Wondering just how fast the Momentus XT SSD Hybrid drive is? Check out this video of an older 2009 MacBook model that compares performance of the stock 5400 RPM drive and the Momentus XT Hybrid. In the video, the MacBook with the Momentus XT cold boots and launches Photoshop CS4 in just 26.5 seconds, while the stock 5400 RPM drive takes 43 seconds to complete the same task.
Getting an ultrafast hard drive and maxing out the RAM are great ways to get the best performance out of Mac hardware. If your Mac could use a speed boost, it’s certainly worth considering the upgrades as they are far more cost effective than buying a whole new Mac.
The Seagate Momentus XT 500 GB SSD Hybrid is $119.99 and includes free shipping from Amazon. There are also 320GB and 250GB versions available, but they’re only marginally cheaper ($10) which makes the 500GB model by far the best deal.
The latest version of Skype for iOS brings video chat and video calling to iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. You can make direct video calls to other iOS clients in addition to Mac OS X and Windows Skype clients.
What makes the new version even more exciting is that you can make Skype video calls over 3G in addition to WiFi, making it the first official method of making 3G video calls without jailbreaking an iPhone.
Two-way video calling is supported on the following hardware: iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 4G. Note that the iPhone 3GS will use the rear camera for video calls. The current iPad and iPod touch 3G can receive video calls, but since they are lacking a camera they can not send video.
Everyone has heard one of those songs that is good up until a point, and then an annoying outro plays. Wouldn’t it be nice to just skip that bad part of the song automatically? Well you can using iTunes, just set it once and you’ll be able to prevent the outro of a song from ever playing again.
Despite rumors and speculation suggesting otherwise, the much anticipated Verizon iPhone will not be released at the upcoming CES expo in January of 2011, instead it may come shortly after at an Apple event. This according to BusinessWeek:
Apple’s introduction of an iPhone for use on Verizon’s network will come sometime after the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in early January, according to a person familiar with Apple’s plans who is not authorized to discuss them publicly.
Citing no particular source, BusinessWeek reports that Verizon will be getting the iPhone “very soon, maybe by Valentine’s Day” of 2011. Valentine’s Day is on February 14, which would be in line with the “early 2011” reports that were claimed by the New York Times and Wall Street Journal in October.
The impending release of a Verizon iPhone may also help to explain some of the recent iPhone 4 discounts that are being offered alongside two year AT&T commitments. Other signs of Verizon getting the iPhone include Skype displaying the Verizon logo on a FAQ page regarding Skype video conferencing with the iPhone, and recent job postings by Apple looking for CDMA engineers.
There continues to be no word regarding the specific white iPhone 4 release date, but some analysts suggest that it will coincide with the Verizon announcement.
RadioShack is hosting yet another sale for the iPhone 4, this time it’s three days only, starting today and going until December 31. The base model iPhone 4 16GB will be offered at $148.99 with a 2 year contract, while the iPhone 4 32GB is $248.99 with a 2 year AT&T contract.
As the previous Radioshack iPhone sale, the offer is valid in stores only. The price reductions begin today and you can grab the deal anytime between 12/29 to 12/31.
The above picture is from AppleInsider, who says the last RadioShack iPhone sale was so successful that the chain was left with a nationwide iPhone shortage.
Also offered in the deal are discounted iPhone 3GS models, starting at just $48.99 with a two year contract.
An Irish iPhone developer has made another step towards an iPod Nano jailbreak, this time they’ve managed to get the iPod Nano into what may be DFU mode (visible in the screenshot above). Once in this mode, Steven Troughton-Smith discovered that by using an iOS jailbreak helper tool he can transfer files to the nano:
…basically, it seems we can send encrypted firmware files to the iPod, and have them execute, similar to what is used to jailbreak the iPhone. If the nano rejects the file (i.e. unsigned, invalid), it reboots.
