Bites from the Apple: Dribs and Drabs

June 2, 2009 · Posted in Apple

For the most part, things seem to be in a holding pattern with few big news stories or juicy rumors flowing out of the Apple wing of the gadgetosphere as we approach t-minus 10 days until Phil Schiller and friends deliver the keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 8. So let’s get straight to it:

Apple did release some new product this week with the quietly upgraded entry-level white MacBook, which gets bumps in processor speed (2.0 to 2.13), hard drive (120 GB to 160 GB) and RAM speed (667 MHz to 800 MHz, but still the same 2 GB installed)–all for the same price of just under a grand.
If you’re tempted by the low prices on external hard drives (and who wouldn’t be when you need to a couple gigabytes for a movie download and digital audio files are growing in size as their bit rate sizes grow), Matt Newburg at TidBITS has some tips on how to format your new drive for optimal usage with your mac
My pal/colleague Jeff Carlson wrote up a collection of tip tidbits in his most recent Seattle Times column, including one how how to block Flash in the Safari browser (something I thought only Firefox could do–having this utility might help bring me back into the Safari fold).
The upcoming Palm Pre (which is getting a release on the weekend before Apple’s WWDC) looks like it will sync music directly from iTunes, and Gizmodo breaks down the tech of how Palm is likely achieving this.
Rumor Roundup: Apple may introduce a family of super-thin MacBook Airs, including a new entry-level model with a price starting at $1300–not exactly a netbook-beating price (via Pocket-Lint). Steve Jobs has been sighted around the Apple campus this week, and Steve Wozniak reports that Jobs sounds “healthy” and “energetic”–which will only fuel speculation that Jobs will make a cameo at WWDC.
Looks like AT&T is improving its 3G network–moving from a maximum throughput of 3.5 Mbps to 7.2Mbps–in preparation for the on-rushing new iPhone model, which Ars Technica notes is expected to have a 3G radio that’s compatible with the faster speed. Glenn Fleishman also notes at TidBITS that the iPhone has always been a 3G network-intensive device and will be even more so with the likely addition of tethering (connecting your laptop to the 3G network via the iPhone) in the arsenal of AT&T service offerings.
Now we know why Hulu wanted to pull its content from Boxee: this week a Hulu Desktop application was released, enabling you to not only free Hulu from the web browser but also control it with your Apple remote.
In a followup to a news item from last week, Apple has relented and approved the Eucalyptus e-book reader for sale in its App Store–despite its continued ability to access the Kama Sutra.
Aric reported earlier this week on the announcement of the iPod touch-competing Microsoft Zune HD, and it seems to stack up well with the iPod touch with its touchscreen and HD radio/HD video output capabilities. But Christopher Breen at Macworld reminds us what the Zune HD lacks: an App Store, which can transform a HD-loving touchscreen music player into a small tablet-like computer.
The Apple Blog points to an article in USA Today that describes changes to Apple’s One to One training and support program–which has been a great way to educate switchers new to the Mac environment–and sought out further clarification from Apple. It looks like the program will only be offered to folks who buy Macs from Apple directly (web or retail location) and that there’s no grace period–you need to decide to enter the program on the day you make the purchase.
If you’re not familiar with One to One, it’s a pretty sweet deal: for a $99 subscription, you get to meet with an Apple trainer at an Apple Store once every week for an hour to go over stock training (how to make a video in iMovie) or answer specific questions you have. My mother-in-law made the switch to a Mac from years of using Windows PCs and the One to One program was extremely helpful in assimilating her… I mean getting her ramped up on how to get the most out of the Mac.
And finally… if you haven’t see it yet, be sure to check out the cover to this week’s New Yorker, which was drawn entirely using the Brushes iPhone app (which is on sale for a limited time, no doubt due to all the publicity its garnered). Check out the video below to see how it was composed: