Oregon State increases reliance on Macs...

A growing number of professors at Oregon State University are relying on Macs, according to one report. Reasons for the increased Mac usage include PC compatibility, an improved operating system, 'Get a Mac' ads, and better technical support. While Macs don't comprise a majority of the computers at Oregon State -- roughly 150 out of 3,000, or 5 percent -- the number of Macs is rising, according to CIO. "Macs are more friendly to PC users than they used to be," said Tammy Barr, the director of technology services at the school. Apple's Boot Camp software and applications like Parallels Desktop enable PC users to work in their own environment on newer Macs, easing the transition process.

Apple's Milton Keynes store opens March 1st...

Apple is preparing to open its 14th retail store in the UK on Saturday, March 1st in Milton Keynes. The new store will -- as usual -- offer the first 1,000 customers to walk through the door a free Apple T-shirt, and is holding a prize drawing where one customer will receive a Digital Lifestyle Collection that includes a black MacBook and a silver iPod nano. The Cupertino-based company is also entering the final stages of construction on a new store in Sydney, Australia on George Street. That outlet is expected to open around the first week of April, according to ifoAppleStore.

Showtime: six shows in iTunes top sellers...

During a conference discussing the company's quarterly results, CBS Corporation CEO Leslie Moonves pointed out that her firm's Showtime division currently has six shows in the iTunes top sellers group according to setteB. The Showtime shows at in the top sellers group include "Weeds," "Dexter", "David Chapelle," "The Tudors", "This American life" and "Californication". The top standing shows from all channels are, in order,: "Terminator: the chronicles Sarah Connor (WB production and broadcast by Fox) followed by" Lost "(ABC)," Wildfire "(ABC Family)," Family guy: blue harvest "(Fox) , "Breaking bad" (Sony production for AMC), "Family guy" (Fox), "Terminator: the chronicles Sarah Connor (WB production and broadcast by Fox)," Lost "(ABC)," Paradise Hotel 2 "(Fox Reality) and" Lost "(ABC). Note that none of these shows come from the general CBS network.

Draft bill could unlock iPhone in U.S....

A new draft law in the U.S. sponsored by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) would require every mobile provider to offer subsidy-free wireless customer equipment, effectively breaking the exclusive deal between Apple and AT&T over the popular iPhone and allowing all owners of that device to subscribe to a wireless carrier of their choice. A hearing is scheduled on the draft bill for tomorrow morning, and a lobbyist for CTIA-The Wireless Association representing the major wireless carriers is already scheduled to speak about the bill.

Signal 1.1: control AirTunes from an iPhone...

Alloysoft recently unveiled Signal 1.1, an update to its remote control application, adding support for AirTunes and several other features. Users can now tap on an album to display additional controls for multiple speakers, allowing them to toggle the master setting or any sets of AirTunes-enabled speakers they have. Signal 1.1 is available from the Alloysoft website, selling for $25, while current users of RemoteAmp are able to receive a 40% discount if they upgrade.

iBank 3 adds iPhone, Leopard support, more...

IGG Software today released iBank 3, a major update to its financial management application, adding support for the iPhone and Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard technologies. iBank for iPhone is a web-based iPhone application that allows users to enter transactions on their iPhone, and through .Mac, sync them to the desktop application on their home computer. IGG Software is selling iBank 3 through its website for $60, while current users can upgrade for $30.

Sony unveils personal field speakers, more...

Sony today unveiled a pair of 'personal field speakers' (site not updated) that act similar to headphones as well as new multimedia speakers designed to produce high quality audio. The company's new PFR-V1 personal field speakers are designed to create a listening field around the ears, projecting music through two 1-inch die-cast aluminum speakers connected with a headband made of lightweight duralumin metal. Sony's PFR-V1 personal field speakers are slated for shipment in April for around $500.

DB Solo 3.0 adds Leopard support, more...

DB Solo today released DB Solo SQL Query Tool 3.0, the latest revision of its cross-platform database query tool. DB Solo provides users with features like a visual explain plan, database data and schema comparison tools, an EJB 3.0 Code Generator, and a schema scripting tool. DB Solo SQL Query Tool is available for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Solaris. The software supports all major DBMS products -- including Oracle, SQL Server 2000 and 2005, DB2, Sybase, H2 Postgres, MySQL, and Solid. DB Solo 3.0 is priced from $100 for a single user license (specific system requirements were unavailable).

TalkShoe chat comes to Apple's iPhone...

Community chat service TalkShoe has come to iPhone, bringing live phone calls together with online chat. The service presents users with a Web-based interface to host live discussions, according to Yahoo News, and is designed to facilitate discussions about podcasts or other events in real time as they progress. TalkShoe's new iPhone interface allows users to take part in community calls, while registered users can use an iPhone to conduct as well as manage those calls. iPhone users have access to a link that automatically dials in and participates in a call, allowing up to 250 people to talk together simultaneously.

