Microsuck Adding Mac Staff
It appears to be the case. Check it out. Possible new Mac products in the MSFT pipeline? That would be good.
Archive for the ‘Software’
Mac Alternatives To Photoshop
I found this link for my friend Meleah, who has been desperately seeking a way to afford Photoshop. No need Mel, here is a list of substitutes and reviews from PSDTUTS.
MS Office Released For Mac
Microsuck has finally released the next generation of Microsoft Office for Mac after a long wait (the last big update was in 2004). For those of you who still use Office, this should handle issues with DocX files and PDF files, among other things, that people have been having when trying to do use files made in the latest Office for windows in Office for Mac 2004. Of course, if you are like the rest of us, why use Office at all? I have Office 2004 and rarely use it. Instead I use Google Docs and Neo Office, two free solutions that seem to do the trick just as well, if not better, than Office. Maybe Microsoft took so long that it is finally time to jump ship for an Open Source solution in your office. Why not? The popularity of Open Source apps are growing - even governments like the Netherlands are getting in on the act.
Apple and Starbucks Patenting A Way To Cut In Line
In the news this week, Apple filed a patent petition that would eliminate the irritating necessity of standing in line. Once the technology is live, it is expected that Apple will begin testing it out in Starbucks stores, a good fit after the hugely successful iTunes song of the day campaign and iTunes WiFi channel in Starbucks from this year.
Basically, the technology would allow you to pre-order your cup of java or snack before heading into the store, pay for it, receive an order number and grab the item at the pick up window when you arrived - no waiting. It’s like cutting in line at a concert, without the ensuing fisticuffs.
This revolutionary development for the impatient out there, like me, will work with technology like the iPhone. It is not, however, expected to be iPhone exclusive - it should also work with your MP3 player, PDA, laptop or regular cell phone, though I do expect Apple to give its loyal iPhone customers first dibs on the “beta” version.
Apple’s application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office describes a process for placing an order and then notifying customers when an order is ready to grab at a pick-up station. One goal, the patent application notes, is to avoid an “annoying wait in a long queue if the purchaser arrives before completion of the order.”
Of course, all good ideas come with a price, and the cost of this innovation is information. Stores opting in to the program, like Starbucks, would be tracking your orders and learning your favorite things, tailoring your shopping experience to suit your needs. I’m sure marketing to consumer taste would logically follow that, unfortunately.
The patent puts Apple’s partnership with Starbucks in a new light. The technology promises to morph Apple from the business of simply selling gadgets and music and movies that can be played on those devices into an intermediary in all kinds of exchanges.
Apple To Release 76 Bug Fixes
This January, Apple is to release Mac OS X Leopard build 10.5.2 build 97C. Why is this news? Because the build is set to address the 76 biggest complaints that have been heard about Leopard.
The complaints addressed include the pesky Internet connectivity issues, general Airport wonkyness, Rosetta compatibility, memory leaks and more. The rumor is that this much needed release will hit around the same time as Macworld.
The release date is a good guess, since Apple has already released the fix to developers.
Screen Sharing
A friend pointed out this handy Leopard application to me today, and I immediately thought of the potential for helping friends and family work out technical issues. Of course, they’d have to have Leopard and a newer Mac, but still - it’s a great little program. It allows to share the screen of Macs on your Network, both remote and in house.
This article from MacWorld even has a variety of Terminal commands you can use to increase functionality of Screen Sharing. It goes so far as to add handy buttons and shortcuts to your Screen Sharing toolbar, and to give you a Bonjour window to make finding computers on your network that much easier.
Just Say No To Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer, how do we hate thee? Let me count the ways…
Using Your Mac For Holiday Cheer
Creating a short movie card or holiday podcast is the ultimate in easy with a Mac. I just used my MacBook to make this tiny, miniature pod cast for Cre8Buzz:
I had never used Garage Band to make a pod cast before, and it took about 30 seconds from the time I opened the program to the time I hit export to iTunes to say what I wanted and add background Rockabilly holiday music. Easy peasy!
If I can think of enough to say I may do a longer pod cast email for all of my far flung friends and relatives this year. I probably wont do an iMovie, I’m too camera shy, but I bet some of my friends like Meleah will. How about you?
(Don’t forget to help me win the Cre8Buzz contest, too!)
No Router Switched Before Its Time
So you all heard me chime in on the network issues with Leopard. I sorted a few of them out by using Open DNS, but not all of them. Plus, that didn’t take into account the fact that the eMac was working fine on the WiFi network and the MacBook was not.
As a Christmas present to myself, I recently grabbed a new Airport Extreme router to replace my Original Airport (the space ship shaped one). What can I say, they were on sale, I had a