End User

Something for the Weekend: Kickstart an iPhone Accessory

A couple months ago, I was introduced to the Kickstarter concept by a friend of mine who was looking to head into the studio to produce a full-blown album. If you're not familiar, Kickstarter is a micropatronage/crowdfunding site that uses the Web to garner microdonations to fund creative projects--whether it be music, a comic book version of James Joyce's Ulysses, or a vegetarian festival in northern Florida. Rather than find just a couple backers (i.e., banks, parents), Kickstarter spreads out the donation seeking to a wider audience where the dollar amounts can be more reasonable (i.e., in line with what you might give to your local NPR station).

Not every proposal to Kickstarter goes up on the site, and not everything gets funded. If a pre-set goal isn't met, the funds that have been pledged won't be collected and the project's originator goes back to square one. (Happily, my friend's album project was funded and has since been completed and released.)

Since I made donations to my friend's project, I'm on the Kickstarter mailing list, and this week one project caught my eye--an iPhone 4 tripod mount/stand:

As you can see it's very simply designed, but as with some very simple designs it's very adaptable to other uses. According to my pal Glenn Fleishman over at The Economist's Babbage blog, the duo behind the Glif were pretty sure they'd be able to make their $10,000 pledge level... but were astounded when they rocketed past that level (as of Friday afternoon, they're above $83K in pledges). You can pledge in any amount, but a $20 pledge essentially acts as a pre-order for once it's manufactured (I've put in mine). Glenn also adds some interesting background on how the design was created and tested:

They started with a computer model of the adapter, created with Rhinoceros 3D design software. The software is $995 for Windows, but they used the beta test version for Mac OS X, which is free. They tested their designs through rapid prototyping, uploading files to Shapeways in the Netherlands. It took about ten days for Shapeways to "print" each prototype in 3D, and a day later it would be in the designers' hands in New York. Shapeway charges by material volume, so each each Glif test cost about $10. They would try out a few variants each time just to meet a $25 minimum.

So check out the Glif and other possible projects over at Kickstarter this weekend. Some other items to ponder while chilling on the couch with your laptop or iPad:

• Become a master of your web browser in seven steps (Bridging the Nerd Gap)

• The reason why vinyl records are 12 inches in diameter (NPR)

• A trip down memory lane through mobile smartphone evolution (Ars Technica)

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Get Connected: Little Boxes (That Stream Video and More)

One of the subjects that the new Amazon Connected Home covers is how to stream video content--HD movie rentals, TV shows, YouTube, etc.--from the Internet and from network-connected computers in your home. This fall, we're seeing the debuts of the several streaming video boxes that will be competing for space in your home entertainment center--the new Apple TV (check out my first impressions), the revamped Roku line, and the long-anticipated Boxee Box.

To help you sort through things, check out this handy graphic over at the Mashable blog that compares the three boxes and notes differences in playback resolution, supported video and audio formats, and compatibility with external streaming sources.

To learn more about broadcasting media through your home, be sure to check out Connected Home's Streaming Video and Streaming Music sections.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: First Impressions of the Apple TV

"Honey, did you order a box of new checks via FedEx?" my wife called as she walked in the front door with the mail.

Nope, that would be the new Apple TV. There's been a lot of focus by Apple TV first responders on just how small the device is, and I've gotta admit I was wowed by its diminutive proportions (just 3.9 inches square) as I unboxed it like a Matryoshka doll.

As you can see in these pics on the right, it's significantly smaller than its previous iteration, and is also smaller than the previous generation of the Apple TV's main competition--the Roku XR streaming video box (though the Roku line has now been revamped with a sleeker design).

But its size, while something to marvel at, is ultimately rather unimportant in determining whether the Apple TV is a worthy device for your home entertainment center. The question is, does it do the job of streaming the content you want from the cloud or from your computers without many hiccups?

The New Jack Apple TV is easy peasy, lemon squeezy to set up--just plug it in, connect to your Wi-Fi network (or plug in an Ethernet cable), and start surfing the TV show and movie rental offerings. Navigate using the longer, sleekly solid aluminum remote over to the Computers heading to connect to an iTunes library using the Home Sharing feature of iTunes 10 (and entering the email address of the iTunes account you used to set up Home Sharing). Once set up, you can stream all the movies, TV Shows, podcasts, and music that you have stored on that remote computer through to the Apple TV.

