Macworld reviews Final Cut Express HD 3.5
How many shiny, new features make a software update worthwhile? A dozen? A handful? Three? The quandary that potential purchasers face with Final Cut Express HD 3.5, the new version of Apple’s intermediate digital video editing software, is that it only has three significant new features - most cocktail recipes include more ingredients. However, the advances in this update, while few, make it a more compelling upgrade than the move from version 2.0 to 3.0.
Merlin Mann writes: "The truth is, iCal works great with kGTD (mostly of course), and once you make your peace with the perplexing stasis of its feature set, there are some not-bad hooks and affordances hiding in its pastel, roundy corners. Here’s a few I like."
You don’t stay on top by standing still. Rather, you keep your edge by continuously looking to deliver something better. At the Worldwide Developers Conference in August, Leopard—the forthcoming update to OS X—will take center stage. Here’s a list of features we hope to see when Steve Jobs takes the wraps off OS X 10.5.
Stephen Miller writes: "It's an iPod world, and that makes Apple's popular music player a target for thieves. Police departments around the country have reported a surge in thefts of iPods and other portable music players, and the New York Police Department says iPod robberies have helped push up crime statistics in the subway. To foil iPod snatchers, Targus recently introduced the Mobile Security Lock for iPod."
Dustin MacDonald writes: "With all the excitement around the preview of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard at this year's WWDC, everyone is just a little anxious to see what will come before Steve Jobs' keynote. In fact, creating fake screenshots is all the rage these days. Wouldn't it be cool to make your very own Leopard screenshots and be featured on all the rumor sites? You're damn right it would. Here's how to do it."
Adam Knight writes: "Sometimes you have a folder of data that you really don’t want someone to see or use on your computer. Whatever it is, you need a way to keep others out of it and so I’ll run over some tips and tricks for keeping prying eyes from poking around."
Apple just released the he 10.4.7 update that is recommended for all users. If you're interested in the security details do check out this page. If you use iSync, you should perform a full sync with your devices before installing this update. With this update, PowerPC-based Macs will restart twice, instead of once, after the initial installation so don't be confused :)
Shadow 3.0 is the latest version of NewTech Infosystems’ award-winning backup software for Macintosh, Windows and U3 devices. Their step-by-step set up process makes it easy for consumers to make a backup copy of their important files and folders. You can even set up Shadow 3.0 to monitor your system and to continuously check files for changes.
Daniel Jalkut writes: "The Cocoa Scripting layer makes it extremely easy to expose manipulation of your application’s model to users via AppleScript. That said, for most developers the learning curve associated with this can be far from “easy.†The psychological burden of tackling scripting support seems to prevent many developers, even those within Apple, from providing even the barest of scripting support for their applications."
Rob Griffiths writes: "Have you ever wanted to print a number of e-mail messages in Mail? You can do so easily; just hold down Command, click each message you want to print, and then press Command-P. Simple. However, there’s a downside. Each message will print on a full sheet of paper, so if you print four 10-line e-mail messages, you’ll waste nearly four full sheets of paper. Ugh. There must be a better solution."
Daniel Jalkut writes: "It’s summer! The sun is out and the sky is (leans right to peek outside), well, sort of greyish. While the world celebrates the changing seasons, we’re all leaning over our keyboards and squinting into the screen, working on our LCD tans. All this warm weather puts me in the mood for Xcode tips! I’ve been saving up a few “gotta share†revelations. Are these tips no-brainers? Maybe for some of you. But it took me a while to “get it†and I’m hoping some of you will also giggle with glee when you learn out about them."
When doing a hardware update on an old G3 iBook a happy owner did not use an AirPort card from Apple but rather a Buffalo card. This specific Buffalo card has the same Broadcom chip as AirPort and it fits inside the iBook.
Elemental Security announced that its Elemental Security Platform (ESP) has been certified by the Center for Internet Security (CIS) for the CIS Mac OS X Benchmark v1.02. Elemental’s policy and risk management product is the industry’s first product to complete the CIS’ rigorous certification process for the Mac OS X Benchmark.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a secure way to connect to web sites and email while using wireless networks. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to a VPN, so what do you do? In this article you'll learn how to secure your online activities without a VPN.
Daniel Terdiman writes: "After four days of traveling, I finally found myself camping Sunday night. After setting up my new tent and cooking a "gourmet dinner," I got to try out one of the coolest new features of the MacBook Pro has loaned me for this trip."