You can watch the video below to see exactly what’s going on, although it might not seem too exciting to those outside of the jailbreak and tinkerer community: Read more »
As the due date for iPad 2 approaches, the rumor mill conjecture continues to heat up. The latest rumors for the next iPad are as follows:
iPad 2 will have Dual-Core CPU
The basis of this rumor comes from a Senior Technology Analyst at the Rodman & Renshaw investment bank, Ashkok Kumar, who claims that Apple will update both the iPad and iPhone to have a dual core processor featuring two 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 cores. If true this could offer a significant performance boost on the devices. What’s the source of the information? Nobody knows for sure, but one can speculate it’s from contacts somewhere in the iPad supply chain, or perhaps it’s just an educated guess.
iPad 2 + USB Port?
Earlier alleged iPad 2 case designs gave some hints as to what the iPad 2 will bring, and as we pointed out there’s a mystery opening on the top of the case that could be appropriate for a micro-USB port. Now a new rumor is giving further credence to this claim, although we have also heard conflicting reports that the top case opening is actually for a light sensor. The source? A reportedly well-connected Russian man who allegedly spoke with an ODM vendor, who claims that iPad 2 will have a USB port. So someone told someone who told someone that the next iPad will have a USB port, hmm… it’d be a great feature but take this one with a grain of salt for now.
iPad 2 with a “Smudge Proof Anti-Glare Screen” DigiTimes is hit and miss with it’s rumors, and now they’re claiming the next iPad screen will have “anti-smudge and anti-reflective treatments in order to compete against Kindle and attract more consumers.” Sounds good, although I’d be very surprised if the iPad lost the glass surface.
Three iPad 2 Versions: CDMA, GSM, Wi-Fi
A CDMA iPad rumor? Not too surprising. This one is DigiTimes again,who says that Apple will release up to three separate iPad 2 models that offer Wi-Fi, 3G cellular access, and CDMA compatibility (thus, Verizon).
Slimmer Body & Flatter Back
This is based on the cases that are popping up, the current iPad model doesn’t fit and there’s extra room floating around some of the edges. Assuming the cases are real, this obviously means the next iPad is going to be a bit slimmer. Judging by the cases, you can also assume that the back is going to be more flat and that the side bezels may be slightly slimmer.
Better Speakers
This is widely reported with no real source, but I think it’s common sense speculation just based on looking at the iPad 2 case leaks that are floating around: there’s a huge port at the bottom of the case where the speaker usually is, what else would it be?
Dual Cameras
This is nothing new and continues to be a widely anticipated feature of the iPad 2. The leaked case designs show an opening on the back for a camera, and FaceTime is a heavy selling point of the existing iPhone and iPod touch, it would only make sense to come to the iPad. The only thing that would be surprising here is if Apple didn’t release dual cameras for FaceTime support on the next iPad.
Using a Sleep Timer feature, you can set your iPhone or iPod touch to automatically stop playing music after a given amount of time passes, this allows you to fall asleep to music without your music playing all night.
This sleep Music feature is built directly in iOS and you don’t need to download any third party apps, it’s all contained within the iOS software itself.
Amazon is blowing out the CaseCrown Leather iPad Case for just $1 plus $4.99 in shipping and handling. This is a 97% discount and by far the cheapest genuine leather case I’ve ever seen for an iPad. Why the huge discount? I have no idea, but grab it while you can.
Usually when people complain about Flash it’s regarding the abysmal performance (particularly on Mac OS X) when playing Flash elements, games, and videos. The easiest solution for Mac users is to just install a Flash blocker plugin like ClickToFlash so that Flash files are not automatically loaded.
Unfortunately by using a Flash blocker you may unintentionally limit the display of some web text, data, and headlines displayed through something called sIFR. Rather than an element on a page, you’ll see the ‘sIFR Flash’ image above repeated on a webpage instead (highlighted in red box below): Read more »
A self proclaimed ‘iPod Nano hacker’ has found a way to boot an iPod nano with modified system files, which suggests that the device may be possible to jailbreak sometime in the near future.
