Apple, Mac, iPod and iPhone News

Macworld News

Apple releases Mac OS X 10.6.2
Apple released Mac OS X 10.6.2 on Monday, including a number of enhancements, improvements, and bug fixes.
Google, plaintiffs blow book search settlement deadline
Google, the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers are asking for more time to revise their Book Search lawsuit settlement agreement.
iPhone Central
Apple rejects app because of politician caricatures
A Mad Magazine artist's app has been rejected for including caricatures of Congressional representatives.
iPhone Central
Review: CardPro for iPhone
This organization app lets you keep track of your contacts by snapping a picture of their business cards with the iPhone's built-in camera and entering the name and company. CardPro has the potential to save you time in organizing the business cards you collect, though there are some caveats.
Playlist
Nook e-reader demand delays shipments
Barnes and Noble's Nook e-reader is in such hot demand that the company is already announcing production delays.
iPhone Central
Shazam rolls out paid Encore app, changes free app
Shazam, creators of the popular song-identifying app for iPhone, has released a $5 version with more features and introduced limitations for new users of the free app.
Mac 911
Speed-up iMovie clips
Here's the way to time-compress a very long video clip.
Digital Photo
Finding your photos online
Are you worried about photo theft? Check to see if your photos are being posted without your permission on the Web.
iPhone Central
Google to buy AdMob mobile ad company
Google plans to buy mobile advertising provider AdMob for US$750 million stock, the search giant said on Monday.
Domain auction site faces shill bidding lawsuit
A Miami lawyer has filed a lawsuit against SnapNames.com, saying an employee bid against customers for domain names.
MacUser
New iMacs get touchscreens, courtesy of Troll Touch
Troll Touch brings their touchscreen installation options to the new 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs released in late 2009.
iPhone Central
Lawsuit claims iPhone games stole phone numbers
Storm8 is accused of gathering phone numbers from any iPhone where its free games were installed.
iPhone Central
iPhone Hints: Take self-portraits more easily
If you've tried to take a self-portrait with the iPhone, you've probably been frustrated with the camera's controls. Here's a simple tip to make things a little easier on you.
iPhone Central
Review: WorldVoice Radio for iPhone
There is a lot of potential with this app, which lets you create and upload podcasts to share on the Web. But there are some shortcomings, particularly when it comes to the app's browser-based experience.
Slideshow: Apple's first retail store in France
Pictures from the opening of the first Apple Store in France. The store is located in a high-end shopping mall below the courtyard of the Louvre.
Working Mac
Six ways to botch your backups
Shocked that a company as prominent as Danger, Inc. could lose T-Mobile's Sidekick customers' data? Protect your business backups by avoiding these six mistakes.
Creative Notes
Integrate your iWeb site with Facebook
Here's a few tips on bringing iWeb and Facebook together.
Review: FreshBooks online bookkeeping software
FreshBooks is a Web-based and 256-bit encrypted accounting, time billing, estimate, and invoicing application that seeks to replace desktop-based accounting programs like Quicken, QuickBooks, FirstEdge, and AccountEdge.
iPhone Central
Third Singaporean mobile operator to offer iPhone
Singaporean mobile operator StarHub will start selling Apple's iPhone before the end of this year.
Playlist
Review: Cygnett Maestro iPod speaker dock
Average looks aside, the Maestro produces decent audio reproduction from a speaker dock that won’t offend the ears, or for that matter the eyes.
Analysis: The search market created Microsoft's worst enemy
Microsoft had a reputation for tenacity when it enters new markets. But its efforts have failed to pay off in the area of search.
iPhone Central
First iPhone worm spreads Rick Astley wallpaper
The iPhone's first worm is spreading, but it only affects certain jailbroken iPhones.
iPhone Central
Has Microsoft placed its last mobile bet?
Windows Mobile's share of the mobile market is slipping. What happened? And can Microsoft reverse the slide?
iPhone Central
Review: HTC Droid Eris smartphone
If you want a cheaper Android-based alternative to the Droid and can live without a hardware keyboard, the Droid Eris is a good choice.
LaCie intros Network Space 2 media server and NAS
LaCie on Tuesday revealed the Network Space 2, the follow-up to its Network Space network-attached storage (NAS) and media server.
From the Lab
Review: Sanyo VPC-WH1 HD camcorder
There are only two reasons to buy Sanyo’s Xacti VPC-WH1 HD camcorder, but they’re good reasons: It’s inexpensive, and it’s waterproof.
Playlist
Apple TV 3.0.1 update addresses disappearing content issue
Apple says users who've upgraded to the recently released Apple TV 3.0 software should download this update to prevent a problem where content temporarily disappears from the set-top box until it's resynced.
iPhone Central
Review: FaceFighter for iPhone
With great graphics, cool kung fu sounds, and a multi-player mode, FaceFighter is really entertaining. Add in the ability to create custom foes, and hilarity quickly ensues.
iPhone Central
Update fixes iPhone sync problem with Windows 7 for some
A fix has been issued to repair a problem that prevented Windows 7 users from synching their iPhones.
Primera intros PTPublisher burning and printing software for Mac
Primera Technology, a leading developer and manufacturer of CD/DVD/BD duplication and printing equipment, has announced PTPublisher for Mac.
iPhone Central
Review: Samsung Moment smartphone
Sony may be on the cusp of introducing the PSP Go, a new handheld gaming system that seems to have borrowed some design cues from the iPhone and iPod touch.
Review: JVC Everio GZ-HM400
Designed to sit at the top of JVC’s Everio camcorder line, the GZ-HM400 should give its rivals a run for their money.
iPhone Central
Review: HTC Hero (Sprint) smartphone
Although it has some quirks, the variety of features and the high customizability that the Hero smartphone offers is hard to beat.
MacUser
Apple Store announces Reserve And Pick Up program for the holidays
Apple today announced a Reserve and Pick Up program that allows customers to reserve products online and pick them up at a local retail store between December 15 and 24.
iPhone Central
Review: The Deep Pinball for iPhone
OOO Gameprom returns with another pinball adventure, this one set in a watery underworld. It's a fun game, with the 1.1 update improving upon the original release.
From the Lab
Speedmark 6: Macworld Lab's new benchmark suite
The Macworld Lab has been hard at work tweaking Speedmark, our overall system performance testing tool, to better accommodate Snow Leopard and to test the Macs on which it runs.
Mac 911
Bugs & Fixes: Magic Mouse loses its way
A pair of irritating symptoms have made Ted Landau's experience with Apple's latest mouse less than magical.
MacUser
xGestures updated for Snow Leopard
xGestures is a program that allows mouse movements to trigger menu items, keystrokes, and AppleScripts; it's recently been updated to work with Snow Leopard.
iPhone Central
Review: SketchBook Mobile for iPhone
Autodesk's app is one of the better painting and drawing apps on the iPhone. It's the rare app that appeals to both novices and professionals.
iPhone Central
AT&T profiles specific cities in bid for coverage
AT&T's CTO said the carrier is improving coverage using specific calling models for each city, and moving toward IPv6.