Stargate Computers News

Microsoft Updates Office 2008

2009-08-07T06:38:00.002+01:00

Microsoft has updated Office 2008 where people under certain circumstances could not open OXML documents (Office 2007 files). This has now been corrected. The current version is 12.2.1.

Apple Updates OSX

2009-08-07T06:37:00.002+01:00

Apple has updated OSX 10.5 Leopard to 10.5.8. This solves some security issues as well as some bluetooth issues. It is recommended that all users of Leopard update to this release.

Apple also updated OSX 10.4 Tiger with some security updates.

Apple has updated Pro Apps

2009-07-23T20:52:00.002+01:00

Apple today has released new versions of Final Cut Studio and Logic Studio. These Intel only releases include new features such as Advanced Codac Support, New Speed Change Tools, and better 3d support in Motion. Compressor is also easier to use.

More info on the Apple Website.

iPhone 3.0 has been released

2009-06-17T18:48:00.000+01:00

Apple has released iPhone OS 3.0. You can download it through iTunes.

Java Patched for OSX

2009-06-15T22:59:00.000+01:00

Apple has released an update for Java in OSX 10.5 Leopard and OSX 10.4 Tiger. This patches the security hole that e reported here. To get this update run Software Update from the Apple Menu.

New Review

2009-06-15T21:30:00.000+01:00

Dataviz has released Documents To Go for the iPhone. I have done a quick review here.

WWDC News

2009-06-08T18:27:00.002+01:00

New Macbooks, Macbook Pro with SD Cards Slots, Bigger Hard Drive and the same battery that is in the 17" Macbook Pro are coming out.

The final version of Safari 4 will be released today on all platforms.

Snow Leopard will be released on 15th September for $29 for Leopard Users. The Family Pack will be $49 for Leopard Users. It includes some unmentioned features like Dock Expose.

Power PC users will not be able to upgrade to Snow Leopard as there is no support for PowerPC Mac's.

iPhone 3.0 will be out later this summer. For those of you in the UK, the iPhone will support tethering - with an extra cost from o2.

You can also download movies via the iTunes on the phone. Also a new 'Find My Phone' built into Mobile Me. Remote Wipe will be available, also via Mobile Me, on the 16th June.

The new iPhone Software will be released on the 17th June. Free for iPhone Users and $9.95 for iPod Touch Users.

There is also a new iPhone coming out, the iPhone 3GS, it is 2-3x faster than the current iPhone3G with Hardware Encryption built in. It will have a 3MP camera with Autofocus and Video Support.

Also it has improved battery life (5 hours of 3G Talk Time, 10Hours 2G Talk time and 30 hours audio)

16Gb ($199) or 32Gb ($299) versions are available. There will be a 3G version available with 8Gb for $99

The 16Gb and 32Gb will be available on the 19th June and the 8Gb available today.

Windows 7 Release Date Announced.

2009-06-03T10:46:00.000+01:00

Windows 7, the next generation operating system from Microsoft, is to be released on the 22nd October 2009.

Apple Releases iTunes 8.2 in preparation to iPhone OS 3.0

2009-06-01T23:37:00.000+01:00

Apple has released iTunes 8.2 in preparation to the up and coming update to the iPhone and iPod Touch, iPhone OS 3.0 sometime this month. Although the release date of iPhone OS 3.0 has not been confirmed it is widely expected sometime soon after the WWDC Conference on June 8th in San Francisco.

This is a free update available via Apple Update on the PC and Software Update on the Mac. Also Quicktime has been updated for stability issues.

Apple has updated iWork '09 and Macbook Pro Firmware

2009-05-28T23:15:00.001+01:00

Apple has just released iWork '09 Update 2 for iWork '09. This update contains stability issues and file compatibility issues. They have also released a new MacBook Pro EFI Firmware update.

You can access these through the Software Update in Mac OSX.

Windows Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 has been released.

2009-05-27T12:49:00.000+01:00

Microsoft Vista has been updated to SP2. This update includes better Bluetooth support, Blue Ray support and Wifi Support amongst other things. I would recommend anyone who is using Windows Vista to update the systems to this latest version.

Unpached Java In OSX

2009-05-21T16:19:00.001+01:00

There is an un-patched Java security hole in OSX 10.4 and 10.5. I recommend that you turn Java of your web browsers until Apple has released a patch to close this security hole.

Safari

To Do this in Safari open Safari up and goto Safari/Preferences

Then see the graphic below

Make sure that the Java box is unticked.

Firefox

To do this in Firefox goto Firefox - Preferences and see the graphic below.

again make sure that the Java box is unticked.

Thats all there is to it.

Office 2000 and Office Update to retire

2009-05-20T15:16:00.000+01:00

As a reminder, Microsoft Office 2000 leaves extended support on July 14, 2009. Office 2000 patches published on or before July 14, 2009 will remain on the Download Center. For more information, please see the Office 2000 Lifecycle policy.

Starting August 1, 2009, Microsoft will discontinue support for the Office Update website. Customers can access the equivalent functionality of the Office Update site via Microsoft Update. This move will allow us to provide a more simplified and consistent experience for users across Microsoft products. At the same time we will also discontinue the Office Inventory Tool. The July Office Inventory Tool will remain available for download on the Download Center, but it will not be updated after August 1, 2009. We recommend that IT admins who use the Office Inventory Tool switch to Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) for deploying Office updates within their corporate network.

To continue getting the latest updates for Microsoft Office products, use Microsoft Update. For more information see the Office Update FAQ.

New Section added to the Website

2009-05-18T15:14:00.000+01:00

We now have a new section added to our website, Offers. We currently have a PC for sale in there. Its a Duel Core PC with 2Gb of Ram and an 8800GTX Graphic Card for only £150 ! !

OSX 10.5.7 is out.

2009-05-12T21:55:00.001+01:00

You can now download the latest update for Mac OSX 10.5, 10.5.7. You can access this through Software Update on the Apple Menu.

Update Includes :-

General

Includes latest security fixes.

Includes additional RAW image support for several third-party cameras.

Improves performance of video playback and cursor movements for recent Macs with NVIDIA graphics.

Resolves an issue with Dvorak keyboard layout in Mac OS X 10.5.6.

Improves the reliability and accuracy of Unit Converter, Stocks, Weather and Movies Dashboard widgets.

Addresses a situation that may cause issues when logging into Gmail.

Improves reliability when syncing contacts with Yahoo!.

Expansion Slot Utility for Mac Pro now reports the correct PCIe slot configuration.

Improves network performance when connected to certain Ethernet switches that have Flow Control enabled.

Improves stability for network home directories hosted by Mac OS X Server v10.4.

Improves Finder search results for network volumes that may not support Spotlight searching, such as Mac OS X Server v10.4, Time Capsule, and third-party AFP servers.

Includes several improvements to Directory Service and Client Management, which are described in the About Mac OS X Server 10.5.7 Update article.

iCal

Improves overall reliability with CalDav.

Improves reliability when automatically syncing with MobileMe.

Mail

Addresses reliability and sync issues with Notes.

Addresses an issue that may cause the BCC field to populate incorrectly when redirecting a message from the Sent mailbox.

Parental Controls

Improves consistency with Parental Controls and application restrictions.

Addresses an issue in which time limits may not work properly with full-screen games and Fast User Switching.

Printing

Resolves an issue that may cause certain third-party printers to print to the incorrect paper tray.

Non-admin user accounts can now be allowed to add and remove printers by enabling Parental Controls and selecting "Can administer printers".

Includes other printing reliability and stability improvements.

New Review - Bento for iPhone

2009-05-11T21:40:00.000+01:00

We now have a new review for everyone to read, Bento for iPhone, the personal database for everyone has now come to the best smartphone on the planet.

You can view this review here.

Bento for iPhone is out ! !

2009-05-05T17:24:00.000+01:00

Bento, the Mac only personal database for everyone else now has a iPhone/iPod Touch companion. Here at Stargate Computers we are heavy users of Bento mainly because it is an easy to use relational database and can use it on multiple Mac's (See episode 192 of ScreenCastsOnline on how to do this with DropBox). The price for a Family version of this price at the post of this news entry is £59.99 for 5 computers.

The only thing missing was an iPhone companion so we can carry all our important data with us.

Well, this has now arrived. for a small price of £3.99, £2 cheaper than the only other database I could find for the iPhone, HandBase, you can get a fully relation database that work and syncs with Bento 2 for Mac.

After installing the software on my iPhone it took me a total of 2 minutes (would have been less apart from I had to re-setup my wireless network due to a faulty router) I had all my data from Bento 2 on my iPhone.

How easy is it to use though. In one word, Very. As you would expect from a fully owned subsidiary of Apple, the interface is just to logical. Apart from Coverflow (which I don't like and you can turn off) the application is very easy to use. The only gripe about it is search is a bit slow on the iPhone.

If you use Bento on the Mac, then you defiantly need Bento for the iPhone. If you are still using Bento 1 on the Mac, this is worth the upgrade to Bento 2 alone. Quick Review is available here.

iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.4 addresses Boot Camp freezing

2009-05-04T19:24:00.000+01:00

Over the weekend, Apple released an EFI Firmware Update for iMacs with ATI Radeon HD 4850 cards which should fix issues related to waking from sleep. The update is only 1.7MB and can be found via Software Update as well as Apple's website.
According to Apple, the EFI Firmware specifically targets wake-from-sleep issues in Boot Camp. It also sounds as if this fix may address some overall freezing issues for ATI Radeon HD 4850 users that began making the rounds on the Mac Web last month. At that time, users had begun reporting that their iMacs were freezing up regardless of what software or OS was running, though some users noted that it was occurring more frequently when running Windows through Boot Camp.
If you're affected by the problem, this update is definitely for you.

Office 2007 SP2 has been released

2009-04-29T08:14:00.000+01:00

Overview of Service Pack 2 (SP2) improvements
Description of some big areas of improvement that are included in SP2.

Microsoft Office Access

Lets you export reports to Microsoft Office Excel.
Supports memo fields in the mailing label wizard for addresses.
Fixes issues that occur in the import data wizards, in report printing and previewing, in macros, in Excel integration, and in date filters.
Includes updates to Access Developer Extensions.

Microsoft Office Excel

Improves the charting mechanism in Excel 2007. This includes better parity with Office 2003, improved robustness, and targeted performance improvements.
Adds a chart object model to Word and to PowerPoint.
Improves shapes that are surfaced in Excel. This includes better parity with Office 2003 and targeted performance improvements.
Improves the method by which Excel prints graphical content, especially when it prints to PCL printers.
Adds conversion rates to the Excel Euro Currency Tools add-in for the Maltese lira and for the Cypriot pound.

Microsoft Office Groove

Improves Groove 2007 form tools. In particular, international users in certain locales will benefit from correct interpretation of spaces for digit grouping in currency values.
Limits the number of file-sharing workspaces to 64 to make sure that all workspaces can be synchronized. This limit applies only to adding new file-sharing workspaces. If you already have more than 64 file-sharing workspaces, you can continue to use them.
Optimizes synchronization reliability.

Microsoft Office InfoPath

Fixes for overall security and stability in InfoPath 2007
Provides improved compatibility between InfoPath forms and other Microsoft products, such as Groove and Outlook.

Microsoft Office OneNote

Improves SharePoint sync functionality. This helps reduce the load on SharePoint servers, and it helps produce fewer sync errors.
If the OneNote tray notification icon was previously dismissed, the icon will now appear in the notification area. Additionally, this icon can now be dismissed only in the Options dialog box in OneNote.
Adds support for Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for the Japanese language.

Microsoft Office Outlook

Performance improvements that apply to the following general responsiveness areas:

- Startup
  Removes lengthy operations from initial startup.
- Shutdown
  Makes Outlook exit predictably despite pending activities.
- Folder View and Switch
  Improves view rendering and folder switching.

Calendar improvements
Improves underlying data structures and the general reliability of calendar updates.
Data file checks
Greatly reduces the number of scenarios in which you receive the following error message when you start Outlook: The data file 'file name' was not closed properly. This file is being checked for problems.
Search reliability
Improves search reliability when you use SP2 with Windows Desktop Search 4.
Improvements to Really Simple Syndication (RSS)
There are now fewer duplicated items.
Object Model improvements
Now contains many customer-driven fixes.

Microsoft Office PowerPoint

Improves the control of shape editing while you are zoomed in.
Provides faster file resaves.
Improves image quality after files are saved in the .jpeg, .png, and .gif formats.
Provides better text representation when the representation is saved in earlier PowerPoint formats.
Fixes several printer-specific problems.
Provides better compatibility with Explorer preview in Windows Vista.
Provides fuller integration of the Microsoft Office Excel Chart Object Model.

Microsoft Office Publisher

Improves the printing of double-sided postcards and small booklets.
Fixes issues in print preview, in HTML layout of grouped objects in Internet Explorer 8, in tab-stop, in e-mail, in content library, and in Design Checker.

Microsoft Office Word

Improves the fidelity of .pdf and .xps output.
Improves Outlook performance.
Provides fuller integration of the Office Excel Chart Object Model.

Changes that affect multiple products
File formats

OpenDocument Format (ODF) support
SP2 lets you open, edit, and save documents in version 1.1 of the ODF for Word, for Excel, and for PowerPoint. Users of these Office programs can now open, edit, and save files in the OpenDocument Text (*.odt), OpenDocument Spreadsheet (*.ods), and OpenDocument Presentations (*.odp) formats.
Extensible file formats
Extensible File Formats: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint now include a converter interface that lets you plug third-party custom file formats into these Office programs. A developer can create a converter for files of a particular extension. When this converter is installed on a user’s computer, the custom file format effectively behaves like a built-in file format. Specifically, users can open files of this format and save them by using the Open or Save UI. They can even set the custom format as their default file format. For more information, visit the following MSDN Web site: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd300649.aspx
Built-in Save As PDF/XPS support
PDF/XPS support is built into SP2 for Word, for Excel, and for PowerPoint. Users no longer have to download the add-in separately.

