Microsoft started work on Internet Explorer 9 three weeks ago. Microsoft’s focus is on supporting new standards like HTML5 and CSS3 alongside the development of a faster JavaScript rendering engine.

The chart above shows different browsers’ JavaScript performance running the SunSpider test. As you can see IE9 is already much faster than IE8 in JavaScript performance. And, I really hope that Microsoft reaches its other goal of making IE9 more standards compliant.

But, since you have to have Silverlight installed to view this video regarding IE 9′s support for standards and interoperability, I’m not going to get my hopes up.

IEBlog : An Early Look At IE9 for Developers.

Dan Provost:

My proposal has nothing to do with running apps in the background, but rather, to improve the way the native out-of-the-box apps run in the foreground. As an iPhone user, my ultimate annoyance is receiving a text message notification while using an app, and not being able to reply to the message without exiting the app. The proposed solution (demonstrated in the video below) has the messaging interface open up in the foreground when “Reply” is tapped, rather than exiting the app.

I thought up a similar idea several months ago. Although my concept was just to slide up the keyboard, text box, and the send button, leaving the message notification in view to maintain context. Dan’s idea seems to be more thought out than mine was.

Running iPhone Apps in the Foreground – The Russians Used a Pencil.

The Little App Factory develops an application called iPodRip. Originally written in 2003, iPodRip lets you transfer movies, photos, and music from your iPod or iPhone to your computer.

Recently the Little App Factory received a letter from law firm Baker & McKenzie asking that they change iPodRip’s name, because it has “iPod” in it.

John Devor of the Little App Factory wrote an email to Steve Jobs regarding the issue and received a surprising reply.

John Devor’s original email:

Dear Mr. Jobs,

My name is John Devor and I’m the co-owner of a small Mac shareware company named The Little App Factory and a long-term Apple customer and shareholder. I doubt you’re aware but we recently received a letter from a law firm working on Apple’s behalf instructing us that we had violated several of Apple’s trademarks in our application iPodRip and asking us to cease using the name and Apple trademarks in our icons.

We have been distributing iPodRip since 2003 with the aim of providing a method to recover music, movies and photos from iPods and iPhones in the event of a serious hardware failure on their Mac which leads to data loss. Our goal has been to provide the highest quality product coupled with the highest quality service in a bid to resolve some of the angst that is generated by such an ordeal; service befitting of an Apple product. In this department we think we have succeeded as we have approximately 6 million customers, many Apple employees, music artists and other notable people in society. In fact I’d argue that our customer service is the best of all competing applications in our niche as many of them are scams and frauds that leave Apple customers with a terrible taste in their collective mouths. We fear very much that tens of thousands of Apple customers looking to recover their own music and having heard of our product via word-of-mouth or otherwise, will instead find a product produced by one of our competitors, and will wind up the victim of a scam (one closely-named competitor charges a hidden monthly fee, for instance).

It is quite obvious that we mean Apple no harm with the use of the name iPodRip, or of the inclusion of trademarked items in our icons, and in fact I believe that we have been providing an excellent secondary service to Apple customers that has potentially caused you many repeat clients. In fact, we are quite aware that Apple support and store staff have recommended our software on numerous occasions as far back as 2004 so we have felt that we were doing something right!

With this in mind, we are in desperate need of some assistance and we beseech you to help us to protect our product and our shareware company, both of which we have put thousands upon thousands of hours of work into. Our company goal is to create Mac software of the highest quality with the best user experience possible. I myself dropped out of school recently to pursue a path in the Mac software industry, and you yourself have been a consistent inspiration for me.

If there is anything at all you can do with regards to this matter, we would be most grateful.

Best,

John Devor

Steve Jobs’ reply:

Change your apps name. Not that big of a deal.

Steve

Sent from my iPhone

Needless to say, the application’s name has been changed to iRip.

Jobs to The Little App Factory: Name change “Not that big of a deal”.

MacRumors’ Eric Slivka:

MacRumors has heard from several sources that Apple is preparing to launch a “Concierge” iPhone application targeted at customers of its retail stores. The application will reportedly provide many of the same functions available through the company’s retail store online reservations system, allowing customers to schedule Genius Bar and One to One appointments from their mobile devices.

A fantastic idea for an application, I just wonder how Apple will deal with the inevitable increase in missed appointments. I can imagine someone scheduling an appointment, fixing the problem themselves, and then neglecting to cancel the appointment.

Retail Roundup: Apple to Release ‘Concierge’ iPhone Application? Nashua, NH Store Opening? – Mac Rumors.

Yesterday Google officially demoed Chrome OS at their special event in Mountain View, CA. The operating system is exactly what we all expected it to be, the browser is the OS.

All of the applications are in the cloud, you can’t install (what we would consider to be) traditional applications, just web apps. Chrome OS will not support hard disk drives in favor of solid state drives. This allows them to make all sorts of performance optimizations which is how they’ve been able to keep boot time under 10 seconds.

Although Chrome OS can’t boot from hard disk drives, it will support mass storage devices. When you plug in a digital camera or a cell phone the contents will show up in a separate browser tab. Clicking on files, such as Excel files or PDF files, will open up a web app that can handle that file type, such as Microsoft Office web apps or Google Docs. Chrome OS even has a built in media player to view videos and images.

The whole concept is very interesting and I’m mostly interested in how this announcement will affect other software companies. But, the focus on low cost and low powered computers (netbooks) worries me. I happen to agree with Alex Payne on this:

I have no opinion about Chrome OS. All I know is that cheap hardware feels cheap. It’s less “cloud computing” than “disposable computing”.

And, it’s not as if you’ll be able to just install this on any computer out there. There will likely be numerous hacks to do so but, Google is working on reference designs and the OS will only officially work on approved hardware.

The operating system will launch in the second half of 2010. But, if you want to see more of the user interface there are a few videos introducing and demoing Chrome OS on the Google Chrome YouTube account, I really enjoyed the  “What is Google Chrome OS?” video.

Official Google Blog: Releasing the Chromium OS open source project.

Previously:
11/18/09: Google Holding Chrome OS Event Thursday
7/8/09: Google Announces a Linux Distro and the World Goes Mad

Update 11/21/09: Gdgt is hosting a VMware image of Chrome OS. If you’re unsure how to use it, Engadget has published a video with the instructions.

Update 11/24/09: Chrome OS Should Be Built on Anroid

TechCrunch’s MG Siegler is reporting that Google will be holding a special Chrome OS event this Thursday.

The event will be held at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, CA. They will be giving a complete overview of the new OS and detailing its launch plans.

MG Siegler regarding the release of Chrome OS:

Google had been planning to release at least part of Chrome OS this week. That still may be the case at this event, but it looks for now that the more complete launch will in fact take place next year. And if they are holding this event now with a “complete overview,” progress is clearly being made, so you can probably expect that launch to be early next year.

Chrome OS has been highly anticipated since its announcement in July. I personally am interested in the idea of the browser being the main focus (and maybe the only focus) of the OS. I don’t think I’ll ever use the OS for any serious computing but am interested to see how the release affects the software industry.

Google Holding Chrome OS Event Thursday. Complete Overview And Launch Plans To Be Revealed..

Previously:
7/8/09: Google Announces a Linux Distro and the World Goes Mad

Update 11/24/09: Chrome OS Should Be Built on Anroid

There were several reports on both Android Forums and HowardForums of problems with the Motorola DROID’s autofocus. Yesterday, the issue seemed to resolve itself, without warning.

At first users believed that Motorola had fixed the problem by pushing a silent firmware update which fixed the issue. But, it turns out that due to a very odd software bug, the Motorola DROID’s autofocus goes through cycles of good and bad performance. Every 24.5 days it will experience a shift in performance quality one way or the other.

We’re currently in one of the good cycles but a fix should be out by December 11, when the next shift would happen.

Google’s Dan Morrill explains it best in Engadget’s comments:

There’s a rounding-error bug in the camera driver’s autofocus routine (which uses a timestamp) that causes autofocus to behave poorly on a 24.5-day cycle. That is, it’ll work for 24.5 days, then have poor performance for 24.5 days, then work again.

The 17th is the start of a new “works correctly” cycle, so the devices will be fine for a while. A permanent fix is in the works.

What an odd bug.