Sony unveils sweeping headphone updates...

In its biggest headphone introduction to date, Sony released 20 new earphone models broken down over five specific use categories. Included in the release are headphones designed for children, another milestone for Sony. The remaining products include sets meant for sport and fitness use, a revised noise-canceling set, a pair of new flagship EX-series earbuds and a new series of the company's high-volume earbud and street-style, behind-the-neck headphones.

Research firms urge Hollywood to oust Apple...

Two research firms -- Park Associates and Entertainment Technology Center at USC -- have released a document urging Hollywood to use Apple's own tactics of offering low-cost TV shows and feature films for mobile media devices in an effort to reap profits on their own, cutting the Cupertino-based company out of the equation. "Hollywood shouldn't let Apple make all the money, especially since they are the ones making the movies," said John Barrett, director of research at Parks Associates. "Judicious use of free mobile content can help drive ticket and DVD sales." The white paper specifically details steps to achieve profitable distribution of mobile content on mobile platforms and devices, without Apple's help.

Apple releases iPhone, iPod 1.1.4 update...

Apple today released the much-anticipated 1.1.4 update for the iPhone and iPod touch. The new software/firmware update is available via iTunes; Apple is vague on details but says that the update "includes bug fixes and supersedes all previous versions" of the earlier firmware. A preliminary investigation of the update by MacNN does not reveal any new features, although the upgrade is believed to be necessary for Apple to implement its upcoming software development kit (SDK) for third-party apps and is likely to patch software exploits used to jailbreak or unlock the devices for use with unsanctioned code.

Aspyr ships Neverwinter Nights 2 for Mac...

Aspyr Media today began shipping Neverwinter Nights 2 for Mac in North America. The computer role-playing game set in the fantasy world of the Forgotten Realms, one of the popular campaign settings of Dungeons and Dragons, was licensed from Atari and developed for Mac by Aspyr Studios. "Rise from a peasant to a full-fledged hero as you defend the Realms against one of the greatest threats of the age!" The game is priced at $50, and requires Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later.

College handing out iPhones to freshmen...

Abilene Christian University will be delivering an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch to all members of its incoming class in 2008. Freshmen will use the iPhones or iPod Touches to receive homework alerts, answer in-class surveys and quizzes, get directions to their professors' offices, and check their meal and account balances - "among more than 15 other useful web applications already developed," said ACU Chief Information Officer Kevin Roberts. Roberts was asked to present ACU's creative vision for converged media devices at Apple headquarters to executives and to selected leaders from universities including Harvard, Yale, MIT, Duke, Stanford, Oxford, Princeton and UCLA.

New MacBooks list 'reduced' battery life [U]...

(Updated with perspective) Apple's new MacBook systems technically list lower battery life than the previous generation, official specifications show. setteB.IT notes that despite the fact that the computers use Intel's new 45nm Penryn technlogy, which should be more power-efficient, each of the new machines "loses" an hour or more of operating time. The reduction in battery life is actually an illusion however, as Apple did not previously incorporate wireless functions into its estimates.

CDFinder 5.1 improves speed...

West-Forest-Systems has released the v5.1 update to CDFinder, its combination cataloguing and media asset software. The program tracks photos, music and other files kept on any sort of connected storage, ranging from hard disks and DVD drives to server volumes. The new version is said to include "dramatic" speed enhancements, specifically when updating catalogs, or when initially cataloguing ZIP files or photo thumbnails.

Sony preps iPhone-compatible iPod alarm clock...

Sony has developed a new version of its ICF-C1iP iPod alarm clock, the C1iPMK2. The clock is the first from the company to specifically support the iPhone, and has an adjustable "backstop" used to secure any size of USB-equipped Apple player in its dock; Shuffles and non-Apple players can also connect, but must do so through a line-in jack and thus cannot charge simultaneously. To use an iPhone with the bundled remote, the former must be set in advance to iPod mode.

GeneGo biology apps reach Macs...

Having previously limited itself to PCs, GeneGo now says that several of its biological analysis applications are compatible with Mac and Linux systems; this stems partly from support for alternatives to Internet Explorer, namely Firefox 2 and Safari 3.0. MetaCore is used to analyze experiment data for gene expressions and pathways, and lets users visualize and cross-validate information. Over 500 interactive maps are included, and users can filter content to concentrate on aspects such as disease or tissue.

2GB iPod shuffle goes on sale

Announced earlier this month along with a price cut on its 1GB companion, the 2GB iPod shuffle is now on sale from the Apple Store. The player costs $69 -- $20 above the current price of the 1GB player, but still $10 less than what the 1GB model used to cost as recently as the beginning of February. Color options remain unchanged, including silver, green, cyan, purple and red; shipping times however are listed as seven to 10 days, compared to the 24-hour turnaround for a 1GB shuffle.