Technology Wrap: June 2006

Friday, June 30, 2006

New Site: VideoWrap launches

The TechWrap now has a sibling! I've launched a new site called "VideoWrap" and here is a brief description via the site:

"Your destination to see all the best YouTube, Google Video, and Yahoo Videos on the web. Stay tuned for all the best from funny to stupid to dramatic to spontaneous. Keep your channel tuned to the VideoWrap!"

The only way most people ever view YouTube or Google Video videos are through links from a friend or site. Most people never search and scour the web for videos and because of that I decided that the VideoWrap could make sure you never have to but still get that video fix you always wanted. I just started posting today and have found 8 great videos already.

The YouTubes and Google Videos of the world wide web are dominating the bandwith waves and the VideoWrap is a great way to get a piece of the action and view a ton of videos. Watch

double the videos you usually do in half the time. Check it out here.

Apple DVR: Apple's Next Big Thing?

InformationWeek has posted an article that speculates and cites speculation about an Apple DVR possibly called "AppleVision." I will not post any details about the article mainly because I don't wish to write about a rumor and something that might not exist. I have written on rumors in the past but only ones that really excite me. Check out the article here.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Nike + iPod Sport Kit won't support the iPod

The Nike + iPod Sport Kit is not going to support the iPod itself. The Nike + iPod Sport Kit will only support the iPod nano. It's true. For all the countless regular iPod owners you won't be able to use the Sport Kit in all its goodness (well we'll see).

Here is my proof. First, if you go to the Nike + iPod Sport Kit website you can see that nowhere is there a mention of an iPod as a requirement. Only the iPod Nano. Also, today there was a new iPod Updater released (get it here). In the release notes there is a specific mention of only the iPod Nano getting "Nike + iPod support." All the iPod got were some bug fixes.

As more proof, I talked to 2 seperate Apple representatives at two separate Apple stores and they specifically told me that only the iPod Nano will be supported (sorry Shuffle). It seems that Apple has made it pretty clear to their retail employees that the Nike + iPod Sport Kit will only support the Nano. I asked one of the guys I talked to what the reason was. He told me that since the Nano is smaller, and Flash based so it is more ideally suited for running. The iPod is a hard-drive based player which (the Apple employee says) causes skipping and because of its size it wouldn't be suited for running. Personally, I have never experienced any skipping with my old 4th generation iPod (hard drive based) when running so I really don't see the logic behind Apple's thinking. Also, the new 5th generation iPod is pretty thin and even though it isn't as small as the Nano I still think it is a good small size.

So what am I (consumer) supposed to do? I've got the regular iPod and just bought the Sport Kit.

Well, you've really got three options. First, you can probably return it at the Apple Store; also since no one has gotten their kit yet (including you) you can probably cancel your online order.

Second, you can just receive your product and keep it hoping that someone creates a fix or Apple mends its ways and give you support for the kit. It can be determined that support for the kit is derived from the iPod updater because the Nano just had to receive an update which means that this is a software issue and nothing hardware. That means that someone could hack the software and give support for iPods. Also, most likely the guys that developed iPod Linux will hopefully develop support for the kit in an updated iPod Linux version.

Third, as soon as you get your kit you hoot and holler to Apple that there isn't support for the regular iPod and that you demand. Hopefully, everyone starts to go up-and-arms over this in the blogosphere and Apple listens. So for anyone reading this and has an iPod please call up Apple and request support for your iPod. Either now or when the Sport Kit first hits homes.

Office 2007 delayed (again)

Microsoft, company that loves to delay products, has announced plans to delay its upcoming Office 2007 to "early 2007."

A Microsoft spokesman said, "Based on internal testing and the beta 2 feedback around product performance, we are revising our development schedule to deliver the 2007 system release by the end of year 2006, with broad general availability in early 2007."

This could mean that Windows Vista, the upcoming OS from Microsoft, and Office 2007 will be released at the same time. Office 2007 boasts a new interface and a complete redesigned file format.

Microsoft has been known for its delays in its long history. If I'm not mistaken Vista has been delayed about 2 years and I can't imagine what the numbers are for Office 2007.

You can get the beta for Office 2007 here. Or you can test drive Office 2007 online via your web browser here. If you just can't take all these delays by Microsoft then you can try OpenOffice.org. Actually, they just released a new version, 2.0.3.