David Meyer of ZDNet UK:

According to figures released by Gartner on Thursday, Microsoft’s mobile operating system had 11 percent of the global smartphone market in Q3 2008. A year later, it had 7.9 percent of the market, while the iPhone’s share had risen from 12.9 percent to 17.1 percent, and RIM’s share had risen from 16 percent to 20.8 percent.

Symbian’s market share fell from 49.7 percent to 44.6 percent over the same period — a 10 percent drop.

That means that while Apple’s market share increased by about 30%, Windows Mobile market share dropped by roughly the same amount. They’re not exactly on track for their goal of 40% global market share by 2012.

Windows Mobile loses nearly a third of market share – ZDNet.co.uk.

Michael Bettiol regarding webOS 1.3.1:

Sitting pretty at 126MB, some very useful changes have been made apart from the usual bug fixes. iTunes is not supported, but Synergy now includes Yahoo! contact and calendar sync while Sprint users now have Yahoo! IM. Forwarding and copying of a single SMS/IM message is now a go as is the ability to set unique ringtones for new messages while videos shot in widescreen are no longer automatically panned and scanned

I’m really hoping that Palm has finally given up on iTunes syncing. Apple never would, and for Palm’s customer’s sake, I hope this cat and mouse game doesn’t have to continue. Palm needs to do what they should have done months ago, release a standalone application that syncs media between iTunes and webOS devices.

webOS 1.3.1 now available « Boy Genius Report.

Previously:
10/30/09: iTunes 9.0.2
6/17/09: Apple Posts Knowledge Base Article Regarding Pre iTunes Syncing
5/29/09: Palm Pre Syncs Media with iTunes

On the latest episode of the Gillmor Gang, Michael Arrington shot down recent rumors that his CrunchPad project was nearly dead.

During the show Arrington said the following:

The CrunchPad’s great actually, it’s actually steamrolling along. everything’s good, that stuff about costs being too high, was — I don’t know where it came from — actually costs keep coming down we’re just we’ve been working entirely on software for the last month trying to make it perfect to get it to market. So, it’s going great, should be big news on that shortly.

When asked how it will do against Apple’s tablet he said:

I’m not going to answer the question directly, I’ll answer it in a different way.  Apple builds perfect products and I think that I will probably buy a number of their tablet devices. From what I’ve heard and I think that it’ll be amazing. I actually wish Apple would build a much higher end tablet, with the MacBook Air hardware, and you know it’s so thin they could get a duel core architecture into a device that thin, it’d be amazing. I think their going to go a little lower end but our device is going to be a significantly less expensive device. It’s going to sell for somewhere between 3 and 400 dollars, it’s going to be a web only device, it only has browser, you can access the web with it, hulu, youtube, gmail, etc. I think it’s just going to be a different market segment. If you were to put the two devices next to each other I think that, maybe with the exception of the fact that our screen is going to be bigger, our screen is 12 inches, as far as I know theirs isn’t, I think you’d probably say “yeah the apple device is better,” but it might be at least twice as expensive and maybe more. So I think we’ll have a nice market segment.

Arrington also says that the device’s cost remains “in the high two hundreds” and that there is some “soft-revenue on the device in sponsorships and things like that without impacting the user experience.”

I’m excited about this tablet because I really want something with a bigger screen to surf the web on while I’m sitting in the living room. I don’t usually mind browsing the web on my iPhone but sometimes I want a bigger screen.

This is just further evidence that James Kendrick had no idea what he was talking about.

YouTube – Gillmor Gang 11.12.09.

Previously:
7/31/09: CrunchPad Specs Revealed
7/5/09: Michael Arrington Forms CrunchPad Inc., Hardware Coming Very Soon
4/14/09: James Kendrick Claims CrunchPad May Not Happen, With No Evidence

Update 12/1/09: The CrunchPad’s Bizarre Ending

Update 12/10/09: Fusion Garage Announces the JooJoo Tablet

Apple is looking to hire a full time game and media software engineer. From the job description:

The interactive media group is looking for a skilled software engineer who wants to work as part of a small highly motivated team to work on interactive multimedia experiences on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The position on the team is to help design and implement interactive multimedia experiences on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The position also requires a creative thinker who can contribute and comment on the design process as well as being flexible enough to aid in all aspects of production such as asset management and able to work to a deadline.

The posting goes on to say that candidates should be “passionate gamers” and should have “3-4 years of video game development experience” and have “shipped at least one AAA title.”

To date, Apple has only released one game for the iPhone since the App Store launched, Texas Hold’em. Apple has been marketing the iPod touch as a gaming device and a gaming device with only one first-party game would be hard pressed to compete with the Nintendo DS, whose first-party games are generally the best available for their platform.

AppleInsider | Apple looks to hire AAA game developer for in-house iPhone team.

Update 12/10/09: Apple has posted another job on their website for a full time “video game artist.” From the job description:

The interactive media group is looking for a skilled artist who wants to work as part of a small highly motivated team to work on interactive multimedia experiences on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The position on the team is to help design, visualize, enable and implement interface, 3D characters/environments, animation, texturing as well as original concept artwork. The position also requires a creative thinker who can contribute and comment on the design process as well as being flexible enough to aid in all aspects of production such as asset management and able to work to a deadline.

Looking for an artist with Maya / 3D Max / Photoshop experience
-ability to model, animate, texture & produce bump/normal maps for 3D scene graph environments
-strong environment & character concept artist
-3-4 years of real world experience, iPhone / console experience preferred
-ability to handle asset pipeline management including XML and source control

I expect to see at least one more first-party titles next year.

Shortly after Apple enabled status tracking for iPhone application approval, a couple of high profile developers left the platform.

Developer of Facebook for the iPhone, Joe Hewitt speaking with TechCrunch:

My decision to stop iPhone development has had everything to do with Apple’s policies. I respect their right to manage their platform however they want, however I am philosophically opposed to the existence of their review process.

It’s ironic that Hewitt works for Facebook, which happens to be one of the biggest walled gardens around, but his opinion is still valid.

The second developer is actually Rogue Amoeba, a software company that makes several popular Mac applications. Rogue Amoeba introduced Airfoil Speakers Touch 7 months ago, I’ve used the app since then and it has become one of my essential applications.

It turns out that version 1.0.1 of Airfoil Speakers Touch had been submitted to Apple back in July. Between then and its eventual approval, almost four months and three rejections took place. Apple rejected the application due to the use of “Apple Logo and Apple-owned Graphic Symbols,” referring to the icons used and picture of the Mac that audio was streaming from. The application itself didn’t contain pictures of Apple computers or images of the icons, instead that information was sent over the network from the computer and simply displayed in Airfoil Speakers Touch.

To get the application approved Rogue Amoeba had to do the following:

Now, when you receive audio on Airfoil Speakers Touch, you’ll see a generic computer screen, not your specific Mac. Further, if you’re receiving audio from an Apple app, such as Safari, QuickTime Player, or iTunes, you’ll see this:

If you tap the artwork in Airfoil Speakers Touch, you’ll be taken to this page, providing a pithier summary of the situation. Is it likely to change anything? Probably not. But it was the only way we could remove this functionality and still sleep at night.

This clearly isn’t the best design choice, but what were they supposed to do, they had to ship the bug fix. Currently, Rogue Amoeba has no plans to develop additional iPhone applications, and who can blame them?

Update 11/24/09: Version 1.0.2 of Airfoil Speakers Touch restores the icons that Apple rejected the application over.

Update 11/26/09: BusinessWeek’s Interview with Phil Schiller

Rumors from late last month were true, Apple’s 10.6.2 update is incompatible with Intel Atom processors.

From Stell’s Blog:

The netbook forums are now blowing up with problems of 10.6.2 instant rebooting their Atom based netbooks […] Just an FYI, this is OSx86 after all and none of the scenes hackers really let down on support. The latest kernel may not be “officially” supported but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a modded kernel around the corner.

There are two possibilities I can think of, either this is a bug that will be fixed in 10.6.3 or Apple grew tired of users installing their software on unsanctioned hardware.

Official: Atom not supported in 10.6.2. | Stell’s Blog.

Update 11/19/09: InsanelyMac forum member teateam has developed a replacement kernel for installation of 10.6.2 on Atom-powered computers.

