you are not seeing notes appear, be sure you sync your iPhone via USB with your Mac or they won't appear at all. If the notes still don't appear in Apple Mail, it might be time to give a call to Apple tech support because at that point the problem may be something larger than the scope of what this column can answer.

Evan asks

I bought a new MacBook Pro last month, which came installed with Leopard and iLife '09. My purchase was within Apple's "Up-to-Date" program timeline, so I was able to order a copy of Snow Leopard for $9.95. I know Snow Leopard doesn't come with iLife '09 but considering my new computer already comes with iLife '09, I'm not going to have to re-buy iLife, am I?

Continue reading Ask TUAW: Syncing notes, iLife '09, iTunes downloads, keychains and more

Ask TUAW: Syncing notes, iLife '09, iTunes downloads, keychains and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Ask TUAW: Syncing notes, iLife '09, iTunes downloads, keychains and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>ask tuawAskTuawiphoneituneskeychainmobilemenotessnow leopardSnowLeopardsyncupgradeChris UllrichWed, 26 Aug 2009 22:00:00 ESTGood news, bad news: WD ships first 1 TB mobile drive, doesn't fit in Mac laptopshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/27/good-news-bad-news-wd-ships-first-1-tb-mobile-drive-doesnt-f/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/27/good-news-bad-news-wd-ships-first-1-tb-mobile-drive-doesnt-f/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/27/good-news-bad-news-wd-ships-first-1-tb-mobile-drive-doesnt-f/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Yes, it's a lot of storage -- but the drive's form factor won't fit into any currently available Mac laptop. (Note the update at the end of this post)

I was pretty excited when the Western Digital news release hit my inbox. The new drives, the industry's first in that size for portables, have pretty good specs and capacious storage space. The problem really is the size. With Apple in the business of providing slim notebooks, the drive is just too tall (12.5mm) to make it into any Apple portable, which maxes out at a drive size of 9.5mm.

The drive will be available in a USB enclosure, and WD is also offering a 750 GB version of the drive as well. The 1 TB drive lists for US$250, while the 750 GB drive is $189. Those prices are for the drive alone. Mounted in a USB enclosure the 1 TB drive sells for $300.

Currently the largest 3rd party drives you can get in current Mac laptops max out at 500 GB.

The Mac Mini may be able to house the new drive, but it would be a pretty tight fit, and according to our Steven Sande, may require the removal of the SuperDrive.

Update: We've had a variety of responses to this post, with different ideas about which, if any laptops could take this new high capacity drive. I thought the quickest and best approach would be to try the experts at Other World Computing, who make a living selling replacement hard drives for Mac Desktops and portables. The tech there told me that the last generation 17" MacBook Pro can take the 12.5mm drive, but that the 15" model can't. He also said none of the unibody MacBook Pro models can take a drive of that size. I'm sure some won't accept this information either, but these were the most expert opinions we could find since Western Digital wasn't sure and Apple doesn't generally comment on such things. Since the drives are just shipping, we'll wait for some real world experience and report back. Thanks to all who commented.

Good news, bad news: WD ships first 1 TB mobile drive, doesn't fit in Mac laptops originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Good news, bad news: WD ships first 1 TB mobile drive, doesn't fit in Mac laptops originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>hard drivehard drivesHardDrivemac portablesScorpio BlueterabyteWestern DigitalMel MartinMon, 27 Jul 2009 15:00:00 ESTBlinded by the light? RadTech's ClearCal may save your eyeshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/13/blinded-by-the-light-radtechs-clearcal-may-save-your-eyes/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/13/blinded-by-the-light-radtechs-clearcal-may-save-your-eyes/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/07/13/blinded-by-the-light-radtechs-clearcal-may-save-your-eyes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Since Apple made the design decision to forgo glare-free screens on MacBooks, iMacs, and Cinema Displays, a common problem for lots of users is reflection of light off of displays. It seems to be particularly bad if you sit with your back to a window, and it can cause both figurative and literal headaches.

RadTech has come out with some cool products for Macs over the years. For example, I've owned at least one of their ScreenSavrz "LCD Display protection, cleaning, and refinishing systems" for each MacBook I've had. The company is always in touch with the pulse of the Mac community, so it didn't entirely surprise me when they recently started selling ClearCal Anti-Glare films for MacBook, MacBook Pro, 24" iMac, and the 24" Cinema Display.