Internet Explorer 7 Beta 3 released to public

Microsoft has released IE 7 Beta 3 to the general public. Here is an overview of what IE 7 does:

Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) Beta 3 has been designed to make everyday tasks easier, provide dynamic security protection and improve the development platform and manageability. End user improvements include a streamlined interface, tabbed browsing, printing advances, improved search functionality, instant feeds (RSS), dynamic security protection, and more.

Now that you've got the sales pitch I suggest that you do not download it because Internet Explorer has long been a pain, nusance, and a disaster. Instead I recommend Firefox.

System Requirements for IE 7:
Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2)
233 Mhz processor or higher
64MB ram

Get it here (download at your own risk).

Sony PSP Digital Camera Details/Review

Sony PSP Digital Camera Details are here and are very disappointing. First, the digital camera looks like this:

The camera attaches to the mini USB port on the top of the PSP and creates a 360 X 504 pixels picture. It will arrive in Japan in the Fall of this year. The most disappointing part of the camera is a lacking 1.3 megapixel resolution that you can now get on many cell phones. Does Sony actually expect people to buy this product? Plus, why would you when you can just use your cell phone to take the same photo?

I'm not going to be taking my PSP everywhere to take photos at a poor resolution when I could just take my digital camera. However, if Sony had given it 3 or 4 megapixels at a decent price (price isn't yet known on this 1.3 Mp camera) then I could see myself going to a wedding or family event and snap some photos with my PSP.

Sony just doesn't get it. If there was a good resolution and under $50 I could really spend $300 ($250 on the PSP and $50 on the camera) and get not only the camera value but also a gaming system, music player, video player, and photo viewer all in one package. Then that would seem like a sweet deal.

However, Sony has decided to provide a crap product that almost no one will buy and will give no value.

OpenOffice.org goes 2.0.3

Here are the list of enhancements by OpenOffice.org:

performance improvements: for example, a 23 percent improvement in certain Calc benchmarks
further improvements to file format compatibility with Microsoft Office files
new email integration features for users wanting to send emails in Microsoft file formats
more control over how exported PDF documents will display when opened in a PDF reader
support for more languages and improvements in hyphenation and thesaurus
support for Intel architecture for Mac OS X plus improved Mac OS X System integration
built-in check for updated versions

OpenOffice.org is an open source publishing platform that many use instead of Microsoft's Office suite. This version is now a Universal Binary and of course the aforementioned improvements. OpenOffice.org is available for Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, Solaris, and FreeBSD and is open-source. Get it here for free.

iTunes 6.0.5 released

Apple has updated the popular iTunes software and comes with a couple of new features mostly tied to the iTunes Music Store.

A list of the enhancement in the update via Mac OS X's Software Update:

"With iTunes 6, you can now preview, buy, and download music videos, short films, and hit TV programs on the iTunes Music Store and sync your music and purchased videos with iPod to enjoy on the go.

iTunes 6.0.5 allows you to sync your Nike + iPod workout data to nikeplus.com, where you can easily track your progress, set training goals, challenge others, and much more. Visit the Nike Sport Music area on the iTunes Music Store to download workout mixes, Athlete Inspiration playlists, Nike podcasts, and more."

According to the shoe-maker, the Nike section of the iTunes Music Store will be coming July 14th. Also, not mentioned in my Software Update but I noticed on the download page for iTunes here that it says this:

Sync Home Movies
Create iPod-compatible versions of your own movies using iTunes.

All you have to do is select the video that you have and right-click and hit the option "convert selection for iPod" and then you should be set. I've only been able to play with this for a few minutes so please don't quote me if I'm wrong here but the only videos you can convert are the ones that you can actually place in your iTunes library which means no AVI, DivX, RMVB etc files can be converted through iTunes.

Also, there is an AirTunes Enhancement:

Simultaneously stream the same song wirelessly to up to three home stereos or powered speakers — using AirPort Express with AirTunes.

Skype for Mac w/ Video, DO NOT DOWNLOAD

A Skype for Mac w/ Video post that I reported earlier this morning is an unstable build and may delete your contacts and other data. DO NOT DOWNLOAD it. I apologize and only a minute ago was recently made aware of the problem. A Skype developer let it be known that it was a previous unstable build and SHOULD NOT be downloaded.

I apologize for posting about it before but I was not aware of the problem until a minute ago. If you have downloaded it then just uninstall it and install the latest Mac version from Skype.com. I uninstalled the unstable build on my MacBook Pro and installed the official Skype for Mac and everything was a-ok.

Google Checkout unveiled

Google Checkout has now been released here. To tell you a little about the service Google has released a video describing Google Checkout.

Also, here is a Google Checkout video designed for merchants/sellers.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

NBC and YouTube - Deal or No Deal?

Deal. NBC previously served YouTube with orders to take down the now famous 'Lazy Sunday' clip and other SNL footage. It seems now according to Clickz.com NBC has decided to take advantage of YouTube's immense popularity.

NBC has reached an agreement with YouTube that says that YouTube will promote NBC's fall lineup and other shows for one year on its site. YouTube will have an official NBC "Channel" that will have exclusive clips to promote shows such as The Office, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and others.

Also, a contest will be held for the best 20-second user created promos for the hit show "The Office." The contest will run through July 21 and the top promos will be featured on-air and on The Office's official website.

YouTube's co-founder and CEO Chad Hurly stated, "We are delighted to work with NBC on an official basis. Bringing more enertaining and exlusive content to YouTube helps further our goal of providing the best video entertainment experience on the Internet."

NBC has taken a step in the right direction and realized the benefits of YouTube and is trying to capitalize on its market. I wish other major networks follow the same road as NBC because they are taking a turn in the right direction. After the Lazy Sunday fiasco many in the blogosphere denounced NBC and proclaimed them evil. Now, I think NBC will be seen in a different light.

Monday, June 26, 2006

Video: Banned Xbox 360 Ad (Best Ad Ever)

Here is a Xbox 360 ad that wasn't allowed to be on television. A great concept and I understand why Microsoft won an award for the best ad gimmick (Jump in).

New Flip4Mac Universal Binary Beta

Flip4Mac, the plugin that allows you to play .wmv files in Quicktime, has now updated its universal binary beta. Previously, there was a closed beta and now this one is open for 24 hours. I don't know when this started but I'm guessing sometime today so jump on this as soon as possible.

All Intel Mac owners should download this ASAP. Get it here.

WarnerBros offers iTunes-movie competitor

WarnerBros in partnership with GUBA.com have released an online Video On Demand (VOD) service. Movies and TV Shows are available. TV shows are available for $1.79 an episode but let's face it that isn't the news you really care about. Here's what you do care about: WB movies are now available for $9.99 but $19.99 for new releases. Also, there is a 24-hour rental that you may purchase for $1.99. Downloads can run up to 1.3 MB/sec.

Also, the DRM allows a single DVD burn backup copy and is playable on up to 2 computers and 1 portable device. As far as I have been able to determine the content is in a Windows Media format which basically guarantees no support on a video iPod.

WB previously announced a BitTorrent model and this is not it. I have no clue when that will be released but hopefully soon.

WB has beaten Apple to the starting line but with the lack of iPod support I just can't say that it will be a success.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

BestBuy: Halo 3 coming 11/16/06

According to BestBuy.com, Halo 3 is set to release on November 16, 2006. Conveniently, that date is one day before Sony's PS3 is set to release. Microsoft and Bill has made it clear that Halo 3 and the PS3 will be released on the same day. This date is just barely off so I'm not going to call the police.

This date, via BestBuy, sounds accurate although it has not been confirmed. If the date is accurate then gamers will be on a rampage getting to their nearest gaming store. Also, this date is about a week before Black Friday, the biggest shopping day in the US, and just before Christmas.

Funny Vid: Nintendo Wii vs. Sony PS3

I think this video basically sums up why the Nintendo Wii is going to kick some serious tail.

Funny Vid: Apple bloopers @ Macworld

I found this video on YouTube and thought it was pretty funny:

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Mac vs. PC Ad Spoof

I completely disagree with this spoof but hey it's in the name of fun (i think). Click the pic for a better view.

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Super Mario Galaxy to have 2-player Co-Op

Super Mario Galaxy will have Two-player Co-op for the first time in its history. Super Mario Galaxy, for those of you that don't know, will be the next installment in the Mario series for the Nintendo Wii.

"Nintendo has confirmed this in the past few days, though has not outlined exactly what lies in store. However, what we do know is that one player will use a standard WiiMote, the other a WiiMote and Nunchuck and both will play at the same time."

I can't wait to get my hands on Super Mario Galaxy. Wiiiiiii!

6 Wii Launch Games Announced

In the upcoming addition of Nintendo Power, 6 new launch titles for the Nintendo Wii will be unveiled. Here is the list:

Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Rayman Raving Rabbits
Red Steel
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz

Now I'm guessing you are wondering if these will be the only launch titles available. The answer is yes unless Nintendo decides to throw a curveball and releases more games than expected. It is important to note that Super Mario Galaxy did not make the cut.

MacBook Pro battery swelling and dying

Apparently due to overheating sometimes a notebook battery swells up causing loss of keyboard functionality and even the notebook itself. Well it seems that this fate has dawned upon earlier MacBook Pros. Check out the damage:

It seems that Apple is only addressing this issue on a case-by-case basis. I haven't heard anything as to whether this affects the newer MacBooks. Also, no news yet as to whether it affects a certain range of serial numbers but since I myself have a MacBook Pro I'll be sure to update here whenever any new news pops up.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Bill Gates watches Pirated Content

Bill Gates, in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, admitted to watching pirated content on YouTube. Here is how it went down:

WSJ: You watch physics lectures and Harlem Globetrotters [on YouTube]?

Gates: This social-networking thing takes you to crazy places.

WSJ: But those were stolen, correct?

Gates: Stolen's a strong word. It's copyrighted content that the owner wasn't paid for. So yes.

So the world's richest man in the world and CEO of a company that has software which is pirated constantly pirates physics lectures and the Harlem Globetrotters. Absolutely hysterical.

TiVo Desktop Update 2.3 brings iPod support

TiVo has now released a new Desktop Update version 2.3. Version 2.3 now costs $25 and will allow you to convert files to MPEG-4 or H.264. Basically, the new update adds support for your iPod, PSP, Treo, Nokia phone, and any other device that has support for MPEG-4 or H.264 files.

The other addition that the update provides automatic transfers of recordings to your PC overnight.

Go here for the update.

If I'm not mistaken this update has no support for Macs and only Windows 2000/XP.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Netflix to offer Downloadable Movies

Netflix VP Eric Besner has announced that Netflix will soon offer a set-top box that will allow you to download movies.

For example, I want to get the newest rental available and instead of adding it to my online Netflix queue I would just add it to my TV queue and it would download overnight so I could watch it the next day. The set-top box will be connected to the internet and to your TV and will allow you to watch movies on your TV.

The business model has not been worked out which means that pricing, hard drives, how long you keep the movies, etc are unknown.

VP Besner said this is just one of Netflix's internet plans.

Command & Conquer 3 to come to Xbox 360

Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars will be coming to the Xbox 360. EA’s Vice President of Creative Development Louis Castle said in an interview with Gaming Steve that an Xbox 360 version of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars is currently being developed. His exact words were "They're definitely gonna release it for the 360, you heard it here."

Currently there isn't a single Real Time Strategy (RTS) game available for the 360 even though that will change with Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II. LoTR: BfMEII "boasts a new and intuitive console-specific control scheme that will allow novice players to enjoy the game's signature strategy gameplay while giving expert players the flexibility needed to engage in a deeply complex strategy experience. Players will directly control hundreds of units in an attempt to defeat enemy armies, conquer new lands, and seal the fate of Middle-earth."

The same team that developed the Battle for Middle Earth console-specific control scheme is developing the Command & Conquer 3 game for the Xbox 360. Command & Conquer was previously available for the N64, PS1, and Sega Saturn and wasn't that great of a game because it did not allow the fast micro-management that is used for RTS games.

Opera 9 released

Opera 9 has been officially released with a load of new features. Opera is a good browser that I detailed for a full week in a segment called A Week at the Opera. There I outlined what was good and bad about the Opera browser.

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI
Part VII

Here are the new features in Opera 9:

BitTorrent

You don't need a separate BitTorrent application to download large files. Simply click a torrent link and start the download.

Content blocker

Remove ads or images - it's up to you. Right-click (CTRL-click on the Mac) on the Web page and choose "Block content".

Add your favorite search engines

Right-click on the site's search field and select "Create search" from the menu.

