Section: Macintosh / Apple Hardware , Desktop Macs , iMac , Mac mini , Mac Pro , Laptops , MacBook Air , MacBook , MacBook Pro , Discontinued Products , eMac , iBook , PowerBook , PowerMac Perhaps one of the best known sounds in the geek universe is the startup gong that we Mac users hear almost every time we start up our machines. While it in and of itself is just one of the many noises our computers make on a daily basis, it has made quite a name for itself, and is surprisingly calming. After all, Wall-E also used this sound in the Disney movie when he was done charging. In the video below, you will find an extremely fascinating interview held with the creator of this sound who was an Apple engineer responsible for pretty much any possibility of noise coming out of our Macs. The man, Jim Reekes, proves to be a pretty interesting character, and reveals some great stories behind how and why he created the sound that he did. Perhaps the most surprising part to me was how much time he put into making one sound that became so popular among the Apple crowd. Clearly his work paid off and he has now made one of the most recognizable sounds around. While it doesn’t appear like something all that great, I’d certainly love to be able to say that I created the startup gong – it’d be a wonderful conversation start, that’s for sure. Via

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Story behind Apple startup sound revealed in interview with its creator

It’s that time of the year, patent lawsuit time. Apple has unleashed its lawyers on the folks over at HTC. We wonder why HTC was the target of the suit and not Google. A new Mac mini rumor merges with HDMI hitting the port mix. What does this mean for the Apple TV? And finally Netflix is asking its customers if they would like an iPhone/iPad app. Uh, yes. Plus, we answer your hard-hitting Twitter and Facebook questions! Okay, they weren’t that hard-hitting. Got a question, but you’re afraid to leave a voice message because of Witness Relocation Dept. rules? Drop us a question via Twitter twitter.com/maclife

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Podcast #130: Apple Sues HTC and Mac mini Rumors

Section: Rumors , Macintosh / Apple Hardware , Desktop Macs , Mac mini According to sources over at Apple Insider, we may see the first Macs sporting HDMI connections on the market in the near future. Apparently, prototypes of a new Mac Mini have been seen that contain connections for both DisplayPort and HDMI, but otherwise look the same. While the Mac Mini is at the lower end of Apple’s market as far as computers go, it does make sense that it would be one of the first (other than the Apple TV) to have an HDMI port since it is built upon the principle of bringing your own peripherals. Interestingly enough, the Apple TV HDMI spec allows for the transfer of both audio and video rather than just video like DVI or DisplayPort ports, eliminating the need for a second audio cable connection to the device. This would make it even easier to place a newer Mac Mini as a sort of digital media hub in one’s home. While it is just a rumor, I’d love to see an HDMI connection on the Mac Mini rather than just simply updating the specs as they usually do. Via [ Apple Insider ] Product [ Mac mini ] Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell . | Comment on this Article »

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Rumor: HDMI may make its way to Macs

Filed under: Hardware , Multimedia , Rumors , Apple , Mac mini The picture above comes from AppleInsider , who are claiming that Apple is about to release a Mac mini with an HDMI port in place of the current DVI connector. And that sound you just heard was hundreds of thousands of mini-based entertainment center owners everywhere crying out in excitement, as a mini equipped with HDMI would be helpful indeed — not only would it be super easy to hook your mini (and any other Macs that were granted the compatibility) up to any HDMI-equipped TV, but you’d be able to send sound, too, in just one easy cable rather than trying to work out separate solutions for both video and audio. The rumor’s a little far fetched (AppleInsider only cites “sources,” and we all know how reliable those can be), but still, it would be nice. AI also claims that Apple is working on a proprietary adapter for DisplayPort-to-HDMI connections, since space is currently at a premium on other Macs and MacBooks. That would be a real shakeup — it would eradicate the current market of third-party adapters at the very least. And they’d have to update the DisplayPort technology to include audio, so any HDMI adapter could run audio out as well. We’ll see — hold off on purchases for now, but know that Apple may be headed to HDMI-ville sooner rather than later. Rumor: Apple prepping HDMI Macs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Rumor: Apple prepping HDMI Macs originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

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Rumor: Apple prepping HDMI Macs

The simple if unsatisfying answer to the question of when to buy a new Mac is when you need one . There’s nothing a Mac bought a year ago can’t do today, and nothing a Mac bought today won’t be able to do a year from now, just not as well. That’s the problem for those seeking to maximize the value of their next purchase. If one believes the hype from none other than Steve Jobs himself, Macs are going to “take Apple to the next level” in 2010, and who doesn’t want to level up with Steve? But even without the hype, there are three–well, really, two good reasons and one forlorn hope–to wait a while before purchasing your next Mac. While Steve Jobs just pronounced Apple a “mobility” company at the iPad event, it’s actually been one for awhile. More than two out of three Macs sold are laptops, and if you are in that majority you should definitely wait for Arrandale. That’s the mobile CPU from Intel launched at CES under the Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 variants. Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost technologies for improved parallelization and increased speed on demand have resulted in double-digit performance increases without a decrease in battery life. Regarding performance, the desktop Core i5 and Core i7 can already be found in the high-end iMac, which admittedly are quad-core versus dual-core for the mobile versions. Nonetheless, Macworld found the that the “2.66GHz Core i5 iMac is the fastest standard configuration Mac we’ve ever tested,” and can be as fast as Xeon-based Mac Pros.

