Complete my Album. It does exactly what it says on the can.
New iTunes feature: If you've bought individual tracks from a certain album, you can later buy the remainding tracks at a reduced cost. Before today, you could only complete an album by buying the remainding tracks seperately, which is dearer than clicking on the 'buy album' button. Now iTunes knows what tracks you've already bought and subtracts the cost of these from the album cost, so you only have to pay the remainder. Simple really.

BootCamp now runs Vista.

"Changes in Boot Camp 1.2 beta contains several updates and is intended for all new and previous Boot Camp beta users.

Boot Camp 1.2 beta includes:

* Support for Windows Vista (32-bit)
* Updated drivers, including but not limited to trackpad, AppleTime (synch), audio, graphics, modem, iSight camera
* Support the Apple Remote (works with iTunes and Windows Media Player)
* A Windows system tray icon for easy access to Boot Camp information and actions
* Improved keyboard support for Korean, Chinese, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Russian, and French Canadian
* Improved Windows driver installation experience
* Updated documentation and Boot Camp on-line help in Windows
* Apple Software Update (for Windows XP and Vista)"

Here's that Hillary Clinton '1984' movie for all of you who haven't seen it yet.
It's causing quite a bit of fuss at the moment. Even the copyright owners of the original film are complaining that they weren't asked for permission. The same thing happened when Apple made '1984' back in '84 (or was it '83?). The film's owners demanded that the ad must not be aired again. It only aired once during the break in the Superbowl. That was all it needed.

The Universal Adobe Creative Studio has finally arrived.
Hopefully Apple will now bring out an updated Octo-Core PowerMac, sorry MacPro, to get the creative types updating their tired old G5s.
"Adobe Creative Suite 3 is here, and the Intel-based Mac family is ready.
Custom-configure a new Mac today, upgrade to Creative Suite 3 Design Premium for just £699 inc VAT, and even you will be impressed by what you can do."
Models shall be photoshopped to uuber-skinned aliens before you can say 'lettuce diet'.

AppleTVHacks gets the AppleTV OS to run on a MacBook.
Some people just can't stop fiddling, can they?

Nike to put '+' in all trainers.
Being a (four miles in 30 minutes) Nike + user myself, this is good news - you wouldn't believe the trouble I went through to find the Nike+ trainers. NikeTown on Oxford Circus were sold out and many of the trainer chains like Footlocker, JJB and Size? weren't aware of it. I ended up buying mine from John Lewis of all places. Nike+ is an amazing piece of technology and has been the real catalyst to get me running. Apple and Nike have really gone to town on it. Once plugged in you choose your run (distance, calories or time), choose a playlist (I have a special playlist of pacy tracks) and then get running. Once finished, you sync your nano and all info is uploaded to the Nike+ website. Here you can review your history of runs and compare your best, plot routes with Google maps and set goals and challenges with other runners worldwide. Without it I would've lost interest within a week.

TechRestore have posted these internals of the new Apple TV.
Nice, if you like that sort of thing (I do).

Apple TV now officially shipping.
It said so in today's Apple Press Release.
It also wrongfully says that "the seamless integration of Apple TV and iTunes lets users choose from over 400 movies and 350 TV shows in near DVD quality; over four million songs; 5,000 music videos; 100,000 podcasts; and 20,000 audiobooks from the iTunes Store".
You can't buy movies or TV shows from the UK iTunes Store yet. So that's a bit of a lie. Visually, there's just eight short Pixar films but quite a lot of music promos and video podcasts until the UK side pull there fingers out and do something about it.

Redesigned iMac on the way?
AppleInsider have inside information on the redesign of the next iMac. The "computers are about to undergo a substantial facelift that will showcase striking new industrial designs aimed at leaving both competitors and onlookers smitten".
About time too, I say. The boxy G5 iMac never really floated my boat in the first place. That's why, when I decided to get hold of a desktop Mac a few years ago, I plumped on a second hand G4 iMac (above) rather than shelling out for a newer G5 model that I didn't really like the look of. Too square, too boxy, too much plastic around the edge of the display.
I do hope Jonny Ive and his team decide to give some of the old character back to the forthcoming iMac and not just slim it down even further. Get rid of that big white plastic area underneath the display for starters. Yuk! Such a waste of space.
Design something that will drop jaws but also something that brings a smile to the face. Bring back some curves. That's what the old iMacs did, and it's still working for VW's Beetle and BMW's Mini.