Thumbnail preview

It is easy to have many tabs open at once in Opera. But exactly which tab had that video you wanted? Hover your mouse on any tab to see a thumbnail preview.

Site preferences

Want to view a site in a different way or deny certain cookies? Want to block pop-ups on certain sites only? Right click and select "Edit site preferences".

Widgets

Small Web applications (multimedia, newsfeeds, games and more) that make your desktop experience more fun. Use the Widgets menu to discover new widgets and access your favorites. Visit widgets.opera.com to learn more.

Improved rich text editing

Use advanced text editing features for today's most popular Web applications.

Monday, June 19, 2006

TechWrap is back from a Short Break

Hello all. I just would like to say that I am back from my vacation and appreciate everyone that bore with us through our lack of articles. I tried accessing a computer but all I had time for was email.

A lot of things have happened and I've missed out but tomorrow's a new day so I'm not going to go back and write stories on old news.

iTunes Movie Store coming soon?

MacRumors is reporting some rumblings about an iTunes Movie Store. Here is what they said:

"Variety has posted an update on negotiations between Hollywood execs and Apple on the rumored iTunes Movie Store. According to the report, negotiations are still ongoing with Hollywood execs, who don't know whether to regard Jobs as a friend or foe.

"He came in with a lot of bravado and said, 'We set our mind to what we were going to do in the music business and revolutionized it, and now we want to do the same thing with film," recalls one studio person close to the talks for movie downloads.

Movie execs anxious to beat piracy are debating how much power to give Jobs, who recently was successful in strong-arming music executives into sticking to a flat $.99 (USD) pricing model per song. Movie execs are hoping to have a tiered model, whereas Jobs is insisting that movies be sold at an easy-to-remember $9.99 (USD).

On March 14th, Apple made its first full-lenth TV movie feature available on the iTunes Music Store at $9.99 USD. The movie seemed to indicate that much of the technical groundwork had been laid for iTunes movies, with only content left to be obtained.

Also complicating the deals: The studios are working out terms with a host of other distributors, including Amazon, Movielink and BitTorrent, in part to make sure that one company does not dominate. It seems that none of the studios wants to be first in making a deal with Apple. Disney would be the logical leader, but even they are cautious, fearing it will look like in-house synergy rather than a business decision.

Movie studios have been rolling out their own movie services in past months, including Starz's Vongo (subscription-based) and Universal's own download-to-own store."

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Flock, the browser, releases Public Beta

Back in October of '05 I first talked about a developer beta of Flock, a web browser built on Firefox. Well now Flock has released an official beta (version 0.7). I'm using it right now and it looks very good. Flock supports Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux and is free for download (of course). The look and feel is better (in my opinion) than Firefox and I was able to import bookmarks, RSS feeds, and everything else in less than a second.

The default search engine is Yahoo but you can easily change that. Flock stresses photos with built-in Flickr and Photobucket support. Not only does Flock have Live Bookmarks like Firefox but it also has a Feed reader where you can look at the articles themselves.

Flock also has built-in blogging where you can drag and drop photos. In Flock you can also favorite sites and tag them via del.icio.us. Although it works great and I really like Flock I'm not going to use it. I have a lame reason but it is important to me. The kicker was that with the live bookmarks I couldn't drag and see the RSS feeds. To see the RSS feeds you have to click every single seperate feed. I like to save time and Firefox allows me to do that.

White MacBook Yellow Discoloration FIX [UPDATED]

Like the TechWrap previously reported, there have been some MacBook discoloration problems on white MacBooks. The colors range from yellow to gray to burnt orange. This is a fairly new problem but gladly someone has found a fix.

That someone was a man by the name of gavers; he used nail polish remover to do the trick. Here is what he said:

"I found that Non-acetone nail polish remover cleans it up nicely. Only problem, my fingers feel like sand paper after using it.

You should use clear, or blue colored Non-acetone nail polish remover. If you use another color it will slightly tint your MacBook that color. Do not use acetone based, or isopropyl alcohol, those may damage the plastic."

Many seem to say that it has worked although it hasn't worked for everyone. ACETONE or isopropyl alcohol based nail polish remover can melt plastic so stay clear of that.