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Why Not to Buy a Mac (Now)

Apple has been making a big push in recent years to show how “green” its computers are in regards to the environment, and now the diminutive Mac mini has landed a top spot as one of the greenest. In fact, the Mac mini reigns over the top four spots, thanks to Apple offering two models with two different configurations for each. According to TUAW.com , the Sust-it.net website hosts the chart, which breaks down energy use rankings for thousands of home appliances, entertainment devices and personal computers. Taking the crown at top spot is the 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Mac mini, which slurps up a mere .94W when powered off, 1.71W in sleep mode and only 12.6W when powered on but idle. The energy cost per year (sans monitor) is only $5.51 US. Of course, this model is no longer produced by Apple, but the newer 2.26 GHz Mac mini is even more energy efficient, according to Apple. The refreshed model uses only .80W when off and 1.39W in sleep mode, but 13.4W when in idle mode. The Mac minis are Apple’s only showing in the Sust-it.net top 40 for desktop computers, but definitely not on the whole chart. Several models of Mac Pros are ranked between 87 and 111, and the various MacBook models chart high amongst laptop computers (10 in the top 20), with the 1.86 GHz MacBook Air ranking No.

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Mac mini Reigns Big On ‘Green’ Computer List

Ever since I began my quest for the ultimate minimalist Mac experience, I have failed to find an elegant and stable way to control iTunes without using the built-in controller. I thought the solution was in Bowtie , but, unfortunately, that app only provides elegance. After some time it becomes unresponsive. An update will supposedly be released soon, but my patience ran out. Thankfully, I discovered SizzlingKeys , a simple, free way to use hotkeys to control iTunes. Although it isn’t as customizable as Bowtie.app, it still gets the job done without stealing any scarce real estate or eating up the processor. When you use a command, a tiny floating window appears to show you the currently playing song along with its album art. As you can see in the screenshot below, I chose to use the Command and Option keys to initiate each basic control. If iTunes isn’t running when you use a command, SizzlingKeys can open it automatically

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SizzlingKeys: An Easier Way to Control iTunes

Section: Apple , Apple News , Rumors There have been stories floating around the web claiming that Apple is not going to release anymore products this year. With the new 27” iMac , Magic Mouse , and unibody MacBook being released last week, this shouldn’t really surprise anyone. After all, the holiday season is only a month or so away, and I’m not sure Apple would update the products again that soon. However, of interest in this story is how Apple has called the tech website Gizmodo and stated, “The holiday lineup is set” [our emphasis]. Now, isn’t this basically what no more products in 2009 means? While I’m fairly certain we won’t see any new products out of Cupertino this year, I do find it interesting that Apple would bother calling tech blogs in order to clarify something so simple. Perhaps Apple will be announcing new products sometime before the end of the year, but won’t actually be releasing them until early next year? It would seem out of the normal time frame from Apple, but it would make sense if they wanted to let people to know to hold off on a certain type type of product their competitors may already be selling. It’s definitely up for speculation. Full Story » | Written by Josh Holat for Appletell . | Comment on this Article »

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Apple’s “holiday lineup is set” but what does that mean?

My first post on becoming a minimalist with your Mac had great feedback, so I’m back with another round of tips to keep your digital workspace as simple as possible. Reduce Finder Window Clutter Right click on the top of any finder window and select “Customize Toolbar…” Drag out any items you don’t need. For example, I have no idea what to do with that Action menu. Another thing to try is to right-click on the top of the window again and select “Text Only.” This should simplify all of your Finder windows. Browsers Safari Hide Tab bar. Hide Bookmarks bar. Customize your toolbar and remove all unnecessary buttons. Firefox Turn off “Always show the tab bar.” Hide Bookmarks bar. Customize your toolbar by only showing text. Stainless Stainless is an extremely simple to use web browser. Some might view its limitations as disappointing whereas I see them as a means to provide a non-distracting browsing experience. Tabs and a tiny bookmarking sidebar. That’s it.

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5 More Ways to Become a Mac Minimalist

My first post on becoming a minimalist with your Mac had great feedback, so I’m back with another round of tips to keep your digital workspace as simple as possible. Reduce Finder Window Clutter Right click on the top of any finder window and select “Customize Toolbar…” Drag out any items you don’t need. For example, I have no idea what to do with that Action menu. Another thing to try is to right-click on the top of the window again and select “Text Only.” This should simplify all of your Finder windows. Browsers Safari Hide Tab bar. Hide Bookmarks bar. Customize your toolbar and remove all unnecessary buttons. Firefox Turn off “Always show the tab bar.” Hide Bookmarks bar. Customize your toolbar by only showing text. Stainless Stainless is an extremely simple to use web browser. Some might view its limitations as disappointing whereas I see them as a means to provide a non-distracting browsing experience. Tabs and a tiny bookmarking sidebar.

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5 More Ways to Become a Mac Minimalist