The Fearless Blogger » apple

Via TechCrunch: Google To Partner With iLike And LaLa For New Music Service

faryl — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:27:38 +0000

Our favorite online Jack-of-All-Trades, Google, has announced their latest venture; and it looks like they’re heading straight into iTunes territory.

TechCrunch posted details about Google’s new music service:

Google will partner with iLike and LaLa for their new music service, we’ve learned. And the announcement date is Wednesday, October 28, 2009.

Press, including us, received an invitation this morning (see ticket image above) inviting them to a Hollywood event next week hosted by music services LaLa and iLike. The invitation, titled “Discover Music!” says announcements will be followed by performances, and that LaLa, iLike “& Others” are hosting. The “& Others” includes Google, we’ve heard from multiple sources, and the new service will be unveiled. All four major music services are backing the service

To get the full scoop, read the original post at TechCrunch:
Google To Partner With iLike And LaLa For New Music Service

Update:
TechCrunch has posted screenshots of the new service.

I Know Which Launch Party I’d Rather Go To!

faryl — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:16:21 +0000

Apparently they party differently too.

HostingYourParty is Microsoft’s latest video to be making its internet rounds. The clip features a “diverse” group of “cutting edge” Windows 7 users (including one who reminds me of Cindy McCain) comparing notes on their Windows 7 launch parties (Yep. Windows. 7. Launch. Parties.) so entertainment-impaired Windows fans will be adequately prepared when their time comes.

It’s one of those clips that is funny in an “it’s so bad it’s funny” way – which quickly turns into an “ok, now I’m getting bored, there’s no way I’m watching this whole clip” way. For the uninitiated, you can check it out here.

Side note to Microsoft: No hard feelings, but COME ON. Even your PARTIES aren’t intuitive! Why is this so challenging for you??!

Cabel Sasser posted the solution below on his blog. Imagine if Microsoft were promoting this kind of party!

Check out Cabel’s post for his thoughts on the original video (and his version’s inspiration)! (I also encourage you to check out Panic, Inc. – the company Cabel co-founded – for yummy Mac software!)

Hat tip: @skyvan for sharing the link!

FINALLY! Starbucks says: There’s an app for that.

faryl — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:53:19 +0000

Better Latte Than Never!

In case I haven’t mentioned it, I’ve been known to be a bit of a caffeine junky.

And having fond memories of my near decade in the Emerald City, Starbucks holds a very special place in my heart – a place reserved for those who concoct elixirs comprised of my three favorite food groups: caffeine, sugar and dairy (and occasionally the fourth: chocolate).

That said, Starbucks had left me feeling a bit let down at their lack of collaboration with one of my other true loves – Apple. In particular my iPhone.

Until today.

From the Starbucks blog:

Today we launched two iPhone / iPod touch applications, myStarbucks and Starbucks Card Mobile. These are great (and free!) and will let you have a fun and useful Starbucks Experience wherever you are. You can design your own beverage, view your balance and load your Starbucks Card, look up nutritional information on our beverages and food, and learn about our different whole bean coffees. No, you can’t place an order using the app (not yet anyway), but we’re just starting out.

It’s not exactly the ability to tweet a latte to a buddy, but give the relationship time to mature – I have hope it will blossom.

For more details, check out the video below or visit the Starbucks Ideas in Action Blog. You can find the app here.

Mac Tip: Print to PDF more easily with CUPS-PDF

faryl — Thu, 07 May 2009 04:24:02 +0000

I found a handy (and free) little utility via TUAW (that’s “The Unofficial Apple Weblog” for those who may not be familiar) today that I thought was worth sharing with you guys.

My Quandary
I wanted to print out the free meal coupons KFC offered through Oprah’s website. Unfortunately, my printer is out of ink and coupons.com does not support Mac’s built in “save as PDF” option to save and email the coupon to my sweetie to print for me (instead it opens and prints straight to your default printer).

The Solution
I figured there had to be a way to set up a virtual printer that would output to a PDF file and a quick Google search pointed me to the TUAW post about CUPS-PDF by codepoetry.

The Skinny
As described by codepoetry:

CUPS-PDF is a backend module for CUPS (Mac OS X’s printing system) by Volker C. Behr that, rather than printing to a device, prints straight to PDF files.

Why use this rather than a simple “Save as PDF” in the print dialog?

- Pressing return is faster.
- Batch-print through the writer to convert documents to PDF.