UPDATE: A couple of commenters noted that in the previous paragraph I said non-acetone will melt plastic which contradicts all the previous stuff before it. Thank you to Mark 2000 and Anonymous for pointing that out so I could fix it. The truth is that ACETONE based nail polish remover will melt plastic and not the other way around.

Here are some before and after pics (an old iBook I know but this fix works just fine on Macbooks):

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

PS3 Controller Spelling Mistake (what is up with Sony?)

Kotakuite Oly hit Sony's super swish Ginza showroom, which was not only displaying the PlayStation 3 for all to see, but a glaring spelling error. Instead of "Select" the controller says "Serect."

This was at a showroom so I guarantee this won't be on actual PS3 controllers and I'm pretty sure this is the only one of its kind but this is hilarious. Wow, Sony just can't do anything right. The last good thing that I've written about Sony is free online play. Besides that though I really can't think of anything good.

Feedburner adds Dashboard Widget Support?

For a couple of weeks now the TechWrap has had a Dashboard Widget that I made using Dashcode. That widget is a basic RSS feed that I made using Feedburner. Since that time though I have not been able to see any statistics for how many subscribers there were etc.

This morning I was checking my account when I noticed that the Widget RSS feed I made now has actual stats. When I looked at the RSS reader it said this:

" Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/418 (KHTML, like Gecko)"

I'm 100% positive that this is for widgets and I am happy to see that Feedburner has added widget support. I've never had any problems with Feedburner so I presuming that this is not a fluke but real support for Dashboard.

If you want the TechWrap widget then download it here. If you don't know what RSS is then go here.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Vid: Motorola Q running Pocket NES (Mario)

This is a video of the Motorola Q running Mario. I thought it was pretty cool and I guess I'm a geek but I would love to get a cell phone that I could play some classic games on.

I Got A Free XBOX 360! 100% FREE

Yes it is true. I did get a free Xbox 360. The trick is this company called FreePay. All you have to do is a simple offer like Blockbuster Online and then refer some friends to do the same. For the Xbox 360 I had to refer 8 friends and once I did I was able to get a Free Xbox 360 and they shipped it to me free. If you would like an Xbox 360 then go here. Right now I am trying to get a Free iPod Video. Go here if you would like one. I only need one more referral to get a Free iPod Video so I'm pretty excited. Jump on the bus while you can and get your free Video iPod. Also, I'm doing another site for a free MacBook. Check it out here if you want to do it. Here are some proof pics:

Sony to have Free Online Play

Sony is believed to offer free Online Play for their upcoming PS3 based on Ken Kutaragi. Their online service is rumored to be called HUB. Here are the comments by Kutaragi:

"We don’t charge for the basic functions of the network like matching services. Things like that are taken for granted on a PC, aren’t they? There’s the feeling of why a game console gets to charge for a service that’s normal on a PC. So, we just made the basic services available, and based our business on the contents," he said.

This seems like pretty concrete evidence for free online play on the PS3.

Kutaragi also stated that he wishes to sell "content" online although it is unclear what type of content (though that 60GB HD could hold a lot of "content").

This seems like a logical explanation and makes me wonder why I am paying for my Xbox Live. I wonder what Microsoft will do in response by hope they make Xbox Live free (doubt it). This could be some justification for the high price of the PS3 and some users may just see it this way. We'll just have to see if it'll work.

Apple releases new Get a Mac Ads

Apple has unveiled three new Get a Mac ads named "Out of the Box", "Touché" and "Work vs. Home." Reports circled around this morning of the new ads when some guys were watching CNN. Now the ads have been officially released on Apple.com and can be watched in HD.

"Out of the Box" showcases the Mac's ability to be used straight out of the box without having to install or rid the computer of software. "Touché" showcases Boot Camp while "Work vs. Home" showcases the great things you can do with a Mac vs making spreadsheets in XP.

White MacBook Discoloration Problems

It seems that some users in an Apple Discussion thread have reported discolorations on their MacBooks. It seems that the colors range from gray to burnt orange. The discolorations are only on white MacBooks and seem to be pretty bad (just look at the pics below). One guy was able to send his MacBook in for a fix-up but other than that no one has gotten lucky.

Apple seems to have deemed it a cosmetic issue which they generally do not address. If this has happened to you than I suggest you take your MacBook to your nearest Apple Store because you will probably get better service than on the phone. However, if you don't have an Apple Store near you then I suggest getting on the phone and complaining like hell.