ClearCal is similar to the films you can get for iPhone and iPod touch screens, but in addition to protecting your screen, it also provides a solution for those pesky reflections. As you can see in the marketing shot to the right, it appears to do a decent job of making your Mac screen anti-glare. You can even remove the ClearCal a few times, wash it, and re-install it.

RadTech has an installation video if you're interested in seeing how easy or difficult it is to apply the ClearCal film to your display. Pricing starts at US$19.95 and peaks at US$25.95 for the 24" iMac and CInema Display. As soon as I replace my old iMac with a new 24", I'm installing a ClearCal so I can see more of my screen and less of the glare from the picture window behind me.

Blinded by the light? RadTech's ClearCal may save your eyes originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Blinded by the light? RadTech's ClearCal may save your eyes originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>cinema displayCinemaDisplayglossy screenGlossyScreenimacmacbookradtechSteven SandeMon, 13 Jul 2009 07:00:00 ESTMulti-touch coming to older MacBooks? Not so fast.http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/15/multi-touch-coming-to-older-macbooks-not-so-fast/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/15/multi-touch-coming-to-older-macbooks-not-so-fast/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/15/multi-touch-coming-to-older-macbooks-not-so-fast/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Mac Life and Gizmodo are both reporting that Snow Leopard will add multi-touch gestures to all older MacBooks and MacBook Pros. This has gotten a lot of people's hopes up that three- and four-finger multi-touch gestures will be back-ported to all Apple portables that previously did not have them.

Unfortunately, this is incorrect. Apples own information on Snow Leopard's enhancements reads, "All Mac notebooks with Multi-Touch trackpads now support three- and four-finger gestures." (emphasis added)

This raises the question, what's the difference between a multi-touch trackpad and a regular one, and which models have it?

The multi-touch trackpad was introduced with the first MacBook Air in early 2008. Not only does it allow two-finger scrolling like older models, it also allows advanced three-finger gestures like swiping to go back in Safari.

One month later, the early 2008 MacBook Pro received the same trackpad, with the same gestures. The multi-touch trackpad gains this new functionality because it has an embedded controller chip, identical to the one in the iPhone and iPod Touch, which allows advanced input from more than two fingers at once.

Later, the unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros debuted with multi-touch trackpads, but also introduced new four-finger gestures, which will not be officially supported in the older MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros until Snow Leopard's release.

The original MacBook Air and early 2008 MacBook Pro are the only machines which will gain additional gestures via Snow Leopard. The only reason these notebook models are able to gain these gestures via software updates, while earlier MacBook Pros and all plastic MacBooks are not, is because they possess the multi-touch controller chip in their trackpads.

Just to break it down, this is a list of the only, and I mean only, notebooks that support multi-touch gestures, either now or after Snow Leopard:

MacBook Air (all models)
Early 2008 MacBook Pro
Late 2008 17" MacBook Pro
Unibody MacBook (all models)
Unibody MacBook Pro (all models)

If you have a MacBook Pro manufactured before early 2008 or any plastic MacBook, then Snow Leopard or not, multi-touch isn't coming your way...


Continue reading Multi-touch coming to older MacBooks? Not so fast.

Multi-touch coming to older MacBooks? Not so fast. originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Multi-touch coming to older MacBooks? Not so fast. originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>MacBookMacBook AirMacBook ProMacbookAirMacbookPromulti-touchSnow LeopardSnowLeopardChris RawsonMon, 15 Jun 2009 09:00:00 ESTMac laptop glossy screens hazardous to your posture?http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/14/mac-laptop-glossy-screens-hazardous-to-your-posture/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/14/mac-laptop-glossy-screens-hazardous-to-your-posture/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/14/mac-laptop-glossy-screens-hazardous-to-your-posture/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Well, we're still not sure our iPhones are safe to use, and now comes word from Australia that our brand spanking new glossy screens might be hurting us as well, through bad ergonomics.

An HR advisory from Queensland University of Technology suggests that:

"Reflections and glare on high gloss monitor screens and their relation to the angle of the monitor screen, could cause the operator to adopt awkward postures when viewing the monitor screen and using related equipment. These reflections on the screen can be from internal and external sources such as the overhead lighting and/or position of windows.

Awkward postures adopted by the operator may in turn lead to an injury."

Of course Apple has moved to high gloss screens on every laptop except the 17" MacBook Pro, and the matte screen option on that laptop costs an extra fifty bucks. The iMacs are also only available with glossy screens.

Of course there are other health hazards associated with having Apple equipment, such as a tendency to have panic attacks or heart palpitations when you learn you can't update your iPhone cheaply through AT&T. At any rate, there is one advantage to those glossy screens. You'll be able to clearly see your pained face as you try to stretch into position to avoid those reflections on those mirror-like screens. So there.

Thanks to one of our readers who tipped us to this happy news via this web site

Mac laptop glossy screens hazardous to your posture? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Mac laptop glossy screens hazardous to your posture? originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Appleglossy screenshealthlaptopsmatte screensmonitorsMel MartinSun, 14 Jun 2009 17:00:00 ESTApple updates MacBook Airhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/08/apple-updates-macbook-air/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/08/apple-updates-macbook-air/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/08/apple-updates-macbook-air/#commentsFiled under: ,


It's one of the most overlooked product refreshes of the day, but the MacBook Air still deserves some credit. Not only did the Air get a drastic price drop (specifically with the SSD model), but it also gained a few specs. The base MacBook Air now starts at $1499US with a 1.86 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, 120GB SATA drive (runs at 4200 rpm), and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics card. The second model, which adds a 2.13 Ghz Core 2 Duo processor and 128GB SSD drive will only run you $1799US. That's a huge difference considering the last SSD model cost $2499 -- a difference of $700!

It is also worth noting that the MBAir now comes with a USB Ethernet Adapter in the box. You can also choose a keyboard format in either: English, Western Spanish, French, or Japanese. If you have been wanting a MacBook Air, but let the price hold you back, then there's no reason for you to complain any longer.

You can see all of the specs on the new MacBook Air models by visiting either the product page or the Apple online store.

Apple updates MacBook Air originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Apple updates MacBook Air originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>keynoteMacBook AirMacbookAirupdateWWDCCory BohonMon, 08 Jun 2009 21:30:00 EST9 things I learned from almost losing my MacBook Airhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/05/9-things-i-learned-from-almost-losing-my-macbook-air/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/05/9-things-i-learned-from-almost-losing-my-macbook-air/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/06/05/9-things-i-learned-from-almost-losing-my-macbook-air/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


I swear, getting old is not a lot of fun.

Last night, I taught a class in data security for home and small business users at our local community college. There were a lot of good questions from the community education program students, so the class ended quite late and I was still answering questions as I walked out the door.

This morning, I went to grab my MacBook Air out of my laptop bag and literally grabbed air instead. In my haste to get out of the classroom and head home, I had packed everything but the laptop. Fortunately, the classroom was locked and few classes are scheduled for early morning, so I called the campus police and had them rescue the MBA for me. Problem solved!

After actually losing an iPhone 3G a few months ago, I wrote a post about what to do to prevent data loss and identity theft when lose your iPhone, and included a few tips on how to hopefully keep yourself from losing the phone in the first place. In this post, I'll talk about the things that I do (or can do) to keep my MacBook Air and my data safe, even when my mind conspires against me to try to lose the computer.

Continue reading 9 things I learned from almost losing my MacBook Air

9 things I learned from almost losing my MacBook Air originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)9 things I learned from almost losing my MacBook Air originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>backblazebackupencryptionmacbookmacbook airMacbookAirmobilemenetworkpasswordsecuritySteven SandeFri, 05 Jun 2009 09:00:00 ESTLawsuit claims MagSafe power cord not so safehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/05/06/lawsuit-claims-magsafe-power-cord-not-so-safe/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/05/06/lawsuit-claims-magsafe-power-cord-not-so-safe/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/05/06/lawsuit-claims-magsafe-power-cord-not-so-safe/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It was just a few days ago we were talking about hacked MagSafe connectors, and now a lawsuit seeking class action status claims the innovative connectors are a fire hazard and a risk to life, limb, and property.

As an example, here's a link to some Flickr images of what is claimed is a melted MagSafe connector.

The complaint, filed last week in San Jose, California says that eventually the cord will fray from heat or wear, with a resulting danger of fire and injury. The suit, filed by plaintiffs Tim Broad, Naotaka Kitagawa and Jesse Reisman says Apple is aware of the problem and has done nothing about it.

The suit also claims when people demonstrate the problem to Apple, the company suggests they buy another $80.00US cable. Actually, we reported in August that Apple was replacing damaged or worn cables if they were not subject to abuse.