More Simply Stated: For anyone who uses the “save as PDF” option often, you may have noticed that it takes a few extra clicks above the usual “command-p“. Furthermore, (at least before Leopard) this is not something “apple scriptable” – so there isn’t an easy alternative (not sure if that’s changed with Leopard’s release since, frankly, as it wouldn’t have addressed my particular issue since the “save as PDF” wasn’t even an option for this specific site – so I didn’t really dig further).

First Impressions
Installation was easy (you do need to provide your admin password) and it worked exactly as described.

I did notice a comment on one of the sites that this method creates pdfs that are significantly larger in file size than the usual “save as” – a consideration if you plan to use the feature frequently and/or need to upload or e-mail the resulting files.

At the End of the Day
You need to install coupons.com’s app to print their coupons to begin with. Unfortunately, even though CUPS-PDF solved my initial problem, the coupons.com app wouldn’t install, so I still wasn’t able to print my KFC coupon!

Still, it pointed me towards a handy utility – so I figured I’d share it so at least one of us could benefit!!

(For those wondering why a vegetarian would even care about a free chicken dinner – I have to confess that KFC’s coleslaw is one of my favorite side dishes. I’ve actually been know to swing by KFC after buying Morning Star veggie chicken wings to get my fix! As for the chicken – I planned to save that for my meat-eating beau!)

Play Games, Save Kitties (and puppies too!)

faryl — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:17:33 +0000

Earlier this year, I wrote about GiantCrayon’s newest iPhone game, ShiveringKittens. The Tetris-like game challenges you to rescue cute little kittens by breaking them free from blocks of ice.

A couple of things have happened since writing the review, the first of which prompted this post:

GiantCrayon Games today announced it will partner with the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) to raise money for animals through a first-of-its-kind promotion during March and April 2009. This is the first time an iPhone game has been used as lynchpin of a fundraising campaign.

“I’m so excited to be working with the ASPCA,” said Tim Goggin, GiantCrayon Games’s VP. “We’re really keen to pioneer such a different way of fundraising. And most importantly, I value the wonderful work the ASPCA does rescuing animals, so I’m really thrilled to find a way to help such a great organization.”

As you may already know, I’m not a fan of “the math”.
But this kind of addition, I like
kitties + iphone + game + charity =
a whole bunch of awesome coolness!

The other thing that’s happened since writing the review

My handsome sweetie has developed a bit of an addiction to the game. Frankly, I’ve started to wonder if he looks forward to seeing me, or if he’s actually just counting the minutes ’till he can get his hands on my iPhone. So, consider that an endorsement for Shivering Kitties. Also consider that a plea to those in the SoCal area: If you buy the game, can you please invite my fella over so I can get my iPhone back?

For more details about the game, you can read my original review.

What are you waiting for?

Buy your copy today! ShiveringKittens is available now for iPhone and iPod Touch on the iTunes App Store for $2.99. For every copy sold during the months of March & April, $1 will be donated to the ASPCA by GiantCrayon. (Read full press release.)

No iPhone? Why not buy it as a gift for the iPhone lover in your life, or help spread the word about the fundraiser to others!

Get Shivering Kittens here

disclosure(s): Links to the iTunes store are affiliate links.
I’ve been in a couple of commercials for Giant Crayon and know the folks over there pretty well.
That said, I do think it’s a fun game, purchased my own copy and this was not a sponsored post!

MacHeist: Strain Your Brain for Free Software

faryl — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:28:13 +0000

This post falls under the better-late-than-never category.

MacHeist3 kicked off just over three weeks ago, but there’s still time to sign up to get in on the fun and nab yourself some free software in the process.

Part Mac
MacHeist is website with a unique approach to reselling Mac OS shareware software. Created by John Casasanta, Phill Ryu, and Scott Meinzer (known collectively as “The Directorate“), the site periodically offers bundles of software for a price that is substantially discounted from the combined softwares’ standard retail prices (past bundles have cost around $50 and included 10-14 products, valued around $500).

A portion of the proceeds are donated to charity. To further encourage purchases, the bundles contain applications that will only be “unlocked” (license keys provided) once specified sales goals have been achieved. As additional incentive, participants who referred friends to the Heist received “bonus” software not included the standard bundle.