Wacom Pens Down. Adobe CS3 Launch Party Time!
Adobe will be holding their Creative Suite 3 launch at the Regent Street Apple Store on 28th & 29th March, between 6.30-8.00pm. There you'll find exactly what is in the box.

Oo-err. Controversial.

More to iSync.
Here's the list of new mobiles that are iSync compatible (courtesy of MacUser - no not that Macuser):
* Motorola K1 Bluetooth + USB
* Motorola K1m Bluetooth + USB
* Motorola V3m Bluetooth + USB
* Motorola L2 Bluetooth + USB
* Samsung D600 Bluetooth
* Samsung D900 Bluetooth
* Nokia N80 Bluetooth + USB
* Nokia E61 Bluetooth + USB
* Nokia E62 Bluetooth + USB
* Nokia N71 Bluetooth + USB
* Nokia N72 Bluetooth + USB
* Nokia N73 Bluetooth + USB
* Nokia N91 Bluetooth + USB
* Nokia N93 Bluetooth + USB
* Nokia 6102 Bluetooth
* Nokia 6103 Bluetooth
* Nokia 6131 Bluetooth + USB
* Sony Ericsson K610i Bluetooth + USB
* Sony Ericsson K790i Bluetooth + USB
* Sony Ericsson K800i Bluetooth + USB
* Sony Ericsson Z525a Bluetooth + USB

Mac OS X 10.4.9 here. Leopard around the corner?

Damn, that means I'll have to bite the bullet and finally upgrade my iMac sooner than I thought.

Here's what the Apple site says about the 10.4.9 version. Looks like they've really sorted things out so they can put Tiger to bed.

"The following improvements apply to both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs unless otherwise noted:

.Mac

* Improves automatic iDisk syncing for customers whose .Mac username contains a period (.).
* Improves overall .Mac Sync performance.
* Addresses an issue with automatic and periodic syncing as set in the .Mac System Preferences panel.
* Reduces .Mac Sync timeouts when syncing large data sets.
* Prevents large amounts of Address Book data from being changed without authorization.
* Addresses an issue which could result in properly unregistering a computer.
* Addresses issues related to syncing a large number of changes to .Mac
* Prevents third-party syncing applications from presenting an extraneous initial sync alert.

Bluetooth

* Addresses a wake-from-sleep issue for Kensington PilotMouse Mini Bluetooth devices when used with a MacBook.
* Resolves issues in which Bluetooth-based devices might not respond after sleep on some computers.

iChat, iCal, and iSync

* Resolves an issue in which iCal reminders may appear off to the side of the screen.
* Resolves an issues in which some events added to particular dates may not display correctly.
* Event notes are now synced between iCal and Nokia N70 phones.
* Adds iSync support for more devices.
* Includes iChat support for USB Video Class webcams.

Networking and modem

* Addresses a permissions issue when copying a file with extended attributes from an AFP share of an Xsan volume, via the Finder.
* Resolves an issue when using kerberos authentication with Active Directory if the user is a member of many groups.
* Resolves performance issues with Intel-based iMacs that could occur when determining high-speed network switches.
* Improves reliability when faxing in France or Belgium via an external Apple USB Modem.
* Adds support for WPA2 encryption in Network Diagnostics.
* Addresses an issue with automatic AirPort connections that use different authentication methods.
* Addresses an issue in which Network Preferences may unexpectedly quit after disconnecting a network-aware USB device while Network Preferences is open.
* Addresses an issue with iMac's maintaining manual duplex settings.
* Internal Apple modem drivers now offer the same robustness as external Apple modem drivers.
* External USB modems now report DLE-d for busy tone detection.
* Adds modem support for Russia.
* Fax receiving now works when the country code is set to France.
* Resolves an issue with dialing a modem in pulse mode to an ISP.
* Resolves an issue in the Open dialog when browsing AFP volumes within applications using Rosetta.
* Resolves a printing issue that could occur with applications using Rosetta, while logged in as Active Directory User that has an SMB home directory.

Printing

* Resolves a printing issue with applications using Rosetta while logged in as an Active Directory User with SMB home directory.
* Resolves an issue in which temporary files might use excessive disk space when printing to some third-party printers.


Aperture

For information on the benefits this update includes for Aperture, see this article.