Apple has not commented on the lawsuit. It will be interesting to watch this one wind through the courts.

The power connector was introduced at Macworld in January, 2006. It has not always received positive reviews, even at the Apple Store.

Lawsuit claims MagSafe power cord not so safe originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 06 May 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Lawsuit claims MagSafe power cord not so safe originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 06 May 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>class actiondefective connectorfire hazardlaptopslawsuitMacBookMacBook AirMacBook ProMacbookProMagSafeMel MartinWed, 06 May 2009 16:00:00 ESTConsumer Reports still hearts Macshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/05/05/consumer-reports-still-hearts-macs/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/05/05/consumer-reports-still-hearts-macs/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/05/05/consumer-reports-still-hearts-macs/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Consumer Reports continues to shower praise on all things Apple it seems. In a report in the June issue, the Magazine says Apple won the top three places in the 13 inch laptop derby. The unibody MacBook was in first place, followed by the MacBook Air, with the white plastic MacBook in a solid third place.

CR also named the 15-inch MacBook Pro as top laptop in the 14- to 16-inch group, and the 17-inch MacBook Pro walked off with the honors in the 17- to 18-inch category. The HP Pavilion publicized in the first Laptop Hunters ad from Microsoft came in 4th in the category behind Dell and Lenovo laptops. The Sony VAIO FW370 that was the star of the 3rd Microsoft ad came in 5th in the 14- to 16-inch category.

Apple also took the honors for best in tech support.

This won't bring smiles to the folks in Redmond, who are going all out to convince people that Apple computers are not a good value. It should be noted that none of the Apple laptops were rated a best buy, but they all scored the highest in each category and were recommended by the magazine. Of course Apple has repeatedly said they are not trying to win on price, but on quality, and Consumer Reports seems to accept that as the case.

I generally don't put a lot of stock in CR for some of its testing, but these high ratings for Apple laptops are just one of a continuing chorus of approval from the press and generally happy Mac owners.

Consumer Reports still hearts Macs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 05 May 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Consumer Reports still hearts Macs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 05 May 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Consumer ReportslaptopsMacbookMacBook AirMacBook Prosurveytech supportMel MartinTue, 05 May 2009 15:00:00 ESTExternal battery packs for Mac laptopshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/05/04/external-battery-packs-for-mac-laptops/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/05/04/external-battery-packs-for-mac-laptops/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/05/04/external-battery-packs-for-mac-laptops/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

In what looks like a first for the Mac laptop line, support of MacBook and MacBook Pro owners everywhere, a 3rd party is offering external battery packs for MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook air models.

The batteries, from Sanho in California, are available in 4 different capacities, 60Wh, 100Wh, 150Wh and 222Wh, giving a computer like the MacBook up to 32 hours of battery life. The company is also offering a car charger. These items are all available for pre-order and will ship later this month. Prices are $149.95US (car charger), $199.95 (60-watt-hour battery), $299.95 (100Wh), $399.95 (150Wh) and $499.95 (222Wh). The batteries also come with a USB power port so you can charge an iPhone at the same time or separately.

The first thing I thought of when I saw this announcement was how the company was able to offer a charger with a MagSafe adapter, because that design is protected by Apple patents. I checked with the company president, Daniel Chin, and he told me: "What we did is obtain the MagSafe connector and cable from the original MacBook AC adapter, remove the adapter and splice in our own charger plug, which interfaces with our battery and car charger products. Since we are using the original Apple MagSafe plug and did not modify the actual plug (which the patent in question covers) in any way, we are still respecting Apple's IP and in no way infringing upon their patent."

That might or might not satisfy Apple, but it did allow the company to offer these chargers which are likely to be highly desired by some customers. At the very least, I'm surprised Apple has not offered a car charger for laptops. I can think of many times such an adapter would have been handy.

Update: Several commenters have pointed out the QuickerTek and MikeGyver power solutions for the MBP line, which predate the Sanho offering and use the same approach of sacrificing a MagSafe adapter to provide the plug connector. Apple's Airline adaptor, while electrically similar to a car adapter, is not recommended for automotive use (some have tried it with success, your mileage may vary). Lastly, you can of course use a DC inverter for in-car charging, but please be careful not to obstruct vents or leave the device plugged in and unattended... they can get very hot while in use. Happy motoring!

