Maconnect released version 1.30 of their LiquidCD application today. LiquidCD is a plausible alternative to Toast and other Mac burning solutions. Version 1.3 adds 'experimental' support for Nero .nrg files, has new icons in the toolbar, and added support for more .cdi files. This is amongst other changes and bug fixes. LiquidCD is donationware and available for download here.
New Apple AirPort Extreme 802.11n photos
News is sometimes pretty thin on the ground over the weekend, but AppleInsider has posted some nice unboxing photos of Apples new Airport Extreme base station. Many of us here in the UK are still waiting for for this new device to ship, but some lucky people are starting to receive their orders. Check out the photos here.
V-Moda Vibe Headphones Go Red !
Remember the V-Moda Vibe headphones that I took a look at over on Crave late last year. Well, they have gone all red on us now, and launched a new 'Red Roxx' colour to match the Product Red iPod Nano. Same great sound, but with a new great colour, just in time for Valentines Day. Check them out here.
Nike iPod Headphone Beanie Hat
Nike have today launched their Performance Hatphones, a nice design fleece beanie hat that accommodates a mesh pocket for your Nano and has built-in headphones. Retailing in the USA for $60, with a UK price to be announced. The Hatphones are available in black, grey, dark blue and red... I want to keep my ears warm with this !
Apple & Cisco Talking on iPhone again
Talks between Apple and Cisco have been put on hold today. Reports coming in suggest that the two companies are talking again about a possible solution. This may well mean that an offer for the trademark is on the table from Apple, with Cisco possibly knowing that they do not have the rights to use it anyway.
iTunes Repair Tool for Vista released
If you have upgraded to Microsoft Vista or perhaps bought a new PC with it installed, no doubt you will have had trouble with iTunes refusing to play your store purchases. Well Apple have been fast to react and the iTunes Repair Tool is available for download today.
PhotoInfoEditor - Geocode your photos
MMI Software have a great software app called PhotoInfoEditor. Basically it allows you to edit the meta-data so that you can accurately include the longitude and latitude of the digital photo you have taken. This can then display the location of the photo within GoogleMaps. Fantastic!
iClip 4 Released
iClip 4.0 was released today, the long awaited update to the multi-talented, multi-clipboard application for Mac OS X. This new release is now a Univesal Binary, runs a lot faster and has a nice new interface. iClip allows you to have multiple clip boards and scrapbooks to cut and paste various information into. The app is invaluable, and a single user license costs just $29.
iPod Shuffle available in 5 Fruity Colours
CUPERTINO, California—January 30, 2007—Apple today announced that the world’s most wearable digital music player is now available in five brilliant colours: blue, pink, green, orange and the original silver. A hit with customers since its initial shipment three months ago, iPod shuffle is just half a cubic inch in volume, weighs just half an ounce and features a stunning aluminum design with a built-in clip, making it the most wearable iPod® ever. Based on Apple’s pioneering shuffle feature which lets music fans enjoy a continuous mix of their favourite songs anywhere they go, iPod shuffle contains one gigabyte of flash memory, holds up to 240 songs and is available in all five colours for just £55 (inc. VAT).
“iPod shuffle is the world’s most wearable digital music player,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. “Music fans can now choose iPod shuffle in one of five brilliant colours, or they can buy one of each.”
iPod shuffle features up to 12 hours of battery life* and lets users shuffle their songs to listen to them in a random order or simply flip a switch to listen to their songs in order, such as when listening to a new album.
Users connect iPod shuffle to their PC or Mac® with the included dock, and iTunes’ innovative AutoFill feature automatically syncs the perfect number of songs from their music library. Seamless integration with iTunes® 7 and the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com/uk) allows customers to choose from a selection of over four million songs from the world’s most popular digital music store.
With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as integrated podcasting support, iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod and groundbreaking personal use rights, the iTunes Store is the best way for PC and Mac users to legally discover, purchase and download music and video online.
Pricing & Availability
The new iPod shuffle is available immediately worldwide through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers for £55 (inc. VAT). iPod shuffle includes an iPod shuffle dock and earbuds.
Great source for Dashboard Widgets
This may not be news to you, but I stumbled across a great website today. Since the Dashboard came to fruition, I have been searching for and downloading my widgets from the Apple website. Today I was searching for an iCal ToDo widget and I came across DashboardWIDGETS. They have some great content and news, as well as a searchable database of widgets. The added bonus is that they allow user comments, so it gives you an indication if the widget is any good. Take a look by pointing your browser to this great website.
