Xtorrent is a bittorrent client for the Mac that I have been keeping an eye on for a while. The new addition to the Beta 3 release is the support for RSS Torrentcasts. This promises to work in much the same way as subscribing to a normal RSS feed, you basically subscribe to downloads and the application automatically grabs and downloads the new content that you have subscribed to.
Blackberry 8800 Revealed
Today the Blackberry 8800 was reveled by Research in Motion. This new addition to the Blackberry family certainly looks like a much sleeker designer than the previous 8700. Blackberry handsets always have really nice screens, and if the 8700 is anything to go by this new handset will not disappoint. The 8800 screen offers a 320x240 resolution. Also on offer is a 1.3 megapixel camera with 5x digital zoom, quad band, EDGE, and bluetooth built-in.
Early expectations were citing wifi, but it seems that this has not made it into the initially released handsets.
This superb handset offers you lots of features including;
- Email and text messaging
- Instant messaging
- Internet browser
- Advanced sound technology to cancel out external noises
- Organizer
- Voice activated dialing
- Multimedia player
- GPS (works in conjunction with Blackberry Maps)
- Blackberry Maps
- Expandable memory with Micro-SD cards
- Trackball (like the Pearl)
- High capacity battery
Full specifications for the 8800 can be found here.
Disco 1.0 Burning Application Released
Discoapp.com today release version 1.0 of their 'Disco' media burning application. I have been following this app since it was in beta form and must say that I am impressed. A completely rewritten Discography engine, universal support, disc spanning, multi-session support, and a stunningly animated interface are just a few of the features. Disco 1.0 requires Mac OS X 10.4.3 or later, and is available at an introductory rate of $15, with family packs priced at $30 and 10-packs available for $90. Expect to see a full review on Geekanoids soon.
Belkin N1 Wireless Router gets Modem
Now an all in one solution is available from Belkin. The latest in Wireless networking technology together with a modem means one functional shiny black box on your desk does it all.
The Belkin N1 Modem Router also lets your computers quickly and efficiently exchange documents, share resources, and distribute large video and music files throughout your network at a link rate of up to 300Mbps.* Our advanced security protects both your wireless and wired computers from hackers and intruders. You can add up to 32 computers to your wireless network with additional notebook and desktop adapters.
Based on the 802.11n draft, N1 Wireless enables multiple receivers and transmitters to send and receive data through the air, using Intelligent MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) spatial multiplexing techniques. This smart-antenna technology builds upon the widely deployed 802.11g standard by increasing speed, coverage, and reliability of wireless systems. Providing greater range and faster speeds, N1 Wireless offers a quick and efficient way for people to distribute video, music, photos, and files among the networked computers in their homes.
We are really excited about this product and hope to bring you a full review soon.
OS X 10.5, iLife 07, iWork 07 in March
Think Secret reports that OS X 10.5, iLife 07 and iWork 07 launches could happen as early as March. This would be great news as we all were shocked not to get any news about these in Steve Jobs keynote earlier this year.
I suppose Apple's earlier mention of "Leopard being launch in the Spring of 2007" could fit in with this latest news.
PhotoWorks iPhoto Friendly PhotoStreamer 2
PhotoWorks launched PhotoStreamer 2 today. This free application allows Mac users to upload large amounts of digital images as well as view, organize, and order prints directly from the desktop. The software works with iPhoto, Photoshop, and some other Mac photo applications. PhotoStreamer 2 features captions, rotation, and a zoom tool that lets users control the number of images in view. PhotoStreamer2 requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later and is available for free here.
FastMac - New MacBook Batteries
FastMac today announced new MacBook batteries. The new batteries come in black or white versions, and 60-watt promising increased usage times compared to the standard battery that ships with the MacBook. The design also includes and integrated safety circuit, which should protect you if the worst happens. They are available for pre-order now at an introductory $99.95.
Vista update - part two
I wanted to give you a quick update on my Vista experiences. Today I took delivery of some extra RAM for the Toshiba A100, so it now has a respectable 2GB of memory. With this new upgrade Vista seems to perform a lot happier, with not as much writing to the hard disk.
It is still far from perfect, the OS seems to take for ages to load, and applications take a while to load too, but once everything is running, the whole is experience is a lot snappier.
I also installed Trend Micro's Internet Security 2007, which comes in a Vista Certified version. Although I hate the necessity of installing such an application (being used to not having to on my Mac), I must say that Trend Micro's product installed very smoothly, updated with not a single hitch, and offers some very nice features. I will be publishing a full review of Internet Security 2007 on Geekanoids soon.
Case-mate Leather Case for MacBook Pro
Case-mate have launched a new version of their luxury Signature Suit for the MacBook Pro. This leather clad case for was previously only available for the MacBook, but is now available for the MacBook Pro for $159.99. I have a Signature Suit on my MacBook and can highly recommend it, the quality is superb and it does a really good job of protecting the laptop against knocks.
Available in Alpine White, Phantom Black and Sienna Red, check out the full range here.