Office graphics

Improves application performance when many graphic objects are present, especially for Excel 2007.
Fixes several issues that involve the object model. These fixes let you better achieve parity with Office 2003 when the object model works with graphical objects.
Increases printing fidelity of graphical objects in many scenarios.
A new XML-based representation of each SmartArt graphic in a document is saved with the file to optimize interoperability. This new feature uses the standard DrawingML markup to describe the visual properties of the SmartArt graphic.
Improves the Edit Points feature. This enables more accurate shape editing and increased interoperability with Office 2003.

Office security

Fixes certain scenarios in which documents in trusted locations were treated as non-trusted.
Improves several cryptographic or encryption scenarios.
Provides a method to ignore time stamping expiration.
Provides better security warnings when a certificate is revoked.
An updated password algorithm that is in sync with the document ISO requirements.
Provides an ISO-OOXML-compliant password verifier for Excel, for PowerPoint, and for Word.
Enables smarter AVAPI blocking for encrypted macros.

Podcasts

2009-04-25T22:23:00.002+01:00

I get asked some question on what podcasts do I listen to regular. If you dont know what a podcast is then check out the Mac Tips part of this website and you can subscribe via iTunes to the tips. This is a type of podcast.

The podcasts a listen to the most are Mac20Q, of which you can find at mac20q.com and ScreenCastOnline which can be found at screencastonline.com. Personally I think that these 2 podcasts are the best of there type on the internet and I would strongly recommend that you check them out.

Firefox 3 update improves security, fixes bugs

2009-04-23T09:37:00.001+01:00

Mozilla released a maintenance and security update for Firefox, version 3.0.9, on Wednesday.

Microsoft to end support for Office 2004 for Mac in October

2009-04-21T00:12:00.001+01:00

Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit on Monday told Macworld that it will cease supporting Office 2004 on October 13, 2009.

"In line with Microsoft's standard Support Lifecycle policy, Office 2004 for Mac Mainstream Support will be retired October 13, 2009," the company said in a statement given to Macworld. "The MacBU is continuing to work on updates for Office 2008 for Mac and is hard at work on the next version of Office for Mac."

Office 2004 was originally released on July 13, 2004 and has been updated with security fixes and other updates ever since. Since the release of Office 2008, Microsoft has developed updates for both Office 2004 and Office 2008.

According to Microsoft's support Web site Office 2008 isn't scheduled to be "end-of-life until" April 9, 2013.

Tiscali "close to collapse" could leave 1m without broadband

2009-04-16T15:30:00.001+01:00

Up to 1 million UK residents could be cut off from their internet if UK ISP Tiscali goes into administration.

The beleaguered ISP is said to be suffering financial problems by auditor's Ernst & Young. It has revealed that mounting debts have left the ISP very close to administration.

Service Pack 2 for the 2007 Microsoft Office System due to ship April 28th

2009-04-16T13:54:00.001+01:00

Service Pack 2 adds the ability to open, edit and save documents in version 1.1 of the OpenDocument Format for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. These applications now let users save, open, and edit files as OpenDocument Text (*.odt), OpenDocument Spreadsheet (*.ods), and OpenDocument Presentations (*.odp).

The 2007 Microsoft Office Service Pack 2 is the first service pack to support uninstall of client updates through the Microsoft Service Pack Uninstall Tool for the 2007 Microsoft Office Suite as well as via Windows Installer command line. The Service Pack Uninstall Tool will be available as a separate download.

The Microsoft Save As PDF or XPS add-in has been built into Office applications in SP2. Users no longer have to download and install the add-in separately.

When many graphic objects are present performance has been improved.

In many scenarios, expect increased print fidelity of graphical objects.

Improved interoperability using standard DrawingML markup to describe the visual properties of the SmartArt graphic.

The 2007 Office Suite SP2 has been tested and is supported for Internet Explorer 8. Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2, Windows 7 and Windows Server R2 will all be supported upon their release.

Access

The ability to export reports to Excel has been added.
Fixes for issues with the import data wizards, report printing and previewing, macros, Excel integration, and date filters.

Updates to Access Developer Extensions are now included in SP2.

Excel

The charting mechanism has improved robustness and targeted performance improvements.

A chart object model has been added to Word and PowerPoint.
Improved printing of graphical content, especially on PCL printers.

Groove

Improved form tools.

Synchronization reliability has been improved.

InfoPath

Increased compatibility between InfoPath forms and other Microsoft products, such as Groove and Outlook.

OneNote

SharePoint synchronization has been improved which helps reduce the load on SharePoint servers and produce fewer errors.

Outlook

Performance in startup, shutdown, view rendering, and folder switch has been improved.

Calendar updates, search, and RSS are more reliable.

The object model has been improved.

PowerPoint

Resaving of files is faster. Several printer-specific problems have been fixed.

The Microsoft Office Excel Chart Object Model has been more fully integrated.

Project

The scheduling engine, Active Cache, and Gantt charts all have improvements.

There is additional reliability with earlier versions of the .mpp format.

Publisher

Fixes have been made in the following areas: print preview, compatibility with Internet Explorer 8, e-mail on Windows Vista, and saving to the Content library.

Visio

Improved compatibility with other Microsoft products in several key scenarios, such as inserting Visio drawings as linked objects in PowerPoint or Word, exporting reports to Excel, and saving drawings as Web pages for browsing in Internet Explorer 8.

Word

Fidelity of PDF and XPS output has been enhanced compared to the output created through the use of the download.

Better integration of the Microsoft Office Excel Chart Object Model.

Apple Releases new Xserves

2009-04-07T13:42:00.001+01:00

Apple has released 2 new xserves today. Please see below for specs and prices from the Apple Store (UK)

Quad-Core

One 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" processor

3GB memory

160GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA drive module

Mac OS X Server v10.5 Unlimited-Client Edition

£2,399

8-Core

Two 2.26GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon "Nehalem" processors

3GB memory

160GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA drive module

Mac OS X Server v10.5 Unlimited-Client Edition

£2,879

Although you can get cheaper Windows Servers, these are very good value in that the hardware is up-to-date and you get the full, unlimited client edition of Mac OSX Server Leopard included in the box.

You can now follow us on Twitter

2009-04-05T23:30:00.001+01:00

You can now follow Stargate Computers on Twitter. Click here to goto our Twitter page.

13 Mac Apps for $39 ! !

2009-04-05T13:31:00.001+01:00

There is a fantastic offer on for all you Mac users. You can get an amazing 13 apps (15 if you are on Twitter) for an amazing $39. The total cost of the bundle if bought separately is $981 ! !

The apps are as follows :-

1. iSale

2. Picturesque

3. SousChef

4. World Of Goo

5. PhoneView

6. LittleSnapper

7. Acorn

8. Kinemac

9. WireTap Studio

10. Co-Mag Rally

11. Times

12. The Hit List

13. Espresso

And if you are on twitter you get the following as well: -

1. Delicious Library 2

2. Multiwinia

There is sure to be at least 1 application in there that you will use.

To get this bundle then click here.

Office 2003 to leave mainstream support phase.

2009-03-29T12:31:00.001+01:00

The last Microsoft Office 2003 product was released nearly 5 years ago. Per the Microsoft Support Lifecycle, the Mainstream Support phase runs for 5 years after the release of a product. In accordance with this policy, Office 2003 will leave the Mainstream Support phase on April 14th, 2009. The Extended Support phase will continue for an additional 5 years, through April 8th, 2014. During the Extended Support phase, Office 2003 will continue to receive security updates and paid support will continue to be available. Non-security hotfixes will be available only with purchase of an Extended Hotfix Support Agreement. For full details of the differences between the Mainstream and Extended Support phases, see the Microsoft Support Lifecycle website.

The ability of the Outlook 2003 Junk Email Filter to protect its users against junk email, including malicious phishing emails, is dependent on the installation of regular updates. Because these updates are necessary for this feature to remain functional, the Outlook 2003 Junk Email Filter will continue to receive updates with new junk email definitions through the end of the Extended Support phase.

Apple Updates iLife '09 and iWork '09

2009-03-27T20:09:00.001Z

Apple on Thursday released a slew of updates for its iLife ’09 applications, as well as an update for iWork ’09 users.

According to Apple's release notes, iPhoto 8.0.2 improves overall stability and addresses minor issues in a number of areas, including Faces, Places, photo sharing, and slideshows; iMovie 8.0.1 improves overall application stability as well as addresses minor issues related to usability; and iWeb 3.0.1 addresses issues when publishing to an FTP server and fixes other minor issues. Apple also released iLife Support 9.0.2, which improves stability and fixes other minor issues, and is recommended for all users of Aperture, iLife ’09, and iWork ’09.

Finally, Apple issued iWork '09 Update 1, which the company simply explains is recommended for all iWork ’09 users.

All of the updates are available from Apple's Web site and via OS X's Software Update feature.

17-inch MacBook Pro graphics update

2009-03-26T10:26:00.000Z

Apple released an update on Wednesday for users of its newest 17-inch MacBook Pro (the model released in early 2009).
MacBook Pro Graphics Firmware Update 1.0 addresses the appearance of vertical lines or distorted graphics on the notebook display, according to notes provided by Apple with the update.
It appears that is the only issue fixed in the firmware update.
Apple also provides detailed instructions on how to properly install the update and how to check to see what version of the graphics software you are running.
MacBook Pro Graphics Firmware Update 1.0 is a free update from Apple's Web site.

Microsoft Has Released IE8

2009-03-23T09:04:00.001Z

Microsoft has released Internet Explorer 8 today. It is available from Microsoft Website. Its only available for Windows XP, Vista, Vista 64Bit, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008.

Apple iPhone 3.0 Software Preview

2009-03-23T09:03:00.001Z

Apple hosted a Special Event at their HQ at the Apple Town Hall in California today. Here are the main points of interest for us in the UK.

1. There will be a new 'Buy in Application' model for App's Example, you can get an eBook reader from the App Store, then buy books from within the Application itself. This can also be used for Subscriptions. All this is tied into the iTunes App Store.

2. Per to Per Connections, ideal for 'LAN Parties' on iPhones ! ! This will use Bluetooth, not WiFi and uses Bonjour. This is not just for games but for any Per to Per Applications. The only problem with this is the iPod touch doesn't have bluetooth? This is very good for iPhone uses as bluetooth has been a very important weak point in the phone's design I think. Also Bluetooth now supports Stereo Headphones.

3. A simple GPS Nav system will be introduced to the iPhone. Developers will now find it easier to make Turn by Turn systems, hopefully someone like Tom Tom will produce an GPS Nav System soon ! !

4. The one I have been waiting for, Push Notifications. All the IM and Social Networking Apps are sure to use this most important update in my opinion. The reason why they are using Push Notifications instead of background processes is battery life, I totally agree with this.

5. Cut, Copy and Paste, one of the most requested features for the iPhone has arrived. You can also undo/redo actions with a shake of the phone.

6. Landscape mode for Mail and SMS is now coming, along with a landscape keyboard, about time Apple ! !

7. MMS is now possible on the iPhone, you can send Pictures, Contacts (Via the vCard Spec), audio files and locations via the SMS (Or Messages App as it is now called)

8. The Calendar app can now sync with the CalDAV standard, which BTW OSX Server uses for it's calendar server. Also support for the .ics Standard as well.

9. Spotlight Search is now available on the iPhone, with the ability to search for anything on the iPhone. This also works in the individual core apps (Mail, iPod, Calendar and Notes) This works similar to the OSX Spotlight feature. For Windows Users, Spotlight is like the search box at the bottom of the Windows Vista Start Menu, only a lot more powerful. 3rd party developers can also use this technology in their own apps.

10. Note Sync via iTunes is now available as well.

The release date for iPhone 3.0 is sometime this summer (Rumor has it July/August time)

Special Event 17th March

2009-03-23T09:01:00.001Z

Apple is holding a special event on the 17th March to announce the iPhone OS 3.0. This is what I would like for the iPhone.

- Flash Support, This would make the iPhone a true 'Intenret Gateway' for mobile users.

- Wide Screen Email Support, They do it for Mobile Safari, why not the email client.

- Better Camera, with Video Support as well.

- Better Bluetooth Support, with Documents To Go coming to the iPhone, I would love to be able to use a Bluetooth Keyboard with the iPhone.

- More Stable Calls, sometimes my calles just disconnect although the signals are good, why Apple?

- Push Notifications, They promised this last September, but we are still waiting for this crucial service that will allow true IM and Social Networking Apps to work.

Dont get me wrong, the iPhone is the best smartphone on the planet, with the best support for Microsoft Exchange on amy phone. But those features, as well as MMS support would make the iPhone the ONLY smartphone to get in my opinion.

For All You Budding Photographers Out There . . .

2009-03-23T08:59:00.001Z

We are sponsoring a competition that will be giving away Flash Drives, Photography Lessons and a Laptop. For More information please visit Word Of Mouth. This competition will be running for 12 months.

Apple Releases new iPod Shuffle

2009-03-23T08:58:00.001Z

Apple has released a new iPod Shuffle with no Buttons. This iPod is controlled by a headphone set with s special button on it. The Capacity is 4Gb.

Apple Announces New iMac and Mac Mini's

2009-03-23T08:57:00.001Z

If you are thinking of buying a new desktop Mac, you might be wishing you’d bought it yesterday. Otherwise it’s likely you’ll have to find another £108 for an entry-level Mac mini, or £167 for an entry-level iMac.

The new specs might make the extra outlay worthwhile, except that in the US the iMac and Mac mini have seen no price increase.

If Apple’s put the prices up in the UK it must be to bring the price into line with the US, now that we can no longer enjoy an exchange rate of 50p for a dollar. The latest exchange rate gives one dollar for 70p.

So how do the prices compare when we convert the US price to UK pounds? Actually, very favourably. In most cases the UK price actually works out slightly better than the converted US price once VAT is added.

US:

Entry-level Mac mini (2.0GHz, 120GB)

US price = $599

Converted to GBP = £425 + 15% VAT = £488.75

Actual UK price: £499

Mac mini (2.0GHz, 320GB)

US price $799

Converted to GBP = £567.58 + 15% VAT = £652.72

Actual UK price £649

Entry-level iMac (20-inch, 2.66GHz)

US price $1,199

Converted to GBP = £851.17 + 15% VAT = £978.84

Actual UK price £949

iMac (24-inch: 2.66GHz)

US price $1,499

Converted to GBP = £1,064.23 + 15% VAT = £1,223.86

Actual UK price £1,199

iMac (24-inch, 2.93GHz)

US price $1,799.00

Converted to GBP = £1,278.61 + 15% VAT = £1470.40

Actual UK price £1,499

iMac (24-inch, 3.06GHz)

US price $2,199.00

Converted to GBP = £1,563.20 + 15% VAT = £1,797

Actual UK price £1,799

So for once, we can't complain of rip off Britain, other than to lament at the state of our economy.

Here are the Specs.

$1,199 iMac

2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

2GB 1,066MHz DDR3 SDRAM

320GB hard drive

256MB (shared) Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics chip

20-inch LCD

$1,499 iMac

2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

4GB 1,066MHz DDR3 SDRAM

640GB hard drive

256MB (shared) Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics chip

24-inch LCD

$1,799 iMac

2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

4GB 1,066MHz DDR3 SDRAM

640GB hard drive

256MB Nvidia GeForce GTS 120 graphics chip

24-inch LCD

$2,199 iMac

3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

4GB 1,066MHz DDR3 SDRAM

1TB hard drive

512MB Nvidia GeForce GTS 130 graphics chip

24-inch LCD

Mac Mini

As for the new Mac Mini, the big upgrade: the Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics chip, which Apple says will improve graphics performance as much as fivefold. The machine (sans a monitor) costs $599 for a lower-end edition (1GB RAM, 120GB hard drive) or $799 for the higher-end (2GB RAM, 320GB hard drive).

Photoshop update improves performance

2009-03-23T08:53:00.001Z

Adobe on Wednesday released Photoshop 11.0.1, addressing several issues with the application.

According to notes accompanying the update the new version of Photoshop fixes a number of issues that could cause slow performance. Adobe also corrected a problem that didn’t allow the Pen barrel rotation on the Wacom tablet to work properly.

With the update, Photoshop now correctly recognizes 3D textures edited by a plug-in and the quality of Auto-Blend Layers (Stack Images) has been improved.

Photoshop 11.0.1 is available from the company’s Web site.

OmniWeb, three other Omni apps available as freeware for Mac

2009-03-23T08:51:00.001Z

The Omni Group on Tuesday decided to make three of its apps available as freeware. The applications are available for download with no restrictions.

“We’ve been thinking about this for OmniWeb for a while because every other browser is free,” Ken Case, CEO of the Omni Group, told Macworld. “We didn’t feel comfortable charging for something that we are not updating as frequently as some other apps.”

The Omni Group said OmniWeb, OmniDazzle, OmniDiskSweeper, and OmniObjectMeter are all available with no licensing restrictions and are fully functional. The company said none of the applications are currently under active development.

The fact these apps are now free is no reflection on the state of the company. In fact, the company has never been in better shape.

“We have had by far our best year ever last year,” said Case. “Things are going very well.”

Case said The Omni Group is even looking for new engineers to work on the ideas for the company’s other applications. Development on applications for the iPhone also contributed to the decision to make the four apps available as freeware. Case said the response to the iPhone app has been very positive.

“As a small company with limited resources, we have had to make some difficult decisions about where to focus our attention as our business continues to grow,” said Case.

Case said the company isn’t dropping the products from its arsenal. In fact, he didn’t rule out future updates as engineering resources allow.

“We’re keeping our options open,” said Case. “We still have a long list of stuff we want to do with those apps.”

The company still has numerous applications under active development including OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, OmniPlan and OmniFocus.

Apple Releases Safari 4 Beta for Windows and Mac's

2009-03-23T08:48:00.001Z

Apple has released a new version of its Web Browser, Safari. This public beta (Test Version) is not complete as of yet, but does include a new Javascript Engine (Nitro) and over 150 new features.

You can take a look at Safari 4 Beta here.

Apple reveils new 17" MacBook Pro

2009-03-23T08:46:00.001Z

Apple has unveiled a new 17-inch MacBook Pro featuring a precision aluminium unibody enclosure, and a revolutionary new built-in battery.

Apple's Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing unveiled the new laptop at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco. He promised up to eight hours of use and up to 1,000 recharges for more than three times the lifespan of conventional notebook batteries. The new MacBook Pro battery should last for up to five years, according to Schiller.

Like the Apple MacBook Air the new 17-inch MacBook Pro has a battery which is fixed inside the system. This isn’t easily replaced by the user and requires the case to be unscrewed and opened for the battery to be swapped.

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro has a high resolution LED-backlit display and the same large glass Multi-Touch trackpad introduced with the new MacBook family in October.

In addition, the new 17-inch MacBook Pro includes state of the art NVIDIA graphics and the latest generation Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processors.

As part of the industry’s greenest notebook family say Apple, the new 17-inch MacBook Pro is made of highly recyclable materials, meets stringent energy efficiency standards and is made without many of the harmful toxins found in other computers.

"We’ve developed new battery technology that is better for the user and better for the environment,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO in a press release. “Apple’s advanced chemistry and innovative technology deliver up to eight hours of use on a full charge cycle and up to 1,000 recharges.”

The press release continues: "Apple uses advanced chemistry, intelligent monitoring of the system and battery, and Adaptive Charging technology to create a revolutionary new notebook battery that delivers up to eight hours of wireless productivity on a single charge and up to 1,000 recharges without adding thickness, weight or cost to the MacBook Pro’s incredible design."

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro includes an ultra-thin, widescreen glossy 1920 x 1200 display with 78 per cent more pixels than the 15-inch MacBook Pro and a 60 per cent greater colour gamut that delivers desktop-quality colour in a notebook.

The LED-backlit display has brilliant instant-on performance, uses up to 30 per cent less energy and eliminates the mercury found in industry standard fluorescent tube backlights.

Measuring 0.98-inches thin and weighing 6.6 pounds, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is the world’s thinnest and lightest 17-inch notebook, claims Apple.

The 17-inch MacBook Pro features the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors available up to 2.93 GHz, up to 8GB DDR3 main memory and a graphics architecture that allows users to switch between the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor for better battery life and the powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics processor for higher performance.

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro includes a 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive standard with a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive and 128GB and 256GB solid state drives as options.

As with the rest of the new MacBook family, the 17-inch MacBook Pro includes a next generation, industry-standard Mini DisplayPort to connect with the new Apple LED Cinema Display featuring a 24-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with a built-in iSight video camera, mic and speakers.

Each MacBook unibody enclosure is made of recyclable aluminium and comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. The new MacBook family meets stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements say Apple, contains no brominated flame retardants and uses internal cables and components that are PVC-free.

The battery in the new 17-inch MacBook Pro provides additional environmental benefit because its extended lifespan means fewer depleted batteries resulting in less waste. Depleted batteries can be replaced for £139 (inc. VAT) which includes installation and disposal of your old battery in an environmentally responsible manner.

Pricing & Availability
The new 17-inch MacBook Pro will be shipping at the end of January and will be available through the Apple Store (www.apple.com/uk), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers for a suggested retail price of £1,949 (inc. VAT), and includes:

• 17-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1920 x 1200, glossy display

• 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache

• 1066 MHz front-side bus

• 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM

• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics

• NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video memory

• 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor

• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive

• Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately)

• built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR

• Gigabit Ethernet port

• built-in iSight video camera

• three USB 2.0 ports

• one FireWire 800 port (FireWire 400 compatible)

• ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot

• one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analogue

• glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard

• built-in, 95WHr lithium polymer battery

• 85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

Build-to-order options for the 17-inch MacBook Pro include a 2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 8GB 1066 MHz DDR 3 memory, 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB or 256GB solid state drive, anti-glare display for £35 (inc. VAT), Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

Apple Reveals updates to iLife and iWork at Macworld

2009-03-23T08:44:00.001Z

iWork goes to the cloud (or part thereoff) and iLife gets a make over.

Apple has released iWork '09, an update to the producitivity suite that includes Keynote, Pages and Numbers. What's new, per Apple:

"Keynote 09 introduces advanced object transitions, which automatically animate objects with a choice of effects and Magic Move, an innovative way to create sophisticated animations just by applying a simple transition. Pages 09 features a new Full Screen view that helps you focus on your writing and an outline mode to organize your thoughts. Numbers 09 introduces a quick way to group and summarize data and a dramatically simplified way to create complex formulas. Apple also announced iWork.com public beta, a new service Apple is developing to share iWork 09 documents online."

At the Macworld Expo on Tuesday, Apple introduced iLife '09, which features major upgrades to iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand, and includes iDVD and an updated version of iWeb.

"iLife continues to be one of the biggest reasons our customers choose to get a Mac," said Apple chief executive Steve Jobs. "With iLife '09, we've made working with photos, making movies and learning to play music a lot more fun, and iMovie users are especially going to love the advanced but easy-to-use new features."

iPhoto

iPhoto '09 makes it easier to browse and search photos, not only by when they were shot (Events), but by who appears in them (Faces) and where they were taken (Places). iPhoto automatically scans photos to detect people's faces and when you assign a name to any face iPhoto will automatically find more pictures of that person. The library can be searched by name or browsed using the new Faces View.

Places automatically imports photo location data from a GPS-enabled camera or any iPhone or you can manually assign a location to any photo, group of photos or event. Once iPhoto knows where photos were taken, you can easily explore them with a simple search or an interactive map. iPhoto '09 lets you easily publish photos to Facebook or Flickr. Photos published to Facebook include assigned names, and name tags added on Facebook sync back to iPhoto. You can also share photos by creating a themed slideshow to play on your Mac, iPhone or iPod, or create a beautiful travel book, complete with customized maps of your journey.

iMovie

iMovie '09 adds powerful, yet easy-to-use new features to let you create a movie quickly, or add refinements and special effects to your project if you have more time. Drag and drop one clip on top of another to reveal new advanced editing options, including replace, insert, audio only, and even picture-in-picture or green screen. With the new Precision Editor, you can skim and click on a magnified filmstrip to view clips up close and fine tune any edit, like identifying precisely how much to keep, where to cut, use sound from one clip with video from another and more. iMovie '09 also analyzes video and reduces camera shake in clips when added to your project. New titles, transitions, cinematic effects, speed changes and animated travel maps add professional polish to your movie.

GarageBand

GarageBand '09, the updated version of Apple's popular software for playing and recording music, now gives budding musicians a fun new way to learn to play piano and guitar. Basic Lessons let you learn the fundamentals at your own pace with Apple instructors in beautiful HD video synchronized to animated instruments and notation.

New Internet attack exploits unpatched IE flaw

2009-03-23T08:43:00.001Z

In attacks, the code drops a malicious program on the victim's PC

As Microsoft readies its latest set of security updates, online attackers have begun exploiting a new flaw in the company's Internet Explorer (IE) browser.

Microsoft updates Office 2004, 2008 for Mac

2009-03-23T08:42:00.001Z

Microsoft’s MacBU has posted updates to Office 2004 and Office 2008 for the Macintosh. Both updates are available for download from the Microsoft Mac Web and, ostensibly, will be available through Microsoft Office’s AutoUpdate feature at some point.

Minor Update for Safari Web Browser Available

2009-03-23T08:41:00.003Z

Apple on Monday released a minor update to its Safari Web browser. According to the terse description, Safari 3.2.1 includes unspecified "stability improvements" and is recommended for all Safari users.

Safari 3.2.1 comes fast on the heels of Safari 3.2, which Apple released 11 days ago. Safari 3.2 added anti-phishing technology (a feature already built into other Web browsers) as well as fixed several security issues.

At the time of publishing, the Safari was available only via OS X's Software Update mechanism, and was not listed on Apple's Support Downloads page.

Apple has released the long-awaited iPhone and iPod Touch Update 2.2.

2009-03-23T08:41:00.001Z

Apple has released the long-awaited iPhone and iPod Touch Update 2.2.

The update adds Google Street View (with pedestrian and public transit directions), albeit without the compass functionality found in the T-Mobile G1, updates to Safari Mobile and Mail, location sharing through email, further fixes for dropped calls, app screenshots and rating options in the App Store, toggle capability for Auto-Correct, and the capability to download podcasts directly on the device over the air via Wi-Fi or the 3G/EDGE network.

It should be noted that the iPod Touch update does not include the Google StreetView enhancements, possibly as a result of the much maligned non-GAAP accounting practices that Apple uses to delineate the iPhone and iPod Touch as separate products.

To update go into iTunes and select iPhone > Check for Updates

Blackberry Storm Released in UK

2009-03-23T08:40:00.003Z

RIM's first touchscreen handset, the BlackBerry Storm, went on sale in the UK on Friday.

The device is available exclusively through Vodafone, which worked closely with RIM in defining the specifications for the Storm. The handset has an unusual 3.25-inch, 480-by-360-pixel, clickable touchscreen — the largest screen on a BlackBerry thus far — that is designed to give users tactile feedback when they type or select icons.

The image on the screen rotates as the phone is turned on its side, enabling a full Qwerty virtual keyboard.

The BlackBerry Storm has high-speed 3G connectivity, but no Wi-Fi — an omission that could put it at a disadvantage against some of its chief rivals, such as the iPhone, the T-Mobile G1 Android phone or many of HTC's Windows Mobile handsets. The BlackBerry Storm also has built-in GPS and a 3.2-megapixel camera.