Motorola RAZR to get iTunes

First came the ROKR, then the SLVR, now it's the RAZR's turn. Like the two previous phones the RAZR will get iTunes-compatibility in its next update slated for this month. The RAZR V3i was originally unveiled in November 2005 and was slated for the US shortly thereafter but was delayed.

The iTunes RAZR will have a 100 song limit and will sport a 1.23 megapixel camera and a micro-SD expansion slot. The phone will be a Cingular-exclusive.

CBS shows added to iTunes

CBS shows have been added to the TV shows section of the iTunes Music Store. The shows include Survivor, NUMB3RS, and the CSI series. Previously, CBS' only offering was the NCAA tournament.

This means that the top 4 networks on TV are now on iTunes (FOX, NBC, ABC, CBS).

On a side note I just would like to address the recent decline in articles on the TechWrap. This is because I have been on vacation and will go back on vacation later this week so please bear with us. Thank you.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

ThePirateBay is Back with Search

ThePirateBay is now officially back with search restored. It looks like no matter what no can bring these guys down.

ThePirateBay is an online torrent search engine where you can download umm...stuff. ThePirateBay is known for spitting in the face of Hollywood and making public insults at the MPAA and RIAA.

Review: Google Spreadsheets

Like reported yesterday, Google Spreadsheets is now a beta. You can signup for the beta and give it a go. I was fortunate to get an email this morning and gave Google Spreadsheets a go.

First off I noticed that there is rarely any type of lag and seems very good for an online spreadsheets application. You can download your spreadsheets in .xls or .csv or get the html of your spreadsheet.

I messed around with my spreadsheet for quite some time and I must say that the 'share' feature could be really useful. You can allow people to edit your spreadsheet or view your spreadsheet. All you have to do is enter their email address and your friends can get their spreadsheet on. Also you can chat with them via the spreadsheets window which is a necessity.

I tried inviting one of my other email addresses that was a gmail account. I was able to access it and see that myself (my 1st email) and myself (my 2nd email) were viewing it at the same time. With my 2nd email I had not signed up for the beta but was able to access the spreadsheet. Than, I signed out and tried logging into Google Spreadsheets with my non-beta account and it worked! Seems like you can invite people to Google Spreadsheets indirectly. So if anyone misses out on the beta than just post your email in the comments and I will send you an "invite". If you are uncomfortable putting your email than just email me (look in the sidebar and my email is there).

How is this going to be useful in the business world? Why thank you for asking. Example scenario: Say I'm a business exec and I've just made a spreadsheet but I need my boss to check it out and make sure it is ok. I made the spreadsheet in Excel so I just import it into Google Spreadsheets. I invite my boss via email and he logs in and gets to see the spreadsheet. Then, we chat it up and make some edits and when all is said and done we cut out a lot of hassle and the constant sending back and forth of the document.

I believe Office 2007 will have a feature similar to this called Live Meeting; i think. I'm not sure so don't quote me. However, I think it will cost some money which I definitely would not pay for.

One thing that somewhat bugged me is that there isn't as much integration as I would have hoped. Really, you can integrate this with all that much but I found something. In Google Analytics there is a save as .csv file. I did and it downloaded to my computer. I wish it would have given me the option to open it in Google Spreadsheets instead. I gave some feedback to Google and hopefully this will be implemented soon.

Personally, the only reason I would use this is for the real-time sharing feature because I've already forked over plenty of money for Microsoft Office for Mac and trust I'm going to use it if I've got it. Spreadsheets seems to be secure enough but I don't know if business execs fear having corporate info placed on the web (although anyone good enough could just look at emails and get the documents from there).

Overall, I've got to give Google Spreadsheets a 5/5 because it does everything you want it to, works great, feels like an application instead of being online, and it enables real-time sharing.

Apple releases Updated U2 iPod

Apple has re-released the U2 iPod complete with video and shiny black and red. The only main design difference is an all-black stainless steel casing. Pricing is at $329 and the extra $30 that you fork over is for an iTunes Music Store coupon that will get you an exclusive 30-minute video with music and interviews.

The U2 iPod comes with 30GB and engraved autographs of each band member on the back. Here are some photos:

Picture of the back: