lifestyle tech The Pink Mac

Last Day of Summer.

I know I didn’t post a weekly tech roundup video this weekend, I was sick and just decided to skip it this week. Today is the last day of summer and tomorrow is unofficially fall and September. I just wanted to say goodbye to summer the right way- with a blog post. I am glad it is over, I can’t wait for the fall and cooler weather, and then winter and Christmas and a New Year. I feel like once you get through the summer, the year is basically over, mostly because fall and winter are the seasons of holidays and one just leads to another demarcating the time until you have reached another year. I love this time of year- just thought I would share.

The Pink Mac

Diary of a Mac Chick 08/26/09.

Lost in Translation

I am very thankful for the success of this blog. On any given day I can have viewers from about 33 different countries around the globe, reading my thoughts and watching my videos. Through the power of the internet I am constantly connected to my global audience and through the use of web page translators, we bridge the gap between oceans, continents and language. However, there is a caveat; I don’t speak 33 different languages. So, unfortunately, when I receive comments from readers that are not in English, if I cannot get a decent translation of those comments through the internet, I cannot understand or respond to them and so I am forced to turn down the comments when I moderate them. I feel bad about this, but I have set a rule for myself that I will not allow spam messages or questionable content to play a role in my blog, and if I get a comment I don’t understand, I treat it as such. So, please, if you are one of my many beloved global readers, and you want to leave me a comment, please try to translate it into English before you post it. Even the broken English of an internet translator is better than nothing, and if I can understand even a little of the comment, I will be happy to post it and respond to it! Thanks for all your cooperation and being so patient with my shortcomings- I would be nothing without my readers!
The Pink Mac

iSkin ProTouch Review.

Here’s a review of those great iSkin ProTouch products I unboxed the other day. First we have the ProTouch for the Macbook keyboard, and then the ProTouch for the Mighty Mouse. Both products use Microban technology to kill harmful bacteria and microbes that spread germs and can cause wear and tear on the products which I am considering a major plus! The ProTouch line is also well designed, durable and give a decent amount of protection to each device. Watch my video above for more specifics and be sure to comment if you have any questions and I would be happy to answer any lingering questions you might have!
tech The Pink Mac

Weekly Tech Roundup 08/24/09.

This week I discuss my Blackberry to Mac tethering program called Tetherberry and how I have gotten along with that so far. Also, the release date for Snow Leopard was announced to be August 28th, 2009 and BlizzCon ’09 announces next World of Warcraft expansion called Cataclysm.
Solutions The Pink Mac

The Right Stuff: The Pink Mac’s Ultimate Guide to Macbook Protection

After painstakingly choosing which type of Macbook you want, the next most difficult decision is how to keep said Macbook protected. There are so many options out there, ranging from no protection to complete protection, and in many different forms, that sometimes it can become difficult to decide. Well, don’t worry, because this easy guide will help you to choose between the many options and levels of protection out there for your Mac.

The Birthday Suit

Perhaps one of the many reasons you decided to purchase one of Apple’s beautiful Macbooks was because you were in love the form and finish of the machine. Perhaps you love the glossy white of the Macbook, or the sleek aluminum of the Macbook Pro and you are not about to cover that up! So, what are your options? Let’s discuss.
Zagg’s Invisible Shield

Leaving your Mac naked is not the best idea to prevent from scratches or dents, but if you want to let the natural beauty and sleek physique of your notebook shine through, you might want to think about using a clear protective film. BodyGuards and Zagg’s Invisible Shield are two highly recommended brands of full body clear protection. These military grade films are easy to install and removable in case you need to, and for about $50 for complete coverage, they are a great way to protect the natural beauty of your machine from scratches. Downside, however, is that they do not protect against dents to aluminum models, so as long as your careful not to bump your Macbook, this protection could work for you.

Sticking to It

So, you bought your Macbook because you are one of those expressive types that likes to show off your individuality, creativity and genius, and the best way to do that is through a computer that is designed just like you. You don’t just want your Macbook to create but you also want it to be a creation. Well, they make an App for that, err…. well, they make as skin for that at least!
GelaSkins makes a full line of protective sticker skins that provide an excellent source of protection for the lid of your Macbook for about $30. Only thing is, it provides no protection to the sides or bottom of your notebook, leaving it vulnerable to scratches and dents. You may want to use this option in conjunction with another form of protection, like a hard shell or one of the previously mentioned protective films. BodyGuardz actually sells their protective films by the piece so you can buy exactly the protection you need.
GelaSkin for Macbook
By the way, if your not happy with the choice of artwork offered at GelaSkins and other similar skin manufacturers, you can always create your own skin at Skinit ($34.95).

Protection, in a nut Shell

Scenario: You purchase a shiny new Macbook pro, stick a nice colorful skin on it to protect it, but one fine day you drop it as you’re pulling it out of your bag. It has only fallen a few inches, but UT OH, you dented it! It is one of the worst things that can happen physically to the aluminum Macbook casing and after checking the machine to make sure it is still working properly, you are left with a fully functional, but physically deformed, Mac.

