In traditional Apple fashion, yesterday Time Capsule received a quiet speck bump and price drop. The new high end model, a 2TB wireless storage system is now $499, and the lesser 1TB model is $299. If I have figured my math correctly, that means I have a 57% higher chance of purchasing the 1TB model for myself, after all, it would make such a nice addition to my new set up!
A Good Idea.
A few months ago, my house was broken into at 2 in the morning when the garage door was accidentally left open. The thief was only in the house for about 10 minutes while we slept upstairs, unaware of what was going on downstairs, until an odd noise woke someone in the house and when they went downstairs to see what was the matter, the thief ran out of the house. They only had enough time to grab a few things, but they ended up taking an HP laptop and an iPod as well as a purse and a container full of change. When I think about that night, I always go back to the question of why we felt safe enough to just leave the laptop sitting out on a table. Had we tucked it away in a desk drawer or someplace of out sight, it most likely wouldn’t have been seen, and therefore wouldn’t have been taken. Since then (although the stolen gadgets weren’t my own) I have learned my lesson and I keep my own tech gadgets hidden away when not in use. I think, however, accessory manufacturers need to come up with some good solutions beyond the traditional heavy wire Kensington locks that are just not practical for everyone.
There was one accessory I found though, that did a good job of being functional and I thought I would share my thoughts with you. The Belkin Laptop Hideaway seems like a great little hiding spot for a laptop. It appears to be nothing but a simple magazine and book holder that a family would keep next to a desk or sofa, but it actually has enough room for a laptop, books and accessories as well. What I like about the design is that it does not draw attention to itself, it seems like a common enough addition to a family room that could hide your tech goodies from strangers who are unfamiliar with your home and no one would think to bother with it. Of course, this hideaway isn’t a sure bet to prevent your laptop from being stolen, but I think it is a good start for a family who can easily tuck their computers away out of sight when not in use. Perhaps this accessory would be a good solution for you, perhaps not, but I just wanted to put it out there that I think people need to do something to protect their gadgets because you never know when you could have a bad situation of your own and loose valuable electronics.
Diary of a Mac Chick 07/30/09.
iPhone SDK
I recently decided that I wanted to learn how to create iPhone (or rather, ipod touch) applications myself. For some reason I have been very interested in software development and I though that being a mac user I would go ahead and download the iPhone SDK and give application development a try. Of course, as of right now, I know minimal about what to do or how to start. I have begun a few first timer projects, but haven’t been able to complete them successfully yet. I went on Amazon and bought a book on iPhone application development, and hopefully once that arrives I will have a better understanding of what the heck I am trying to do! I am not sure yet, what exactly I hope to achieve from this little hobby I have undertaken, but for now I just want to successfully create a basic application that I can use and perhaps distribute myself. Nothing amazing, mind you, just possibly an application that runs an RSS feed of my blog or something simple that is at least applicable to my general life. I know right now after poking around the iPhone SDK it seems impossible that I would ever be able to create anything useful, but I know I am a smart cookie and if I have the right information at hand, I should be able to come up with something. Wish me luck… I am gonna need it!
Designing the Perfect Deskscape.
For the past few days I have been working on creating a desktop image that would help me to enter a creative mindset whenever I used my mac. Since I am a sucker for interior design and I love images of desk setups, I decided to create my own fantasy Deskscape filled with elements of my design taste as well as some of my favorite things. The image includes a white tulip table desk, hanging lotus lamp, inspiration board with some of my favorite images, a monthly calendar, my Macbook Pro and an ipod touch. I think this Deskscape is a successful example of my personal style and design influences, and I am very pleased with the affect it is having on me already. I love the idea that my desktop image is a desktop set up itself, so that wherever I take my mac, so goes my fantasy desk top.
I have the full Deskscape image available for download on my Flickr, here. Enjoy and I would love to hear your feedback! I will be making a video on this Deskscape so keep an eye out for that as well!
Edit Image Colors with Photoshop or Gimp.
So this is a short how to video on how to quickly and easily change colors of images, icons or pictures by using photo editing software like Photoshop or Gimp. I use this quick trick to change the color of images I use for my desktop, but it can come in handy for a variety of projects.
Weekly Tech Roundup 07/26/09.
Some Great News.
You know, sometimes dreams really do come true! MacLife reported yesterday that the iPhone will not remain exclusive to AT&T, as reported by the company’s CEO, Randall Stephenson. “There will be a day when you are not exclusive with the iPhone,” he told CNET, so now the question remains of when a change will actually occur. For me, this is expected but great news. I think we all knew that AT&T would not be able to hold onto an exclusive iPhone contract forever, but I am now beginning to worry if Verizon (the carrier I use) will actually ever see the iPhone. I know that Verizon’s lack of a sim card system could possibly be a problem, but hopefully that won’t keep the iPhone away. Apple would be smart to branch out into another carrier like Verizon since it represents another large chunk of the cell phone using population in the U.S. At the end of the day, although the iPhone saw many people switch to AT&T for the popular device, many were still bound by contracts they didn’t want to buy out and expanding carriers would certainly increase iPhone sales.
For me, the fact that the iPhone was not a Verizon device really held me back from switching. I am lucky enough to get away with needing only the smallest talk plan Verizon has because all my friends and family use Verizon as well. So the switch to AT&T would have meant I would have needed an unlimited iPhone talk plan (yes, I talk on the phone a lot) which would cost me $150 a month. Right now, with a discount I get at work I pay $45 for my monthly phone service. The iPhone would triple my phone bill, and that is an expense I am not sure if I can sustain for a two year contract. At least if the iPhone came to Verizon, I would be able to keep my minimal amount of monthly minutes, relying on IN Calling to keep my bill at bay. I project that if this were to occur I would be paying $75 a month with a plan that works better for me! So, please Apple, expand your horizons and see other carriers, like, ahem Verizon!
{Images via Apple}
How To Customize your Safari Toolbar.
Have you recently upgraded to Safari 4 and discovered your toolbar options have changed? No problem! Recreate your toolbar with this short how to.
Macs of a Feather.
Gadget case manufacturer Incipio has just released a hard shell case for the new Macbook Pro line called Feather. Made of ultra light but durable polymer materials, this hard shell boasts a light weight design in a matte finish with your choice of 7 colors (although, only 6 are published on the site). With a model made for the new 13″ Macbook Pro’s, Incipio seems to be the second major hard shell manufacturer to produce a new case specifically for the 13″ Pro, begging the question “where is Incase?” I would really like to know what Incase has up it sleeve if it has taken the popular case provider over a month and a half to come up with… nothing! I mean, all they had to do was cut a few new ports into their existing shell designs, nothing major. Well, for now, we can all focus our attention on Incipio and their newest creation. I have never used one of their hard shells before, and I hope I get a chance to test one out!
Why I love the SD Card Slot
One of my favorite things about my new Macbook Pro is the presence of the SD Card Slot, the new addition to the Macbook Pro lineup. As someone who uses their digital camera frequently for both images and video, there is nothing easier than slipping the slim card into the side of my Mac for quick uploads of my digital media onto my computer and the internet. In fact, it is so easy to upload my digital content onto my computer now, I actually credit it with the increase in my productivity.
Before the SD slot, I would have to do one of the following. (1) I would have to connect my camera to my Mac via a cable and then upload my images through Image Capture or (2) I would have to attach my USB SD Card Reader to my Mac and then insert my SD card to upload my media that way. Either way, I had to use another device to transfer my media, and although it wasn’t a difficult task, it certainly wasn’t something I was willing to do frequently, and I would actually hold off on uploading my pictures and videos because I didn’t feel like making a mess and pulling out extra cables for a small transfer.
Those days are over! Now, not only can I easily connect and transfer data from my digital camera, but because my cell phone uses micro SD, I can easily transfer media to and from my cell phone’s memory card (a task I could only previously accomplish by using the USB SD Card reader. It feels great not having the constraints of extra cables, not just at home, but especially on the road- I have definitely lightened my load!
It’s actually kind of sad that I am so pleased that Apple finally added something as simple as SD Card Slots to their notebook line. For a company that is so quick to boast that their machines are made for entertainment and creativity, they were really lacking a very simple and very popular element on their Macbooks. It took Apple until 2009 to add an SD slot to their machines, and yet my father’s 5 year old Toshiba PC has multiple card slots, including SD.
Well, despite the late arrival, the SD Card Slot is certainly an amazing and useful addition to the new Macbook Pro line. I think this small element is so necessary to so many Mac users and I know we all appreciate it! As a Blogger and YouTube(r) the SD Slot will have such a positive affect on my output, giving me the ability to publish my content sooner rather than later!
{Image via here}
