Macenstein

Adobe misses its first Leopard compatibility deadline

“We expect to publish free Leopard compatibility updates for the video applications in December 2007″ – Adobe Remember back right around the time when Leopard was due to be released, Adobe put out this PDF meant to scare educate potential Leopard buyers as to possible incompatibilities between Apple’s new OS and Adobe’s CS3 Suite of apps? In it, Adobe assured us that “Thanks to close collaboration between Adobe and Apple, most of the CS3 applications... Read More

RIP: Netscape Navigator dies with a whimper

Hey, remember Netscape Navigator? If you were born after 1988 or so, odds are you don’t. Navigator was the first real web browser for the masses, and gave Microsoft’s Internet Explorer the closest thing to a run for its money any browser was able to in the mid 90′s. All Macs shipped with Netscape Navigator as the default web browser until the infamous 1997 deal between Apple and Microsoft which swapped out Navigator for Internet Explorer for the next 5 years.... Read More

iPhone firmware 1.1.3 – Like a fine wine, the iPhone gets sweeter with time

Assuming the above Gear Live video of a beta version of the iPhone’s upcoming 1.1.3 firmware is legit (and it is looking pretty legit) then the iPhone is about to get a whole lot cooler (no easy feat). Multiple SMS address, (in-the-ballpark) GPS via Google Maps, Multiple springboards and dragable icons… you know, everything the iPhone should have had at launch. Looks pretty sweet, and I’m looking very much showing it off to my Verizon Voyager-owning in-law (hey... Read More

All hail the nanotech battery! 22 hours of MacBook battery life; 400 hours of iPod use, 2500 hours of iPhone standby time!

Imagine… what if you could watch 70 hours of iPod video on a single charge. (OK, wait, that actually, might be a bad thing). Instead, imagine something more useful, like getting 22+ hours of MacBook use. Or 2500 hours of iPhone standby time. Such is the promise of Stanford University researchers who claim to have found a way to use silicon nanowires to improve the way lithium-ion batteries store energy, delivering a reported 10x boost in capacity. Above: Silicon nano... Read More

Apple to hit $600? Um, no.

As an Apple stockholder with far too much of my portfolio invested in the Cupertino company, I was overjoyed to see the headlines streaming across the Mac-o-sphere this week proclaiming that “Analysts say Apple shares could reach $600 in 18 months!“. WOW. Suddenly my 90% AAPL stock portfolio seemed far too diverse! “Time to buy more Apple while I can!” was all I could think as I fired up my E-Trade account. Reality Check Luckily for me, on my way to... Read More

OS X 10.5.2: Trouble in “virtual paradise”?

Faithful Macenstein reader dolfke writes us with a warning to Second Life users hoping to test out the latest 10.5.2 Leopard build. According to dolfke, 10.5.2 breaks SL functionality in a big way. “sl launches, then the general connection screen, where one can introduce name and password, then connect … sl loads, but when connecting to inworld, the last stage before coming onworld, all stalls, beachball, then CRASH …all 4 versions, Beta grid, normal program,... Read More

Who likes free stuff?

Faithful Macenstein reader Shackelford alerts that he’s giving away $200 in iTunes gift cards to launch his new blog, 50 Leaves. The site bills itself as “100% Unadulterated Apple Porn“, which can’t be bad, and a quick skimming of the 6 day old blog shows the potential for good Apple-related hints and news. So check it out. The contest runs now through January 16th, and entering is easy. 50 Leaves is giving away one $100 iTunes card to a random person... Read More

BBC: “These amps go to 11″

Apple may be trying to save their customer’s hearing, but the BBC is giving a big middle finger salute to the Tinnitus foundation in the form of the new Mac version of their BBC iPlayer. That’s right, the Mac player’s volume goes up to “11″. Take that, Spinal Tap! Luckily, since the BBC only lets UK residents use the iPlayer, only the Redcoats risk permanent hearing loss while watching Dr. Who and The Catherine Tate Show at the ear-splitting “11″... Read More

WTF? – ThinkSecret – still in business until at least February 14th?

We here at Macenstein love a good mystery, and if there isn’t a good mystery available, we’ll settle for a mediocre mystery. To that end, we are focusing today on the biggest Mac mystery of the moment, that of ThinkSecret‘s Apple settlement. Faithful Macenstein reader Michael Johnston of iPhone Alley read our post on ThinkSecret‘s continued publication despite their claiming to have shut down as part of their settlement with Apple, and pointed our news-hungry... Read More

When is a legally closed Mac site NOT a legally closed Mac site?

When it’s ThinkSecret, of course! Faithful Macenstein reader Shackelford points out that ThinkSecret has published 3 new articles since its infamous December 20th “Apple, Think Secret settle lawsuit” post in which it was stated “Think Secret will no longer be published”. Above: Apparently the phrase “Think Secret will no longer be published” is open to interpretation. The three posts (two as recent as today) are standard news type articles... Read More