Ask TUAW: Finder thumbnails, wifi connection manager, external drive on PS3, Tiger on an old iMac

In this Ask TUAW we have questions on the need for anti-virus protection, customizing Finder views, connecting automatically to an AFP share, using an external drive with both Mac and PS3, installing Tiger on an unsupported iMac and more.As always, your suggestions are most welcome, and questions for next week should be left in the comments. When asking a question please include which machine you're running and which version of Mac OS X, as certain answers will vary between different Macs and Tiger vs. Leopard, etc. (we'll assume you're running Leopard if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions!Continue reading Ask TUAW: Finder thumbnails, wifi connection manager, external drive on PS3, Tiger on an old iMacRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments

What’s at stake for Apple at Tuesday’s iPod event

After a summer where major product releases were marred by glitches, the best thing Apple can do at Tuesday’s special event is unveil a product that ships when it’s supposed to and works as advertised.

Spore for iPhone due on Sunday

The iPhone version of Spore is due on Sunday, says Electronic Arts Mobile. Called Spore Origins iPhone, the game will not be a port of the computer or clickwheel iPod versions of Spore, but a reworked title meant to take advantage of the iPhone's graphics, multi-touch interface and accelerometer. It will arrive on the same day the game officially launches on the Mac and PC. EA Producer Mike Paga...

Appletell review - nano Case Value Pack and iSkin DuoBand for iPod nano 3G

Section: iPod + iTunes, iPod Accessories, Cases, iPod nano, Features, ReviewIt’s safe to assume at this point that we’ll be seeing the 4G iPod nano at the September Apple event next week. And, with new iPods comes the inevitable flood of new iPod cases, leaving owners of the previous model behind. 3G iPod nano owners need not despair, however, as there’ll certainly be no shortage of cases available to them for quite some time. Here, we’ll take a look at two armband-style nano cases: Gadget Wrap’s nano Case Value Pack and the iSkin DuoBand. For $30, the unfortunately named nano Case Value Pack ($29.99) from Gadget Wrap gets you nearly everything you’d want out of an iPod case: an armband for exercise, a belt clip and lanyard for general use, earcaps for your Apple earbuds, and complete protection from a silicone case and adhesive screen protector. Let’s quickly break it all down. You start by applying the screen protector to the nano’s screen. This is the standard screen protector that comes with many iPod/iPhone cases these days; it goes on easily, allows from some repositioning, and doesn’t leave behind any residue when removed (I should note that a cleaning cloth is also included for fingerprints and such). You then insert the iPod through the screen opening and position accordingly. I found that the case didn’t fit the iPod as snugly as I’d like, but everything still functioned well. A thin membrane covers the click wheel, but doesn’t hamper its use. All bottom controls/ports are left open and exposed. From here, you attach the iPod nano to the versatile belt clip, which provides connectivity to everything else. You can clip it right to your belt, obviously, but also to the included armband or lanyard. The nano is held onto the belt clip only by two arms that reach around the sides, but the fit was tight enough so no slipping occurred. The armband wasn’t the most comfortable I’ve used, but it did the job. Visually, the nano Case Value is kind of pedestrian, coming only in white, pink, blue, black, and black and white models. Design certainly gave way to functionality here, but that’s as it should be. Said functionality carries all they way to the earcaps, which seem superfluous, but I’ll tell you what; if, like me, you have trouble with the Apple earbuds staying in your ears, these earcaps will solve that problem. The silicone provides better friction, which therefore helps to keep them in place. Their design also helps to focus the sound into your ear, so you won’t have to turn the iPod up as high in order to hear it. All things considered, the nano Case Value Pack is easily one of the best iPod nano 3G case values available. The DuoBand ($39.99) from iSkin isn’t quite as functional as the nano Case Value Pack, but it is decidedly better looking. The two color plastic face looks quite striking, although only two designs are available: Amp (metallic on red) and Maxum (onyx on black). The plastic face, complete with attached screen protector, snaps onto a silicone shell, making for a fairly complete iPod nano case on its own. There’s no click wheel protection, but rubber flaps on the bottom cover the dock connector port and the headphone port. You can then slide the iPod nano into the included armband, which is extremely comfortable and flexible. The porous band keeps your skin aerated, and moves quite easily with you. Unfortunately, the functionality ends there. There’s no belt clip or lanyard, so when you remove the armband, you’re left with no method of keeping your iPod nano about your person. Another drawback is that the plastic face rises up too high from the nano, hampering access to the click wheel. You can still get to it, of course, but if you’ve got your nano on your arm during a workout, you shouldn’t have to focus on hitting the click wheel from the appropriate angle. Also, seeing that you have to remove the face from the case before you can get access to your iPod, getting the iPod in and out is a bit more of a hassle than it should be. Both of these cases are high quality and do their job well. The DuoBand is the more attractive of the two and provides a better fit, but the nano Case Value Pack is the better value because of its versatility/functionality and the fact that it’s $10 less expensive than the DuoBand. Pick one up today, and guarantee yourself a few more years of use with your soon-to-be antiquated iPod nano 3G. They grow so quickly, don’t they? Appletell Rating: nano Case Value Pack Buy Gadget Wrap nano Case Value Pack Appletell Rating: DuoBand Buy iSkin DuoBand Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