External battery packs for Mac laptops originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 04 May 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)External battery packs for Mac laptops originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 04 May 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>battery packBatteryPackchargingexternal batteryHyperMacMagSafeMel MartinMon, 04 May 2009 16:30:00 EST16 hours of battery life for the MacBook Airhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/04/13/16-hours-of-battery-life-for-the-macbook-air/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/04/13/16-hours-of-battery-life-for-the-macbook-air/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/04/13/16-hours-of-battery-life-for-the-macbook-air/#commentsFiled under: ,

I have a MacBook Air. Although I can get about 5 hours of mobile use out of it by dimming the screen, turning off all wireless, and only running one app at a time, there are times I'd love to be able to stay unplugged for much longer. I could always get a solar charger, but that won't work well when it's dark out.

QuickerTek has announced the MacBook Air External Battery, a US$350 external box designed to let you run your MBA for up to 16 hours before plugging in. It's relatively small (7" x 3.5" x 1" -- 17.8 cm x 8.9 cm x 2.5 cm) and adds 1.2 pounds to the weight you'll have to lug around.

In order to connect the external battery to your MacBook Air, you'll either have to send your existing MagSafe cable in to be converted for use (US$25) or buy a modified cable from QuickerTek (US$100). The final bill for the MacBook Air External Battery and the cable is almost as pricey as that solar-powered charger, but it's going to give your MacBook Air much longer battery life. Now if QuickerTek could just come out with a battery to let me play Monopoly (click opens iTunes) on my iPhone for 10 hours straight...

16 hours of battery life for the MacBook Air originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)16 hours of battery life for the MacBook Air originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>accessorybatterychargermacbook airMacbookAirpowertravelSteven SandeMon, 13 Apr 2009 13:30:00 ESTFunctionFlip reclaims your function keyshttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/02/06/functionflip-reclaims-your-function-keys/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/02/06/functionflip-reclaims-your-function-keys/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/02/06/functionflip-reclaims-your-function-keys/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

When researching this week's Ask TUAW I ran across a nifty little utility for reclaiming the function keys on a Mac portable or recent Apple external keyboard. Basically, FunctionFlip allows you to set the individual function keys to be regular F-keys instead of those special control keys (brightness, volume, iTunes, etc.).

While the Keyboard Preference Pane will let you flip all of the keys one way or the other, FunctionFlip lets you individually choose which ones you want. That way you can preserve whichever of the control functions you like, but regain access to certain of the F-keys without having to hold down the fn key. It can be a handy way to have your cake and eat it too.

FunctionFlip is a free download (donations requested) from Kevin Gessner.

FunctionFlip reclaims your function keys originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)FunctionFlip reclaims your function keys originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>function keyFunctionFlipFunctionKeyMat LuFri, 06 Feb 2009 08:00:00 ESTAsk TUAW: Removing printer drivers, renaming partitions, running your Mac with the lid closed and morehttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/28/ask-tuaw-removing-printer-drivers-renaming-partitions-running/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/28/ask-tuaw-removing-printer-drivers-renaming-partitions-running/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/28/ask-tuaw-removing-printer-drivers-renaming-partitions-running/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Once again, it's time for another edition of Ask TUAW, where we try to answer all your Mac and Apple-related questions. This week we're taking questions about keeping your Mac laptop running with the lid closed, removing unwanted printer drivers, renaming partitions and the best way to prepare for a clean install of Mac OSX.

As always, we welcome your suggestions and questions for next week; they should be left in the comments to this post. When asking a question please include which machine and which version of Mac OS X you're running. If you don't specify, we'll assume you're running Leopard on an Intel Mac.

Okay, let's get to it.

Our first two questions today come from Quasimoto, who asks:

On my Macbook, is there a way I can keep my computer running without it having to automatically fall sleeping when I have my lid closed?

Absolutely. Just head on over to developer Semaja2's website and download the InsomniaX utility. This handy piece of software will keep your Mac running with the lid closed and prevent it from going to sleep. One thing to consider if you do decide to use this software, however: Even though Apple supports using a MacBook Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air and a Powerbook G4 with the lid closed, you may want to keep an eye on your laptop to help prevent any potential overheating issues. This is especially true if you plan on never letting the computer go to sleep using a tool like InsomniaX.

Quasimoto also asks:

I have a partition running Windows 7 perfectly, but when I'm on OSX, it shows that partition as 'Untitled' on my desktop. Is there a way to rename that partition to say 'Windows'?