Business customers in the UK can get the Storm for free from Vodafone if they sign up to a contract. The monthly tariffs are cheapest with a 24-month contract, costing from £29.79 per month. Those wishing to sign up for an 18-month contract will have to pay at least £34.03 per month. Both of these prices exclude VAT.

Microsoft SBS 2008 Released

2009-03-23T08:40:00.001Z

This is an impressive update to Microsoft's Small Business Server that packs a big punch. However, it may be overkill for a lot of companies and isn't quite as easy to manage as it first appears.

Small companies with limited technical resources may be interested in Microsoft's new Windows Small Business Server 2008 (SBS 2008), both in terms of its functionality and ease of use. However, it's not cheap — especially if you want to do more than the basics, as expert help will be required to fully exploit what the package has to offer.

It's important to understand that SBS 2008 is far from a cut-down solution. What you get are full versions of key Microsoft products, notably Windows Server 2008 and Exchange Server 2007, both more usually deployed by enterprise customers with in-house IT support staff.

Windows Small Business Server's management console has been improved to make it easier to navigate and perform common tasks.

The good news is that the software is easy for non-specialists to install. There's also a simplified management console to help with day-to-day server administration, security and backup. The bad news is that there's a lot more functionality than most small companies need; there are also limits to how much you can achieve using the management console.

According to Microsoft, most customers buy their small-business software pre-installed on a server from an OEM such as Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens, IBM or HP. Even so, some will still do as we did and install it on a server themselves. We were impressed with how slick and flexible the process now is compared to previous versions.

Two editions are available, Standard and Premium, both based on the latest Windows Server 2008 OS. Exchange Server 2007 is provided to look after email, with SharePoint Services 3.0 for collaboration — the emphasis in this release being on web-based access to shared information. The Standard Edition installs from a single DVD, the inclusion of the new Exchange Server meaning that it's 64-bit only. The host server also has to be the domain controller, and you're limited to just 75 users overall and can't set up trusts with other domains. These restrictions are unlikely to concern most small businesses, however.

Web-based access to shared resources is the order of the day in Small Business Server 2008.

SQL Server 2008 is the main reason for buying the Premium Edition. A second copy of Windows Server 2008 is also included in order to run this on a separate host server, if required. You can also take full advantage of the advanced features in Windows Server 2008, such as Hyper-V virtualisation, with a physical and virtual instance both covered by the licence. In theory, therefore, you could run both SBS 2008 servers on a well-specified physical machine. Server Core deployment and PowerShell scripting can also be used, as can Terminal Services complete with the new application-sharing option.

A full copy of Windows Server 2008 is provided in SBS 2008. You can use all its options, including the Hyper-V hypervisor.

There's a fair amount of code to load, so installation can take a couple of hours. Fortunately you're not asked many questions, so it's not particularly onerous. Moreover, where previous versions assumed the server would be the internet gateway, the default with the 2008 release is to use a separate network router/firewall, which is much easier. Exchange is installed automatically, complete with Outlook Web Access (OWA). The most common server roles and features required by small businesses are also configured during the setup process. An internal web site and remote web workplace are also created.

SBS 2008 users get a shared calendar plus email via Outlook Web Access and the standard Outlook client.

The server console comes in for a major facelift, with separate tabs for the main options making it a lot easier to navigate. A number of new and improved wizards help with common tasks like adding new users, creating new shares and web sites. Reporting tools are integrated too, along with a backup facility — although you can only take backups to external hard disk, and the backup and recovery options are limited compared to third-party alternatives.

SBS 2008 has built-in backup, but its functionality is limited compared to specialist third-party alternatives.

Local client PCs are easily joined to the domain and configured to use the server automatically. A link labelled 'Internal Website' provides access to the main portal here, allowing users to open shared documents, calendars, tasks and so on. Remote users can be given access over the internet with or without a VPN connection, but it's here that things start to get a little more complex. Indeed, as soon as you begin to do anything more advanced you're referred back to the standard Windows tools, which can be difficult to get to grips with unless you know what you're doing.

Pricing has been tweaked (upwards), and you now need to buy a separate, more expensive, licence for users wanting to access the Premium Edition services. And although you get security tools for both the server itself and Exchange, they're only trial licenses.

Security tools are provided for both Windows Server and Exchange, but you only get trial licenses.

Conclusion
I liked it, but Windows Small Business Server 2008 is something of a mixed bag. It's definitely got a lot to offer, providing small businesses with affordable access to enterprise-quality applications in a manageable format. But to fully exploit those applications most small businesses will need expert help, which can quickly bump up both the cost and complexity of the solution. There are plenty of simpler alternatives that can to do what most small companies need for a lot less money.

Safari 3.2 finally gains phishing protection

2009-03-23T08:39:00.001Z

Fire up your web browsers and get to downloading, because Apple has released an update to Safari for Leopard, Tiger, and yes, even Windows users. Safari 3.2 adds a long-awaited feature that has been present in other browsers (*cough* Firefox) for some time: phishing protection.

This may not seem like a big deal to our ever-tech-savvy audience, but it's a major factor for companies like PayPal to encourage (or discourage, as the case may be) users to use specific browsers. Earlier this year, PayPal specifically pointed to Safari's lack of phishing protection as a reason why users might want to use another browser when making use of the online payment service.

Safari 3.2 also includes all the latest security updates to Apple's browser. The detailed document on what that entails tells us that all of these fixes affect Windows XP and Vista users, while only some affect Mac users. The ones that affect both are related to console vulnerabilities, maliciously crafted code, and unexpected application termination.

You may have to get Safari through the links in the first paragraph, however, because it doesn't seem to be showing up in everyone's Software Updates just yet. If it's showing up for you, though, more power to you!

MedicLetter has been updated

2009-03-23T08:38:00.001Z

We have updated Medic Letter to 3.7.1. Please find below the updates: -

The HTML Editor has had a complete re-write. It now looks like Word 2007 from Office 2007
MedicLetter is how fully compatible with Google Chrome and Apple Safari Web Browsers.

This will be a free update to current users of MedicLetter. The update will be pushed out over the next week.

Minor Update for Safari Web Browser Available

2008-11-25T12:50:00.001Z

Safari 3.2.1 comes fast on the heels of Safari 3.2, which Apple released 11 days ago. Safari 3.2 added anti-phishing technology (a feature already built into other Web browsers) as well as fixed several security issues.

At the time of publishing, the Safari was available only via OS X's Software Update mechanism, and was not listed on Apple's Support Downloads page

Apple Releases iPhone OS 2.2

2008-11-22T11:50:00.001Z

Apple has released the long-awaited iPhone and iPod Touch Update 2.2.

The update adds Google Street View (with pedestrian and public transit directions), albeit without the compass functionality found in the T-Mobile G1, updates to Safari Mobile and Mail, location sharing through email, further fixes for dropped calls, app screenshots and rating options in the App Store, toggle capability for Auto-Correct, and the capability to download podcasts directly on the device over the air via Wi-Fi or the 3G/EDGE network.

It should be noted that the iPod Touch update does not include the Google StreetView enhancements, possibly as a result of the much maligned non-GAAP accounting practices that Apple uses to delineate the iPhone and iPod Touch as separate products.

To update go into iTunes and select iPhone > Check for Updates

Medicletter Screenshots Posted Online

2008-11-15T14:48:00.000Z

I have posted some screenshots of our Emailing Web App, Medicletter here.

Blackberry Storm Released in UK

2008-11-14T23:58:00.001Z

RIM's first touchscreen handset, the BlackBerry Storm, went on sale in the UK on Friday.

The device is available exclusively through Vodafone, which worked closely with RIM in defining the specifications for the Storm. The handset has an unusual 3.25-inch, 480-by-360-pixel, clickable touchscreen — the largest screen on a BlackBerry thus far — that is designed to give users tactile feedback when they type or select icons.

The image on the screen rotates as the phone is turned on its side, enabling a full Qwerty virtual keyboard.

The BlackBerry Storm has high-speed 3G connectivity, but no Wi-Fi — an omission that could put it at a disadvantage against some of its chief rivals, such as the iPhone, the T-Mobile G1 Android phone or many of HTC's Windows Mobile handsets. The BlackBerry Storm also has built-in GPS and a 3.2-megapixel camera.

Business customers in the UK can get the Storm for free from Vodafone if they sign up to a contract. The monthly tariffs are cheapest with a 24-month contract, costing from £29.79 per month. Those wishing to sign up for an 18-month contract will have to pay at least £34.03 per month. Both of these prices exclude VAT.

Microsoft SBS 2008 Released

2008-11-14T23:57:00.001Z

This is an impressive update to Microsoft's Small Business Server that packs a big punch. However, it may be overkill for a lot of companies and isn't quite as easy to manage as it first appears.

Small companies with limited technical resources may be interested in Microsoft's new Windows Small Business Server 2008 (SBS 2008), both in terms of its functionality and ease of use. However, it's not cheap — especially if you want to do more than the basics, as expert help will be required to fully exploit what the package has to offer.

It's important to understand that SBS 2008 is far from a cut-down solution. What you get are full versions of key Microsoft products, notably Windows Server 2008 and Exchange Server 2007, both more usually deployed by enterprise customers with in-house IT support staff.

Windows Small Business Server's management console has been improved to make it easier to navigate and perform common tasks.

The good news is that the software is easy for non-specialists to install. There's also a simplified management console to help with day-to-day server administration, security and backup. The bad news is that there's a lot more functionality than most small companies need; there are also limits to how much you can achieve using the management console.

According to Microsoft, most customers buy their small-business software pre-installed on a server from an OEM such as Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens, IBM or HP. Even so, some will still do as we did and install it on a server themselves. We were impressed with how slick and flexible the process now is compared to previous versions.

Two editions are available, Standard and Premium, both based on the latest Windows Server 2008 OS. Exchange Server 2007 is provided to look after email, with SharePoint Services 3.0 for collaboration — the emphasis in this release being on web-based access to shared information. The Standard Edition installs from a single DVD, the inclusion of the new Exchange Server meaning that it's 64-bit only. The host server also has to be the domain controller, and you're limited to just 75 users overall and can't set up trusts with other domains. These restrictions are unlikely to concern most small businesses, however.

Web-based access to shared resources is the order of the day in Small Business Server 2008.

SQL Server 2008 is the main reason for buying the Premium Edition. A second copy of Windows Server 2008 is also included in order to run this on a separate host server, if required. You can also take full advantage of the advanced features in Windows Server 2008, such as Hyper-V virtualisation, with a physical and virtual instance both covered by the licence. In theory, therefore, you could run both SBS 2008 servers on a well-specified physical machine. Server Core deployment and PowerShell scripting can also be used, as can Terminal Services complete with the new application-sharing option.

A full copy of Windows Server 2008 is provided in SBS 2008. You can use all its options, including the Hyper-V hypervisor.

There's a fair amount of code to load, so installation can take a couple of hours. Fortunately you're not asked many questions, so it's not particularly onerous. Moreover, where previous versions assumed the server would be the internet gateway, the default with the 2008 release is to use a separate network router/firewall, which is much easier. Exchange is installed automatically, complete with Outlook Web Access (OWA). The most common server roles and features required by small businesses are also configured during the setup process. An internal web site and remote web workplace are also created.

SBS 2008 users get a shared calendar plus email via Outlook Web Access and the standard Outlook client.

The server console comes in for a major facelift, with separate tabs for the main options making it a lot easier to navigate. A number of new and improved wizards help with common tasks like adding new users, creating new shares and web sites. Reporting tools are integrated too, along with a backup facility — although you can only take backups to external hard disk, and the backup and recovery options are limited compared to third-party alternatives.

SBS 2008 has built-in backup, but its functionality is limited compared to specialist third-party alternatives.

Local client PCs are easily joined to the domain and configured to use the server automatically. A link labelled 'Internal Website' provides access to the main portal here, allowing users to open shared documents, calendars, tasks and so on. Remote users can be given access over the internet with or without a VPN connection, but it's here that things start to get a little more complex. Indeed, as soon as you begin to do anything more advanced you're referred back to the standard Windows tools, which can be difficult to get to grips with unless you know what you're doing.

Pricing has been tweaked (upwards), and you now need to buy a separate, more expensive, licence for users wanting to access the Premium Edition services. And although you get security tools for both the server itself and Exchange, they're only trial licenses.

Security tools are provided for both Windows Server and Exchange, but you only get trial licenses.

Conclusion
I liked it, but Windows Small Business Server 2008 is something of a mixed bag. It's definitely got a lot to offer, providing small businesses with affordable access to enterprise-quality applications in a manageable format. But to fully exploit those applications most small businesses will need expert help, which can quickly bump up both the cost and complexity of the solution. There are plenty of simpler alternatives that can to do what most small companies need for a lot less money.

Firefox updates tackle 12 security flaws

2008-11-14T09:48:00.001Z

On Wednesday, Mozilla released Firefox 3.0.4 (download for Windows and Mac) and Firefox 2.0.18 to address a dozen security flaws, half of which the browser maker ranks as critical. Among the critical is one that could allow an attacker privilege escalation after a session restore. Another could allow arbitrary code to execute with compromised Flash media files.

The updates are pushed automatically to current users and will take effect the next time the browser is restarted. Updates will soon no longer be available for users of Firefox 2; the update is a security update only. Current users of Firefox 2 are encouraged to upgrade by manually downloading Firefox 3 as soon as possible.

Safari 3.2 finally gains phishing protection

2008-11-14T09:42:00.001Z

This may not seem like a big deal to our ever-tech-savvy audience, but it's a major factor for companies like PayPal to encourage (or discourage, as the case may be) users to use specific browsers. Earlier this year, PayPal specifically pointed to Safari's lack of phishing protection as a reason why users might want to use another browser when making use of the online payment service.

Safari 3.2 also includes all the latest security updates to Apple's browser. The detailed document on what that entails tells us that all of these fixes affect Windows XP and Vista users, while only some affect Mac users. The ones that affect both are related to console vulnerabilities, maliciously crafted code, and unexpected application termination.

You may have to get Safari through the links in the first paragraph, however, because it doesn't seem to be showing up in everyone's Software Updates just yet. If it's showing up for you, though, more power to you!

Medic Letter has been updated

2008-11-12T15:18:00.001Z

We have updated Medic Letter to 3.7.1. Please find below the updates: -

The HTML Editor has had a complete re-write. It now looks like Word 2007 from Office 2007
MedicLetter is how fully compatible with Google Chrome and Apple Safari Web Browsers.

This will be a free update to current users of MedicLetter. The update will be pushed out over the next week.

Apple Releases iLife Support 8.3.1

2008-11-11T08:44:00.001Z

iLife Support provides system software components shared by all iLife ’08 applications. This update improves overall stability and addresses a number of other minor issues. It is recommended for all users for iLife ’08. This update is for Tiger Users only.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website.

New Service being announced, Customer Support Forum

2008-11-04T14:57:00.001Z

Hi All

Just a quick note to announce that we have set up a support forum for the following services

Support Contracts
Website Hosting Support
MedicLetter Subscriptions
Website Design Support

We have also now added to our website a live chat facility where you can now talk to one of our engineers directly via our website.

John Herdman

Chief Technician

Stargate Computers

Congratulations to Hamilton for becoming World Champion

2008-11-02T19:20:00.001Z

Congratulations from Stargate Computers to Lewis Hamilton for becoming the youngest ever F1 World Champion.

Android phone hits UK shops

2008-10-31T20:45:00.001Z

T-Mobile started selling its G1 phone, which runs on Google's Android platform, throughout the UK on Thursday.

The G1, which is a rebranding of HTC's Dream handset, has touchscreen functionality and a Qwerty keyboard. It uses the open-source Android platform, a full mobile stack including operating system and applications.

As a result, the G1 also provides access to Android Market, where customers can find and download applications for the phone, including mashups. Developers are free to create their own programs for the Android platform and upload them to the Android Market, where they will get 70 percent of revenue for their software.

Daniel Meredith, T-Mobile's UK head of handset and device marketing, told ZDNet UK on Thursday that the launch was "incredibly exciting" for the mobile service provider.

"Today marks a step change in where we are going as an industry," Meredith said. "Android opens up communication on a platform that is truly open. The Android community will deliver unique services and applications."

Meredith said that users would be able to give feedback to developers about their applications both on forums and by rating and ranking software on Android Market.

Read this

On Thursday, the G1 will only be available from T-Mobile shops, but, from Friday, Carphone Warehouse will also sell the device. The G1 is also available for order online from T-Mobile's UK website and through T-Mobile call centres.

The handset is currently offered through two packages, aimed at individual users. The Combi package, at £40 per month, gives 800 minutes of voice calls, unlimited texts and unlimited mobile internet browsing. The Flext package, again for £40 per month, comes with unlimited internet browsing and up to 1,250 minutes of voice calls, plus up to 2,500 texts. T-Mobile also plans to offer business packages, details of which were unavailable at the time of writing.

The G1 device has a rich HTML email client which synchronises email with POP3 or IMAP services. The Bluetooth and HSDPA-enabled handset also has Wi-Fi connectivity. Its battery life gives five hours' talk time and up to 130 hours' standby.

The G1 is available in black or white, has GPS and a compass, a 3-megapixel camera, an MP3 player, comes with a pre-installed 2GB microSD memory card, and supports up to an 8GB card.

Apple updates MobileMe with over 25 fixes

2008-10-31T20:40:00.001Z

Apple has been working on its MobileMe syncing service since it was launched in July. The company revealed this week 27 changes that were made late last month.

There is no software you have to download to get the updates. Since MobileMe is a hosted service, Apple made all of the changes on the servers and applications without affecting customers. The changes affect all of the components within the service.

MobileMe Mail received the most updates, fixing problems like keyboard shortcuts not behaving as expected; messages not being removed from the Drafts folder after being sent; improved performance when Junk Mail Filtering is enabled; and improved performance when first logging into MobileMe Mail.

The Calendar application improved performance in several areas and resolved an issue where event editors would partially display in some browsers. The ability to export contacts as vCards has been re-enabled and the experience of viewing MobileMe Galleries has been improved.

The MobileMe launch was fraught with problems from the very beginning. Shortly after its launch, Apple apologized for the continuing problems and offered members a 30-day addition.

Another extension, this time for 60-days, was offered in August when Steve Jobs said in a memo to employees that the service “not up to Apple’s standards.” Jobs also said that Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes, was taking over management of the service.

A complete list of changes for the latest MobileMe update are available from Apple’s Web site.

Office 2008 update addresses Entourage + Exchange issues

2008-10-31T20:37:00.001Z

Microsoft has released a quick Office 2008 update for an Entourage bug that popped up in the 12.1.3 update. Version 12.1.4 addresses issues with Exchange accounts set up in Entourage not being able to send or reply to meeting invitations. According to Microsoft, the problem occurs when an Entourage identity is configured with more than one Exchange account.

Naturally, Microsoft "strongly recommend[s] that all Entourage users who installed Office 2008 for Mac 12.1.3 Update install this update." You can download it from the Mactopia website now, and it should be available soon via AutoUpdate.

MedicLetter has been updated

2008-10-31T06:14:00.001Z

MedicLetter has been updated to V3.7.0 Pro. This is mainly a bug fix in the web applications built in WYSIWYG HTML Editor. MedicLetter is our home grown bulk emailing web application. for more information on MedicLetter then please click here.

Take a look at CoffeeCup Software

2008-10-30T21:21:00.001Z

For all those budding web developers out here, here is a great company to start the ball rolling for you. Take a look at the software you can get.

Apple releases minor iPhoto update

2008-10-28T13:32:00.001Z

Apple has released an update for iPhoto that focuses on the photo-sharing features of the image-editing and organization program.

According to Apple's sparse release notes, iPhoto 7.1.5 “improves the printing quality of books, cards and calendars ordered via the iPhoto printing service.”

The slender 9MB update is available through Software Update and Apple's Web site. iPhoto 7.1.5 requires OS X 10.4.11 or later.

iPhoto was last updated in July when Apple added holiday greeting card and postcard themes to the iLife ’08 application.

Windows Vista SP2 - What is going to be in it?

2008-10-27T21:40:00.001Z

Here at Stargate Computers we have heard that the following is going to be included with SP2 of Microsoft Latest OS

Blu-ray Support - Ideal for those who has Media Centre systems in the living rooms
Support for the latest version of Bluetooth, 2.1, Ideal for the latest mobile phone users
Microsoft Search 4.0 - Speeds up searching in Vista (About time to ! !)

As for business users running Windows Server 2008, this service pack when released will update the server and client from one download.

All items are still not confirmed, these are only rumours.

Adobe updates Lightroom and Camera Raw

2008-10-23T09:22:00.001+01:00

Adobe has released updates for Photoshop Lightroom and its Camera Raw plug-in. The updates bring the most current versions to 2.1 and 5.1, respectively.

The updates bring raw support for 15 digital cameras, including the Canon EOS 1000D, Canon EOS 50D, Fuji FinePix IS Pro, Kodak EasyShare Z1015 IS, Leaf AFi II 6, Leaf AFi II 7, Leaf Aptus II 6, Leaf Aptus II 7, Nikon D700, Nikon D90, Nikon Coolpix P6000, Olympus SP-565 UZ, Pentax K2000, Sigma DP1, and Sony A900.

Among the changes in Lightroom 2.1 are improvements to Photoshop integration, performance improvements with Mac OS X and keyword migration from Lightroom.

Adobe will also release new camera profiles from the Adobe Labs Web site. The profiles are used to improve the default raw processing. Profiles are available for the Leica M8, Canon EOS 50D, Canon G9, Nikon D90 and Pentax models.

Lightroom 2.1 and Camera Raw 5.1 are free updates that can be downloaded from Adobe’s website.

Apple has updated Aperture.

2008-10-21T15:35:00.001+01:00

According to the company, version 2.1.2 "improves the printing quality of books, cards and calendars ordered through the Aperture printing service."

It weighs in at 48MB and requires Mac OS 10.4.11 or 10.5.3.

The update is recommended for all customers using Aperture 2 and can be downloaded from Apple's website.

Server down for Maintenance

2008-10-16T12:41:00.001+01:00

Our webserver is going to be down for maintenance on the 24th October at 10pm GMT for 2 hours while essential maintenance is being done on the server.

Apple Reveals new MacBook Range

2008-10-14T21:12:00.001+01:00

The MacBook range has been broadened and improved, with Apple CEO Steve Jobs describing the product as the best-selling Mac ever made.

Referring to the existing white plastic models, Jobs explained, "We sell a ton of these, and people love them," Jobs said. "They sell for $1,099, and we're gonna keep right on selling these, but we're going to reduce the entry price to $999."

However, in the UK the price has gone from £699 to £719.

Apple hasn't stopped there - the company has broadened the MacBook range with the introduction of aluminium models, manufactured using the new 'brick' manufacturing process and using an LED display.

These new MacBooks are like smaller (13-inch) versions of the MacBook Pro, with the same metal casing, a glass trackpad, faster graphics (using the Nvidia 9400M introduced today across Apple's new range) and a Mini Display Port connector. Battery life is five hours.

And, like all the Macs introduced today, Apple has focused on ensuring the new Macs are environmentally friendly in construction. Ever the showman, Jobs said, "This is the most eco friendly MacBook ever in the history of human existence."

These new models are considerable more expensive than the older ones. Starting at $1,299 (£949): 2.0GHs Intel Core 2 Duo, 3MB L2 cahce, 2GB DDR3 memory, 160GB hard drive and SuperDrive.

The $1,599 (£1,149) model offers a 2.4GHz processor, a 250GB hard drive and - borrowing heavily from the MacBook Pro - a backlit keyboard. These new models are available from today.

Microsoft Releases Silverlight 2

2008-10-14T15:42:00.001+01:00

Microsoft has introduced Silverlight 2, with support for Mac, Windows and Linux systems.

Designed to compete with Flash for online streaming of multimedia assets, the company seems pleased with adoption so far: “We launched Silverlight just over a year ago, and already one in four consumers worldwide has access to a computer with Silverlight already installed,” claimed Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president of the .NET Developer Division at Microsoft.

The corporation also claimed Silverlight adoption is growing rapidly, reaching 50 per cent penetration in “some countries”.

“During the 17 days of the 2008 Olympics Games in Beijing, NBCOlympics.com, powered by Silverlight, had more than 50 million unique visitors, resulting in 1.3 billion page views, 70 million video streams and 600 million minutes of video watched, increasing the average time on the site (from 3 minutes to 27 minutes) and Silverlight market penetration in the US by more than 30 per cent,” a report explains.

The company has made Silverlight more open for developers and says the new version offers improvements such as built-in controls, better networking support, more programming language support and added DRM protection.

OpenOffice 3.0 is available now

2008-10-13T12:15:00.001+01:00

After three years development OpenOffice.org has introduced OpenOffice 3.0, the most advances version yet of its completely free Microsoft Office competitor.

OpenOffice.org 3 is the leading open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It is available in many languages and works on all common platforms.

This version promises a host of new features including native support for Mac OS X without need of the X11 windowing software.

OpenOffice.org integrates well with the Mac OS X accessibility APIs, and so offers better accessibility support than some other Mac OS X applications. The software is also extremely stable and fast-performing the developers said, adding, "Some Mac users have switched to OpenOffice.org just because of its extremely good stability."

OpenDocument Format (ODF) 1.2 support, Office 2007 import filters, excellent charting and drawing tools, collaborative features and enhanced XML support and updated XSLT based filters round up this impressive release.

OpenOffice is available for download here.

Apple Releases Security Updates for Tiger and Leopard

2008-10-09T23:26:00.001+01:00

Security Update 2008-007 is recommended for all users and improves the security of Mac OS X. Previous security updates have been incorporated into this security update.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

BlackBerry iPhone killer 'Storm' breaks on Vodafone

2008-10-08T14:45:00.001+01:00

The new BlackBerry Storm, which features the largest screen of any BlackBerry smart phone so far, will be introduced to Vodafone stores in the coming weeks, the company said this morning.

Until now, BlackBerrys have been the preserve of the business classes. But this move sees the introduction of a BlackBerry that can easily segue between the world of a hard-working businessperson or the new world of consumers who want their email and social networking on the move. At present, this is a market that only Apple with its iPhone has managed to tap.

This market for versatile, tech-savvy mobile consumers is beginning to heat up as Nokia debuts its 5800 ExpressMusic – or ‘Nokia Tube’ as it has been called – and as Google’s Android operating system has debuted in the US via T-Mobile on a device made by HTC.

The new BlackBerry will be the first clickable, touchscreen phone purposely built for Vodafone, and will feature easy access to social networking sites, turn-by-turn satellite navigation, as well as music and video players.

The new smart phone is the fruit of a long-term strategic alliance between Vodafone and BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) and will be available exclusively on Vodafone’s 3G networks in Ireland, the UK, mainland Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand from next month.

The new BlackBerry Storm smart phone, comes with a browser which delivers a browsing experience with desktop-style depiction in either portrait or landscape view. The new user interface combines the familiar dedicated ‘menu’ and ‘escape’ keys common to BlackBerry smart phones, but adds support for multi-touches, taps and slides, allowing the user to easily highlight, scroll, pan and zoom, making navigation fast, easy and intuitive.

The 3.25-inch screen gives users a variety of different sense experiences. Despite its flat surface, users feel the sensation of actually pressing down on virtual keys, which also light up when touched. This makes it quick and easy to type texts and emails, as well as navigate through the phone’s functions. Customers will also have the choice of using a full QWERTY, SureType or multi-tap keyboard.

More space has been dedicated to the high-resolution colour screen, allowing customers to display multimedia content and comfortably view attachments, as well as read and edit documents.