The hack at this stage is pretty simple, it’s basically just removing apps from the launchboard screen and creating a blank space instead, but it’s a start. Some iPod fan sites are erroneously reporting that there is a jailbreak available for the iPod Nano and that is not the case, as described by the Nano Hacker:
the iPod Nano hasn’t been “jailbroken” as some sites claim, I do not have root access over the device. I did not “install” an app. I figured out how to remove them and insert a blank space into the springboard.
What I have also done is figured out a way for the iPod to boot with modified files (eg the SpingBoard Plist), bypassing the procedure it takes to stop this, I hope this will allow us to figure out a way to jailbreak it. I am primarily focusing on exposing some of the (for now) hidden features of the device.
So again, the iPod nano has not been jailbroken but this could represent a step in that direction. If you recall, the touchscreen iPod Nano does not run iOS but rather a variant operating system that shares some similarities, which are quite obvious given the functionality and GUI. I was a little disappointed to hear the nano doesn’t run iOS proper, as I’m sure developers would create a lot of fun apps for the tiny and ultra portable iPod, but perhaps through a jailbreak this possibility will be opened up through the world of Cydia.
We’ll keep you posted, this might be a fun one to follow.
A little known trick allows users to rotate the Mac screen, thereby allowing a display to run in a vertical 90 degree orientation, or even in a flipped mode. Display rotation is possible on any monitor connected to any Mac, whether that’s an external display or even on the the primary built-in screens of a MacBook Pro, Air, or an iMac. As you may have discovered already, this is not an option which is visible immediately in Mac OS preferences, instead users will need to access a hidden pull-down menu within the Display preferences to toggle and adjust the display orientation setting into portrait or landscape mode.
The Dev Team has just released another public beta version of the untethered iOS 4.2.1 jailbreak. Redsn0w 0.9.7b3 aims to resolve some of the bugs from the prior 0.9.7b2 release, bringing stability to FaceTime calls, winterboard themes, and YouTube.
The limited beta still only works in Mac OS X on an iPhone 4, iPad, and iPod touch 4G. Other hardware will be supported in the final release, and a Windows version will be out then too. The same caveat applies as before, this is a public beta test and should not be considered a stable jailbreak for mass consumption. Most users should wait for the final stable release of the redsn0w untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1 which should be finalized in the near future thanks to the rapid speed at which the Dev Team is working on these redsn0w betas.
For those who are curious what this all pertains to, the iPhone Dev Team is working on an untethered jailbreak for the latest iOS update. Currently, many jailbroken iOS devices must boot with the device attached to a computer in order to work properly. You can learn more about tethered vs untethered jailbreaks if you are interested.
As the 2010 comes to a close, several prominent tech writers are declaring the iPad the best product of the year.
Walt Mossberg has declared the iPad the “best product of 2010” saying:
For a 1.0 product, the iPad was amazing. With the new iOS 4.2 operating system and its huge selection of apps, the iPad continues to stay ahead of the competition.
Also appearing in Walt’s top three products of 2010 was the iPhone 4.
Maybe the best v1 product Apple has ever made? Maybe the best v1 product anyone has ever made? There was so much hype leading up to the launch that it seemed impossible that it would live up to the hype. But, remarkably, the iPad blew past it.
It’s crazy to think that Apple will improve it greatly with v2, but you know they will. It has already changed the face of personal computing.
MG also loves the new MacBook Air, the new Apple TV, a handful of iOS apps, and the iPhone (minus AT&T).
With all the acclaim that’s fallen on the current iPad, you’ve got to wonder what’s in store for the next gen iPad 2 which should be announced sometime in the near future.
Think you’ve seen it all? Think again, because now there are iPad games designed for cats. Yes, you read that right. Hiccup Inc is an iOS developer that is creating iPad games for cats, and their first title, the appropriately named “Games for Cats” is hilarious because cats actually play the game. Well, play as in swipe at a moving object on the iPad screen that is.