Sure. It's as simple as using a tool you already have on your Mac: Disk Utility. Just go to Applications>Utilities>Disk Utility and double-click to run. Once open, select your Windows partition and then simply replace 'Untitled' with the name of your choice.

Continue reading Ask TUAW: Removing printer drivers, renaming partitions, running your Mac with the lid closed and more

Ask TUAW: Removing printer drivers, renaming partitions, running your Mac with the lid closed and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Ask TUAW: Removing printer drivers, renaming partitions, running your Mac with the lid closed and more originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>ask tuawAskTuawbootcampdisk utilityDiskUtilitymacbookmacbook airMacbookAirChris UllrichWed, 28 Jan 2009 10:00:00 ESTTwitterers remember their first Machttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/21/twitterers-remember-their-first-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/21/twitterers-remember-their-first-mac/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/21/twitterers-remember-their-first-mac/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Reader Sam K. (thanks!) noticed the fun on Twitter -- lots of folks are sharing their memories of the first Mac they bought/used with the #firstmac hash tag, and boy is it fun reading through them.

The responses are all over the place, from the old ][e (technically my first computer ever at school, though the first one I actually owned at home was a Tandy Color Computer my Dad bought from one of his coworkers) and //c up to the old iMacs and even a few people who can only claim iPod as the first Apple product they used. The first Mac I actually owned was much later than my first steps into BASIC -- when I needed a laptop a few years ago, I picked up a 12" Powerbook G4 and have been straight OS X ever since.

It's great to read this stuff, because you can see just how Apple has shaped people's lives. I was amazed to hear all of the emotion in the calls to Steve on our talkcast last week, but looking at something like this Twitter feed (to put your own memories in, just mark a tweet with the #firstmac tag somewhere in there) really shows you how dedicated Apple's products have made the company's customers. These people have all bought a Mac, whether it was a Mac SE (errrr, a Mac Classic?) or a MacBook Air, and never looked back since. Very cool.

And while we're at it, is it possible that you're on Twitter and haven't yet started following us? If not, jump in and do so now!

Continue reading Twitterers remember their first Mac

Twitterers remember their first Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Twitterers remember their first Mac originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>appleapple-iicapple-iieclassicg4mac-semacbook-airmy-first-macpowerbooktagtitaniumtwitterMike SchrammWed, 21 Jan 2009 19:00:00 ESTRumor of a 15-inch MacBook Air: Take it lightlyhttp://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/19/rumor-of-a-15-inch-macbook-air-take-it-lightly/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/19/rumor-of-a-15-inch-macbook-air-take-it-lightly/http://www.tuaw.com/2009/01/19/rumor-of-a-15-inch-macbook-air-take-it-lightly/#commentsFiled under: ,

On Friday, AppleInsider noted that Apple.pro, a hit-and-miss Chinese rumor blog, claims a 15-inch MacBook Air is on the way. The post in Chinese (and a copy run through Google Translate) is available.

The site claims the new Air will use low-voltage Intel Core 2 processors, and will be geared for "the older [with] poor eyesight."

AppleInsider includes a history of Apple.pro's predictions, and so far, they're batting .500. I'm not saying I'm any better (fact is, I haven't been to the batting cages in months), so take all this with a proverbial grain of salt.

If the rumors are true, it's unclear how utile a larger MacBook Air will be, especially if the key differentiating factor of the current Air is its size and weight. While it will have to be less hefty than, say, the 15-inch MacBook Pro, a larger MacBook Air seems like it's trying to fill a gap that doesn't exist: at the highest end of Apple's notebook pricing spectrum.

As for pricing (for the US, at least), perhaps we can speculate with an analogy: If a 2.4GHz MacBook is to a 2.4GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro, then a 1.86GHz MacBook Air is to a theoretical 1.86GHz 15-inch MacBook Air. Thus, $1,600 : $2,000 :: $2,500 : $3,125. Yikes: Even more expensive than the new 17-inch model ($2,800). Maybe the analogy isn't perfect, but that's still a pricey proposition to help those with "poor eyesight."

What do you think? Is there a market for a big, ultra-premium MacBook Air? Would you buy one? Sound off in comments.

[Via Engadget.]

Rumor of a 15-inch MacBook Air: Take it lightly originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)Rumor of a 15-inch MacBook Air: Take it lightly originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>15-inch15-inchmacbookairairapple.proappleinsiderengadgetmacbook airMacbookAirRobert PalmerMon, 19 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST