Mac Users vote now!

Looks like Yahoo! hasn't completely forgotten about us Mac Users! The Yahoo! Messenger Blog is currently running a Poll for Mac users.

If you want Yahoo! Messenger sooner rather than later, and avoid further tardiness, be sure to drop by and vote for a Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger release only. Even the beleaguered beta knocks, pre-Leopard, spots off of the current Windows version. That being said, I'll be keeping tabs on the upcoming Windows Vista update, which promises "3D" eye candy.

Wii Network

Given the ubiquitous success of the Nintendo Wii, and an underlying trend of Mac User ownership, I've founded Wii Network (a FeedBurner Network).

This new network will comprise of Mac and Wii-related blogs.

In order to read it, you need to either subscribe via RSS or via email (I’ve set this up with FeedBurner but other email subscription services are available). If you subscribe via RSS and use a feed reader like Newsgator or Bloglines, new posts will appear soon after they appear on Wii Network members blogs. If you choose FeedBurner email, you’ll get a daily email with all the posts and a convenient table of contents.

Some of you may want to look at the feed only occasionally to sample individual authors you want to subscribe to. It’ll be interesting how this all works out. There is no actual blog site associated with the feed but there will be landing pages, which list the network members.

There are three principal benefits to participating bloggers:

1). Being discovered by new readers who view or subscribe to Wii Network.

2). Receiving advertisements (and revenue) through FeedBurner from advertisers who have purchased placement in the entire network.

3). Cool bling-bling like badges and other widgets to put on your blog site.

Advertisers benefit by being able to make network-wide buys. This is an excellent funnel to reach a targeted audience. Click here to buys ads.

If you would like to join the Wii Network, please e-mail me here. Thank you.

Goodbye Luxo Jr. Hello JLo.

After five years of loyal service, Luxo Jr AKA LCD iMac G4 has retired to a relatives' home in the country. Making way for some serious canoodling with JLo, I mean a brand new 20" widescreen iMac Intel Core 2 Duo!

My eyes are going to need time to readjust to the literal landscape-sized screen! The iMac is screaming out - hang me on a wall as I'm pure Manhattan gallery chic with a dash of Sex in the City by way of 24 and Ugly Betty! Not to overlook Apple's promotional consideration on hit series Heroes.

The proliferation of Universal Binaries and Intel-only applications has considerably eased the transition from PowerPC to Intel chip set. I can't comment on the 'transparency' of the PowerPC migration as my parents bought me a Performa 5200 in 1995. However, I'm seriously impressed with Intel Inside. The responsiveness of this machine affords a glimpse into Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard.

There's quite a chorus of Mac Users bemoaning dead pixels and spurious electrical humming artifacts when the LCD display is dimmed on the larger iMac models. Either these are isolated to specific build batches or I've been particularly lucky; there are no screen issues thus far.

Before I head back to the Apple Discussions support forum. I'm pre-ordering Virtua Fighter 5 (PS3) from Sega.

New Year Toy

A very warm welcome back. This year marks the 30th anniversary of a certain Skywalker space opera and the release of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard amongst many more memorable moments!

Mac Users can now download my all-new RSS Dashboard Widget for Mac OS X 10.4.3 and higher. This is the first in a proposed series of Widgets created using Apple Computer's Dashcode Beta. All feedback is welcomed.

aStore opening

Please drop by my new aStore, which has been designed specifically to cater for my blogger readership.

aStore by Amazon is a new Associates product that gives you the power to create a professional online store, in minutes and without the need for programming skills, that can be embedded within or linked to from your website.

What self-respecting store doesn't have a suitable logo to identify it from the crowd? Because aStore (at time of writing) doesn't allow users to generate more than one store (per affiliate account), I decided to combine the look and feel of both my blogs and incorporated their favicons.



Unintentionally I think it compares favorably with Gap and Apple Computer's current addiction to the '+' branding!

Photographer's panacea?

Google has released an iPhoto plug-in and standalone uploader for Picasa Web Albums (membership required).

Now there are two ways to upload your photos to Picasa Web Albums -- from directly within iPhoto or using drag-and-drop from a standalone application.

For iPhoto users
The Picasa Web Albums Exporter lives right inside iPhoto. Select photos, choose Export in the File or Share menu, and upload them directly to your web album.

For a standalone application
Use the Picasa Web Albums uploader -- just drag photos from the Finder and click the Upload button.

However, this isn't a port of the application and Flickr remains the de facto photo sharing platform amongst Mac Users.

Crossed Widget Wires

It's almost a decade since I first worked for Reuters*, that wire service of wire services. And Reuters released a useful Mac OS X Widget (download page) today! Neat gift, huh?

The Reuters Widget gives you access to news and information directly on your dashboard.

Forget the hassle of searching for articles - let Reuters bring them to you. The Reuters Widget updates information as soon as stories break.

You can display up to ten of the top headlines from your favorite Reuters news channels - including Top News, Business News, Technology, and Oddly Enough, among others.

However, there was considerable confusion amongst Mac Users (myself included) as to why it wasn't playing nice with Dashboard? Disaster was averted when it came to light that the widget is intended for use with Yahoo! Widget Engine.

Please ask, nicely, Reuters' developers if they would kindly write a self-updating Dashboard edition too? Based on Web Kit technologies, Dashboard Widgets are created using a mix of HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Deliciously simple. Thanks.

Bloomberg isn't it time you supported us too? I'd be more than happy to offer my coding services!

*Disclaimer. I left the company in January 2000 and very briefly returned to the fold, Reuters Knowledge, in 2003.

Tron Scherzo

The release of PIXAR's Cars has prompted me to reprint an article that I wrote, for my online portfolio, a few years ago.

An interest and appreciation of CGI began, like many of my contemporaries, with watching the movies 'Tron' (1982), 'The Last Starfighter' (1984) and playing video games at arcades and on consoles - from the Atari VCS CX2600 to Sega Genesis/Mega Drive - in the 1980s.

In the summer of 2000 I began reading 3Dworld. The inclusion of Bryce, a 3-D landscape generation application, reignited further self development within this flourishing arena.

Off-the-shelf software, such as the Academy Award®-winning Maya and Shake, had developed to the point where many of the DTP (Desk Top Publishing) skills for fine art and graphic design can now be successfully transferred to a 3D context without exhaustingly steep learning curves! The artist can now focus on issues of composition - colour, movement through the frame et al - without trying to reconcile with an alienating UI (User Interface).

Alias' decision to provide Personal Learning Editions (PLE) of Maya and now MotionBuilder (from its purchase of Kaydara) is fostering consumer loyalty. Using their free FBX Converter I'm now able to import older projects into Alias applications for future enhancement. The FBX SDK will be worth investigating.

This is a sample collection of original 3-Dimensional images created using Bryce, Corel Photo-Paint, Maya 6 PLE, Painter and Poser (and retouched in Photoshop).

Now you can add Google SketchUp to the Mac OS X application honor roll!

Introducing RSS 2.0

On Monday night I noticed that Blogger had soft launched RSS feeds in addition to Atom! This had been reported as early as May 31st! Until now RSS was only available to Pro Blogger users and via services such as FeedBurner.

In anticipation of new enabling technologies, from today I've switched (on both blogs) the FeedBurner Full and Summary Feeds source from Atom to RSS. There is no need for existing subscribers to resubscribe. Apologies for any transient service bumps, bruises, cuts and grazes.

At time of writing there is still no official announcement from Blogger!

Google adds another peice to the GooOS puzzle. Firefox users can now download Google Browser Sync! I'll soon be cancelling my .mac account and trashing Microsoft Office in favor of Writely and Google Spreadsheets!

Ovide

Google Video Player is now available in Mac OS X flavor and is sure to quench your thirst for eye candy! As a follow up to yesterday's PS3 post. Here's the PS3 Network Information keynote from E3 2006.



Expect to see more embedded video clips in the future!

I really hope Picasa isn't too far behind! I mean, if Linux users can play photo editor why can't we?