Third-party

* Resolves issues for these third-party applications that use Rosetta: LEGO StarWars, Adobe InDesign, H&R Block TaxCut, Big Business' Big Business 5.1.0.
* Resolves an issue in which Adobe Arno Pro Italics fonts might not install in Font Book.
* Resolves an issue for Microsoft Word in which OpenType Fonts may not display correctly; this update also addresses OpenType font issues using Word 2004.

Other

* Improves the reliability of OpenGL-accelerated graphics in Blizzard's World of Warcraft.
* Improves the reliability of OpenGL-based applications on Mac Pro computer with Nvidia graphics cards.
* Includes updated security certificates.
* Includes the Daylight Savings Time Update (released February 15, 2007) which contains the latest worldwide time zone and Daylight Saving Time (DST) rules as of January 8, 2007.
* Resolves a toggling issue when zooming using the Command-Alt-8 key combination (Universal Access).
* Resolves an issue in which some USB printers may stop printing in Classic.
* Addresses an issue in Classic in which an iMac G5's built-in iSight camera might stop responding.
* Improves validation of disk images.
* Includes improved support for USB devices in Classic.
* Improves support for files with ".ac3", ".m2v", and ".m4v" filename extensions.
* Improves performance when transferring from a P2 USB reader in the Finder.
* Resolves an issue in which DVD player might not play a track that's longer than 3 hours.
* Addresses a display issue that could occur in X11.app running in 256-color mode on an Intel-based Mac.
* Addresses EAP-FAST in PAC mode issue in a TLS session.
* Addresses an issue in which incorrect encoding could be used for the files created by the “New Text File” Automator action on Intel-based Macs.
* Includes recent Apple security updates."

Apple Needs a budget entry-level system.
...if it did, I wouldn't have spent Friday night ordering a Dell on behalf of my Mother-in-Law.
I'm sorry to say that she will be upgrading from a G3 iMac to a Dell Dimension C521. She came over on Friday night and we got talking about her computer upgrade. The sad thing is, she would have preferred a Mac if there was one cheap enough.
The plan was to get online and look up the price of refurbed Mac minis on Cancom's website. She was amazed that her iMac had given up the ghost so soon! (It's a G3 for pity's sake). The cheapest available was a Apple Mac mini G4 1.25GHz (512MB/40GB/ComboDrive/ENet/56K inc OS X 10.4). Now for someone who expects a computer to last as long as she did, I was feeling a bit guilty for even suggesting something that didn't even have an Intel Processor. Also including a cheap-as-chips 15" display, it would have totted up to about £500. I recommended that it would be better to buy brand new. Cancom offer a Mac mini/17" display bundle for just under £590 (remember - she's living on a pension).
That's when, deep inside, I knew the battle was lost. It would be very wrong to let her spend that much on something that she'll only use for email and the internet. I paid Dell a visit.
I was annoyed to find that she could purchase a small Dell Dimension with a 19" flat panel (bigger than my iMac's), 512MB Ram, a 320GB(!) SATA hard drive, with a CD-RW/DVD-ROM for less than £450. OK, it did only have an AMD Sempron processor inside, but most of the spec pisses on that of a Mac mini. And as Steve Jobs has spent the last year telling us that Windows Vista is a carbon copy of Mac OS X, then she should have no problem figuring out where everything is (if I set it up correctly). It'll be with her in two weeks. She also signed up for an exclusive £12.99, Tiscali broadband 1MB Unlimited deal.
'But there's no iLife' I hear you say. Mothers-in-Law don't want to make webpages, lay down some funky tracks or edit home movies. She can make do with free copy of Photoshop Elements (that came with her scanner) and iTunes? No problem. (It runs a lot quicker on my Dell at work that it does on my G4 iMac).
The main point of difference comes down to wonga. £450 or £590?
I guess Mitchell & Webb will never be comparing price. No wonder Mr Dell is smiling.
Come on Apple. You're not making it easy for me, are you?
(Shit, I sound like one of those fake marketing bloggers.)

The Naughty Step is Always Serious.
Apple are airing some new ads from the 'Get a Mac' campaign. Two are just UK versions of US ads, but this one, 'court' and 'magic' are written especially for us Brits. Bless.

Get your handkies ready...

Today's Apple News from The Onion:
It looks like this is product is going to be huge and could change everything.

Apple Unveils New Product-Unveiling Product

SAN FRANCISCO—Apple claims the iLaunch can garner the same amount of press attention as a major scientific discovery, high court ruling, celebrity meltdown, or natural disaster at 200 times the speed of a traditional media-fostered launch.

Put it away Steve!
This photo has popped up on Flickr.
It's a phone-cam pic of Steve jobs talking into his iPhone at a kid's football match.
"Look at me dad! I nearly scored. Oh sorry. I did realise you were still at work." A little sad, really.

Upgrade your old iPod mini with a flash drive.
I think it only works with 1st generation minis, but the Geektechnique has done it and his works alright. Of course, with a flash drive instead of a micro drive, the player will be more stable and use less power. These days you can pick up a 4GB Compact Flash Cards for around £40. As always, don't attempt this sort of thing if you have a nervous dispostion.

Good old Woz.
I can't see the other Steve doing something like this.
The clip is from a new film, In Search Of The Valley. It's "the story of three friends' personal journey into the psyche of Silicon Valley, when in September of 2004 they swapped London for California, spending one month visiting and talking to many of the valley's heavyweights and biggest personalities."
Here's another sneak peak:

Sony's Video Walkman.
It was launched on Friday and looks nice. Not as nice as an iPhone though.

I like iLike.
There are a few products of the Web 2 that I've been slightly addicted to - YouTube (isn't everyone?), Flickr (the photo sharing extravaganza) and iLike.
iLike is a music-based community site (remarkably it's still a Beta version). You start it by signing up and downloading the iLike toolbar. This is an iTunes plugin that can be used by Mac or Windows user - the Windows version works better, sadly. This keeps tags on your music playing habits, noting recently played, most played and recently added (windows only) tracks and displays them on your iLike profile page (you can see mine here). It was at this point I (and everyone else) discovered that my most played track was the theme tune to Rosie & Jim. Luckily there' a way of removing certain tracks from your list. Now it shows OutKast's "Hey Ya'.
Once your profile is up, you can start searching for other users with similar music tastes. You can do this by randomly clicking on people and letting iLike work out your musical compatibility. You can also click on your preferred artist's pages and see who else likes them. When you've found someone with a high compatibility rating you can invite them to be your friend. If they agree you can start browsing through their profiles, looking for interesting stuff. Your friends appear on your homepage where you can instantly see the tracks that they last recommended. The most useful features I've found are that when on a friend's profile you can click on 'Discover songs {friend} has that you don't...'. Also you can listen to a preview of their songs. Even though some may not have previews , once you've started listening, it'll preview the whole list of tracks one be one. If you want, you can expand the track info to see the album it came from, see other users who also have it, recommend it, and view the video (if it has one). To help your new buddies out, you add songs to an 'iLike' list and write your own quick description on why you think the song is so great.

If you like free tracks, you can use the iLike toolbar.As you listen to your collection the said toolbar recommends a selection of related music and free tracks to instantly add to your library. These free tracks are usually pretty good and are tracks offered up by artists on the GarageBand community site (nothing to do with the Apple app). To be honest, they're usually better than most of the songs found on free cover mounted CDs.

f you need to kill some time there's a 'Name that Tune' style quiz that you compete against your group of friends. The quicker you answer, the higher the score. There are different levels of rank but it seems that this is worked out on the number of questions you answer correctly, incorrect answers don't come into it. So as long as you get some questions right, and you play it for long enough, you can beat everyone else. You get to hear so many different types of music playing it, and as the answer is revealed it shows the album and a link to iTunes. Playing this game, I've come to realise that I absolutely detest emo rock (sorry to all you heavy fringed, eyelined readers).
The community feel of iLike is great - much friendlier than mySpace. I often message my 'friends' about new tracks and each other's comments about tracks and artists. Not only are we all music freaks, we're into the same music. Listening to what other people have just listened to enthrals me.

If you're after new ways to find new music and one of those people who can't help flicking through other people's music collections, then this will be right up your alley. Hopefully you should get as much out of iLike as much as I do.

Update for Backup 3 available.
Being a .Mac member, Backup is my prefered choice of software when all goes horribly wrong. Thankfully, nothing has gone wrong yet (touch wood). It was quite simple to set it up to backup my iTunes and home folder automatically every Saturday. Today Apple updated it to version 3.1.1.Significant areas addressed are:

Backup and restore with external drives
Memory management
Restore of bundled file types

Significant?! What does that mean? Wasn't it capable at backing up to my external hard drive before?!