Our iTunes setup has the main library stored on an HP MediaSmart home server and funneled through an original Core Solo-powered Mac mini. With our OG Apple TV, there was always a bit of a lag as streamed video content would start at the beginning but then go black for several seconds before restarting playback up about 10 to 15 seconds into the video (I was never sure whether this was down to the ATV device or the connectivity to remote computers/servers). However, the new Apple TV seemed to have a much springier stream capability from server-stored video and was fairly immediate in playback.

Before going any further, I whipped out my iPhone and fired up the newly refreshed Remote app, which provides more interactivity with the Apple TV--namely flicking your finger on your iOS device to control the ATV interface as well as typing user account/password combos far more easily than scrolling with the physical aluminum remote. I then hooked up my Netflix account and immediately started streaming an episode of Doc Martin, picking up right where I last left it when watching on my Roku the night before (the ATV asked whether I wanted to resume playing or start from the beginning).

On the Apple iTunes Store side of things, further testing included a rental episode of Glee and a full-length HD movie rental with the new release of Get Him to the Greek (testing technology can be a hard job, but someone has to do it). With both choices, streaming was nearly instantaneous. Glee played perfectly, though I noticed one or two very brief instances of onscreen blockiness due to some buffering issues while watching the latter stages of Greek.

Based on just a few days of use, can I recommend the new Apple TV? Well, it depends on several factors. If you're focused on watching movies either rented through the Apple TV, bought from iTunes and stored from a home computer, or streamed from Netflix (for subscribers only), the ATV is priced right and works as advertised--with nearly instantaneous streams from both Apple's iTunes Store and Netflix and quickly responsive streaming from networked computers.

However, if you want to watch TV shows on it, it's a bit swings and roundabouts. Due to reticence/nervousness from certain media quarters over Apple's business model for offering cheap TV rental content, you can only directly rent shows using the Apple TV from ABC, Fox, and BBC America--NBC, CBS, and other cable channels are taking a wait and see approach. Thusly, if you're a fan of 30 Rock or How I Met Your Mother, you're out of luck... sort of. You can still purchase these shows from Apple's iTunes Store (starting at $2 for standard definition versions), download them to a home computer, and then stream them to your Apple TV. But currently there's not a direct way to get them by browsing through the rental storefront on the Apple TV (where rentals are just $1).

For now, I can't wholly recommend the Apple TV to those who mainly want quick, affordable access to TV shows--at least until content providers start to get on the new Apple paradigm. Another factor in the equation is how the AirPlay feature--which enables you to stream music and video wirelessly from an iOS device--will play out when it gets implemented in the iOS 4.2 update slated for November. Will it mean that you'll be able to stream video from apps on your iPad or iPhone--such as the TV.com or Hulu Plus apps--to the Apple TV? That would be pretty sweet, but it's still a couple steps removed from just clicking a button on your remote and getting instant video stream satisfaction for just a buck.

For my uses, though, I'll be keeping and using the new Apple TV... as well as the old-school Apple TV, which I've hacked using the aTV Flash package of software add-ons that allow me to play a variety of video file formats not supported by Apple. Also on the credit side for the new Apple TV--I like that it's pretty much completely noiseless, actually goes to sleep when not in use, and doesn't produce the surface-of-the-sun-like heat that the original ATV does.

The big question is whether I'll keep my Roku XR, which duplicates the new ATV's Netflix streaming capabilities but also provides access to Amazon's Video On Demand as well as other channel options. But that's a question to be answered a bit down the road once I and my wife completely sort through our video access needs.

For other views on the new Apple TV, check out reviews at iLounge, Engadget, Fox News, and CNet.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: iCarumba! Everything Changes... Again

Steve Jobs and crew are going to be pulling some rabbits out of their hats today--new iPods, most likely a new Apple TV with some subscription/streaming service, and possibly announcing availability for iOS 4 for the iPad--and we'll be wrapping things up later this afternoon. If you have time, you can check out the live stream of the event (which TUAW notes will be stress-testing Apple's new North Carolina-based data center) from Apple's site. However... you have to be running the Safari web browser on an Intel-based Mac or on an iOS 3.0-minimum device (i.e., iPhone, iPad, iPod touch).

For those of you not possessing the magical components listed above, check out the real-time stream of Apple-y goodness from some of my fave liveblogging sources:

• iLounge
• Ars Technica
• Engadget
• Gizmodo
• Macworld
• MacLife

We'll see you on the other side later this afternoon.

[UPDATE] The Apple streaming video link is live now.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: Do You iTV?

As the annual chill of late summer hits Seattle, it's time to pull Bites from the Apple out of its summer hiatus and get ready for a full blast of Apple-y goodness coming our way next week with an Apple special event taking place on Wednesday, September 1. Invitations started hitting the middle of this week for this now annual roll-out of this year's model of iPods, so it didn't take many by surprise. However, this year's now annual will-it-have-a-camera-or-not debate over the iPod touch has been trumped by a certain hobby that seems ready to step into the prime time.

The Apple TV has long been the odd duck of Apple's product lineup, famously referred to by Steve Jobs as a "hobby" and has thusly had the possibilities it possesses only been marginally tapped. For those unfamiliar with this box (as many still are), the Apple TV allows you to play video and music stored in your Mac or PC's iTunes library on an HDTV--either synced to the device's hard drive or streaming over Wireless-N networking. It has a few extras like playing YouTube videos and displaying photo slideshows from your iPhoto library or from a Flickr account, and you can also encode your own videos into an iTunes-friendly format for playback on your HDTV. But it's designed mainly as a way to tap into iTunes purchases and rentals, making essentially walled garden with a limited amount of plot space.

(I know this from having owned an Apple TV since 2008 (when I helped my pal/colleague Jeff Carlson update his Apple TV Pocket Guide), and getting frustrated with its limited capabilities. I've since turned to the ATV Flash package of software enhancements to open up its usability--from adding more external hard drive space to providing compatibility with more video formats, including AVI.)

So, with competition for the living room hotting up with its Google TV initiative (which will be found on several pieces of hardware starting this fall), Apple needed to step up and make its little hobby more of the real deal. And thusly, next week's annual iPod trot-out show will most likely bring with it a new Apple TV--and probably dubbed iTV (as long as the UK's ITV television network doesn't put the kibosh on it).

According to the rumors flying about the gadgetosphere, the new ATV/iTV will bring the iOS environment (i.e., the iPad/iPhone/iPod touch operating system) to the party, making it play friendly with current video streaming apps already available to those devices (such as Netflix and Hulu Plus) as well as your games, news apps, etc. For an interesting take on what it could look like, check out this guest post at The Apple Core by Alain Grignon (where the image at left comes from):

No doubt the new ATV/iTV will include some spare-buttoned remote like the current physical Apple Remote (seen in the image at the top of this post) for control right out of the box, but the consensus is that this new iOS-powered device will have something more touch-based for additional controls, such as via a newly redesigned Remote app for iPad/iPhone/iPod touch. Or perhaps a newly designed iPod touch nano with a 1.7-inch touchscreen and powered by iOS (image mock-up via The Apple Blog).

The other big component of the new ATV/iTV device looks to be the ability to rent TV shows for $1 (allowing you to watching them for a 24- to 48- hour time period) as opposed to buying them (and being able to own the files for as long as you want to store them and rewatch them to your heart's delight). Leander Kahney at Cult of Mac adds an even more interesting twist of rumor: $1 gets you a month's rental subscription to all episodes of a particular show.

In addition to the tiny iPod touch nano (or whatever it's to be called), we can also expect a 4th generation iPod touch with a camera on the rear. Additionally, we could also see the roll-out of iOS 4 for iPad, though probably not the rumored 7-inch iPad. We'll be back on Wednesday afternoon to wrap up all that is actually released, so be sure to check back. In other links:

• If you own the current version of the Apple TV (or are thinking of picking up a new hobby for cheap after the new ATV/iTV unit gets debuted on Wednesday), check out MacLife's 20 Cool Reasons to Hack Your Apple TV, a great rundown of its untapped possibilities (and most of them pretty darn easy to do, even for non-techie folks, especially with ATV Flash).

• If you're regretting that "upgrade" to iOS 4 on the original iPhone 3G, Tonya Engst has some suggestions on how to speed things up over at TidBITS.

• AppleInsider reports that Qualcomm, manufacturer of CDMA chipsets used in phones running on Verizon and Sprint, is looking to hire an "iPhone Developer Guru" for a "secret" project. Hmmm... wonder what that could be.

• Here's an easy peasy hack from MakeUseOf to open your favorite iTunes playlist with a simple keyboard shortcut.

• And finally... I totally agree with GeekDad that toddler-focused iOS developers need to broaden their scope from just learning ABCs--which seem to dominate the Kids section of the App Store. It would also be great if Apple created a separate section of apps for Kids (currently, it has a small featured page, but not an entire section devoted to the genre).