The screen, described by Vodafone as ‘ground-breaking’, with its 480 x 360 pixel resolution display switches from portrait mode to landscape mode as the handset is rotated, while automatically changing the format of the keyboard from multi-tap or RIM’s SureType® to full QWERTY.

A wide range of songs and full-length videos can be downloaded and enjoyed with the stunning clarity of the smart phone’s screen and its incredible, high-quality audio.

The BlackBerry Storm retains the full functionality and security features of the BlackBerry platform, but is also ideal for avid Facebook, MySpace and YouTube users, while Flickr fans will love the ease and speed of directly uploading their pictures seconds after taking them.

Customers can access all Vodafone’s entertainment and information services including Vodafone Music, Google Maps, Find&Go navigation and the Vodafone live! portal, while also benefiting from a removable battery and up to 16GB of exchangeable memory.

“With its unique, clickable touchscreen giving access to all the desirable multimedia features and services such as browsing, music and video, turn-by-turn satellite navigation, messaging and social networking, and with BlackBerry’s mobile heritage and strong business reputation, the BlackBerry Storm is being brought by Vodafone into the consumer world,” said Frank Rovekamp, global chief marketing officer, Vodafone Group.

“With Vodafone’s ultra high-speed, reliable mobile network, and this exclusive and exciting new smart phone, there has never been a better time to be with Vodafone."

The BlackBerry Storm smart phone brings together messaging services including email, SMS and MMS in a single inbox and alerts from social networks. It also comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera with video capabilities that exploit the screen’s stunning clarity to deliver advanced multimedia performance.

The BlackBerry Storm will be available from next month through Vodafone stores, as well as independent outlets and online. Full pricing details will be available in the coming weeks, the company said.

New Website Design

2008-10-04T13:21:00.000+01:00

After almost a year of not changing our website design, we have now implemented a new design. It has some new features including a search box on the all the pages and a clearer layout in the menu structure. Please take a look and let us know what you think.

Price Revisions

2008-10-04T13:18:00.000+01:00

We now have revised our pricing structure. Please take a look at our services page for more details.

iPhone 3G Review

2008-10-03T13:35:00.000+01:00

Stargate Computers has done its own review of the iPhone 3G, Click here to view it.

Nokia targets Apple with touch-screen mobile phone

2008-10-03T11:58:00.001+01:00

Finnish phone maker Nokia launched its first touch-screen phone on Thursday, intending to one-up Apple's iPhone on features and be competitively priced. The company also took the veil off of its iTunes-bashing 'Comes With Music' service.

Nokia has clearly taken a cue from Apple in its design of the 5800 Xpress Music, formerly known as "Tube." The device, due for release by year's end, looks quite similar to Apple's iPhone, which has a single panel of smooth glass on the front.

The similarities end there. The 5800 runs Symbian's Series 60 OS, which Nokia says it has modified to make the software more user-friendly. The handset maker plans to release a software development kit soon for the platform.

"We wanted to turn the user interface into a human interface," said Jo Harlow, senior vice president of marketing, during a launch event in London.

On the software side, the 5800 has a "contacts bar" that shows images of frequently contacted friends. Those friends can be sent text messages directly from the home screen. Also, feeds can be assigned to those friends that will alert the device's user to new content on social-networking sites. It also has a drop-down media bar that gives one-touch access to music, photos, video or the internet.

The 5800 will support Flash, which is not supported by the iPhone. While many sites have created mobile versions of their sites to support the iPhone's capabilities, the 5800 could potentially work with many more sites without modification.

"I know some people thought Flash wasn't important on a mobile device," Harlow said, in a clear reference to Apple.

Like the iPhone, the 5800 has a software keyboard rather than a tactile one. Apple's software keyboard can at times be difficult to manipulate since it requires a person's fingertip to touch the screen. Harlow said the 5800's soft keyboard will work with a fingernail or even a guitar pick in addition to a finger.

When tilted on its side, the 5800 has a full-screen QWERTY keyboard plus a mini-QWERTY one. The 5800 is also equipped with handwriting recognition, which will recognize 60 languages, which Harlow said will cover about 90 per cent of the world's mobile-phone users.

Nokia said the 5800 has built-in surround-sound speakers, which are louder than any other mobile device on the market. Nokia let those attending the launch try out the 5800's speakers in a soundproof booth. The 5800 has a 3.2-megapixel camera with a dual flash and a Carl Zeiss lens. The 5800's screen supports 16 million colours, which Harlow claimed is best in the industry.

The suggested retail price for the 5800 is €279 without subsidies or taxes, Harlow said. Mobile operators in Europe often subsidize devices for users in exchange for those users signing a long-term contract.

"That means this device is about half the price of competitive touch devices in the market today, and it certainly means that it is the best touch value proposition on the market," Harlow said.

One analyst who has seen the 5800 is doubtful that the device will knock Apple off its perch.

"It might appeal to those who don't want to follow the crowd," said Chris Hazelton, an analyst at The 451 Group, who saw a demo of the phone.

However, he was impressed by the video capabilities of the phone. The 5800 lets users capture VGA (Video Graphics Array)-quality video and display videos in landscape mode.

"When you take a video on the phone it shows as a wide screen and plays and looks very good," he said.

Tunes 8.0.1 fixes HD episode deletion issue and more

2008-10-03T10:34:00.001+01:00

While we were all busy playing Vice Presidential Debate drinking games Thursday night, iTunes 8.0.1 came out. The update addresses a number of issues that have come up since the software's release in early September that, while perhaps not deal-breakers, can be pretty annoying. Here's the copied-and-pasted fixes list:

- Seamlessly plays the current song when creating a new Genius playlist

- Improves syncing spoken menus to iPod nano

- Addresses an issue of deleting HD TV episodes when downloading

- Improves checking for updates from the App Store

- Improves accessibility with VoiceOver

- Addresses problems syncing Genius results to iPod.

That third point, the deleting of HD TV episodes when downloading, is an issue that came up within days of the original iTunes 8 release. Apple acknowledged it to a few customers when it was first reported, and there were a few workarounds, but it's nice to know that it's been resolved. For those who create Genius playlists often, the improvements to Genius playlist syncing and playing are sure to be welcome. And finally, I think everyone can agree that improvements to App Store updates will always be good. Now if I can just find a foolproof hangover remedy.

The ~58MB update is available through Software Update or Apple's iTunes download page.

Java has been updated for OSX 10.4

2008-09-25T06:55:00.003+01:00

Java for Mac OS X 10.4, Release 7 delivers improved reliability and compatibility for Java 2 Platform Standard Edition 5.0 and Java 1.4 on Mac OS X 10.4.11 and later. This release updates J2SE 5.0 to version 1.5.0_16 and Java 1.4 to version 1.4.2_18.

Java has been updated for OSX 10.5

2008-09-25T06:55:00.001+01:00

This release updates Java SE 6 to version 1.6.0_07, J2SE 5.0 to version 1.5.0_16, and J2SE 1.4.2 to 1.4.2_18.

This release is only for Mac OS X 10.5.4 and later, and should not be installed on earlier versions of Mac OS X.

This release of J2SE 5.0 and J2SE 1.4.2 supports all Intel and PowerPC-based Macs. Java SE 6 is available on 64-bit, Intel-based Macs only.

Firefox has been updated to V3.0.2

2008-09-24T13:04:00.001+01:00

Firefox has been updated to Version 3.0.2. Please see below for a list of fixes.

Version 3.0.2:

- Fixed several security issues.

- Fixed several stability issues.

- Official releases for Sinhala and Slovene are now available.

- Beta releases for Bengali, Galician, Hindi, Icelandic, Kannada, Marathi, Telegu, and Thai are available for testing.

- Fixed a number of minor issues with the layout of certain web pages.

- Fixed several theme issues that affected right-to-left locales.

- Fixed issue that caused some users with customized toolbars to have their Back and Forward buttons go missing (bug 426026)

- Add new Extended Validation (EV) roots to Firefox 3.0.2.

- On certain IDN sites, the password manager would not fill in username and password details properly.

- Fixed several hangs and crashes that occurred when using screen readers.

- Fixed Mac-specific issues:

-- Keyboard shortcuts would stop working in some cases.

-- Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Indic characters can not be entered (using IME) into text fields in Flash objects (bug 357670)

-- Firefox 3.0.1 could not be used when the user profile is stored on an AFP directory (bug 417037)

Adobe unveils CS4 suite

2008-09-23T19:13:00.001+01:00

Adobe on Tuesday will unveil Creative Suite 4 (CS4), the latest update to the its suite of high-end applications for print, Web, and video professionals. Available in October, the suite consists of 13 products like Photoshop and Illustrator, 14 integrated technologies like Bridge and Version Cue, and seven services like Acrobat.com.

Files and objects can be shared across tabs by clicking and dragging them and holding them on a new tab. Of course, if you prefer the multiple window interface of the old Adobe products, you can still use that too.

Major standalone products released as part of CS4 include Photoshop, Photoshop Extended, InDesign, Illustrator, Flash Professional, Dreamweaver, After Effects, and Adobe Premiere.

Adobe's new tabbed interface is found throughout CS4.

If there is a consistent theme in Creative Suite 4, it’s integration. Adobe integrated its Flash multimedia application across the CS4 applications. The company also focused on integrating common functions in other apps, too, as part of an effort to make pro users more efficient.

“One of the things we are really committed to is helping customers express their ideas,” Chad Siegel, group product manager for Adobe Creative Solutions, said. “We aren’t just about providing the tools, we are about making a platform to help them express themselves in engaging ways.”

Trying to come up with solutions to challenges for one product the size of Photoshop is a daunting task for any company, but coming up with solutions for eight or 10 products can seem almost impossible.

Siegel said Adobe spent a lot of time with its customers, watching what they were doing on a daily basis. Isolating the workflow issues of a variety of pro users helped the company narrow the focus of where CS4 needed to go.

According to Siegel, Adobe focused on four key challenges across the suite of applications—effective collaboration between designers, developers, specialists within workflows, creative pros and clients; support for mobile devices and new media; the embrace of new media; and tracking, managing, automating and deriving value from assets.

To allow collaboration Adobe now offers a set of online services on Acrobat.com to allow designers and clients to create and share documents. Groups can also use Adobe ConnectNow to meet live over the Web and share a computer screen. This gives designers the opportunity to get immediate feedback and make any necessary changes to a design without sending documents to clients and waiting for them to be returned.

Focusing on the mobile platform, applications across the suite are now more tightly integrated with Adobe Flash, which allows designers to use the SWF format for mobile devices.

Being able to use new media was a major factor for many companies that Adobe spoke with since the last Creative Suite release. When building the new video tools, for example, Adobe had to consider that while broadcast revenue is an understandable business model, businesses are looking beyond that now. To help them, Adobe worked to help them understand their assets and how they could be used.

CS4 includes an expanded version of Dynamic Link in the Production Premium suite that enables users to move content between After Effects CS4, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, Soundbooth, and Encore, so updates can be seen instantly without rendering.

Other new tools like Photoshop’s Content-Aware Scaling automatically recomposes an image as it is resized, preserving vital areas as it adapts to new dimensions.

Adobe made some big changes with sharing and collaboration in CS4. Adobe ConnectNow, can be accessed from InDesign CS4, Illustrator CS4, Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop Extended CS4, Flash CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver CS4, Fireworks CS4, and Acrobat 9 Pro, allowing real-time collaboration with two colleagues or clients.

Adobe Kuler, a Web-hosted application for generating color themes, is now accessible from within InDesign CS4, Illustrator CS4, Photoshop CS4, Photoshop Extended CS4, Flash CS4 and Fireworks CS4, and can be shared by designers. Kuler is available for owners of the individual applications or the suites.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 will be available in October. Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium will cost $1799 and includes InDesign, Photoshop Extended, Illustrator, Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Flash Professional and Fireworks; Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Premium will be $1699 and includes Dreamweaver, Flash Professional, Fireworks, Photoshop Extended, Illustrator, Soundbooth, Acrobat and Contribute; and Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium is $1699 and includes After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop Extended, Illustrator, Flash Professional, Soundbooth, OnLocation and Encore.

Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection costs $2499 and includes InDesign, Photoshop Extended, Illustrator, Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Flash Professional, Fireworks, Contribute, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Soundbooth, OnLocation and Encore.

Adobe will offer tiered upgrade pricing from previous versions depending on the applications you own. Details of the upgrades are available from Adobe’s Web site.

Final Cut Server 1.1.1 Released

2008-09-19T17:46:00.001+01:00

Apple has released Final Cut Server 1.1.1, an update to its media asset management and workflow automation system for film and video professionals. The update is available for download from Apple’s Web site.

Final Cut Server 1.1.1 addresses installation issues, according to Apple. Changes have also been made to improve overall stability and general performance.

Apple reports that this update works in conjunction with a Pro Applications Update posted on Thursday that updated Apple Qmaster and Compressor. Those, combined with the recently released Mac OS X 10.5.5 update, resolve an issue in which clusters were not visible in Compressor and Batch Monitor, and Compressor services did not appear in the Apple Qmaster pane of System Preferences.

Billings 3 for Mac is Released

2008-09-18T18:33:00.001+01:00

Billings, the popular invoicing software for the Mac, has been updated to version 3. Here are a list of the new features: -

- Completely revised main window interface

- Elevated "Account" from the project level to the client level

- Added chronological view of all account related information (invoices, estimates, payments, retainers, statements, pro forma invoices)

- Added inline previews for items in the account list with the ability to specify PDF layout (1 up, 2 up, zoom etc...) Right-click on PDF's to see the options

- Added the ability to send statements

- Added the ability to include "past due amounts" on invoices

- Added the ability to send pro forma invoices (used for approvals)

- Added 18 new estimate and invoice templates and added matching pairs for statements and envelopes (total of 30)

- Added client groups and revised the client list sidebar. Drag & Drop clients from one group to another

- Added the ability to be notified of overdue clients with red icons in the client list

- Added the ability to specify recurring invoices. The dock gets badged when recurring invoices have to be sent out (Billings must be running)

- Added the ability to send consolidated invoices for multiple projects for a client

- Added the ability to re-arrange slip order for an invoice (drag slips in the new slips tab in the send invoice window)

- Added the ability to specify more complex terms (due date) for invoices

and many more, The upgrade costs £25 for upgrade from Billings 2.x users.

Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 2.2 from Apple

2008-09-17T04:18:00.001+01:00

This update extends RAW file compatibility for Aperture 2 and iPhoto 08 for the following cameras:

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS/Kiss Digital F/1000D
Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n
Nikon D700
Olympus EVOLT E-420
Olympus EVOLT E-520
Olympus SP-570
Samsung GX-10
Samsung GX-20
Sony DSLR-A300
Sony DSC-R1

This is available from the Software Update App in Leopard and Tiger.

Apple releases Security Update 2008-006

2008-09-16T15:14:00.001+01:00

Apple released Security Update 2008-006 fixing a number of issues in the underlying components of the Mac operating system. This update was included in Mac OS X 10.5.5 released last night, so there is no need to download the update if you installed 10.5.5.

Among the changes are two fixes for DNS cache poisoning. One of the components susceptible to this problem is libresolv, which provides translation between host names and IP addresses. The other component, mDNSResponder, was also susceptible to cache poisoning. Both of these have been updated implementing source port and transaction ID randomization.

A couple of changes were made to the login window. In one instance a user may be able to login without providing a password. In some instances, with the guest account enabled and a failed attempt to login, a user could login as any user without providing a password.

The second login window change protects a users password from being changed. If a user is required to change their password in the login screen and it fails an error message is displayed. Because the current password is not cleared, a user could gain access to the account. The update clears the password in the error message.

A change has been made to the VNC password viewer to show the actual limit of eight characters. Previously the password viewer would display more than eight characters, giving the user the impression that all characters were being used.

Time Machine backups have been updated, protecting users information. When a backup is done several log files are saved to the backup drive with read permission. This could allow other users to view the files.

Security Update 2008-006 for PowerPC, Intel and Server is available for download from Apple’s Web site and is available for Leopard and Tiger.

Apple releases Mac OS X 10.5.5 Update

2008-09-15T21:49:00.001+01:00

Apple on Monday released Mac OS X 10.5.5, a recommended update for all users of Mac OS X 10.5.x Leopard that includes over a hundred bug fixes and more than two dozen security enhancements.

As of press time, the 321MB update was only available via the Software Update mechanism located under the Apple menu of your Mac.

In addition to general stability improvements and over two dozen security enhancements, the update addresses issues with Address Book, Disk Utility, iCal, Mail, MobileMe, and Time Machine. A detailed list of those fixes are as follows:

General

-Includes recent Apple security updates.
-Addresses stability issues with video playback, processor core idling, and remote disc sharing for MacBook Air.
-Addresses an issue in which some Macs could unexpectedly power on at the same time each day.
-Resolves a stability issue in TextEdit that could be found when accessing the color palette.
-Improves Spotlight indexing performance.
-Fixes an issue in which contacts might not sync properly with PalmOS-based devices.
-Improves iPhone sync reliability with iCal and Address Book.
-Includes improvements to Active Directory (see this article for more information).
-Improves Speech Dictionary.
-Fixes Kerberos authentication issues for Mac OS X 10.5 clients that connect to certain Samba servers, such as Mac OS X Server version 10.4.
-Includes extensive graphics enhancements.

Address Book

-Addresses stability issues that may occur when creating a Smart Group.
-Resolves a printing issue with address cards containing information that spans more than one page.

Disk Utility and Directory Utility

-Improves reliability when rebuilding a software mirror RAID volume in Disk Utility.
-Improves reliability of server status displayed in Directory Utility.

iCal

-Updates iCal to more accurately handle repeating events.
-Improves performance when choosing meeting attendees.
-Resolves an issue in which the "Refresh All" option may be dimmed ("grayed out") in the contextual menu for certain calendars.
-Fixes issues with read-only calendars.
-Addresses an issue that prevents an invitee from moving an event to a different calendar.
-Resolves an issue with syncing published calendars.

Mail

-Addresses performance issues related to displaying IMAP messages.
-Resolves an issue with SMTP settings for AIM, Compuserve, Hanmail, Yahoo!, and Time Warner Road Runner email accounts.
-Addresses stability issues that may occur when dragging a file to the Mail icon in the Dock.
-Addresses an issue with the "Organized by Thread" view in which the date does not appear when the thread is collapsed.
-Resolves an issue in which RSS feeds could temporarily disappear from the sidebar.
-Improves Mail robustness when sending messages.
-Improves reliability when saving drafts that have attachments.

MobileMe

-Improves overall sync reliability.
-Improves Back to My Mac reliability.

Time Machine

-Improves Time Machine reliability with Time Capsule.
-Addresses performance issues that may affect initial and in-progress backups.
-Fixes an issue in which an incorrect alert message could appear stating that a backup volume does not have enough free space.
-Time Machine can now back up iPhone backups that are on your Mac, as well as other items in (~/Library/Application Support).

Apple re-releases iTunes 8 to fix 'blue screen of death'

2008-09-15T18:10:00.001+01:00

Apple late Thursday re-released iTunes 8 for Windows to roll back a buggy driver that had been bricking Windows Vista PCs with dreaded "blue screen of death" crashes since Tuesday.

In a support document, Apple urged Vista users who had been unable to synchronize their iPods or iPhones using iTunes 8 to uninstall both iTunes and an Apple-provided device driver, then download and reinstall the entire 75MB package yet again.

From Vista's "Uninstall a Program" control panel, users should ditch the "Apple Mobile Device Support" driver as well as iTunes itself, then restart the PC. "Re-download and install the updated iTunes 8 installer from www.apple.com/itunes/download," said Apple. "Do not use the iTunes8Setup or iTunes864Setup file you previously downloaded."

Users running Microsoft's Vista operating system had reported problems almost as soon as the updated iTunes 8 was posted for download Tuesday. According to scores of users on the Apple support forum, plugging in an iPod or iPhone caused Vista to crash, then display the "blue screen of death" (BSOD), a Windows critical error screen best-known for its blue background.

The BSOD message fingered an Apple-provided USB driver - "usbaapl.sys" in the 32-bit version of Vista, "usbaapl64.sys" in the 64-bit edition of the OS - as the culprit. Windows identifies that driver as "Apple Mobile Device Support" in Vista's uninstaller.

According to Windows blogger Ed Bott, who first reported on the iTunes re-release, Apple simply dumped buggy versions of usbaapl.sys and usbaapl64.sys, and swapped in older editions from a July iTunes update.

It has been confirmed that a copy of iTunes 8 downloaded late Thursday, after Apple re-issued the application, installed the same older 31.2KB driver identified by Bott.

Apple released iTunes 7.7 on July 10 as part of its run-up to the iPhone 3G launch, and the unveiling of both the iPhone 2.0 software and the MobileMe online sync and storage service.

Users who uninstalled and then reinstalled iTunes 8 said the process did the trick. "The updated iTunes seems to have fixed the BSOD Vista problem for me," reported "ckong" on the longest thread devoted to the crashes.

Others, however, knocked Apple for not reissuing iTunes under a different version number. "God, what a disaster: Now we have two different versions of software and drivers that have the same version number!" said "Pirx07" on the same thread Thursday night. "Was there any way to handle this more incompetently?"

Blackberry updates device software

2008-09-13T10:34:00.001+01:00

Blackberry has updated the Blackberry Device software to 4.5. The big news is Documents-To-Go Standard is included with this update so you can view Word and Powerpoint Documents on your Mobile. You can upgrade this to the Premium version where you can edit documents as well.

Also you can now read HTML emails with images on your Blackberry.

This is a free update for the Perl, Curve and 8800 series mobiles. See your Blackberry Provider for more details.

Nokia joins Apple, licenses Microsoft Exchange

2008-09-11T10:01:00.001+01:00

In a move reflecting Apple's decision to license the technologies for use in the iPhone, Nokia has enabled Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync for all 43 of its S60 Third Edition wireless devices, a total of about 80 million wireless devices globally.

Current users of the S60 smart phones, which cut across a range of prices, will be able to download a client to the phones that allows them to work with an Exchange server, making it easier for those companies to support Exchange email.

Future S60 devices will have the client built-in, said David Petts, senior vice president for business mobility for Nokia, in an interview at the CTIA trade show here.

Petts said the set-up process will be simpler than previously available for other Nokia devices. Nokia device users will be able to set email priorities, receive alerts for meeting conflicts and obtain a global address list application to search for colleagues using the same email server.

There will be no added cost to download the client.

RIM revealed new Flip Blackberry

2008-09-10T20:36:00.001+01:00

RIM has unveiled its first, long-awaited BlackBerry smartphone in a clamshell format.

Show related articles
The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220, announced on Wednesday, is part of RIM's more consumer-oriented product line. Once an almost entirely enterprise-oriented company, the Canadian manufacturer now sells about as many handsets to consumers as to business customers.

The quad-band, Edge-based Flip weighs just over 100g, and measures 3.9 by 1.9 by 0.7 inches. It has two colour displays — one 240-by-320-pixel internal screen, and a smaller, external LCD for alerting the user to incoming emails, text messages and phone calls. The phone takes microSD/SDHC cards of up to 16GB capacity.

The device's 900mAh battery will provide four hours of talk time and 14 days of standby time, according to RIM. Other features are fairly standard for a BlackBerry: 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, a 2-megapixel camera, DataViz's Documents To Go office suite and, of course, full compatibility with BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

Other than the fact that the Flip will launch this autumn, exact release dates and pricing have not yet been announced.

The Pearl Flip 8220 is RIM's first clamshell handset

New-look nano highlights Apple’s iPod changes

2008-09-09T19:31:00.001+01:00

Apple revamped its iPod line Tuesday, highlighted by a new version of the iPod nano with a curved aluminum design and built-in accelerometer.

The new iPod nano, introduced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs during a press briefing in San Francisco Tuesday, is touted as the thinnest iPod ever built and features a taller form factor with a larger screen than the previous nano.

The revamped nano line comes in a host of colors—purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink, and silver. The 8GB nano sells for $149 while the 16GB model sells for $199; both nanos are now shipping.

Apple also pared down the iPod classic line to just one model—a 120GB music player that costs $249. Previously, the classic line came in two versions—a $249 80GB model and a $349 160GB model.

The remodeled iPod touch adds integrated volume controls, a built-in speaker, and the same tapered back as the iPhone 3G.

UK Prices to follow.

Apple promises fewer dropped calls with iPhone 2.1

2008-09-09T19:30:00.001+01:00

Rejoice, long-suffering iPhone users — Apple on Tuesday announced an update to the software that operate their iPhone and iPod touch. A free upgrade from 2.0, iPhone 2.1 software is expected to be released on Friday, September 12, 2008.

Also available with the newly updated iPod touch that Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced at Apple’s “Let’s Rock” event in San Francisco, the new 2.1 software is a free update to iPhone and iPod touch users who have 2.0 installed. If your iPod touch is still running 1.x software, it will cost $9.95 to get the 2.1 upgrade.

The 2.1 update fixes bugs, and reduces the number of dropped calls experienced by iPhone users with the 2.0 software. It also provides “significantly improved” battery life, crashes less, and provides “dramatically faster” backups to iTunes. New performance enhancements have also been made.

iTunes 8 Released Tuesday Night/Wednesday Morning

2008-09-09T19:01:00.001+01:00

At its special “Let’s Rock” event in San Francisco on Tuesday, Apple introduced iTunes 8. The new release ties in to new features available through the iTunes store, including as HD television programs. iTunes 8 is available as a free download from Apple’s Web site starting today.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that the iTunes Store now features more than 8.5 million songs and more than 125,000 podcasts. More than 35,000 television shows are available, along with 2,600 movies and more than 3,000 applications for the iPod touch and iPhone. There are now more than 65 million accounts in iTunes.

The new version 8 release features the ability to purchase, download and watch television shows in HD. They cost more than Standard Definition (SD) shows — $2.99 per episode, versus $1.99.

What’s more, the iTunes Store will once again feature television shows produced by NBC. The Office, Monk, Battlestar Galactica, 30 Rock, Heroes and other popular series broadcast on NBC and its cable affiliates will once again be available for purchase and download. NBC stopped offering content on iTunes in 2007 after it failed to reach an agreement with Apple over iTunes revenue.

“Genius” is a new feature that lets you make playlists from songs in your music library “that go great together, with just one click,” according to Jobs. A new button in the bottom right corner of the iTunes window lets you make a Genius playlist. A sidebar will also make recommendations for accompanying songs that are available through the the iTunes Store.

iTunes’ interface has been reworked for improved accessibility. The new iTunes 8 can be operated using VoiceOver, Apple’s accessibility software for disabled users. New browsing options have been added; you can skim albums by artist, and use a similar view to examine your movies, TV shows and other content.

UK Prices to be announced soon.

New Web Browser for Download, Google Chrome

2008-09-02T22:06:00.001+01:00

Google has introduced a new Web browser, called Chrome, aimed at wresting dominance of the browser market from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. The move takes the Google-Microsoft rivalry to a whole new level. If Google succeeds, it will be a big deal, with major ramifications for the future of the Web.

But just how good is Chrome? How does it differ from IE and from less popular, but still important, browsers like Mozilla’s Firefox and Apple’s Safari?

I’ve been testing Chrome for about a week, trying out all its features, and using it side by side with Microsoft’s latest iteration of IE, which came out just last week.

My verdict: Chrome is a smart, innovative browser that, in many common scenarios, will make using the Web faster, easier and less frustrating. But this first version—which is just a beta, or test, release—is rough around the edges and lacks some common browser features Google plans to add later. These omissions include a way to manage bookmarks, a command for emailing links and pages directly from the browser, and even a progress bar to show how much of a Web page has loaded.