Foxconn Electronics has sternly denied a report insinuating that the company was making iPods for Apple Computer in sweatshops. Edmund Ding, spokesman for Foxconn - a chief maker of iPods - said there were huge discrepancies between the truth and the claims in the report, which he said seems like a vicious attack on the company. He added that the company reserves the right to take legal actions over the report.
The only aspect we actually care about is the disk drive, at this point nothing else matters. Open Firmware [OF] (the “bios†used by Apple’s OS X) is sneaky enough not to show the different boot options; actually if you don’t know about OF you most likely won’t even notice it’s there and that’s why Apple loves it so much as it provides a smooth boot sequence without many pointless information, flashing screens and colors unlike PC BIOS’es which are known to be a bit more “loudâ€.
When you enable FileVault, the system creates an encrypted disk image of your user folder, which is automatically mounts when you log in. You can copy this disk image from machine to machine, which transfers your entire user folder in one blow. There are some setup gotchas though, so read this articlein order to get all the details.
Stephen H. Wildstrom writes: "In a few months, nearly 3 million freshmen will head off to college. Included in the gear most of them lug along will be a computer, often brand new. This year I have some advice for the college-bound: Unless you have a compelling reason not to go with a Mac, an Apple laptop or desktop offers the best combination of features, ease of use, and value."
Anton Linecker writes: "Miglia’s TVMini HD is a stylish looking and compact device that enables Mac users to watch, record, and edit over-the-air digital HDTV ATSC content and unencrypted digital cable TV programs. It is a great way to get HDTV content onto your Mac. Since the TVMini HD is a bus-powered USB 2.0 device, you can take it anywhere you go. So, you can watch Lost or Desperate Housewives while camping, if you wish—provided you are in range of an ATSC broadcast tower."
This update fixes vulnerabilities in Office 2004 for Mac that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code. This update also fixes issues in Microsoft PowerPoint 2004 and Entourage 2004, and it includes all of the improvements released in all previous Office 2004 updates.
Kirk McElhearn writes: "Some Mac users suffer from a serious disease—it’s called libraryitis. The first symptom is that you have problems finding what you’re looking for. Next, you can’t fit your iTunes library on your iPod. As the disease worsens, you’ll find that even your hard drive seems a size too small. But there is a cure, in the form of proven strategies for corralling all the songs, videos, audiobooks, and podcasts you’ve collected."
Need a great present but can’t afford to spend a lot of money? Why not create a custom hanging wall calendar using your own photos? It’s easy to do with iPhoto, and the results are very professional. Best of all, your friends and family will love receiving a personalized present you created.
This article describes the best way to clean an LCD panel such as those used on PowerBook computers and Apple flat panel displays.
You’ve dreamed of having your own Web site - a place where you can share your photos, movies, and life events. But who has the time to learn how all the pieces fit together? Now, thanks to iWeb, you don’t need to write a single line of HTML, CSS, or JavaScript code. All you need is a free weekend and this handy guide.
Back in the days of my first connections to the Internet, first webmail services were something very useful. It was tough to get a POP mailbox, so connecting over very slow and expensive dialups was the only way to go. Nowadays I have 9 different POP e-mail accounts, but still use one on a webmail provider. Gmail is powerful and versatile, so I like having one of my non-business accounts in a place that I can access from everywhere. In the last year or so I have tested a couple of Gmail related "interfaces", including widgets and a notifier. Here is my perspective on the pros, cons and wishes...
Pete Cohen writes: "Recently updated as a Universal Binary for Intel-based Macs, Phelios’ Kaijin is definitely worth a look if you have an Intel-based Mac and you crave arcade gaming the way it used to be. It’s a classic top-down shoot-em-up, or shmup in gamer’s parlance. Great production quality and varied gameplay keep Kaijin from getting boring, too."
Small and inexpensive, Apple's Intel-based Mac mini also comes with an infrared remote control, an updated version of the Front Row multimedia management software, and 5.1 digital audio output. Does that make the mini ideal as the centerpiece of your digital world?
John Hicks writes: "When it comes to testing and debugging sites, it seems that Firefox can’t be beaten. Other browsers have useful tools though, which gave me an idea for an ad-hoc series highlighting useful web development features, starting with Safari. While it doesn’t have an official plugin architecture like Firefox, that hasn’t stopped developers finding ways around it and providing excellent plugins."
Check Off is a to-do list that sits in your menu bar. Version 3.6 brings German, Traditional Chinese and Japanese localizations. It also includes several bug fixes for both PowerPC and Intel customers. Check Off is available for free, but donations are accepted and encouraged.
