Macworld Reviews and First Looks

Brenthaven Trek Sleeve

Looking for good laptop protection on the cheap? Brenthaven's Trek Sleeve, an updated version of last year's MacBook Sleeve, offers similarly impressive bang-for-the-buck.

Review: PCalc 1.0.2 for iPhone and iPod touchIf you’re a fan of PCalc for the Mac, you can now get the same number-crunching goodness on your iPhone.
Review: BusySync 2.1.6If you want family members or colleagues to see and edit your iCal calendars, BusyMac’s BusySync 2.1.6 may be just the tool you need. It syncs calendars among Macs (with the same or different users), among user accounts on a given Mac, and between your Mac and Google Calendar—in any combination.

Latest Reviews and First Looks

Brenthaven Trek Sleeve
Looking for good laptop protection on the cheap? Brenthaven's Trek Sleeve, an updated version of last year's MacBook Sleeve, offers similarly impressive bang-for-the-buck.
Review: PCalc 1.0.2 for iPhone and iPod touch
If you’re a fan of PCalc for the Mac, you can now get the same number-crunching goodness on your iPhone.
Review: BusySync 2.1.6
If you want family members or colleagues to see and edit your iCal calendars, BusyMac’s BusySync 2.1.6 may be just the tool you need. It syncs calendars among Macs (with the same or different users), among user accounts on a given Mac, and between your Mac and Google Calendar—in any combination.
Review: 1Password for iPhone
1Password is an excellent web site login and secret-keeping application on the Mac. How well does its new iPhone counterpart work?
AppleJack 1.5
AppleJack is a nifty utility that lets you access a number of troubleshooting tools at startup, even if you don't have an OS X disc.
Review: Hear 1.0
Hear enhances audio by letting you apply a range of effects via a paned interface. It is quite configurable through its 13 tabs, which have controls for modifying EQ, enhancing 3-D space, and applying limiting and compressor effects (for limiting volume peaks and generally smoothing out volumes).
Review: File storage and viewing apps for iPhone
Those looking to store and view files on their iPhone have a trio of apps to chose from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
Review: NetBarrier X5 firewall
Intego's NetBarrier X5 looks like a nice alternative to OS X's built-in firewall. But its tendency to block legitimate network traffic could make it a poor choice for home users.
Review: Crossword puzzle apps for iPhone
2 Across and Crosswords let iPhone and iPod touch users download and solve crossword puzzles on the go.
Review: OWC Mercury Pro Dual Layer disc burner
There’s actually a mechanism created by Samsung that can write DVD±R at 20X, and it’s found in OWC’s Mercury Pro DVD-/+RW Samsung Super Writemaster 20X external DVD burner.
Review: Dive Planner for iPhone
If you’re a scuba diver who relies on dive tables, Dive Planner greatly simplifies the task of finding pressure groups for both initial and repetitive dives.
Mac MagSaver protects MagSafe connectors
The Mac MagSaver helps keep your MagSafe connector and its cable happy together.
iPod touch case roundup: Two grips and a shade
In this week's iPod case roundup, Roman Loyola looks at three iPod touch cases: Griffin's FlexGrip, ShadesCases Shades, and Speck's ArmorSkin.
Review: Yelp for iPhone
Some Yelp fans may be disappointed by the limitations of this mobile version for the popular business directory site. But the Yelp iPhone applications offers a useful and easy way to find nearby businesses.
Review: LaCie d2 DVD±RW with LightScribe disc burner
If you’re looking for the fastest DVD burner for writing at 20x (single-layer) and 12x (dual-layer) speeds using compatible media, the d2 is an excellent choice.
Review: Internet radio apps for iPhone
Think video killed the radio star? Think again—a vast selection of content remains available via Internet radio. And several apps are available via the App Store to help you listen to that content through your iPhone or iPod touch.
Review: iPhone fantasy football draft tools
The football season is about to kick off, which means fantasy leagues are holding their annual drafts. A pair of apps aim to help you with your pre-draft preparation. Do they deliver?
Review: Platinum Solitaire for iPhone
Other iPhone-based solitaire games offer a wider scope. But Platinum Software ups the ante when you opt for the Casino version of the card game.
Benchmarks: Western Digital Scorpio Black laptop hard drive
Quiet, efficient, and only marginally hotter than your standard laptop hard drive, the Scorpio Black is an attractive drive for any high-performance seeking user.
Promising Prospect: FlexCal 1.0
FlexCal lets you create new iCal events and to-do tasks without having to launch iCal.