From the Press Release:

Google Inc. today announced that it is working with airports across the country as well as Boingo Wireless, Advanced Wireless Group, Airport Marketing Income and others to provide free Wi-Fi as a holiday gift now through January 15, 2010. The gift currently includes 47 airports, including Las Vegas, San Jose, Boston, Baltimore, Burbank, Houston, Indianapolis, Seattle, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, St. Louis and Charlotte. Additionally, as a result of this project, Burbank and Seattle airports will begin offering airport-wide free Wi-Fi indefinitely.

I have a feeling people in airports are going to be a little less stressed this holiday season.

Google Press Center: Press Release.

The Video Electronics Standard Association (VESA) has officially issued specifications for Mini DisplayPort as part of the DisplayPort 1.1a standard.

Apple had been freely licensing Mini DisplayPort to encourage adoption. But, now that VESA is behind the connector it will likely be found in a larger variety of devices.

I’m excited about this announcement. It gives hope to those of us that would like to see a low-cost DVI to Mini DisplayPort adapter — I’d love to connect one of Apple’s new Cinema Displays to my Mini-DVI equipped iMac.

AppleInsider | Apple’s Mini DisplayPort officially adopted by VESA.

Matt Hamblen in a Computerworld report from Monday:

AT&T today reiterated its plans to offer tethering on the iPhone, but again gave no date when that might happen — more than a year after the carrier first said tethering would be coming “soon.”

Asked just when that would be, a spokesman said in an e-mail: “We plan to offer tethering on the iPhone but have not announced a date.”

AT&T’s 3G network has been the target of Verizon’s recent “There’s a map for that” ads. AT&T has filed a lawsuit against Verizon claiming that the ad campaign is misleading. AT&T has also issued a public response on their website saying that, not only does AT&T’s 3G cover 75% of the population, but that EDGE covers over 96% of the population.

While AT&T does have a point, EDGE can be used for data transfer, it doesn’t offer the best user experience.

Previously:
10/16/09: iPhone Tethering May be a 2010 Thing

Update 11/19/09: Engadget is reporting on Verizon’s reply to AT&T’s public response. They said:

AT&T did not file this lawsuit because Verizon’s “There’s A Map For That” advertisements are untrue; AT&T sued because Verizon’s ads are true and the truth hurts.

This is getting interesting, I’m glad these companies are finally (at least pretend) competing. By the way, I’m glad Engadget finally did a redesign. It looks pretty good, especially compared to that mangled mess of a design that they used to have.

Matt Hamblen of Computerworld, reports that the judge has denied AT&T’s request to stop Verizon’s latest AT&T slamming ads from airing. Now, AT&T has started airing their own ad that appears to be a direct reply to Verizon’s. AT&T has published the ad, “Side by Side,” on YouTube.

Update 11/24/09: MacRumors reports that Apple has joined the AT&T/Verizon spat with ads of their own. Both ads showcase AT&T’s network’s ability to transfer data while on a call. A strong argument indeed.

Update 12/4/09: The Business Insider reports that Verizon and AT&T have decided to stop lawsuits against each other regarding Verizon’s “There’s a Map for That” ads. This of course doesn’t end their spat, Verizon has already released another commercial that calls the iPhone “digitally clueless.” I have a feeling this is going to go on for quite sometime and hopefully we’ll end up with two better companies when the dust eventually settles.

Taylor Wimberly:

The Motorola Droid will be the most powerful Android phone to date when it launches on November 6, 2009. However, the device still features the same shortcomings of all other Android phones. The Droid ships with a 512 MB ROM which contains only 256 MB available for app storage.

Google does not support installing apps to the SD card (and likely never will), so developers are limited in what they can create.

I understand the appeal of using SD cards to expand the storage of a device, but Motorola should know that 256MB isn’t going to be large enough for some users. Compared to most users, I only have a few apps installed on my iPhone and my apps are already using up 246MB of storage. I can’t imagine being constrained to 256MB.

I think the DROID and the DROID Eris are the best two Android devices ever made, but with operating system shortcomings like this, I don’t see how they expect to be taken seriously.

Google fails to address app storage issue with Droid and Android 2.0 – Android and Me.

Previously:
11/8/09: HTC DROID Eris
10/29/09: Motorola DROID

iBiquity Digital has announced their Gigaware HD Radio receiver that, when paired with the iPhone app, will let you receive HD Radio signals on your iPhone.

The application is free but the receiver will cost $79.99 and is being sold exclusively through RadioShack. The accessory uses your headphones as the antennae, but that means you can’t plug your headphones into the device’s standard headphone jack.

This is a great example of pairing hardware and software with the iPhone but I think the form factor is going to hold this particular device back. It isn’t just something that sits in the dock connector, it has a wire running from the dock connector to the actual receiver. The receiver has some play/pause and next/previous buttons and reminds me of the third generation iPod shuffle.

Aside from the fact that I have no interest in listening to the radio, I also don’t want to carry around another cable.

App Watch: HD Radio for Apple’s iPhone – Digits – WSJ.

Ibis Reader is an upcoming e-book reader built for Android, iPhone, and webOS as a web app. It uses HTML5 for offline storage and will have cross-device syncing and bookmarking so you can start reading on your iPod touch and pick it up where you left off on your Palm Pre.

Ibis Reader uses BookServer for its content and all of the books are completely DRM free. They’ve even gone so far as to allow you to export your books and put them on any device that supports ePub.

The app won’t be launching for several months but I’m excited to see where it goes.

Ibis Reader and BookServer : Threepress Consulting blog.

The HTC DROID Eris has been announced and is now on sale at Verizon stores for $99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and with a two-year contract.

The DROID Eris is the second DROID device but does not run Android 2.0, instead it runs 1.5. This choice was made so that the device could run HTC’s Sense UI.

I stopped by my local Verizon store to try out both the DROID and the DRIOD Eris and although I didn’t mind the Eris, I did not like the DROID. The Eris seemed polished, like it was really ready to hit the market, on the other hand, the DROID didn’t. Neither the hardware or software keyboard felt comfortable to use, the design of the software and hardware didn’t feel finished, and the home screen reminded me of Windows 3.1. Honestly, how am I supposed to take a mobile browser seriously when it has zoom in and zoom out buttons in the bottom corner?

HTC – Mobile Phones, Smartphones, Cell Phones, PDAs.

Previously:
10/29/09: Motorola DROID
10/18/09: Verizon Debuts Teaser for ‘Droid’ Handset
10/11/09: Verizon and Google Partnering on Android

Update 11/12/09: DROID Limited to 256MB of App Storage

Peter Kafka is reporting that Apple has been pitching a $30 per month subscription model for TV shows through iTunes. This isn’t just some anonymous tipster telling him this, Kafka claims to have heard the information from multiple sources.

Kafka’s sources say that Apple hopes to launch the service early next year, the first partner to join in the endeavor would likely be Disney. Not only has Disney been willing to experiment with Apple’s services but Steve Jobs is also Disney’s largest single shareholder.

There isn’t much information on how this service would actually work, but it seems that it would be $30 per month for any participating partners content. New episodes would likely be downloaded the way season passes are now, but I wonder if the files would have a 30 day shelf life like iTunes movie rentals do.

Whatever the terms I’m sure I would jump in immediately, I’m not currently a cable subscriber and watch most of my TV shows on Hulu but would love to get more content on my HDTV through my Apple TV.

Apple iTunes Pitch: TV for $30 Per Month | Peter Kafka | MediaMemo | AllThingsD.

Update 12/10/09: “Analysts” told AppleInsider that the recent purchase of NBC by Comcast could hinder an iTunes subscription service. Colin Dixon, an analyst at Diffusion Group also believes this to be the case. From Reinhardt Krause‘s report:

If Apple or others come to a Comcast-controlled NBC looking to cut content deals, they could be out of luck, Dixon says.

“They’ll just say no,” he said.

Update 12/27/09: iTunes Monthly TV Subscriptions Coming

I’ve spent about a week with the Mighty Mouse and I like it a lot, but it’s not without faults. Although the Magic Mouse’s scrolling capabilities have been significantly improved over the Mighty Mouse, I really miss the extras buttons.

With my Mighty Mouse I took advantage of the middle click button by assigning Expose all windows to it. When I had multiple windows open and wanted to switch to one that was hidden I could hit the middle button and switch to it. Not having to put my other hand on the keyboard to use command+tab saved me a lot of time.

I didn’t use the Mighty Mouse’s side buttons much but they were really handy, I had it assigned to Expose show desktop.

But, even with the missing features, the Magic Mouse is still the best mouse I’ve ever owned. The momentum scrolling is the smartest feature Apple has ever added to a mouse and the double swipe for forward and back in my browser makes navigate the web significantly faster.

The mouse feels good in your hand, it’s heavier than you’d think it is but it is still feels lighter than the wireless Mighty Mouse. At first the lower profile felt very strange, I was worried that using it for long periods of time would cause more wrist pain than other mice. But, I was pleasantly surprised, I haven’t experienced any pain at all.

The multi-touch gestures on the Magic Mouse are a little limited and although it would be possible for Apple to add more gestures in the future, I don’t really expect them to.

Magic Mouse on Amazon

Previously:
10/20/09: Apple Introduces Magic Mouse
10/20/09: Mac mini with OS X Server and Multi-Touch Trackpad for Desktop Macs
10/5/09: Mouse, iMac, and Other Apple Hardware

Update 12/27/09: MagicPrefs

Despite TheStreet.com’s previous report, Google’s head of Android development, Andy Rubin had this to say regarding Google making Android hardware:

We’re not making hardware, we’re enabling other people to build hardware.

Sounds pretty clear to me. I wouldn’t want Google making hardware anyway, they haven’t given me any indication that they would build something worth while.

Google: We’re not making Android hardware | Relevant Results – CNET News.

Update 11/21/09: Michael Arrington Has Heard That Google is Building Android Hardware

Yesterday Apple released their Apple TV 3.0 software update. With the update the Apple TV now has a fancy new user interface and support for iTunes Extras, iTunes LPs, and Genius Mixes.

Apple has moved “My Movies,” “My TV Shows,” etc. to the top of the menu lists, added Radio as a menu option under “Internet,” and has switched the system font from Lucida Grande to Helvetica.

I’ve heard some complaints about the new interface not looking as attractive as the 2.0 interface but I have to disagree. The placement of your content at the top left of the main menu looks gorgeous and the new font looks much cleaner. The interface is laid out in a very simple way and it’s quicker and easier to navigate.

When I first saw the “Internet” menu option, I went bananas. I had no idea what to expect because I hadn’t read any of the coverage before updating. I was obviously disappointed when the only two options under Internet were YouTube and Radio but it’s interesting to note that iTunes Extras and LPs are built using HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, the same standards used for building web pages. Is it possible that Apple could build either a browser or add some other web content partners and place them under the Internet section?

The first thing I attempted to do after updating to 3.0 was to view my iTunes Extras or LPs on my HDTV. After about 30 minutes of changing sync settings and trying to figure out why I couldn’t get my Extras or LP content to work I found this knowledge base article on Apple’s site. It turns out that users who had purchased iTunes Extras or iTunes LPs prior to the release of the 3.0 update will have to wait until Apple allows them to download the updated version to view it on their Apple TV.

I purchased Batman Begins on my Apple TV to try out iTunes Extras and I like it a lot. It feels a lot like watching a DVD but I appreciate the lack of trailers and ads before I get to the menu. Within the more section there are links to the Warner Bros. website and items in the iTunes Store that aren’t viewable on the Apple TV, when chosen they currently display “To view this item, use iTunes on your computer.” on the screen, I hope Apple eventually allows users to follow those links.

iLounge has posted an extensive gallery to their Flickr account showing off all of the new Apple TV features.

Previously:
9/15/09: iTunes LP and Extras Destined for the Apple TV

Update 11/8/09: Apple has started sending out emails to Extras and LP owners informing them that newer versions are available to download that are compatible with the Apple TV. Wall-E was available for me but I still haven’t received an update to Paramore’s Brand New Eyes LP.

Apple has also sent out emails to Apple TV owners about Apple TV 3.0.1 update which fixes a bug which could cause media to disappear from your Apple TV until it is synced again.

Apple has released iTunes 9.0.2 to software update. This new version adds support for Apple TV 3.0 and an option to use the dark background in grid view.

I’m really happy to see that Apple has brought back the dark background for grid view. I hated the whitish one, it just looked terrible.

And yes, Pre syncing has been blocked again. This cat and mouse game likely isn’t going to end until Palm either finds a way to do it where Apple can’t block it or Palm finally gives up. I’m actually surprised that Palm hasn’t released a stand-alone syncing tool yet, even just as a way of letting users continue to sync their devices until Palm finds a fix to Apple’s blocks.

iTunes goes 9.0.2: adds support for Apple TV 3.0, kills Pre sync.

Previously:
6/17/09: Apple Posts Knowledge Base Article Regarding Pre iTunes Syncing
5/29/09: Palm Pre Syncs Media with iTunes

Update 10/30/09: Apple TV 3.0 Software Update

Update 11/18/09: webOS 1.3.1 Does Not Enable iTunes Syncing

TechFlash’s Todd Bishop regarding Microsoft’s new retail stores:

People visiting Microsoft’s new store in Scottsdale, Ariz., have started noticing something interesting, apart from its shameless similarities to Apple’s retail outlets. The computers on display in the Microsoft Store come without any run-of-the-mill “crapware” — the derisive term used for generic trial software and other unwanted programs that commonly clog new PCs when they’re shipped by computer makers.

I think Microsoft’s retail strategy will be a complete failure but this is the smartest part of the whole endeavor.

Microsoft’s ‘Signature PCs’ show its vision of computing perfection.

Verizon has officially announced the Motorola DROID. The device will cost $199.99 on contract (after mail-in rebate) and will be available November 6.

DROID will be running Android 2.0 and have visual voicemail. The device features a large 3.7-inch 854×480 display, 5 megapixel camera, a 16GB memory card, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 3G, Wi-Fi, and Amazon MP3 downloads.

This is really the first Android device that has really made me take notice. Engadget has had some hands-on time with the device and seems to like it, mentioning noticeable speed improvements compared to other Android devices.

• That big screen is killer. Bright, crisp, and tons of room for your icons and widgets.
• Speed is noticeably improved — particularly when moving from app to app. We did notice that some of the home screen scrolling looked laggy.
• Android 2.0 is definitely cleaned up — but it’s most definitely still Android

The biggest new feature in the Motorola DROID is Google Maps Navigation, which will be available to Android 2.0 devices. All of the standard turn-by-turn navigation features are there but with Google’s implementation you also get the most up-to-date map and business data (using your data connection), voice search, and street view.

The Wall Street Journal is already reporting that shares of TomTom and Garmin have dropped dramatically after Google’s announcement. It appears that stand-alone navigation units will soon be a thing of the past.

Previously:
10/18/09: Verizon Debuts Teaser for ‘Droid’ Handset

Update 10/31/09: Wilson Rothman, of Gizmodo, regarding Google Maps Navigation:

You might still see the occasional sale of a Navigon or a CoPilot, because of particular necessary features and because of the onboard map databases (which people who go off-grid prefer), but really, this thing would—and probably will—swallow the GPS app market alive.

Because of that, I am hoping Google’s developers pay close attention to this review, too. The app is still in beta, but there’s a lot of user-interface work yet to be done. Google: If you’re going to knock everyone else off the mountain, at least give us an app worthy of a king.

Joshua Topolsky, of Engadget, has published his review of the Motorola DROID. He likes it, especially the hardware — calling it “easily the best Android phone to date.”

Greg Kumparak published his comparison of the iPhone 3GS and the Motorola DROID on MobileCrunch. Aside from the Palm Pre, these are the only two phones I would currently recommend anyone purchase.

Update 11/6/09: Network World is reporting that the Motorola DROID will have a $30 per month unlimited (which means 5GB) data plan. If you want to add tethering to that plan it will cost an extra $30, doubling the price of data to a total of $60 per month.

Update 11/8/09: HTC DROID Eris

Update 11/12/09: DROID Limited to 256MB of App Storage

Update 11/21/09: Amazon currently has the Motorola DROID for $149.99 with a 2-year contract, that’s $50 off Verizon’s price.

Update 11/24/09: Once exclusive to the DROID, Google Maps Navigation has finally come to Android 1.6.

The Sydney Morning Herald’s Asher Moses claims in a recent piece that Apple has been in discussion with media companies about including their content on the device.

It is understood that Apple has been in direct talks with Australian media companies to launch a new app for the tablet that would allow them to distribute their content in digital form and charge for it.

Moses also mentions that Apple has sent device specifications to Australian media companies, but none of them were willing to talk about the device on the record.

The tablet is tipped to be a larger version of the iPhone. It is small enough to carry in a handbag but too big to fit in a pocket.

It doesn’t sound to me like Moses knows any more information than we already do. The note about the size of the device is interesting, but it could just be based off of previous rumors and speculation.

Apple shops tablet around Australia.

Update 12/8/09: ‘TabletMac’ Trademark and Apple Tablet Pricing

Update 12/28/09: Apple Tablet May be Announced in January

Update 1/6/10: Apple May Ship Tablet in March

Android 2.0 is coming soon and a video tour of the new version has been released.

Android now has a combined inbox for all of your email accounts, double-tap to zoom has been added to the Android browser, as well as support for HTML5 with databases, geolocation, and the new video tag.

Solid improvements.

Android 2.0 Platform Highlights | Android Developers.

Palm has announced that the Palm Pixi will be coming to Sprint on November 15 for $99.99. This was the expected price and not a surprise at all.

However, the expectation of a $100 price point was made back when the Palm Pre was going for $150-200. Currently you can purchase the Palm Pre from Wal-Mart, with Wi-Fi and a faster processor for $99.99.

I guess I don’t understand this decision.

The Official Palm Blog: Palm Pixi arrives on Sprint November 15.

Previously:
9/9/09: The Palm Pixi
6/12/09: Palm Eos/Pixie Confirmed in Pre Code

Update 11/12/09: The Boy Genius has managed to (as usual) get some unboxing pictures of the Palm Pixi before its release. The device is packaged very similar to the iPhone, although I think the plastic tray it sits in looks a little chintzy.

Also, if you’re planning on purchasing a Palm Pixi, Walmart’s wireless partner, LetsTalk, has the Palm Pixi available for $29.99.

An Applesana forum poster has found references to a MacBookPro6_1 and MacBookPro6_2. Current MacBook Pros are 5,5.

9 to 5 Mac has also heard that Apple Store Geniuses are being trained on new quad-core MacBook Pros with delivery of the machines expected at the same time the newly announced quad-core iMacs ship in November.

Since Apple uses notebook components in the iMac, they usually keep the MacBook Pro at parity with the iMac. Therefore, it is likely that if the MacBook Pro is to receive quad-core processors next month, it will be Core i5 and/or Core i7 processors.

I do find it a little odd that Apple would justify changing the version of the MacBook Pro from 5,5 to 6,1. A version change like that would usually mean something a little more significant than the addition of quad-core processors.

MacBook Pros to receive new Quad-core processors in coming weeks? | 9 to 5 Mac.

Update 10/27/09: Gizmodo has heard from Apple that “the holiday lineup is set.” Originally Gizmodo had said that there wasn’t going to be any new Apple products this year, but was later corrected by Apple with the new quote. It’s hard to tell what the change actually means but I think it’s safe to say there won’t be any new products announced and available from Apple this year.

From the Mac OS Forge project page:

The ZFS project has been discontinued. The mailing list and repository will also be removed shortly.

Snow Leopard dropping support for ZFS was the first sign that the project wasn’t going very well. But, now it’s official, the project has been canceled.

John Gruber, of Daring Fireball, has heard that the decision was a legal one. The nail in the coffin was either the CDDL license, Oracle’s acquisition of Sun Microsystems, or the NetApp patent lawsuit against ZFS.

Nearly everyone “in the know” was excited about ZFS, it was a truly revolutionary file system, but I’m excited to see where Apple goes from here. Especially since Apple is working on their own next-generation file system.

ZFS.

Update 10/25/09: Jeff Bonwick, lead developer of ZFS at Sun, has confirmed that Apple abandoned ZFS over licensing issues.

SlashGear and Tinhte.com have managed to acquire images of an unannounced Android device from Dell. The device is called the Dell Streak and will feature a 5-inch 800×480 touchscreen, Android 2.0, Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, and a 5 megapixel camera.

I’m still not sure whether or not handheld devices is the way Dell should be going. But then again, they don’t seem to be doing too well with the rest of their products.

Tinhte.com has published a video of the device in action to their YouTube account.

Although I reported about the Barnes & Noble nook yesterday, Spring Design’s Alex is the first Android based e-book reader. Like the nook, Alex has two displays, one e-paper display and one touchscreen LCD.

Alex has Wi-Fi and 3G but, unlike many of the recently announced e-book readers, supports “full Internet browsing.” Alex also brings a new feature to the e-book market that they refer to as “hyperlinking text with multimedia.”

Dr. Priscilla Lu, CEO of Spring Design, regarding the feature:

This is the start of a whole new experience of reading content on e-books, potentially igniting a whole new industry in multimedia e-book publishing for secondary authors to create supplementary content that is hyper linked to the text. We are bringing life to books with audio, video, and annotations. This gives readers the ability to fully leverage the resources on the Web, and the tools available in search engines to augment the reading experience.

Alex has a 6-inch e-ink display (seems to be the de facto standard) and a 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD. Users will will be able to capture and cache web content from the LCD screen and “toggle to view it on the [electronic paper display] without taxing the battery life.” Browser bookmarking, history, and settings, are all there.

The focus on web content is what gets me excited about this e-book reader in particular. I’ve mentioned several times in the past that my primary use for an e-reader would be for web content and this seems like the best device for the job. The only downside I’ve found so far is that it’s ugly.

Spring Design.

Update 11/6/09: Maximum PC has had some hands on time with Spring Design’s Alex and, looking through the pictures, I’ve realized I was wrong about the design of this thing. The images of the device that were initial released didn’t do it justice, this thing looks fantastic.

Update 11/8/09: Spring Design revealed earlier this week that it has sued Barnes & Noble for infringing on the design of their Alex e-book reader. Spring Design says that they had been working with Barnes & Noble since spring of this year and that Barnes & Noble stole their idea. After both of these e-book readers were announced it was rather obvious that they both had the same idea. Since Barnes & Noble is an established company with no previous hardware history I wouldn’t be too surprised if Spring Designs allegations were true.

Update 1/5/10: Darren Murph reporting for Engadget regarding the Alex:

the reader was intensely thin and remarkably snappy. We had some gripes with the speed of the Nook, but every action we took on the Alex was relatively lag free. We even downloaded a book and watched it open up immediately, and the touchscreen response was also satisfactory.

He seems to like the device. And, just after looking through the gallery and watching the video, I like the device as well.

Update 1/14/10: Spring Design Partners with Borders

Engadget has learned that Roku will soon be updating their streaming box. The new model will be called the “Roku XR” and will look nearly identical to the current model.

The device will gain 802.11n, a USB port, and will be losing the dedicated reset button. No word on pricing or availability but Engadget’s Darren Murph thinks we’ll know more before Christmas.

I’ve been considering the purchase of a Roku streaming box. The amount of time between receiving a Netflix disc in the mail and sending it back is growing. I don’t use Netflix streaming very often but I think if I had the Roku box I would take advantage of it more. I spend $15 a month on Netflix and would like to feel like I get my money’s worth. But, with word that Roku will be updating the box soon, I’ll certainly wait to hear all the details before making any purchasing decisions.

Roku XR adds 802.11n, USB port and a longing for something more.

Update 10/27/09: The Roku HD-XR has been officially announced (PDF). The device has 802.11n and the rumored USB port is for “future use.” The XR is available now for $129.99. Roku also announced the Roku SD, it will cost $79 and will only have standard definition outputs and 802.11g.

In a few weeks Roku will be launching their new Channel Store which will allow users to view content from additional providers.

Update 11/23/09: Macworld’s Dan Frakes reports that Roku will announce the Roku Channel Store on Monday. The store will have ten initial channels, including: blip.tv, Facebook Photos, Flickr, Mediafly, Pandora, Revision3, TWiT.TV, etc.

The TomTom Car Kit is now available for $119.95 on Apple’s online store. The application does not come bundled with the Car Kit but the product description puts to rest whether or not the kit is compatible with the first generation iPhone.

The TomTom app for iPhone is not included with this TomTom Car Kit. The Car Kit dock is compatible with all iPhone models, but the Car Kit app only works with iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G

No mention of the iPod touch — sounds to me like it isn’t supported, but I haven’t been able to find any confirmation of that.

TomTom Car Kit for iPhone – Apple Store (U.S.).

Update 10/28/09: AppleInsider has received confirmation from TomTom that the Car Kit and TomTom application are not compatible with the iPod touch and first generation iPhone. When asked if support could be added in the future a company spokesman simply said TomTom has not made any “public announcements.”

Update 11/23/09: A TomTom representative has confirmed on Twitter that they will be releasing an iPod touch compatible Car Kit in the United States soon.

Something I missed from late last week. Om Malik regarding an interview with Mozilla CEO John Lilly at the Play conference:

…he hinted that the company was going to launch a brand new application for the iPhone, though he declined to reveal any details. “Mozilla will release an app to the iPhone App Store in the next few weeks,” Lilly said. “It’ll surprise people.”

Malik speculates that it could have something to do with Weave. Weave is Mozilla’s sync service which is currently a work in progress at Mozilla Labs. That seems likely to me, I definitely wouldn’t guess a browser, as some others have.

Apple has approved some browser-like applications for the App Store, but all of them use WebKit as their rendering engine. The likelihood that Mozilla would build a browser built on WebKit and not on their Fennec mobile rendering engine is essentially zero. I would also be stunned if Apple ever approved an application that used a third-party rendering engine.

Coming Soon: A Mozilla App for the iPhone.

Charlie Sorrel, of Wired, points out that the newly announced 27-inch iMac is only $100 less than Apple’s 30-inch Cinema Display. At prices like that, a few questions come to mind:

• How can Apple continue to justify charging $1,799 for the 30-inch Cinema Display?
• When is Apple going to add some new life to the Cinema Display line?
• Knowing all of this (and knowing that you can use the 27-inch iMac as an external display) why would anyone purchase the 30-inch display?

We’ve all known that Apple charges too much for their displays but the comparison of pricing between the 27-inch iMac and the 30-inch Cinema Display really showcases that. The 27-inch is $100 cheaper, includes a whole computer, and uses a better display technology. The 30-inch is over priced and aging.

So when is Apple going to add some life to their line of displays? The 24-inch is modern but it’s the smallest display Apple offers and costs a whopping $899. The only other display Apple offers is twice the price — there are two displays — it’s hard to even call it a “line” anymore. Apple should give up on the 30-inch and just offer two models, a 21.5 and a 27-inch. This would simplify their offerings and lower the number of LCD panels they have to purchase.

The 27-inch iMac can even be used as an external display. DisplayPort is a two-way connector and with an adapter (sold separately) you can connect another computer, or nearly anything with video output to it. The 27-inch iMac is a much better buy than the 30-inch Cinema Display.

So, knowing all this, why would anyone purchase the 30-inch display? That’s a question I ask myself every time I see someone using one.

Barnes and Noble has officially announced their e-book reader. The device has arguably the best name for an e-book reader to date, “nook.” The device costs $259 and will ship by the end of November. The device uses an interesting interface. It has a color touchscreen underneath its 6-inch e-paper display that is used to navigate through menus and selecting books to read using a coverflow-like interface.

Barnes and Noble will obviously be the source for the content on nook but this device has something other don’t, and that’s sharing.

Share favorite eBooks with your friends, family, or book club. Most eBooks can be lent for up to 14 days at a time. Just choose the book you want to share, then send it to your friend’s reader, cell phone, or computer.

Sounds quite generous, considering nook’s main competitor, the Kindle, doesn’t offer any sharing services.

Nook, eBook Reader, eBook Device – Barnes & Noble.

Previously:
10/17/09: Barnes and Noble E-Book Reader

Update 11/19/09: Matt Hamblen reporting for Computerworld:

The Nook, a $259 e-reader from Barnes & Noble Inc., will hit the booksellers’ stores on Nov. 30. That’s in time for holiday shoppers, but too late for “Black Friday,” Nov. 27, the traditional day of pre-holiday sales by retailers.

Update 11/21/09: The New York Times is reporting that Barnes & Noble’s e-book reader, the nook, is sold out for the holidays.

Update 12/4/09: The nook’s expected ship date has slipped to January 11. This is why some companies announce products when they’re ready to ship.

Update 12/10/09: Barnes & Noble nook Reviews Start Pouring In

Update 12/20/09: Barnes & Noble Sending $100 Gift Certificates to nook Pre-Orderers

On Monday Plastic Logic teased “QUE,” their entry into the e-book reader market. The device will have a capacitive touchscreen that is 8.5-inches by 11-inches.

It seems that Plastic Logic is going to market the device as a platform for mobile professionals, which likely means its features will be heavy in the document management category.

The device uses AT&T for 3G connectivity and it does have Wi-Fi. QUE will be unveiled with full details at CES in January.

QUE proReader.

Update 10/27/09: Electronista is reporting that Plastic Logic’s QUE will be sold in Barnes & Noble stores and will be placed near their nook display.

Aside from the big updates to the iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook, Apple also released a new AirPort Extreme, Time Capsule, and Apple Remote.

The new AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule feature multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) which, along with improvements to the antenna, give up to 50% better Wi-Fi performance and up to 25% increased range than with the previous-generation products.

The Apple Remote has received a big makeover. The remote works just like the previous one did but now has the same silver and black color scheme as the iMac and MacBook Pro does. The play/pause button has also moved below the selection buttons (an odd choice if you ask me)

Previously:
10/5/09: Mouse, iMac, and Other Apple Hardware

From the press release:

Apple now offers a $999 Mac mini that is specially configured with Mac OS® X Snow Leopard® Server. Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server features two 500GB hard drives for a total of 1TB of server storage in the tiny 6.5-inch square by 2-inch tall Mac mini enclosure.

The standard Mac mini starts at $599 and features the same design as previous models. It now starts with a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, and a 160GB hard drive.

The server model is where the real news is. The new Mac mini server does not have an optical drive but instead has two 500GB hard drives. It comes with Snow Leopard Server pre-installed — this is clearly Apple’s answer to Windows Home Server. The Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server costs $999 and comes with a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM, and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics.

Apple – Mac mini – The most affordable, energy-efficient Mac..

Previously:
10/20/09: Mac mini with OS X Server and Multi-Touch Trackpad for Desktop Macs
10/5/09: Mouse, iMac, and Other Apple Hardware
9/30/09: Updated iMac and Mac mini Coming in October

From the press release:

Apple® today unveiled an all new iMac® line featuring brilliant LED-backlit 21.5 and 27-inch widescreen displays in a new edge-to-edge glass design and seamless all aluminum enclosure. The new iMac line, starting at $1,199, is the fastest ever with Intel Core 2 Duo processors starting at 3.06 GHz, and Core i5 and i7 quad-core processors for up to twice the performance.* Every new iMac ships with a wireless keyboard and the all new wireless Magic Mouse, the world’s first mouse with Multi-Touch™ technology pioneered by Apple on the iPhone®, iPod touch® and Mac® notebook trackpad.

The iMac now has a 16:9 aspect ratio, the 21.5-inch model has a resolution of 1920×1080 with the 27-inch model sporting a 2560×1440 resolution. The design has only changed slightly — the glass in front of the display now stretches edge to edge and the iMac’s stand has a cleaner tapered design.

The new iMac follows the MacBook Pro line in gaining an SD card slot. The speakers in the iMac have been redesigned to “deliver louder, clearer sound with better bass response and less distortion.”

The new iMac comes standard with NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics with options for the ATI Radeon HD 4670 or ATI Radeon HD 4850. The 21.5-inch model starts with a 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB of L2 cache. The 27-inch model has options for the 2.66GHz Core i5 processor or the 2.8GHz Core i7 processor, both of which are quad-core processors with Turbo Boost which will dynamically overclock the processor when you need the extra performance.

The new iMac is available today starting at $1,199.

Apple – iMac – The ultimate all-in-one desktop computer..

Previously:
10/20/09: Mac mini with OS X Server and Multi-touch Trackpad for Desktop Macs
10/5/09: Mouse, iMac, and Other Apple Hardware
9/30/09: Updated iMac and Mac mini Coming in October
8/8/09: Upcoming iMacs to Release with ‘Compelling New Features’

Update 10/20/09: Engadget has a great gallery unboxing and showing off the new Magic Mouse and iMac. Apple has also posted a video of Jonathan Ive, Bob Mansfield, and Scott Brodrick talking about the design of the new iMac and Magic Mouse.

Also, something I missed the first time around but have seen reported by many others: the iMac now supports video input through its Mini DisplayPort connector allowing it to be used as a display for other devices.

Update 11/12/09: Eric Slivka reporting for MacRumors claims that both the Core i5 and Core i7-based iMacs have started shipping.

Update 11/24/09: Engadget reports that many users are receiving their Core i7 iMacs DOA and/or with cracked screens. It’s difficult to tell how widespread the problem really is but if you’re looking to purchase one of these iMacs, at least be aware of the issue.

Update 12/17/09: Gregg Keizer reporting for Computerworld:

Apple has delayed shipping new 27-in. iMacs until it can figure out the cause of flickering screens and other display problems, according to reports from authorized resellers.

Update 12/26/09: Apple has released a graphics firmware update that addresses the screen flickering issue.

From Apple Hot News:

Today Apple introduced the new wireless Magic Mouse, the first mouse to use Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch technology. Pioneered on iPhone, iPod touch and Mac notebook trackpads, Multi-Touch allows customers to navigate using intuitive finger gestures. Instead of mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls, the entire top of the Magic Mouse is a seamless Multi-Touch surface. Magic Mouse comes standard with the new iMac and will be available as a Mac accessory at just $69.

The rumors were true, Apple has introduces a multi-touch mouse. The new mouse uses Bluetooth — there isn’t a wired version (at least not yet), if you want a wired mouse from Apple you’ll have to settle for the Mighty Mouse.

The top shell is just one big multi-touch sensor, tapping anywhere on the top of the device will click, tap in the upper-right corner to perform a right click. scrolling works by sliding your finger around the surface of the mouse. Swiping two fingers left or right will move through music in iTunes, photos in iPhoto, or web pages in Safari.

The Magic Mouse is available today for $69.

Apple – Magic Mouse – The world’s first Multi-Touch mouse..

Previously:
10/20/09: Mac mini with OS X Server and Multi-Touch Trackpad for Desktop Macs
10/5/09: Mouse, iMac, and Other Apple Hardware

Update 10/20/09: Engadget has a great gallery unboxing and showing off the new Magic Mouse and iMac. Apple has also posted a video of Jonathan Ive, Bob Mansfield, and Scott Brodrick talking about the design of the new iMac and Magic Mouse.

Update 10/25/09: From Jim Dalrymple’s hands on review of the Magic Mouse published by The Loop:

There is only one conclusion you can come to when considering whether or not you should get the Magic Mouse. Buy two, because as soon as someone uses it, you’ll lose the first one.

The Magic Mouse is well designed to fit comfortably in your hand, it works well wirelessly, functions perfectly as a mouse and has gestures to boot. What else do you need?

I ordered a Magic Mouse the day they were announced, currently Apple says it will be delivered sometime between October 28 and November 3. Reading reviews like this get me really excited to try it out.

Update 10/28/09: I just received a shipping notification from Apple. FedEx now estimates the delivery of my Magic Mouse on October 30.

Update 11/6/09: Apple Magic Mouse

From Apple Hot News:

Apple today updated its popular MacBook with a new, durable polycarbonate unibody design featuring a brilliant LED-backlit display, a glass Multi-Touch trackpad and Apple’s innovative built-in battery for up to seven hours of battery life. Inheriting technology and design features from the MacBook Pro line, the new MacBook is an ideal consumer notebook for students and new Mac users, and is available for $999.

Apple has released a redesigned polycarbonate MacBook. With this update Apple has brought the unibody design and the glass trackpad of the MacBook Pro to the MacBook. The MacBook has lost the removable battery in favor of a seven hour integrated battery.

The MacBook ships today for $999 with the following:

• 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB of share L2 cache
• 2GB of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM
• Mini DisplayPort
• 250GB hard drive

Apple – MacBook – The $999 notebook, completely redesigned..

Previously:
10/20/09: Mac mini with OS X Server and Multi-Touch Trackpad for Desktop Macs
10/5/09: Mouse, iMac, and Other Apple Hardware
8/29/09: MacBook Redesign in the Works

Update 10/20/09: Engadget has a great gallery unboxing and showing off the new MacBook.

Update 10/22/09: MacRumors notices a couple of interesting things found in iFixit’s MacBook teardown.

• There is no external indicator of battery charge state.
• There is no infrared port, meaning that the new model is incompatible with Apple Remotes.

The removal of the external battery indicator is the biggest deal in my opinion. I still have my original MacBook from 2006 and use its battery indicator all the time. Now that I’ve owned one, I can’t imagine purchasing a notebook without this feature.

John Gruber one-upped Dan Lyons’ tease from yesterday morning by detailing the announcements that Gruber claims will be coming later today.

Redesigned MacBooks, redesigned iMacs, an updated Mac mini (including one that ships with OS X Server), a multi-touch “Magic Mouse,” and a multi-touch trackpad were mentioned.

Many of this we’ve all heard before, what’s new is the Mac mini with OS X Server and the multi-touch trackpad that Gruber claims is targeted for desktop Macs.

A Mac mini with OS X Server is a brilliant idea, I’ve seen countless web pages detailing their process of turning the Mac mini into a home server — this is a logical step for Apple to take with the product.

But, the multi-touch trackpad for desktop Macs isn’t something anyone has really talked about. When Apple initially launched new notebooks with multi-touch gestures early last year, I wondered how Apple would bring the feature to desktop Macs. When the multi-touch mouse was first rumored I thought that a mouse would be a perfect way of bringing those gestures to desktops without having to add another peripheral. But, it seems that I was wrong, Apple is going to bring a trackpad to desktop Macs and I’m assuming that it will be used for notebook-like gestures, but I’m almost certain it will be used for much more than that.

Engadget has also found a couple of FCC filings for “a pair of 802.11 a/b/g/n 3×3 access points.” It sounds to me like we might get some new routers too.

What I find odd is that it isn’t like Apple to announce two redesigned computers and two new products without some sort of event. I’m not saying that they can’t, I just find it odd. Apple isn’t one to just push out a press release when they release a redesigned product. Dan Lyons’ tease mentioned that “the people we care about are being briefed in advance,” so maybe Apple is trying something new here, or maybe they didn’t have time to plan an event in time for the holiday shopping season.

Previously:
10/5/09: Mouse, iMac, and Other Apple Hardware
9/30/09: Updated iMac and Mac mini Coming in October
8/29/09: MacBook Redesign in the Works
8/8/09: Upcoming iMacs to Release with ‘Compelling New Features’

Update 10/20/09: An AppleInsider forum poster has listed (what he claims to be) the products that will be announced today.

MC207LL/A – K84 BEST BTR- USA
MC238LL/A – MAC MINI 2.26/2x1GB/160/SD/AP/BT-USA
MC239LL/A- MAC MINI 2.53/2x2GB/320GB/SD/AP/BT-USA
MC340LL/A – AIRPORT EXTREME (SIM DUALBAND) – USA
MC343LL/A – TIME CAPSULE 1TB (SIM DUALBAND) -USA
MC344LL/A – TIME CAPSULE 2TB (SIM DUALBAND) – USA
MC408LL/A – MAC MINI 2.53/2x2GB/1TB/NO ODD/AP-BT-USA
MC413LL/A – IMAC 21.5″/3.06/2x2GB/1TB/4670-256MB-USA
MC434LL/A – APPLE VESA MOUNT ADAPTER
MC461LL/A – MACBOOK 60W MAGSAFE POWER ADAPTER – USA

Looks like we’ll be getting a few new Mac minis, an AirPort Extreme, a couple of Time Capsules, a 21.5-inch iMac, and MacRumors has received “unconfirmed word that the ‘MC207LL/A’ product is a MacBook running at 2.26 GHz with a 250 GB hard drive and 2GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 RAM.”

Apple’s online store has been down for a couple of hours now and there are still no signs of changes (on the store page or on individual product pages).

Update 10/20/09: Apple Updates MacBook with LED-Backlight, Glass Trackpad, 7 Hour Battery

Update 10/20/09: Apple Introduces Magic Mouse

Update 10/20/09: Apple Unveils New iMac with 21.5 and 27-inch 16:9 Displays

Update 10/20/09: Apple Updates Mac mini, Offers Server Model

Update 11/6/09: Apple Magic Mouse

Tweetie 2 ($2.99) has been available since October 5. We all know about Tweetie 2′s new features, so rather than do another run through I’ll just make a few points regarding what I like and what I don’t.