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

New Picsio Camcorders from JVC

JVC just announced two new Picsio camcorders for easy video capture and quick upload to your favorite website. The new GC-FM2 and waterproof GC-WP10 both record in full 1080p HD video, improved low-light performance and a three-inch touch screen for easy operation.


The new Picsios allow you to record in Apple's iFrame video format for easy editing in relatively small files. These new camcorders also function as a digital camera. The Picsios' CMOS image sensor captures stills at up to five MP images.

The Picsios' touchscreen handles all of the camcorders functions and even works while wearing gloves for fun in almost any situation.

Both new camcorders will be available in September 2010, but are now available for pre-order.

--Brandon M. Baker

Bites from the Apple: You Get a Case, You Get a Case, Everybody Gets a Case

Last Friday, Steve Jobs pulled an Oprah when trying to put AntennaGate in its rear-view mirror, unleashing free cases to the iPhone 4 masses to deal with the furor over the long-gestating Death Grip.

If you've been too busy following the travails of Lindsay Lohan and aren't up to speed on the iPhone 4's technical woes, the gist is that placing your fingers on the black line on the lower left side of the iPhone 4's metal band (which is actually its antennae), you will degrade your reception (and transmission). This black line actually separates the two external antennae of the iPhone 4--one for cellular connectivity and one for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/GPS--and by blocking it with your hand, your body can absorb some of the signal and thus create dropped calls or poor reception. Thus, using a case to prevent your hand from touching the iPhone 4's antennae should improve things (as Consumer Reports suggested, which in turn prompted Apple to finally make its public statement last Friday).

Image courtesy of Macworld.

(For a nicely thorough and very readable explanation of the underlying technical and scientific aspects to this kerfuffle, check out Rich Mogull's TidBITS piece--Why Using an iPhone 4 Case May Improve Signal Strength.)

Anyhoo, the takeaway from Friday's presser with Steve Jobs is that Apple will be offering free cases to iPhone 4 owners through September 30. Not that Jobs, who seemed rather testy on stage, was really pleased about this, as Farhad Manjoo in Slate picked up on:

As Jobs sees it, the only problems with the iPhone 4 are the pesky "laws of physics," which pretty much ensure that anyone who holds a mobile phone in her hands is asking for trouble. The only reason people have been focusing on the iPhone is that blogs keep singling Apple out, perhaps because "when you're doing well, people want to tear you down."

Still, if you want to be a total jerk about it and keep insisting there's a problem with your magical iPhone, Jobs has an offer for you. "OK, great, let's give everybody a case," he said. Happy now, whiners?

So Apple will be offering its silicone Bumper case (which covers just the sides of the iPhone 4, not the back) for free. And there are reports that the Bumpers are no longer on sale at the Apple site. However, there is a caveat--Apple can't make enough Bumpers for all the current 3 million (and growing daily) iPhone 4 owners, so they'll be offering additional cases sourced from a variety of manufacturers. While the offer won't get official until probably Friday of this week (July 23), there are rumors floating around that the cases might be lacking a bit of style.

Personally, I haven't been that affected by the Death Grip throes, but free is free, right? However, I'm not a big fan of silicone cases as they're just too hard to slip in and out of my pocket--and even though the Bumper only covers the sides, I'm stilly wary about this sticky factor. And frankly, if I want a case for my phone, I want the one that's going to work for me the best--functionally and stylistically--not just any freebie. So, this is one free offer I might not take advantage of (the coupon-clipping, free-sample-lovin' Minnesotan who lives deep within me is gnashing his teeth right now).

If you're looking for just the right case for you, be sure to check out the full range of iPhone 4 cases (as well as other compatible accessories) available at the Amazon Cell Phones & Accessories store--such as the chrome Hard Candy Bubble Slider on the left or the Gumdrop Skater Nation soft-touch polycarbonate case on the right.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Get more latitude out of iPhone 3Gs photos

 

I took these photos on a recent pre-season get-away in Jamaica. Admittedly the scenery did all the heavy-lifting for me, but they were pretty good for making my friends jealous. But the kicker is that they were taken on an iPhone, and ready to e-mail like this right from the phone. My travel partner, also standing there with her smartphone, gaped a bit: "How the heck?"