Dubbed “The Worlds Best Video Game for Cats” (not sure if there are any competitors in this space), it’s a pretty basic concept really. Things move around the screen and cats swipe at them. You can select either laser mode which mimics the classic laser pointer that cats go absolutely nuts over, or you can choose mouse mode, which features a rabid squeaky mouse that scurries away and squeaks in response to a cats paws touch. The game even keeps track of high scores.
Instead of talking about the game any further, I’d recommend watching some of the videos of the cats playing “Games for Cats” they are pretty funny: Read more »
Update:redsn0w 0.9.7b3 has been released and provides further stability, it is recommended to use the latest beta version.
Redsn0w 0.9.7b2 has just been released into the public redsn0w untethered jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 beta test program. The latest beta resolves some significant problems with the first beta, and the iPhone Dev Team says that 0.9.7b2 should resolve all the crashes that were occurring from the prior b1 release. It’s worth mentioning that bluetooth is still disabled, and unlocks are continue to be unsupported. The Dev Team also suggests that if testers had any trouble using usbmuxd with beta1 that they should wait until the software is integrated directly into a coming release of redsn0w itself.
Download Redsn0w 0.9.7b2
The 0.9.7 beta releases are recommended for testers only, it can be downloaded directly:
As before, this beta version only works on Mac OS X with an iPhone 4, iPad, and iPod touch 4G. Windows users as well as those with other iOS hardware will need to wait until a more finalized public release of the untethered jailbreak.
The iPhone Dev Team suggests to try redsn0w 0.9.7b2 only after a fresh restore to limit variables involved in debugging. When running the app, select “Jailbreak Monte” to test out the untethered jailbreak solution.
Update: A newer and more stable Redsn0w 0.9.7b2 has just been released, it is recommended for beta testers to use that version instead.
The latest version of the Redsn0w jailbreak is available to download via the iPhone Dev Team. The Redsn0w 0.9.7b1 release is the much talked about untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1, meaning you’ll be able to boot your iPhone without attaching it to a computer with redsn0w running, however this is very much a beta release and should be used only by veteran jailbreakers who want to help beta test the release.
The Dev Team is calling this betas backup method the “Jailbreak Monte” and the beta indeed makes it a game of chance, since not all hardware can use this jailbreak. Redsn0w 0.9.7b1 only works to jailbreak iPhone 4, iPad, and iPod touch, and only if you have saved your iOS 4.2b3 SHSH blobs with Cydia. If you rely on the ultrasn0w unlock, you also can not use the latest Redsn0w 0.9.7b1, and you’ll need to wait until the beta period is over.
Download Redsn0w 0.9.7b1
This beta release of redsn0w is currently limited only to Mac OS X users:
There are a several significant bugs in this beta release, most notably that Bluetooth functionality is disabled and the iPod music player only works on the 4G iPod touch at the moment. There are also reports of Springboard (application launcher) crashing frequently and many apps becoming unstable. This release is definitely not for the faint of heart or those who are not familiar with the jailbreak and restoration process.
Be sure to backup your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch before using redsn0w 0.9.7b1 and read all instructions.
The MacBook Air is tiny and very notebook like as is, but one MacBook Air owner decided to take that idea one step further and create a composition notebook skin for his MacBook Air. The MacBook Air is beautiful as is, but I kind of like the topsheet and bottomsheet cover idea, I can’t say I’m a fan of the ruled pages appearing on the inside of the Air though.
It’s almost like camoflauge if you just keep it on the exterior, certainly making the MacBook Air blend in with regular day to day notebooks and writing pads… so this could be useful for some.
You can see more pictures on the Flickr and even download the PNG files yourself if you want to make your own, in case you’re super dedicated to the customization thing.
Personally I prefer stickers and what not on my MacBooks, but there are plenty who are satisfied with the plain shell that comes stock, admittedly beautiful in it’s stark aluminum glory. What about you? Do you customize the look of your Mac?
and includes free shipping from Amazon. There are also 320GB and 250GB versions available, but they’re only marginally cheaper ($10) which makes the 500GB model by far the best deal.
Update 2: 