The Good

• Pull down to refresh: When viewing your timeline, simply drag past the search bar and a refresh bar will appear. It’s similar to Birdfeed’s infinite scrolling, but a little bit more useful.
• Birdhouse integration: Hitting close after composing a tweet offers you the option to save, save to Birdhouse, or to don’t save your tweet at all. Now I can write drafts in Tweetie 2 and publish them from Birdhouse. The only unfortunate part is that this feature single handedly pushed Birdhouse to my second home screen.
• Nearby map: A beautiful way of viewing nearby Twitter users.
• Favorite indicator: The little star in the upper right hand corner is perfectly done.
• Trend explanations: Sometimes trends show up and I have no idea what they are, tapping the little tag icon in the bottom left corner while viewing the trend gives an explanation of the trend.

The Bad

• Multiple accounts: It’s now impossible to disable multiple accounts in Tweetie, which means that the “Accounts” button will always sit in the upper left hand corner when viewing your timeline, it’s unnecessary clutter.
• Settings: No longer in the Settings application, yet again, unnecessary clutter.
• The black navigation bar: The black bar in timeline view is a little shorter than in other apps. The icons don’t have text underneath them and therefore the bar is shorter. It isn’t a big deal, but at first glance looks strange on the iPhone’s screen.
• Single tweet view: Tweetie 2 still uses the Tweetie 1 style blue bar in single tweet view, not the new black bar. I’ve explored every bit of the application and haven’t been able to find another instance of this old style blue bar.

The Rest

Tweetie 2 is easily the best Twitter client I’ve ever used, and if nothing else, set the bar incredibly high for the competition. I’m not sure how long until other developers react to the feature set in Tweetie 2 but it will certainly make for more positive user experiences.

Loren Brichter has already detailed some of the features to look forward to. Obviously there will be bug fixes but as soon as Twitter flips the switch on new style retweets, per-tweet geotagging, and lists, Tweetie 2 will support those as well.

atebits.

Previously:
10/1/09: Tweetie 2.0 is Coming Soon

Update 11/8/09: MG Siegler has written a piece for TechCrunch detailing the new features coming in Tweetie 2.1. Lists, new style retweeting, and geolocation are there along with a myriad of other features.

Update 11/30/09: Tweetie 2.1 has hit the App Store with new style retweets, geolocation, and lists. I’m loving lists and I’m really happy with the implementation of retweets.

VWZOffers (“Official Verizon Wireless Twitter feed for special offers”) tweeted yesterday morning, saying:

@lanvuch We will be carrying the Palm Pre smartphone early next year.

There was some question as to whether or not (or when) Verizon would be getting the Palm Pre, and now we finally have a time frame.

With the Palm Pre and the Droid, Verizon is actually going to have a competitive phone lineup.

Twitter / Verizon Wireless USA: @lanvuch We will be carry ….

Update 11/19/09: AppleInsider is reporting that Shaw Wu, an analyst with Kaufman Bros., believes that Verizon will carry a webOS-based device in the first half of 2010. As with most analyst notes, it’s hard to tell whether Shaw Wu knows anything more than we do. But, if investors are listening to then he might have some sort of credibility.

12/20/09: Palm’s CES Announcement

Update 1/13/10: Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus Coming to Verizon

Electricpig reports of a workaround in the EyeTV ($4.99) application for the iPhone. When connecting to your home computer over 3G, an attempt to stream live television to your device will display a warning on your screen. But, Electricpig says (and I can confirm) that tapping on the text of that warning, rather than the “OK” button will let you stream the content anyway.

Shortly after the find, Apple pulled the application from the App Store and Elgato then issued a statement saying:

Apple has removed the Elgato EyeTV App from the App store this morning, due to concerns about live TV streaming over the 3G network.

Elgato also says that the workaround was enabled because there was some test code accidentally left in. Elgato has already submitted a 1.0.1 update to the App Store that disables the workaround. Oddly enough, overnight the application reappeared on the App Store, the 1.0.0 version, not the update.

The reappearance of the EyeTV app, with the 3G streaming workaround still intact, could show signs that Apple is backing down on this restriction. AT&T has already announced that it will be allowing VoIP applications to operate over their network — could this mean that they will allow streaming television as well?

Whether they do or not, if you already own a copy of this application I would suggest keeping the 1.0.0 version around to use, just in case.

EyeTV backdoor opens 3G TV streaming for iPhone | Electricpig.

Update 10/20/09: The 1.0.1 version of EyeTV has hit the App Store, aside from the regular bug fixes it does break the 3G streaming workaround. I’ve kept the old version rather than upgrading — this is the first time I’ve wanted to keep an old version of an iPhone app and it makes me wish I could tell iTunes that I want to skip an update.

Update 12/17/09: With EyeTV update 3.3 Elgato has added a free 3G streaming feature. No need to keep around that old version of the EyeTV iPhone app. All you need is a My EyeTV account and you can view live and recorded content with your iPhone by visiting http://live3g.eyetv.com/ in MobileSafari.

Verizon and Google have already announced their “strategic partnership” and it may already be taking shape. Last night Verizon unveiled its teaser for the upcoming Android 2.0 powered “Droid” handset.

The device is being marketed as a direct iPhone rival. The teaser basically consists of a list of features that the iPhone doesn’t have that the Droid does.

The device is purported to be manufactured by Motorola but the “Droid” brand is going to be owned by Verizon. The handset is rumored to have an OMAP3430 processor, 5 megapixel camera (which is confirmed in the teaser), a slideout QWERTY keyboard, a 3.7-inch 854×480 touchscreen, and doesn’t seem to run MotoBlur.

John Gruber, of Daring Fireball, points out that the teaser’s small print notes “Droid” as a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd. and is being licensed to Verizon. Licensing this name in particular was a wise choice on Verizon’s part. “Droid” is the perfect name for an Android device and (as Gruber puts it) “sort of implicitly establishes it as the Android phone.”

This also confirms that Verizon isn’t getting the iPhone anytime soon.

Droid from Verizon Wireless.

Previously:
10/11/09: Verizon and Google Partnering on Android

Update 10/19/09: The Boy Genius Report has managed to get some hands on time with the Motorola/Verizon Droid. According to the Boy Genius, it’s basically the best Android device ever made. Regarding the design of the device:

From what we’ve been told, Google had a direct hand in the Motorola Droid. Something to the point of almost dictating every move Motorola made when designing and making the phone.

Interesting indeed.

Update 10/22/09: The Boy Genius Report has some screenshots of the Droid on Motorola’s website. They don’t link directly to the page, so either the page has been taken down or the Boy Genius decided not to make the link public.

Engadget is reporting that Verizon has sent out invitations for a special event to be held on October 28 where they will officially unveil the Motorola Droid.

Update 10/25/09: The Boy Genius Report managed to have some hands on time with the Motorola Droid. From the preview:

The Motorola CLIQ was a pretty big disappointment for me personally, but oh man does the Droid make up for it. Sure, there’s a little hype sprinkled in because this is the first Android 2.0 device I’ve had the pleasure of using, but once you move past the initial “wow” factor, the Droid really delivers. Whether it’s Verizon’s ad campaign or Motorola’s that pits the Droid against the iPhone it doesn’t matter. The Droid isn’t an iPhone competitor because nothing at this point in time is an iPhone competitor besides the new iPhone. And things don’t have to be right now. Everyone can eat. So will the Motorola Droid be successful? Absolutely, we think. It will eat in to BlackBerry sales, Windows Mobile sales, and positively murder any lingering Palm Pre sales. It’s that good.

The Droid is the first handset that has actually made me pay attention to the Android scene. The Boy Genius notes the hype surrounding the device and quite frankly, that could be the reason I’m finally paying attention. But from what I’ve seen, the device looks good. I do agree with the Boy Genius though, nothing really competes with the iPhone at this point. Apple has found their market share and will continue to sell new phones to those customers, everyone else is left fighting for the remainder of the market.

The Boy Genius Report appears to have removed the page from their website, so I’ve linked to a Google cached version of the page.

Update 10/29/09: Motorola DROID

Update 11/8/09: HTC DROID Eris