The answer is simple; a couple apps that quickly, simply, and effectively increase the tonal range your phone camera can capture: Pro HDR (iTunes link) and TrueHDR (iTunes link). HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, a technique that has been so overused in photography in recent years to create garish images that many of you likely rolled your eyes just seeing the acronym. But HDR is just a tool to fix the inherent problem most digital cameras have of being able to capture a much smaller range of lights and darks than the human eye, and few cameras need fixing as badly as a tiny cell phone camera. With all of those pixels crammed in to a space so small, each pixel isn't receiving very much light, and that tends to mean noisy images with blown out highlights. The noise problem is hard to fix, but tonal range is relatively simple: Just take a picture exposed for the shadows, another for the highlights, and slap them together. And that, simply and easily, is what both of these applications do.

Note: because these apps rely on selective metering, which the iPhone 2G and 3G cameras can't do, it has to be a 3Gs (or future phones)

Since they're both paid apps, you probably don't want to download them both (but I did). So which is better? On paper, that would definitely go to Pro HDR. TrueHDR only exports downsized images, and you're stuck with whatever you get. Pro HDR exports full-sized images, and has simple but effective controls to help you get the best final product:

 

But there's just one problem: It's nowhere near as good as TrueHDR at actually merging the photos. As you can even see from their own product screenshots, above, it tends to merge with horrible halos, one of the things that gives HDR photography such a bad name. TrueHDR is relatively seamless. I've merged two photos below with both products, ProHDR on the left and TrueHDR on the right. It's not even a question which one looks better to me.

So if you're just exporting to the Web, which is what I tend to do with iPhone shots anyway, TrueHDR may be the better choice. But if you're a control freak and can live with halos, give Pro a try.

Bites from the Apple: Something Tablet-ey This Way Comes

With this week's official confirmation that Apple will unveil something big and game-changing and seemingly splattered with color, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the end is finally in sight--much like the final resolution-producing season of LOST. But much like that show's myriad storylines and uncertain futures (or pasts) for its characters, I'm certain that there are sure to be disappointments as not everything that we've been hoping to learn and understand about Apple's new tablet device will get wrapped up in a tidy bow.

Most assuredly, there will be oohs and ahhs and gasps of delight on the day of the reveal, followed by the traditional gadgetosphere kvetching that Apple tripped over itself by not including a coveted feature. But we'll ultimately be left hanging wondering what impact the iSlate/iPad/iBook/iSlab will really have on us everyday technology users and, on a macro level, the tech/publishing/entertainment industry.

It will take some time to decipher whether the world (and in particular tech consumers with pinched wallets) is ready to splash the cash for a new gadget paradigm. And the answer to that will also stem from how willing consumers are to embrace pixels over paper, as it's looking like Steve Jobs and Apple are working in overdrive to do deals with trade and educational book publishers as well as newspapers--an arena that Amazon has owned up till now with its Kindle.

Will you be one of the "tens of millions" forecasted to purchase a tablet device (or NetTab) in 2010, and in particular an Apple tablet? Do you see it providing a tech niche that you've been hankering for? Let us know what you think in the comments. We'll continue on some more tablet-related news for the week, and check back later in the weekend as we'll have another edition of Bites that will be (mostly) tablet-free.

• It was revealed this week that Apple has applied for a trademark for the name iPad, though it's got a fight on its hands with Fujitsu, the original holder of that trademark (which brings back memories of the falderal over the name of the iPhone, since it was already used by Linksys for a VoIP phone). And iPad has become the new frontrunner for Apple's new device--though I'm saddened the iCan't believe it's not a newspaper monicker isn't getting better traction (via 9to5Mac).

• AppleInsider reports that this Flickr fanboi concept image (seen above) is said by unnamed insiders to be the closest to what the final Apple tablet will look like--or as AI says, "largely redolent of a first-generation iPhone that's met its match with a rolling pin."

  

• The Register muses that the heart of Apple's new book/newspaper/music/TV "consumption device" will reside in Apple's new data center in Catawba County, North Carolina, slated to be finished by the end of the year.

  (Apple) wants you to continue to buy (or rent via subscription services) tunes, videos, apps, games, and other content from its ludicrously successful iTunes Store [...]. And it wants to serve ads to you while you're blissfully enjoying your iPad entertainment. Witness Wednesday's rumor that Apple is in talks with Microsoft about a deal to ditch Google and go Bing--a search engine with a graphic-heavy style that's a natural for the iPad.

• While it will be the centerpiece of the January 27 event, the iPad probably won't get into your hands until June due to "minor issues" of battery life and durability (which, really, don't sound that minor).

• The Boy Genius Report notes that AT&T is said to be prepping its network " compensate for unannounced devices and also future devices that will use 'heavy data.'" And Fox News (via Electronista) has reported that Verizon is also in final discussions to carry and service the Apple tablet.