Chrome’s interface has some bold changes from the standard browser design. These new features enhance the Web experience, but they will require some adjustment on the part of users. For instance, Chrome does away with most menus and toolbar icons to give maximum screen space for the Web pages themselves. Also, Google has merged the address bar, where you type in Web addresses, with the search box, where you type in search terms. This unified feature is called the Omnibox.

One striking difference in Chrome is how it handles tabs, which display a single Web page. In Chrome, each tab behaves as a separate browser. The bookmarks bar, Omnibox, menus and toolbar icons are located inside the tab, rather than atop the entire browser. The tabs appear at the top of the computer screen. Chrome also groups related tabs. If you open a new tab from a link in a page that’s already open, that new tab appears next to the originating page, rather than at the end of the row of tabs.

Google’s Chrome browser displays thumbnails of a user’s most-visited pages when a new tab is opened, rather than a blank page.

Despite Google’s claims that Chrome is fast, it was notably slower in my tests at the common task of launching Web pages than either Firefox or Safari. However, it proved faster than the latest version of IE—also a beta version—called IE8.

Meanwhile, Microsoft hasn’t been sitting still. The second beta version of IE8 is the best edition of Internet Explorer in years. It is packed with new features of its own, some of which are similar to those in Chrome, and some of which, in my view, top Chrome’s features.

For example, while IE8 also groups related tabs, it assigns a different color to each such tab group and allows you to close them all with one click. It has a “smart” address box of its own, that drops down a list of suggestions as you type, though it retains a separate search box.

IE8 also has breakthrough privacy features that exceed Chrome’s, and includes a new technology called Accelerators, which allows you to take rapid action on any selected word or phrase on a Web page, such as generating a map for a place name, without switching to a new page.

As they develop, each of these browsers has a good chance of besting Firefox 3.0, which I have regarded as the best Web browser for Windows, the only operating system on which Chrome currently runs. But they will have to get faster at loading pages. And, to best Firefox on the Macintosh, Google will have to make good on its promise to produce a Mac version of Chrome, something it says it will do in the coming months. Microsoft has no plans to produce a Mac version of IE8.

Microsoft’s IE8 has an ”Accelerator” feature that lets users select any Web text and then map, translate, search or email their selection without leaving the page.

Chrome and IE8 are far more advanced than Apple’s Safari. Safari is speedy on both Mac and Windows platforms, but lacks many of the key intelligent features of its newer Google and Microsoft rivals.

Why is Google igniting a new browser war? There are two main reasons, and both involve competing with Microsoft. First, the search giant fears that because its search engine and other major products depend on the browser, Microsoft—with its rival online products—might be able to gain an advantage by altering the design of IE, which has roughly a 75% market share.

Second, and more important, Google sees the Web as a platform for the software programs, or applications, that currently run directly on computer operating systems, notably Microsoft’s Windows. It says current browsers lack the underlying architecture to enable future, more powerful Web applications that will rely more heavily on a common Web programming language called JavaScript. Chrome was designed to be the world’s speediest browser at handling JavaScript.

That move might one day make Chrome a sort of online operating system that competes with Windows. “Think of Chrome as more than a simple Web browser,” Google declares. “It’s a platform for running Web applications.”

I tested Chrome, and IE8, on a plain-vanilla Lenovo ThinkPad laptop running Windows XP, and equipped with a modest processor and one gigabyte of memory.

To gauge Chrome’s speed at loading Web pages, I launched two large groups of typical Web pages simultaneously, each site opening in its own tab. One group included 15 sports sites, the second 19 news sites. In both tests, Chrome’s speed fell in the middle, at 35 and 44 seconds, respectively. IE8 was slower, taking 49 and 75 seconds to open the two groups of sites. But Firefox and Safari were much faster, notching identical speeds of 19 seconds for the 15 sites and 28 seconds for the 19 sites.

Google claims that future, more sophisticated Web applications relying more heavily on JavaScript than today’s sites do would run faster on Chrome. Of course, I couldn’t test any claim about future scenarios, but I did run Chrome on several JavaScript test sites, used by developers. It handily beat the other browsers. However, Google doesn’t claim users would see much difference on current Web application sites.

I also tested Chrome’s compatibility with scores of common Web sites. In general, it did well, rendering the sites properly. But I ran into problems with video. Some video sites refused to recognize Chrome, because its development has been a secret. On others, like Major League Baseball’s site, videos mostly played properly, but sometimes didn’t.

IE8 also has some compatibility issues, for different reasons. It’s the first version of Internet Explorer to hew closely to Web standards. Earlier versions used some nonstandard ways of rendering Web sites, prompting some site designers to adopt techniques that made their pages work in IE, but look odd in Firefox and Safari. Now, ironically, these pages also look strange in IE8. So Microsoft was forced to build in a special Compatibility View button that users must click to see the sites properly.

Chrome is built on three core design principles. The first is its spare user interface. There are only two menus and a handful of toolbar icons. Internet Explorer introduced a similar approach in its version 7, but with a difference. Microsoft allows users to restore a traditional menu bar; Google omits that option. And the only toolbar icon you can add in Chrome is a Home button.

The second big principle behind Chrome is that a user can type anything he or she wishes into a single place, the Omnibox, and instantly receive suggestions on where to go, gleaned from the user’s own browsing history and Google’s rankings of popular sites. Whether you type in a Web address or a search term, the Omnibox is very smart. In some cases, in my tests, it came up with the right destination after I had typed only one or two letters of the name of a site I frequently visited.

The Omnibox has another cool feature, called Tab-to-Search. If you type in the name of another site that includes its own search feature, like Amazon.com, the Omnibox allows you to simply press the tab key to search within just that site, without opening it first. Chrome, through its Options settings, also lets you change the default search engine used by the Omnibox. Instead of Google’s own search service, you can use Microsoft’s Live search, Yahoo search, or others.

The third big principle behind Chrome is that each tab runs, under the hood, as a separate browser. Tabs can be dragged off the main browser and turned into separate windows. If one tab crashes, the rest of the browser keeps running. But this doesn’t work perfectly. In my tests, all of Chrome died on me when I tried watching an Olympics video on the NBC site.

You can even turn any tab into a standalone application that can be run from the Start Menu, or the desktop, as if it was a separate program.

Chrome has a few other key features. When you open a new tab, you don’t get a blank page, but a set of thumbnails for your most-visited pages, plus lists of recent search engines you’ve used, recently used bookmarks and recently closed tabs.

Like other browsers, Chrome puts up a warning when you try to visit a malicious or phony Web site, and it has a private browsing mode, called Incognito, which allows you to browse without leaving any history on your computer—a feature popularized in Safari.

Chrome also has a pop-up blocker, but it’s annoying, because it flashes a notice that a pop-up has been blocked. IE also does this, but unlike in Chrome, it allows the warnings to be made much less intrusive.

Internet Explorer 8 has some new features Chrome lacks. Its private browsing mode, called InPrivate, is the first I’ve seen that not only leaves no traces on your own computer, but also bars Web sites from collecting some types of information on where you’ve previously been surfing.

While IE8’s address box and search box remain separate, each also offers rapid suggestions; and both are organized better than Chrome’s. For instance, the suggestions that drop down from its address bar are divided neatly into categories drawn from the browser’s own guess, your history and your favorites. One downside: For this to work in Windows XP, you must first install Microsoft’s desktop search product.

Like Chrome, IE8 lets you switch your default search provider, but it also allows you to switch search engines on the fly. When you type in a search term, icons for alternate search engines appear at the bottom of the suggestion list, and you need only click on these to see search results from, say, Google, instead of Microsoft’s own Live search engine.

IE8’s Accelerators feature presents a blue-arrow icon above any text on a Web page that you have selected. Clicking on the icon brings up a list of actions you can take using the selected text, such as posting it to a blog, emailing it, mapping it or searching it. While these actions are set by default to use Microsoft’s own Web services, you can change them to use Google’s, Yahoo’s, or those from other companies.

Microsoft has also built in a feature called Web Slices. These are portions of a Web site that a site developer can designate to appear in the IE8 Favorites bar and to constantly update themselves. An example might be the bidding for an item on eBay.

Like Chrome, IE8 also displays useful information whenever you create a new tab, including a list of recently closed tabs and a list of Accelerators.

With the emergence of Chrome, consumers have a new and innovative browser choice, and with IE8, the new browser war is sure to be a worthy contest.

You can download Google Chrome Here.

iPhone 3G Pay & Go announced

2008-09-02T08:09:00.001+01:00

O2 has finally announced details of its long-awaited Pay & Go deal for UK customers.

UK customers wishing to pick up an iPhone 3G without contract will be able to do so from 16 September 2008. The cost will be £349 for an 8GB model; or £399 for a 16GB model.

Interestingly, the deal also includes 12 months of completely free WiFi and 3G data transmission. After the initial 12 month period customers will be able to get unlimited data for £10 per month.

Customers will, however, have to agree to a minimum top up amount each month of £10 with calls to a UK landline charged at 5p per minute, texts charged at 10p each.

The tariff also includes O2's Favourite Place deal. This entitles you to 500 free minutes from a postcode that you have registered with O2. So if you make most calls from home you can register your home's postcode and get 500 free minutes per month from that location. The amount of free minutes rises if you have a higher minimum amount placed on your tariff. Unused credit is taken from one month to the next, but not unused free minutes on the Favourite Place deal.

Adobe Releases Photoshop Lightroom 2

2008-08-28T13:48:00.001+01:00

Adobe Systems Incorporated announced the immediate availability of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 2 software, the photographer's essential toolbox for managing, adjusting and presenting large volumes of digital photographs. With new enhancements such as dual-monitor support, radical advances in non-destructive localised image correction, and streamlined search capabilities, Lightroom 2 is a compelling upgrade that simplifies photography from shoot to finish. As Adobe’s first application to support 64-bit for Mac OS X 10.5 Macintosh computers with Intel® processors and Microsoft® Windows® Vista® 64-bit operating systems, Lightroom 2 also provides improved memory performance for dealing with large scale images.

“A worldwide community of photographers provided valuable insight and feedback, as part of the Lightroom 2 public beta program, ultimately helping us deliver a better product,” said Tom Hogarty, senior product manager for Lightroom and Camera Raw at Adobe. “We’ve considered their requests which helped us develop useful features that make it easier than ever for our customers to quickly refine, enhance and present brilliant photographs.”

Photoshop Lightroom 2: Smarter, Faster and More Accurate
The enhanced Library module in Lightroom 2 helps streamline and accelerate photographers’ workflows. With the ability to visually organise images across multiple hard drives, Lightroom 2 and its powerful Library Filter Bar makes it easy for users to quickly find the images they need. The Suggested Keywords feature helps photographers keyword their images by making intelligent suggestions based on their own previous efforts. New dual-monitor support allows users to expand their workspace, giving them flexibility to edit and organise images in a way that maximises an additional display.

In the Develop module, the new Local Adjustment Brush lets photographers fine-tune specific areas of an image to precisely adjust colour, exposure and tonal range without affecting other areas of the image. The new Graduated Filter expands the toolbox in Lightroom, allowing for edits to larger areas by applying gradually diminishing or increasing adjustment effects such as exposure, clarity, and saturation, alone, or in any combination. Lightroom 2 also helps photographers print more efficiently by quickly arranging photos of multiple sizes on one or many pages with flexible and customisable templates to maximise paper and ink. Intelligent algorithms automatically determine optimal sharpening for screen or print, producing crisper images faster. Developers can further extend the Lightroom workflow with Web, Export and Metadata Software Development Kits available at the Adobe Developer Connection, http://www.adobe.com/devnet/.

Ground-Breaking Innovation in Raw Technology
New raw technology gives photographers access to flexible camera profiles. Camera profiles are the visual starting point for the raw processing workflow, but image preferences vary for every photographer. To minimise surprises, Adobe is supplying default camera profiles that closely emulate the visual looks that photographers are used to seeing from their favourite camera, while also providing the ability to create highly customised profiles to suit different tastes. Camera profiles are available for immediate download on Adobe Labs (http://labs.adobe.com) for use with Lightroom 2 and Camera Raw 4.5, along with the DNG Profile Editor for the community to test and create their own profiles.

The Adobe Camera Raw 4.5 plug-in and DNG Converter 4.5 are also now available on Adobe.com and support over 190 camera models including the Olympus E 420 and E 520 models.

“One of the big reasons why Lightroom has become such a phenomenon among serious photographers is that Adobe built it with the input of a very vocal user community,” said Scott Kelby, president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP). “Adobe really listens to the issues and challenges today’s photographers face and they’ve built a complete solution that not only meets the needs of photographers; it really feels like it was made just for us. The enhancements to Lightroom 2, combined with the power of Photoshop, give photographers the ultimate freedom to produce professional images quickly.”

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 is available now through the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/store in English, French and German with the Japanese language version planned to be released at a future date. The estimated street price is £175 for new users with an upgrade price of £69 for registered users of qualifying Lightroom customers. Recommended system requirements are Macintosh OSX 10.4, 10.5 1 GHz PowerPC G4 or G5 or Intel® based processor, or Microsoft Windows® XP SP2 or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise, Intel Pentium 4® processor, 1 GB RAM and a 1024x768 resolution screen. Additional information on product features, upgrade policies, pricing, and language versions is available on www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/.

Adobe Launches Photoshop Elements 7 and Premiere Elements 7

2008-08-28T13:46:00.001+01:00

Adobe has announced Version 7 of Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Premiere Elements. Apart from a few new Quick Fix tools, Photoshop Elements 7 offers a new Scene Cleaner option that lets the user brush away unwanted objects from a scene and a Smart Brush which lets the user apply effects to a particular area of a photograph. Adobe Premiere Elements 7 now supports AVCHD format and features a Videomerge option that allows users to create a "green screen" effect and automatically place themselves within a scene.