Direct Link: MP3 Version Apple dropped all kinds of updates this week, including the long-awaited iPhone 1.1.1 update with support for the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store. Amazon launched its competitor to the iTunes Store, and Apple’s general counsel moved on to greener pastures. What’s it all mean? Jeff and Bryan try to figure that out…
Bryan Chaffin
Bryan Chaffin is the cofounder of The Mac Observer and currently serves as Afternoon Editor. He has contributed to MacAddict and MacFormat magazines, and co-authored the last two updates of iPad and iPad Pro for Dummies with Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus and Ed Baig. You can find out more about Bryan at his personal site, GeekTells, or find his Twitter link below.
Articles by Bryan Chaffin
The 3ware Sidecar SATA II Hardware Desktop RAID
Video pros and prosumers serious about their storage needs have long had a variety of choices in the realm of FireWire RAIDs.? The 3ware Sidecar from AMCC brings another option that offers higher performance through a SATA II RAID enclosure. Featuring four hot-swappable bays (up to 3 TB of storage), a hardware RAID controller (Raid…
Podcast - Apple Weekly Report: Mac Games, Wikipedia Shenanigans, and Hacked iPhones
Direct Link: MP3 Version Jeff and Bryan have a full plate this week. Electronic Arts is releasing its games for the Mac, and this time they really mean it, Steve Jobs made it into California’s Hall of Fame, Apple and other companies have been altering Wikipedia entries, and there’s plenty of iPhone news, too. The…
MoniSwitch Pro DVI DL (for DVI + USB) KVM Switch
The MoniSwitch Pro DVI DL (for DVI + USB) KVM switch from Dr. Bott is a great solution for those needing to share up to four computers with one display, keyboard and mouse. I use it to to switch back and forth between my PowerMac G5 and my MacBook Pro, especially when I have the…
The Back Page - iPhone: All That, a Bag of Chips, and a Rootbeer Float, Too!
The iPhone has arrived, and it’s everything it was cracked up (by Apple) to be. Contacts, music, calendars, photos, movies, YouTube browsing, Web-surfing, and it makes calls, too! Writing a review for this device could legitimately be anything from two words (“It’s great.”) to a 3,000 word opus on all of the nitpicky pros and…
Apple Offers iPhone "Get Ready" List
Apple has sent out a preparation list for would-be iPhone customers. The "Get Ready" e-mail not only lets users know what they can do to prepare for using their iPhone, it also includes what is effectively the most comprehensive feature list we’ve yet seen from Apple for the iPhone. Accordingly, we are posting the e-mail…
Crumpler School Hymn Laptop Case
Crumpler bags are generally terrific products, and weive been fans of the companyis offerings at The Mac Observer for many years. Today weire going to look at the MacBook Pro School Hymn 15″, part of the broader School Hymn line for MacBooks and PowerBooks. The School Hymn is a fairly no-nonsense carrying case for your…
I Got 99 Macs, and a PC Ain't One
Each of the Macs work, and when showing visitors his collection, they run classic screen savers, and can be synched to achieve a strobe-like effect. "I think itid make you more inclined to dance, even though I donit dance, I guess," he told the AP. "Iive never been to a rave, so Iim just basing…
Audioengine5 Desktop Speakers
Weive already reviewed the Audioengine5 speaker set at iPodObserver.com as an iPod companion, but these speakers are so good, they also need to be reviewed as desktop monitors. When it comes to listening to and recording music, there are no other speakers in this price range that come close to the clarity and balance offered…
iPO Reports - Steve Jobs Open Letter to DRM Critics: Tell the Labels
Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs published Tuesday an open letter on Apple’s Web site directly attacking criticism of the DRM scheme used to protect music downloaded from iTunes. The lengthy letter breaks down into three main components: The way in which the Big Four record labels’ DRM demands have tied Apple’s hands with FairPlay, the…
Apple Exec: iLife '07? Stay Tuned
Many, including The Mac Observer, expected Apple to announce an update to iLife at this yearis Macworld Expo, the venue for most iLife announcements. Said announcement did not, however, take place. While iLife doesnit have a major impact on Appleis sales throughout the year, it does have a positive impact on the companyis gross margins,…
Analyst: iTV Likely, 'vPod' & iPhone Uncertain for Macworld
Mr. Wu also said that Apple will announce improved Windows capability, including the possibility of a full-blown virtual machine, for the next Mac OS X release, Leopard. He did not predict a release date for the OS. Apple said it would be ready by the Spring of 2007, but some (including The Mac Observer) believe…
Apple Launches iTunes Store, Apple Store in New Zealand
Apple Computer announced Tuesday the launch of the iTunes Store (formerly the iTunes Music Store) in New Zealand. The company also announced the online Apple Store for purchasing Macs and iPods. The iTunes Store is opening with more than two million songs priced at NZ$1.79 (US$1.23) per single and NZ$17.99 (US$12.34) per album. Music videos…
Smarthouse: Mac Tablet Prototype Built, Manufacturers Bidding
“The Mac tablet has been designed to handle third party applications such as home automation software that will allow users to control lighting, audio, entertainment devices and security feeds,” wrote Mr. Richards. “It also acts as a full blown PC, and has wireless linking for a new generation of Wireless Hi Fi speakers that are…
Consumer Reports: Don't Buy the Extended Warranty (Unless It's AppleCare)
"This holiday season," said the report, "shoppers are expected to spend a whopping $1.6 billion on extended warranties for laptops, flat-screen TVs, other electronics, and appliances. And almost all of it will be money down the drain." The magazine reached this position based on failure/repair rates throughout a variety of industries, and from comparing the…
Track Temperatures Throughout Your House on Your Mac
"The new HOBO Temperature Logger Kit stems from the need of many homeowners who want to go beyond free home energy audits and really understand their energy usage," said Frank Deshaies, Onset product marketing manager, in a statement. "Itis all about giving homeowners greater control and allowing them to focus in on the real opportunities…
Apple's "Get a Mac" Commercials Turn Japanese
Apple’s "Get a Mac" campaign has been unleashed on Japan, with Japanese actors taking the place of John "I’m a PC" Hodgman and Justin "I’m a Mac" Long. Apple Japan has posted three commercials on its Web site, each "an almost exact translation" of the first three "Get a Mac" commercials launched in the U.S.,…
Columnist: Mac Only More Secure Due to Obscurity
“Thereis only one thing that makes Macs substantially safer than PCs,” wrote Mr. Gray, “and itis called market share; a 3.8 percent market share, measured by net presence, to be precise. If Macs were the dominant operating system with, say, 80 percent of the market, there is no doubt all the clever malware writers would…
TMO Reports - Apple Eliminates Forum Mods; Quality Drops, Rudeness & Piracy Increases
Apple Computer has terminated its Apple Discussions Hosts, the forum moderators that monitor and moderate the company’s user discussion boards. A source involved with Apple Discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Mac Observer that management at Apple has questioned the value of the discussion boards. The end result, however, has been a marked…
Apple: Boot Camp Makes Macs More Appealing to Switchers
Bill Hope of JP Morgan asked Apple execs on hand for the conference call if Boot Camp was showing specific signs of boosting the number of Switchers to the Mac platform. Though Apple has a history of being cagey about such specifics in its dealings with analysts and the press, Mr. Cook answered the question…
Peachpit Press Releases "The Designer's Guide to Mac OS X Tiger"
It also more general-interest topics, like building a wireless network, system security, and system maintenance. The Designeris Guide to Mac OS X Tiger is priced at US$29.99 ($18.99 – Amazon), and is available in bookstores such as Barnes & Noble, Borders, and other retailers, and online at Amazon.com.
Apple Sued Over Stock Option Irregularities
One suit was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, a federal court, and the second was filed in the California Superior Court for Santa Clara County. Apple announced on June 29th, 2006 that it had found irregularities in the stock option grants, and that it had hired independent…
QuickTime 7.1.1 Addresses Intel Mac & Keynote Issues
The update is a 51.4MB download, and can be found in Mac OS Xis Software Update control panel. Windows users are still at version 7.1. Both platforms can go to the QuickTime download page for a direct link to the latest update.