Geekanoids Podcast on iTunes
Today Geekanoids published their first podcast onto iTunes. The Screencast review that you may have seen earlier today is the content of the first video based podcast. Please feel free to click the picture to the left or the link below to subscribe to our iTunes content.
We hope you enjoy the audio and video content on the podcast. There is a lot of good content lined up already, with some great product reviews, as well as regular features bringing you the latest news & tips.
Our monthly schedule should be something like this;
- Week 1 - Video podcast - special video reviews, screencasts & interviews
- Week 2 - Audio podcast - the latest news, reviews, tips & interviews
- Week 3 - Audio podcast - the latest news, reviews, tips & interviews
- Week 4 - Audio podcast - the latest news, reviews, tips & interviews
PC Laptop OK - Vista Sucks
Yes, I know I am biased towards the Mac, but as a writer I am confident that I can detach myself for part of the day. So, just yesterday I took delivery of a Toshiba Satellite A100-596 laptop, complete with Vista installed. For those who need to know, it was Vista Home Basic, so the least taxing on a system. The laptop is a CoreDuo, running at something like 1.7GHz. I bought this because I felt that if I was reporting news to you on PC software and what is happening in the Windows world, I felt I should experience it first hand.
Now, I am not going to write this article and slag off the PC (and Vista) at every opportunity I get. What I will do is tell it like it happens. So here goes...
The Good
The Toshiba A100 is actually pretty good. The 15.4-inch screen runs at 1200x800, the same as my MacBook. It is nice and evenly lit, and goes up to a nice brightness. The keyboard is a little noisy, but has a good responsive feel to it. The trackpad is tiny and I have a little trouble scrolling with it, but in normal use it is accurate and does the job. In use the fans kick in now and again, but for the past 2 hours it has been a very quiet experience. Battery life is looking good, I have been doing my normal surfing, emails, and this article for around 1 hour in this session and I still have 4 hours left, so I am impressed if it last out this long.
Things I still have to do is install Nero, so I can then test writing a DVD with the dual layer DVD writer. I will report on this at a later stage.
The Bad
I am so used to opening a new Mac, turning on, and within about 5-10 minutes OS X is ready to go. Turning on the A100 (with Vista) was a different matter. I left the machine for about 30 minutes configuring the software, it then restarted. Thinking this was it, the real deal, was a big mistake. I hovered my pointer with anticipation, but clicking did nothing. The screen went blank, refreshed, and the system was still doing something. Well, I finally got to click on something and whilst Vista was downloading some updates (you even have to do this on a Mac from time to time), I configured my system a little. Then I was prompted to restart so the updates could finish installing, which I did, and waited about another 10 minutes.
The Ugly
Back up and running I wanted to install Quicktime. I downloaded it and clicked to install, well actually I double-clicked ! Now, I had heard about the new security features in Vista and ironically had just finished watching the new 'Security' ad from Apple just before I started this install. Vista asked me to 'cancel or allow' the installation, which I did, then 20 seconds later it asked me again, so I clicked 'allow' yet again. Then QuickTime was trying to install something, did I want to 'allow' it... no of course not, that is why 2 minutes ago I double-clicked the install icon. I am not exagerating this at all, during the Quicktime saga I had to click allow 6 times! I think this is taking things a bit far, there has to be a better way.
Even after the install was complete I found that Firefox worked fine, but Internet Explorer 7 still refused to playback Quicktime content.
So, I will persevere, after all Vista does look prettier, and I am sure when I put 2GB of memory into the A100 laptop it'll work a little smoother. I will keep you posted.
Sony Ericsson New Phones !
Sony Ericsson today announces two new Walkman® phones which should be available by mid-2007. The W880 (shown here), the W888 and W610 build on the success of hit-models such as the W810 and to broaden the appeal of the Walkman® phone. 20 million Walkman® phones have been sold to date. Sony Ericsson also announces a suite of music accessories designed to enhance the Walkman® phone listening experience.
At just 9.4mm thin, the W880/W888 is the slimmest Sony Ericsson phone yet and combines the full Walkman® phone experience with a device that fits easily into your pocket. The 1GB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) provided in-box gives you room to store up to 900 full length tracks*, whilst the host of innovative music applications (such as Walkman® Player 2.0 & Disc2Phone) make it easy to get music onto your phone in the first place & search through play lists once its there. All of this, plus a 2.0 megapixel camera, is packed into a UMTS phone that’s as slim as a standard CD case.
The W610 Walkman® phone is all about the detail, whether this is detail in design that builds on the look of earlier Walkman® phones or the detailed combination of mobile music with a credible digital camera. The W610 stores up to 470 full-length music tracks* on the 512MB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2) provided, and offers the inventive TrackID™ music recognition application; a feature that lets the user record a clip of an unknown music track onto their phone and immediately receive a notification of the track name, artist and album. Add to this a 2.0 megapixel camera with auto focus and the W610 is a credible fusion of phone, music player & digital camera. Read the full details here.