Speck SeeThru Hard Shell
How could this scenario have been avoided? Well, since the exterior casing of the Macbook is metal, denting is an issue you may run into, but one that can be curtailed to an extent by using a hard shell case. Hard shells are made by a variety of manufacturers, however, the two most popular and highly recommended brands are Speck and Incase. Coming in a variety of colors, these hard shells are an excellent source of dent protection for your Macbook when it comes to short distance falls or things falling onto your laptop. Obviously, a hard shell won’t be able to save your Mac from a drop off a building, but for those everyday accidents, it is not only excellent scratch protection but also amazing shock protection.
These hard shells aren’t just great for the aluminum Macbook models, but they also come in versions for the plastic cased Macbooks as well and for about $50 each, they can be a real case saver!

Wear your Mac in a Sleeve

Whichever level of protection you choose from, you can still always do with a sleeve case for keeping your Mac protected while traveling. Although some sleeves can offer a pretty tight fit like the Contour Design sleeves, others like Incase allow extra room so that you can keep your notebook covered by a skin or a hard shell and still fit it into the case. Some sleeve manufacturers actually design cases that act as both a sleeve for traveling but then also open up to allow the user to work on their Mac while it is still incased by the sleeve. Isis Dei and iSkin are two reputable and well priced manufacturers who allow for this flexibility in their case lineup.
Contour Design rE-versible Sleeve
The best part about sleeve cases is that with so many manufacturers, you are certain to find something that fits your needs and your budget, not to mention your personal style!
The Pink Mac

Say Hello to My New Case.

I just ordered this amazing Vaja iVolution Top Case for my Blackberry Tour. The exterior is claret red, and the interior is black. I cannot wait for it to arrive, unfortunately since these Vaja cases are handmade in Argentina, it will not be here for a month! Don’t worry, as soon as it arrives we will have a photo shoot, so keep your eyes out for that sometime mid-September!

The Pink Mac

Mac Tablet Rumors: The iPad.

Rumors are certainly not a new phenomena when it comes to Apple products, nor is the specific rumor of Apple secretly producing a tablet computer. Despite the fact that every year more and more specific accounts of Mac tablets arise, it seems as though we still always buy into them. This time, however, the rumor-mill is fueled by evidence cited by a source apart from an “Apple Insider.” MacLife reported today that in a recent Border’s customer survey a question asked whether “I plan to buy and Apple iPAD (large screen reading device) this year.” So, is this proof of a future product whose arrival was under wraps, or is this just a misidentification of another Apple product, such as the iPod? Well, we can’t know for sure until time tells us that this was either a mistake or foresight, however, from my experience, whenever you have a third party company accidentally releasing information to the public via emails, product surveys, or repair lists, they tend to be correct. I don’t want to go out on a limb here and say that we should wait around for the arrival of this highly anticipated iPad, but I think this might be the most credible evidence yet.

{Image via Flickr}
Solutions The Pink Mac

Tethering Blackberry Tour to Mac.

So, I found an application that gives Mac users the ability to tether their Blackberry devices to their Macs. TetherBerry, costs about $50 but so far it is the only solution I have found that lets me utilize my mobile broadband plan.
In case you can’t watch the video and still want to know my tips on getting your Blackberry device to tether to your Mac, I am going to provide written directions below.
1. To begin, you will need to download the Tetherberry application on both your Mac and your Blackberry. Follow the link above, select Free Trial, and then choose the Mac Version of the software. From your Blackberry, open the TetherBerry webpage from your browser, select Free Trial, and then follow the URL provided to download the software onto your Blackberry.
2. Once you have successfully downloaded the software onto both your Mac and your Blackberry, go to Options on your Blackberry, then select Memory, and make sure Mass Storage Mode Support is ON and that Auto Enable Mass Storage Mode When Connected is either PROMPT or YES.
3. Next you must connect your Blackberry to your Mac via the USB cable that is provided to you with your Blackberry. At this point it would also be a good idea to check to make sure you are not connected to the internet by any other means. On your Mac, go to System Preferences and select Network. Check to make sure you are not connected to the internet at all before you continue.
4. The next step is to run the TetherBerry GUI on your computer and then also run the TetherBerry application on your Blackberry. You may need to provide your password in order to allow the connection between the Mac and the Blackberry on your computers end.
5. At this point, if everything has gone correctly, the Status of Tetherberry on your computer should say “TetherBerry Connection Active,” and you should see activity in the numbers of Packets and Data Sent and Received. You can also check that you are connected to TetherBerry by going back to the Network settings we visited earlier, where you should see that TetherBerry has an active connection.
6. Test your internet connection by opening up a browser window on your Mac. If it opens in a reasonable amount of time, you are good to go. However, if your browser does not open a new page or you get an error message from your web browser saying you are not connected to the internet, then Exit the TetherBerry Application (you may need to provide your password on your computer again) and then begin again from step 4 until the tethering is successful.
On a side note, the first time I attempted this method, it took me a few times of connecting and reconnecting to the TetherBerry software before my Mac was successfully receiving an internet connection. On subsequent attempts, it takes me two trials of step 4 onward to successfully get a browser page to load.