Apple fails to deliver 1,000 movies in Feb...

Apple promised the world in mid-January that 1,000 iTunes movie rentals would arrive at the company's iTunes Store by the end of February, but those rentals were still missing in action on the last day of last month. Macworld quotes Apple's statement during the Macworld Expo in San Francisco earlier this year: "iTunes Movie Rentals launches today and will offer over 1,000 titles by the end of February, including over 100 titles in stunning high definition video with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound which users can rent directly from their widescreen TV using Apple TV."

Time Machine: a "no-click solution"...

Apple's Time Machine software, which serves as part of the company's recently-shipped Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard' operating system, is a "no-fuss backup system" according to one review. Glenn Fleishman in the Seattle Times says Time Machine's "no-click solution" is key for average consumers who don't want to spend hours setting up a complicated backup system. "Time Machine doesn't have a button and doesn't occupy your attention while operating," Fleishman said. "It just backs up."

Apps: iFuntastic, CheckUp, TaskTime4

• CheckUp 1.0.1 ($50) is a tool designed to check the health and monitor the behavior of a Mac, either locally or remotely. The latest release features better communication between CheckUp and CheckUpAgent, improved compatibility with Intego products as well as Parallels and Fusion virtualization software, enhanced network management, and increased stability. [Download - 12.6MB]


• TaskTime4 4.4 ($20) brings a new Leopard-style interface to the time tracking software. The update exports projects as Excel workbooks as well as plain text, adds a 'Copy Project' item to the Edit menu, and fixes several bugs. The latest release also brings an updated User's Guide, and ensures travel expenses are shown as separate expense items in invoices. [Download - 7.4MB]


• TimeLog 4.3 ($25) keeps track of time spent on projects, offering integration with Apple's iCal and Address Book software alongside .Mac Sync and iSync. The software stores recordings in iCal calendars, and allows for sharing of time sheets over network services like .Mac. TimeLog 4.3 adds a backup option, custom address book formatting, and includes enhancements in the application tracker. The update also fixes several bugs. [Download - 5.8MB]


• Play MPE 3.5 (free) is the latest version of Destiny Media Technologies' application for securely distributing pre-release music to radio stations. The update is configured to allow continuous streaming for full albums or bundles, and the process of obtaining releases from email announcements or via Mediabase 24/7 is streamlined to one mouse click. Clicking on the desired track automatically launches the Play MPE Player and shows the specific release. [Download - 1.6MB]


• My Money Minder 1.9.8 ($13) updates the personal finance management application with numerous bug fixes. The latest revision fixes a bug in qif importing, ensures that 'All Year' menus display correctly for Financial Years that start in January, and repairs a printing-related bug where incorrect characters were displayed. The update also allows users to deselect rows correctly, and importing no longer creates duplicate Payments. [Download - 7.9MB]


• iFuntastic 5.0 for iPhone and iPod touch (unknown) enhances the iPhone and iPod touch customization software by adding support for iPhone firmware 1.1.3. The software provides free 'unshackling,' includes an 'iFundex' feature with file/folder/full text search for the device's filesystem, and allows users to quickly locate graphics from a screenshot. The update also allows users to create custom themes via 'Theme Park,' with a utility to install as well as uninstall themes. [Download - 70.5MB]

Aperture 2.0.1 ups performance, stability...

Apple today released Aperture 2.0.1, an update to its post production photography software designed for professionals. The latest revision of Aperture addresses issues related to the performance and overall stability of Aperture 2, and includes fixes that impact various areas of the software. Fixes cover upgrading libraries from earlier versions of Aperture, publishing .Mac Web Gallery albums, Preview generation as well as deletion, and creating as well as ordering books. Aperture users can upgrade via Apple's 'Software Update' feature located under the Apple Menu, or can download the update manually from Apple's updates page (43.9MB).

Apple updates GarageBand, ramps stability

Apple today issued an update to GarageBand, its personal music creation software for Mac users. The latest release improves overall stability, according to the company. The update also addresses issues with the automation of software instrument parameters, FireWire as well as USB based audio devices, and Magic GarageBand. Users can update to GarageBand 4.1.2 by choosing the Software Update feature under the Apple Menu in Mac OS X, or can manually download the latest release from Apple's updates page (19.1MB)

Apple offers themed iTunes collections at Best Buy

Apple is expanding its iTunes compilation card collection, offering themed collections through Best Buy, and supposedly other locations as well. iLounge reports that the cards are available in 15- and 30-song versions, offering bundles such as "Classic Rock Hits", "80's Super Hits", "Love Song Classics", and "R&B Hits", among others. The compilation cards are available from $10 to $20 for the 15- and 30-song versions, at a price of 67¢ per track.

3G iPhone delayed for testing purposes? [U]...

Industry analysts expect Apple's heavily rumored 3G iPhone to be delayed, according to a note from RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky. The Wall Street Journal reports that the delay will occur due to testing and fine-tuning on partner networks. Both RBC and Banc of America Securities lowered price targets for the Cupertino-based computer manufacturer, which caused shares to lose 3.4-percent, or $4.26, settling at $120.76.

Bellevue Square Genius demeans woman customer...

Apple stores are not immune to one of the most common retail woes, after the Genius at the Bellevue Square store in Washington State alienated at least one female customer. Electronics retail locations typically exhibit a trend of believing women to be less technically competent than males. A woman identified as Anjela went into the location with the intent of buying a MacBook Air, but was received poorly when the Genius, Bill, chose to neglect her and speak with her husband.

Wozniak: Apple TV and MB Air good, not great...

Steve Wozniak today hosted a keynote at an Australian broadband conference, and offered his mixed opinions on the Apple TV and the MacBook Air. Wozniak said that although he believes the Apple TV to be a "really good indication of the future of the world", the platform does have a few flaws. Primarily, he says that the 24-hour rental period is too limited for his busy schedule. Wozniak also said it feels as if he is being restricted by the tiny, simplified remote control, indicating it makes him feel less human.

RAGE SEKeyword 1.1 monitors competition...

RAGE Software today released RAGE SEKeyword 1.1, a free application for website owners designed to discover niche keywords among Web searches. The software uses Yahoo! Search technology to find the most relevant keywords for a particular website, according to RAGE, and suggests the most popular searched keywords based on site content. RAGE SEKeyword 1.1 informs users about what search engine keywords competitors are targeting by reading the meta keywords of competing sites. The software is available for free, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

Apple's Baton Rouge store grand opening...

Apple has officially announced the grand opening of its newest retail store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Thursday, March 6th (different store interior shown at right). A media event begins at 9:00 a.m. CST, and the store will officially open to the public at 10:00 a.m. The Apple Store in the Mall of Louisiana at 6401 Bluebonnet Boulevard offers all the standard amenities customers expect, like personal training through the company's One to One program and face-to-face support via a Genius Bar.

Macs, iPhone market share grow; take 2nd, 4th place...

Apple's collective market share is rising, according to a web traffic report posted by Net Applications, citing that Mac computers have about 7.46-percent share, and iPhones claim 0.14-percent. Windows sits on top of the list at 91.58-percent, which has slowly eroded from 92.91-percent in the year prior. The iPhone was listed as having a higher marketshare than that of the Playstation 3, Sun OS, Nintendo Wii, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and several other platforms.

Wozniak criticizes iPhone at Sydney event...

The iPhone is still a flawed device in spite of achievements, according to Steve Wozniak. The Apple co-founder made his comments at the Broadband and Beyond conference in Sydney, Australia, where he specifically took his former company to task for not incorporating 3G broadband into the iPhone at launch. The device instead uses EDGE technology, often described as "2.5G" or "2.75G," and even by Apple CEO Steve Jobs as too slow.

Apple leads Fortune's Most Admired Companies...

Apple is the "most admired" company in the United States, according to the business publication Fortune. In tandem with Hay Group the magazine says it has surveyed some 3,700 people in "dozens" of industries, and asked them to name the 10 American companies they most respect. Apple's prominence on the list is attributed in no small part to its $24 billion worth, but also to its influence on a multitude of industries, including music, movies and cellphones.

MultiClutch: assign keyboard shortcuts to gestures...

Developer Will Henderson recently unveiled a beta of MultiClutch (Email | Print | 1 comment | digg it)Read More ...