• 9to5Mac reports that the iPad looks to be using Apple's homegrown battery technology--the same kind used in its most recent crop of MacBook/MacBook Pro lineup.

• iLounge dug up some interesting tidbits, including the fact that the tablet will have dual dock connectors (enabling both portrait and landscape charging) as well as having enough room to fit in a faster Wireless-N (802.11n) Wi-Fi antenna.

• And finally... a look at what how proposed Apple tablet with 10.1-inch screen stacks up in size against the iPhone and the Newton MessagePad 2000 from Gizmodo's Jesus Diaz. Also be sure to check out Jesus' mini history of the tablet computer and what he feels Apple needs to do to make its tablet a broader success where previous Windows-based tablets became a niche.

  
  

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Bites from the Apple: Ghost of the Machine

In years past, the Macworld Expo was held during the same week as CES and Apple's keynote rollout of the latest and greatest often upstaged what was going on in Las Vegas. But with Apple pulling out of Macworld and the Expo getting shifted to early February (and no doubt reduced in size without Apple's presence), we just have the ghost of Apple haunting the big launches of CES--from comparing the Nexus One to the iPhone to weighing all the new tablet devices against the mythical iSlab/iSlate/iBook/iTablet.

Speaking of that unseen/unknown 800-pound gadgety gorilla, longtime Mac observer Jim Dalrymple offers a few counterpoints to John Gruber's cogent prognostication from last week. Dalrymple predicts two different tablets with two different constituencies--much like the iPhone and iPod touch--with one offering dual Wi-Fi/cellular broadband connectivity and the other (probably with a smaller screen size) with just Wi-Fi. And he warns not to get too cozy with the iSlate name as Apple most likely has quite the collection of trademarks saved up (and the fact that HP already is going with Slate for its tablet). Christopher Breen over at Macworld also ponders the coming of the Apple tablet and muses what it could mean for the publishing industry (both book and magazine) and what Apple's acquisition of online advertiser Quattro Wireless might mean (i.e., moving from just a hardware/software company to one that emulates Google's advertising revenue from users of said hardware/software).

And as we get closer to the January 27 Apple event (that hasn't been fully confirmed yet by Apple, though Andy Ihnatko has already booked his flight to SF), the rumors are flying faster. Today, Reuters (via MacRumors) is reporting that a manufacturer has been selected for the iSlab's aluminum case and that the device should be in the second quarter of 2010 (which jibes with Dalrymple's forecast of an April). And it's looking likely that Apple will be shunning Intel for processing power and turning to chip made by another Apple acquisition, P A Semi. And Cult of Mac has an unnamed tipster reporting the iSlab's UI is going to require a bit of a learning curve.

• In other rumors floating about this week, 9to5Mac reports that Apple might be looking for LED flash components (i.e., for flash photography) for its next revision of the iPhone. And speculation is growing that the fourth generation iPhone will indeed be going to Verizon Wireless, and as a CDMA-only model.

• Boxee, the media center software, has officially released its beta software to the masses (as well as released its first hardware with D-Link). The software will run on Mac, Windows and Ubuntu Linux, and Boxee promises that a version is being worked on for Apple TV users.

• The Facebook app for the iPhone (link opens in iTunes) got updated this week with push notification capabilities as well as ability to sync Facebook contacts with your iPhone’s Address Book (via The Apple Blog). I also noticed that you can also select the polarizing Facebook Live Feed (either you love it or hate it) instead of just status or news updates.

• Joe Kissel, one of my favorite tech/Mac writers, has a new Take Control e-book out called Take Control of Easy Mac Backups, which is aimed at folks who want an easy introduction to the best ways to back up their Mac(s) but don't necessarily need all the technical details of Joe's super-sized Take Control of Mac OS X Backups tome. Head on over to Take Contol books to get a sample of the new book to see if it's the right fit for you.

• Apple's getting greener, according to Greenpeace, as it's vaulted to fifth place on that watchdog's quarterly Guide to Greener Electronics (via The Apple Blog)

• A faithful Macenstein reader has discovered that the chirping sound the iPhone makes when you plug it into your Mac's for syncing was originally used for the movie Minority Report (and they've got the video evidence).

• And finally... Kuo Design has posted a pretty thorough set of magazine covers over the years featuring Steve Jobs. Here are a few of my faves:

  
  

--Agen G.N. Schmitz