Planet PlayStation

Yesterday's announcements from SCEE have sent a clear message to gamers and competitors alike. Sony has no intention of losing its enviable market share (it is theirs to lose)! PS3 and Ceramic White PSP are coming to stores near you.

I've drooled over the prospect of adding the Ceramic White PSP to my lifestyle mantelpiece and intend to order one over the coming weeks.



And then there's this black beauty. Sony's third-generation PlayStation embodies sleek chic.



Sony's official PS3 press announcement read thus.

Equipped with Blu-ray and Pre-Installed HDD Available at €499 (20GB HDD) and €599 (60GB HDD)

Los Angeles, May 8, 2006 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) announced today that it would launch PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3) in “Clear Black” throughout mainland Europe and Australasia on November 17, 2006, as part of a worldwide simultaneous launch.

PS3 is the most advanced computer system that serves as a platform to enjoy next generation computer entertainment contents in the home, realized through the combination of Cell and RSX™ processors, in addition to the playability of a vast catalog of PlayStation® and PlayStation®2 software titles.

Having Giga-bit Ethernet and a pre-installed hard disk drive (HDD) as standard in PS3, users will be able to download a variety of contents as well as access on-line games and services over the network.

Equipped with basic input/output ports, PS3 supports a broad range of displays from conventional NTSC/PAL standard TVs to the latest full HD (1080i/1080p) flat panel displays, offering the joy of the most advanced computer entertainment contents to homes around the world. For use in living rooms, maximum heat and noise reduction has been achieved with a noise level equivalent to that of the current slim-line PlayStation 2.

With the overwhelming computational power of the Cell processor, PS3 is capable of playing back content from Blu-ray (BD) disc at a bit rate of multiplex 48Mbps with ease, the maximum bit rate defined in BD standards.

The new controller for PS3 has been created by refining and improving the world’s most popular PlayStation controller which has shipped more than several hundred million units worldwide. The controller for PS3 employs a high-precision, highly sensitive six-axis sensing system that is capable of processing all parameters within the controller itself, thereby eliminating the need for any additional settings on the display system. By applying this technology, it will become possible to freely control the PS3 system over the network.

While further enhancing the joy of entertainment on PlayStation 2 and PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable), SCEE will vigorously promote PS3 as the next generation computer entertainment platform.

PLAYSTATION®3

Product name: PLAYSTATION®3

CPU: Cell Processor

GPU: RSX™

Sound: Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell-based processing)

Memory: 256MB XDR Main RAM, 256MB GDDR3 VRAM

HDD: 2.5” Serial ATA ○ (20GB) ○ (60GB)

I/O: USB 2.0 ○ (x4)

MemoryStick /SD/CompactFlash - ○

Communication: Ethernet ○ (x1 / 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)

IEEE 802.11 b/g - ○

Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR) ○

Wireless controller (Bluetooth) ○

AV Output: Screen size 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p

HDMI OUT - ○ (x1 / HDMI NextGen)

AV MULTI OUT ○ (x1)

DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) ○ (x1)

BD/DVD/CD Drive (Read Only): Maximum Read Speed BD 2x (BD-ROM)

DVD 8x (DVD-ROM)

CD 24x (CD-ROM)

SACD 2x

Dimensions: Approximately 325mm (W) x 98mm (H) x 274mm (D)

Weight: Approximately 5 kg

About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd. As at 27 April 2006

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation®2 and PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) software and hardware in 104 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the platforms in these territories. Between its European debut on 24th November 2000 and the end of March 2006, over 38 million PlayStation®2 consoles have been shipped across the SCEE territories, over 103 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history. Between its European debut on 1st September 2005 and the end of March 2006, over 5 million PSP systems have been shipped across the SCEE territories, with over 17 million shipped worldwide since its Japanese launch in December 2004.

Sony's Boombox

Sony continues to empower the PSP. As a member of SCEE Press Office I received the latest announcement with great interest.

Apply the update. Then grab the instrumental (MP3) version of Def Track's single Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover to play on the ubiquitous portable. I'll post a 'live' version soon.