So Hot Right Now: Top 10 Appletell posts for the week of August 31, 2008

Section: Haven’t caught all of the Appletell news this week?  Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles! Google Chrome: new browser, or the Cloud OS?“By now, Google’s latest announcement is old news: there is a new browser in town. Joining Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Internet Explorer is a new guy, by the name of Chrome. Sporting a WebKit foundation (same as the…” MORE »Apple’s September 9th event is on“ In the last month, rumors upon rumors have been swirling around, including one of a September 9th Apple event.  Today, Engadget claims that the event is indeed set for the 9th (a week from today, Tuesday…” MORE »New iPod or Honest Mistake?“ With the Apple September 9th event around the bend, some things are almost certain, but others, not so much.  Right now, we can pretty much undoubtedly say that something will happen to the iPod Nano,…” MORE »Latest 10.5.5 seed shows fewer issues“Apple seems to be getting through builds of Mac OS X v10.5.5 pretty darn quick. Recent reports show that Apple has seeded two versions of the update, 9F25 and 9F29, within the last week. The same report shows that the number of fixes is…” MORE »Here’s hoping the September event fixes everything.“With the given that there will be a September Apple event, we can now turn to what that event might bring. Of course, everyone’s gone over the new stuff: new iPods, MacBook updates, and all that good stuff.…” MORE »Google to release new browser“There’s a new player the the browser wars, and it’s Google.  Google announced on the company blog today that they will be launching the beta of “Google Chrome” tomorrow morning for Windows, with versions for the Mac and Linux…” MORE »Multi Touch: beyond what you touch“ When the original iPhone was introduced what now seems like so long ago, it sparked a revolution. The Multi-Touch interface that came with the iPhone changed the future of computing. Although the iPhone was not the first device to utilize this technology,…” MORE »O2 details pay-as-you-go iPhone plans“We thought this day would never come, but the moment is upon us. O2, the sole carrier of the popular iPhone in the UK, has officially announced its new Pay-As-You-Go plan for English iPhone users.  Although you will be forking over…” MORE »iPhone could overtake Symbian by 2010“Despite being relatively new to the competition, the iPhone is already a huge threat to the popular smart phone OS, Symbian. Despite the fact that Symbian has been around for about seven years, as opposed to the iPhone 3G’s two months on the market,…” MORE »Lawsuit filed over iPhone 3G performance“It looks like Apple and AT&T will have to answer to the strong hand of the law again. Seems as though some people dislike the iPhone enough to sue over it. In the latest round of iPhone lawsuits, William Gillis has filed suit…” MORE » Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Apple clamps down on Google AdWords

The disappearance of Apple-related advertisements from Google's AdWords service in Australia has resellers fearing online sales leads will evaporate as Apple strengthens its own local retail presence and clamps down on other companies using its trademarks.