Tuesday September 16, 2008
- Apple Expo D-1 - Lionel - 16:13:18
We're already on the scene to prepare for Apple Expo.
Even without an Apple booth, the activity is a bit frenetic. According to the organizers, even though the floor space is less than previous years, there are more exhibitors, especially small booths showcasing many products.
On with the show!
[translation by CliveAtFive]
- Google Chrome on Mac OS X via Wine - Yoc - 16:09:46
Source: Generation NT
CodeWeavers, well known for its commercial solution of Wine (CrossOver), that allows one to run Windows applications on Linux and Mac OS X without the Windows OS, wants to prove that Wine is a viable option for developers who want to enter markets outside Windows. They offer little, just a Wine version of Google Chromium , the open source project that serves as the basis for Google Chrome. Therefore, one would have no need to launch virtualization software, or restart under Boot Camp to finally test the latest popular Internet browser to hit the landscape.
Again, CodeWeavers merely simplified what was already possible with the help of a large hack with Wine, but still they have the merit to offer simple package, installed by just a double-click.
You should know that the native version of Google Chrome for Mac is non-existent for the moment; that no version, even alpha Chromium can not be compiled for the Mac. But in a few months, Google hopes to offer more than just a port of the Windows version, incorporating modern technologies of Mac OS X.
[translation by CliveAtFive]
- fruux Available in Version 0.6 - Eric - 10:46:17
Last February we were reporting about the initiative of our German friends at fruux, aiming to release a "true social networking application" allowing you, at home or on the move, to keep track of your contacts at a mouse click.
fruux v0.6 was just released and is now in public beta. The social features are not yet implemented, but in it's current state fruux is already a nice (and now publicly available) alternative to MobileMe's sync functionality. The sync features, which allow syncing multiple Macs via the "fruux cloud", are described here: http://blog.fruux.com/2007/10/20/synchronize-multiple-devices/
We also gathered some info about their roadmap:
We hope to release v0.7 (including calendar and maybe bookmark syncing) very soon. When our basic sync features (address book, calendar, bookmarks and maybe preferences) are ready (probably around v1.0), we'll start rolling out our so-called "social sync" features which are described here: http://blog.fruux.com/2007/11/18/sync-with-your-contacts/The integration of their planned social-syncing would transform fruux into an interesting hybrid of Apples MobileMe and Plaxo.
Our current v0.6 delivers the necessary foundation to speed up development and additionally allows interested users to simply download our client and sign up themselves via the client.
The project blog is located at: http://blog.fruux.com
Their software is available as a free download at: http://blog.fruux.com/download/
- Vaio Dock to Be compatible with Mac too? - Eric - 10:39:50
Couple of days ago, we were reporting about the Sony Vaio dock, an elegant and powerful device to enhance capabilities of ultra portable notebook. We were initially thinking that the MacBook Air could not benefit from such peripheral as it was using the DisplayLink port and dedicated drivers, not officially supported/developed by Apple for Mac OS X.
Thanks to Patrick Stein who helped DisplayLink to develop a generic Mac driver, one could theoritically use such dock with the MacBook Air:
If the Sony Vaio dock contains the DisplayLink chips (and it does), then it should work with the Displaylink generic Mac driver which can be downloaded from the web site of DisplayLink.We expect to test such compatibility as soon as possible, depending if Sony Europe will agree to send us a sample for a test.
- "Back to School" Is Back - Lionel - 10:32:15
Apple launched its "Back to School" offer, allowing students purchasing a MacBook, MacBook Pro or an iMac AND an iPod nano or Touch to get 125 Euro back.
For additional info and details (you might have to select your local store, if geolocalization does not work): Back to school
[translation by Linathael]
- The Success of Spore Poisoned by DRM - Lionel - 10:29:29
Source : Dailytech
If there is a game recently released that bring something new in the field, it is definitely Spore.If the game is popular, its embedded protection system is quite intrusive and could be consider as violating personal rights. Indeed, it requires connection to Electronic Arts servers when launching the game for the first time, then for every online session, for each Add-On download and for each updates. Last be not least, one can only identity the game 3 times, so if it implies that you can play from 3 different computers, you will later on need to call the customer service if you change your computers (or your HD). All those restrictions could be acceptable IF Electronic Arts servers did not fail to validate the games at the launch date due to numerous requests, making users unhappy.
Spore has also a new crone for the game the most downloaded on P2P network, associated with the patch making all protection described above history. Due to the port via Cyder, this patch is also working on Mac! If the industry has to fight against piracy, it ends up as the old game initiated decades ago, when the storage media was a magnetic tape...
[translation by Linathael]
- AppStore: to Be Accepted or Not to Be Accepted, that’s the Lottery!? - Lionel - 10:28:39
When the AppStore was announced during the WWDC, we were questioning how strict and unbiased the selection of applications will be. Recent examples prove that we were right. Everything started when Apple authorized on the AppStore the application NetShare from Nullriver. It allows you to turn you iPhone into a modem in order to surf on the web from your Mac. Apple changed his mind and kicked the application away from the AppStore, for no real reason as it does not violate the AppStore guidelines, but rather make exclusive carrier quite annoyed to see iPhone owners surfing for free from their Mac.
Apple also refused Podcaster, a small application allowing you to download Podcast for the reason that it would compete with iTunes features, so Cupertino decided that its key application will not have any competitors. Many other applications have seen their attempt to join the AppStore rejected by Apple for real or questionable reasons, and in all cases there is no real rules/guidelines being used or available to explain such decision. If the iPhone is the new Grail for developers, by restricting its access Apple might kill it by not providing reliable procedures for accepting applications. As mentioned by some people, the main danger for Apple is Apple itself.
[translation by Linathael]
- 2.5" HD: 1 TB Storage Space by 2010? - Lionel - 10:27:05
According to The Register, Western Digital and Fujitsu expect to offer 2.5" HD featuring 1 TB storage space by the beginning of 2010. In the mean time, models with 750 GB of capacity should be released.
If one can question the real usage of such HD space in a notebook, HD manufacturers have found the way to maintain a large difference regarding storage space with the growing competitor SSD. Indeed, the main weakness of the latest is their limited capacity, and the premium price to be paid for SSD beyond 128 GB.
[translation by Linathael]
- How to Repair the Broken Screen of an iPhone 3G - Lionel - 10:26:26
Pierre experienced what many users would have considered as a nightmare, dropping his iPhone 3G and see the glass screen in pieces after the shock:
Knowing the cost of a repair operation by Apple Care, he decided to do it himself. He posted on our forum the entire procedure (in French, but nevertheless, easily understandable thanks to numerous photos):
http://forum.macbidouille.com/index.php?showtopic=279698
Such procedure applies ONLY to the iPhone 3G, as the iPhone 1G had the LCD and the glass screen glued together.
[translation by Linathael]
- Wifi at Gigabit/s in some years time? - Lionel - 07:27:57
Source : Infoworld
Whereas the standard 802.11n is still was not officially ratified, the IEEE starts already starts to consider its successor, with the data throughput reaching the Gigabit/s.One is still in the early stages with this next standard, the frequency has not been fixed yet. They still hesitate between a frequency lower than 6 GHz close to Wi-fi 802.11a or to go much higher, towards the 60 GHz.
It will in any event be necessary to wait several years to profit from it, the IEEE is hoping to be able to set the standard in 2012-2013.
[translation by crispin]