Latest Firmware Upgrade Available for Download Now

London, 25th April 2006 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced that the latest firmware upgrade for PSP, available now, would dramatically enhance the capabilities of the PSP™ (PlayStation® Portable), with the ability to now playback most popular music file formats, stream podcasts to the PSP and save them to Memory Stick, and display Flash® content in the internet browser. The latest upgrade also prepares PSP to act as a receiver for Location-free TV, the exciting innovation in remote TV viewing to be launched by Sony in Europe in May.

As part of the continual upgrade and enhancement programme that ensures PSP owners are able to exploit the cutting edge of entertainment technology and functionality, the latest firmware upgrade (Version 2.70) allows users to enable Flash within the PSP browser and enjoy web content created with Adobe Macromedia® software. Mainly used for website content featuring multimedia and interactive applications, the Flash capability of the browser will significantly enhance users’ multimedia internet experience.

With the RSS feature enabled, the PSP system can link to audio content on Web pages that provide RSS-distributed audio content. When connected to the Internet via the PSP’s WLAN, the system will automatically update the list of audio content items that have been added to these pages, and you can then either stream and play the new content or, with the new firmware enhancement, save it to a Memory Stick Duo™ for playback later.

The latest upgrade also now provides PSP music file compatibility with the most popular music file formats, including MP3, ATRAC, AAC and WMA, providing the PSP entertainment system with one of the most versatile music players available.

With the 2.7 upgrade the PSP will also be prepared to act as a receiver for the revolutionary Sony innovation, LocationFree™ TV. LocationFree is a completely new way of seeing TV. Instead of going to the television set, the TV comes to you (via your home TV tuner) wherever you are. You can watch live TV, play back recorded programmes and even set up future recordings, all from your PSP. LocationFree will be available in UK, France, Germany, Belgium and Netherlands from May 2006.

Together with a wide range of free content to enhance the entertainment value of your PSP, the latest firmware upgrade can be downloaded directly to the PSP browser via WiFi or from www.yourpsp.com from Tuesday 25th May 2006.

ReBoot

Militarist overtones aside. Today Apple announced the immediate availability of Boot Camp (Public Beta name subject to change) for Intel-based Macs.

Officially, Mac Users will be able to natively run a purchased copy of Windows XP (unsupported by Apple) alongside Mac OS X 10.4.6 (and above).

This natural extension of X11 is, perhaps, the missing piece from Apple's switching strategy and silences the third-party hacks (however good). Windows customers no longer have to consider abandoning their investment overnight, and a panacea for developers migrating from Redmond to Cupertino or wishing to support both commercial platforms in a timely fashion.

Mac gamers now have access to an unimaginable wealth of Windows-only games. What effect, if any, will this have on publishers such as Aspyr or MacPlay? Let the discourse begin.

On the strength of this release, all eyes are on WWDC 2006 and the first official glimpse of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Maybe Vista's in for a mauling?

For Arts Sake

A friend suggested that I add an image link to my portfolio site! So, today marks its world premiere. The illustration is based on Batman and features Oscar-winning actress Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny and The Guru).

This morning Adobe announced the release of Photoshop Elements 4.0 for Mac (OS X 10.3 and above). New tools include the Magic Selection Brush, Skin Tone Adjustment, Magic Extractor and Auto Red Eye Removal. However, the application isn't a Universal binary, meaning it runs on Intel Macs using Apple's Rosetta emulation layer.

Existing registered users of Photoshop Elements and PLE can order a discounted upgrade directly from Adobe's store. Don't forget to enter the free postage offer code 7EUND (works in the UK store).

Not to be out done by Adobe. Corel has released a substantial free update to Painter IX. IX 9.5. Although this is not yet a Universal application, Painter now offers support for Rosetta running on Intel-based Macs, including support for the Wacom Intuos 3 and the 6D Art Pen. The software also introduces new features, including new Photo Painting Palettes. Corel should be applauded for avoiding Quark's infamous point update charge.

Gift from the Gods

Yesterday Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs celebrated his birthday. Google, which is often taken to task by Mac Users for tardy support, released Google Macintosh Widgets and Group (membership required). There is an abundance of excellent third-party options available, but these new official Dashboard Widgets are worthy of note. The Gmail and Blogger Widgets show promise and AdSense is sure to follow. Putting Gmail Notifier in the trash...

Did you manage to sign-up for Google's newly launched Page Creator service? If so, congratulations, anyone who got caught in the surge will have to wait for an invitation. As of today Gmail users can start using Page Creator (no Safari support as yet). Therefore I had a very quick look (Firefox 1.5) and published a basic page. Watch this space.

Google is certainly prolific. However, isn't it time to consolidate the paradigm?

The Blogger sidebar has undergone yet another face lift! The RSS chicklet confusion has been curtailed in favor of Full and Summary Feed subscriptions only. And coComments, a new trend, has been introduced (albeit restricted to my comments on other blogs until coComments introduces secure moderation).

I'm experimenting with Google AdSense placement. Please be assured that this is not intended to be too intrusive. Incidentally, according to various sites (notably ProBlogger) Google is testing a new AdSense format - video.

Scare Tactics

The Mac OS X security scare season is upon us again! However, there are some basic built-in measures, which every Mac User should have enabled, that should make life difficult for those Cylon computer viruses.

Built-in Firewall
The Firewall (accessed from the Sharing Pane in System Preferences) is disabled (by default). Switch it on and, whilst you're there, click on Advanced and select these boxes:

•Block UDP Traffic
•Enable Firewall Login
•Enable Stealth Mode

Security
Go to the Security Pane and select these boxes:

•Disable automatic login
•Require password to unlock each secure system preference
•Use secure virtual memory

Safari
Go to Prefences, General and deselect this box:

•Open "safe" files after downloading

There, that was easy wasn't it? Now, spend sometime reading Corsaire White Papers.

Please note that the above configuration (using Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger) is only a suggestion. I take every care in the preparation of this web site. However, it is for information purposes only. I accept no liability for any loss or damage incurred as a result of acting on or refraining to act on information or other material within this site. You should always seek professional advice on the facts of your particular matter.

Left To My Own Devices

The following chronicles my web exploration and site building exploits. The original article appears here.

Before Google
For anyone who maybe remotely interested. My online adventures began in the summer of 1995. A friend and I spent a leisurely Sunday afternoon in Bournemouth University's main library surfing the net using Netscape 3 Gold (back in the days before the advent of 'free' browsers and IE domination).

The first site I ever visited was Sony USA. And the first search (using Yahoo!) was for actress Winona Ryder. Does anyone remember this site from Eric Harshbarger?

http://www.auburn.edu/~harshec/WWW/Winona.html/

After graduation, and now in gainful employment at Reuters Business Information (RBI), I signed-up with AOL UK (1997).

Google Earth
In the spring of 1998 Macworld UK magazine carried a free copy of Claris Homepage on a cover CD.

Claris Homepage may have lacked the 'killer' features of GoLive and sexier Dreamweaver (the de facto WYSIWYG), but it was simplicity itself, and, above all, no hefty price tag if the medium left me cold. So, whilst off work and suffering from flu, I started to put together an inaugural web site: an eclectic mix of original work and pop culture commentary (Buffy, Party of Five and Dawson's Creek had captured the zeitgeist of the day). This went live on AOL within a week. The first 50 hits came soon after!

By 1999 AOL UK had all but alienated its Mac customers due to tardy application updates and lacklustre support, and I searched for an alternative ISP and web host.

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm
Regrettably this was a time prior to the wonder known as the SuperDrive (CD/DVD burner). Despite owning an Iomega Zip 100 Drive the notion of regularly backing up critical data (on my trusty Performa 5200) had yet to enter my design DNA. In a move that would cost me two-years of web development (including graphics, text et al), I accidentally deleted my offline site. For the record let it be noted that Microsoft's Outlook Express 4.x (for Classic OS) should take some of the responsibility too!

The next two years went by and I couldn't muster any enthusiasm to rebuild the site from scratch - work and the transition from Classic OS to OS X took their toll. Then a friend asked me why I hadn't setup a new site? The honest answer was creative apathy. Apologetically I loaded Adobe PageMill 3 (included with my iMac DV SE) and...