Olympus SP-550 Ultra Zoom - 18x goodness
The new Olympus SP-550 UZ Ultra Zoom offers the ultimate in power and versatility with a compact, best-in-class 18x optical zoom lens (28-504mm equivalent in 35mm photography), which gives users the ability to shoot telephoto, wide-angle and macro (as close as 1cm) all in one. Crisp, clear images can be captured far and wide with Dual Image Stabilization and the broadest focal range available on any digital point-and-shoot. The camera’s full manual exposure control provides professionals and photo-enthusiasts with unlimited creativity, while its automatic settings and Built-in Help Guides will put novice users at ease.
This revolutionary ultra zoom is equipped with several unique features to deliver near-DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) performance in a compact size, including:
18x Wide-Angle Ultra Zoom Lens Provides Power and Versatility
Featuring the world's most powerful zoom lens, the SP-550 UZ offers maximum shooting versatility for travel, sports and day-to-day use. The 18x super telephoto zoom gets you closer to the action than any compact digital camera on the market. At the same time, the wide-angle lens gets more into your frame – perfect for shooting indoors, landscapes and group shots. The super macro mode is ideal for capturing the most subtle details from as close as one centimeter. The compact, precision-crafted lens combines high-refractive, aspherical and extra-dispersion (ED) lens elements to deliver edge-to-edge sharpness and clarity. The bright, f/2.8-4.5 lens provides the equivalent of 28-504mm focal length with 100x total seamless zoom (5.6x digital zoom).
Dual Image Stabilization
Dual Image Stabilization technology enables users to take crisp, clear pictures in virtually any shooting situation – adjusting for camera shake and a moving subject. Olympus’ Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization keeps images sharp by adjusting the CCD to compensate for camera shake, which often occurs when zooming in on your subject and in low-light conditions when shutter speeds are slower. Digital Image Stabilization freezes the action with high ISO sensitivity and fast shutter speeds that prevent blur caused by a moving subject.
High-Speed Sequential Shooting & Pre-Capture
Capable of capturing images at an incredible 15 frames per second, the SP-550 UZ offers the highest burst rate of any compact digital camera. The inclusion of Pre-Capture technology, which works in conjunction with High-Speed Sequential Shooting, enables users to capture the action before and after fully pressing the shutter button. Pre-Capture begins working as soon as the focus is locked, automatically archiving five frames in the camera’s buffer memory prior to the shutter release – virtually guaranteeing that none of the action will be missed even if the user’s reaction time is slow. Perfect for situations where timing is essential, such as photographing a tennis player serving, children playing or a whale breaching.
Full Manual & Automatic Control
The Manual, Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes give users versatility and control for optimal performance in any situation. Users can express their creative vision – adjusting the f-stop for detailed portraits with softened backgrounds, or slowing the exposure speed to create the blurred effect of motion, or just sit back and let the camera do the work with the automatic settings. Full manual and automatic control options allow advanced users to maintain creative control and novices to point-and-shoot their way to beautiful images.
30 Shooting Modes Including TV-Quality Video with Sound
The SP-550 UZ makes it easy to take great photos in a variety of scenarios and lighting situations with 30 shooting modes, including television-quality video with sound (640x480/30fps) up to the capacity of your xD card. Simply select the desired mode for portraits, landscapes, night scenes, fast-action, macro and more.
7.1-Megapixel Image Sensor
The 7.1-megapixel CCD image sensor delivers superior image quality for consistently capturing sharp, vivid details even in large-format or cropped prints. The SP-550 UZ records in both JPEG and RAW file formats and is perfectly suited for a wide range of users – from new photographers to advanced users who require maximum creative control.
Other features include:
The SP-550 UZ will be available in March 2007. We use digital cameras a lot for the production of the Geekanoids website, so we hope to bring you a review as soon as the finished product is made available. Check out the full details on the Olympus website here.
Apple UK - Regional "Get a Mac" Adverts
It was nice to see the UK get their own regional "Get a Mac" ads posted on the Apple UK website. The ads star David Mitchell and Robert Webb of "That Mitchell & Webb Look" fame. The ads seem to be re-films of the US versions, but are well worth a look, with some great facial expressions from the duo. Tentacle, Office at Home, Restarting, Virus, Trust Mac, and Pie Chart can be seen here.