Step By Step
Adobe offered registered PageMill 3 users a free upgrade to GoLive 5! In the space of a weekend (burning the midnight oil as-it-were) I'd assembled a basic site and uploaded this to my iTools (.mac) iDisk after some trial and error (mostly the latter) - there were no tutorials explaining how to use original templates and requests (to other iTools webmasters) for help went unanswered. Where had the sense of community gone?

Once I rolled out the site (2.x) the next phase was to promote reciprocal links, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and consider affiliate marketing (pays the hosting bills and adds a high degree of editorial responsibility on my part).

American Idol
A cute recollection. I'd applied to join The Iconfactory's deskbase in 2003. That same afternoon I received a confirmation, from Mindy Weaver, warmly welcoming me to their extended family. At the time Kelly Clarkson's 'Moment Like This' was playing on the radio.

Express Yourself
By 2004 this site had come of age and I could no longer ignore the allure of the brave new frontier: blogging + RSS (Really Simple Syndication).

Although blog templates are often criticised for their homogeneity, ease of use and extendibility far out way any negatives. Critical code updates can be applied to an entire site sans the time-consuming tedium of modifying each page individually. This leaves authors to focus on 'content'.

Think About The Future
2006 and, now that the blog is well established (Buffy and Dawson have graduated out of our lives), it's time to revisit this site again replete with a new 'bag of tricks'! The incumbent GoLive has made way for the sassy Macromedia Studio 8 triple threat (Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Flash).

What "dreams" may come?

Not Just a Pretty Interface

Apologies for the recent disruptions. Yesterday I attempted to back capture older posts and convert them to MP3 files. This should be completed during the next few days.

With so much time spent on refining Blogger's code candy, my portfolio site has played second fiddle! However, I'm now making the transition from using Adobe's GoLive CS to Adobe (formerly Macromedia) Studio 8. Studio 8 is considered the 'professionals' choice and I'm inclined to agree.



Dreamweaver 8 is light years ahead of GoLive CS and I'm currently using the built-in code rewriter engine to remove GoLive's 'garbage'. Whilst a WYSIWYG editor is no substitute for a powerful text editor, Dreamweaver offers the best of both worlds. I have yet to experiment with Fireworks and Flash (arguably the reason why Adobe purchased Macromedia).

Here's a very cute new Mac OS X application that resides in the menu bar. Menuet:

Menuet allows iTunes users to control the app in a variety of ways, including hot keys, click controls, a menu featuring full browse and smart browse options, and of course the uniquely skinnable remote. Included in version 1.0.1 is an initial set of eleven skins, ranging in style from minimal, to futuristic, to whimsical. Skin support was a focus in Menuet's development, and feedback was taken seriously from community designers, including IconFactory veteran David Lanham, to insure powerful and flexible specifications that support most iTunes functions, animations, and more.

Well worth the $12.95 (£7.50 GBP) fee for a single user license. Please tell them who sent you.

Mobile Me

For the past few months Blogger development appears to have been on hold at Mountain View! Code warrior, Kirk, noted the following automatic update. This new feature will purportedly enable mobile users to send a text alert to their contacts. There's still no official statement over at Blogger Buzz. Although I regularly customize/hack my blog's template, Categories would be a welcome addition.

If you're reading this using BlackBerry, please drop me a line before the litigation between BlackBerry and NTP culminates in a blackout for US consumers.

According to MacFixIt some Mac OS X 10.4.4 Tiger users are experiencing feed update issues in Safari 2.x. I solved the problem by opening Preferences, selecting the RSS pane and 'hitting' Remove Now.

Home Improvement

Couldn't let Sunday's .Mac announcement pass without comment!

.Mac will be undergoing scheduled maintenance from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM PST on 1/10/06. All .Mac services will be affected. We apologize for the inconvenience.

In 2000 iTools was launched: iDisk, Mac.com, KidSafe, and HomePage. Like many other Mac Users, I signed-up within a matter of days. When Apple announced that iTools (now known as .Mac) would no longer be free, I decided to stay because my site was well-established and the e-mail address had become indispensable! Here's hoping that the update is substantial and applicable to international users!