Part Heist
Several weeks before the latest bundle is released, the MacHeist Directorate transitions the website to reveal a series of “missions“. Participants are rewarded for successful completion with “loot”: software and/or discounts off the upcoming bundle. Josh Dyson, a MacHeist forum moderator, describes the missions as being

like elaborate Internet-based puzzles that you’ll be asked to solve. You’ll start with a mission briefing which gives you a problem to solve, and clues on how to get started. Chances are, those clues will leave you with more questions than answers. Eventually, if you’re smart (and resourceful) you’ll solve the Heist and get your reward: even more free software! . . .If you get stuck, and can’t figure out the next step, we have a forum called The Backroom that can help you figure out your next move. I’ll say this much, though: it’s way more rewarding to figure it out on your own! But, time is usually of the essence, as heists have a limited window in which they can be solved. You’ll need to act fast or seek help if the hour is drawing near.

MacHeists Past
You’d think giving away free software (legally) and raising money for charity would make a fan out of anyone. However, past MacHeists have been the subject of controversy. Miscalculated publicity campaigns, contributing developers’ compensation, and technical/PayPal-related glitches in the purchasing process have drawn criticism of the site. (I don’t share this to add fuel to the controversy. I happen to believe you deserve to be aware of these concerns, so can make your own informeddecision before making a purchase at a site I’ve recommended!)

The Joy of Giving
According to MacHeist, last year’s bundle raised $500,000 for charity. The way I see it, if you can score a handful of free apps, purchase more apps at a considerable savings and contribute towards some good causes in the process, it’s a win-win situation all around.

Of course, it’s hard to maintain that enthusiasm if you already own the apps or don’t find them particularly useful (or if you live in an Windows world). On the other hand, the inclusion of even just one or two juicy apps can prove the $50-ish price tag to be a bargain. To save more money, consider splitting the bundle cost with a friend (assuming you can agree who gets which apps). Or you can share the love and give any unwanted apps to a special mac user in your life. (Bloggers – your unused apps might make a nice prize for a site contest or give-away.)

Get Going! Get Loot!
Participants who’ve successfully completed each of this year’s missions thus far have earned licenses for Process, KavaTunes, Shove Box, Webbla, Sticky Notes, AllSecure, 3D Hearts Deluxe, Blitz and Fresh – a value of just over $220.

<strong>It’s not too late to get in on the action and earn some loot of your own. As of today, you’ll get copies of AllSecure, Fresh, and 3D Hearts Deluxe just for registering. An added twist this year was the introduction of teams – the ultimate goal still shrouded in the same veil of secrecy as the contents of this year’s bundle. My (unabashedly biased) opinion is that the green team clearly deserves to win. (Guess which team I’m on!)

Good luck!

Save the Shivering Kittens!

faryl — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:27:20 +0000

I love technology. Especially everything Apple.

I also love cats. Especially kittens.

And I hate the cold.

So when my buddies at Giant Crayon Games told me their latest release is an iPhone game centered around saving shivering kittens from blocks of ice, there was no holding me back.

To be honest, I’m not much of a video game gal. This stems from a combination of Atari-deprivation as a kid, a mother who thought video arcades were for hoodlums, and an overall lack of hand-eye coordination. (The latter of which I can’t help but believe may be a result of the former.)

All the same, I do love me my iPhone games and find this feline-flavored Tetris to be thouroughly entertaining. And I’m a complete sucker for the catchy music and kitty meow-meow sound effects (for those who don’t share the same affection, the sound effects are optional). As the Shivering Kittens site describes:

In this quirky new puzzle game, you free adorable kittens from their icy confinement by arranging falling blocks. The more ice blocks you set, the more kittens you save!

With each kitten you rescue, the satisfying ice crunch and plaintive meows reward you for your efforts. For those brave souls who want to up the ante, Shivering Kittens comes in 10 increasingly challenging levels.

So far, I’m still at level one. But a girl’s gotta start somewhere, right?

Screenshots and more details are available at shiveringkittens.com. There’s also a video preview of the game (below).

Get Shivering Kittens here
(so we can compare high scores!)

Macworld 2009: Fearless Blogger Style

faryl — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:38:31 +0000

The 2009 Macworld Expo is this week. No, I’m not there. Yes, I’m a little bummed. But instead of wallowing in self pity and sorrow, I thought I’d sponsor my own little Macworld.

Below I’ve gathered some of the various videos and comics which poke fun at what makes this blogger’s heart grow warm: everything and anything Apple.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome you to the 2009 Macworld Expo – Fearless Blogger Style!

The Onion

We can always count on The Onion for top notch satire. It’s worth watching a couple of times, just to make sure you don’t miss any of the captions.

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

The Onion also brought us this comparison of OS X Snow Leopard vs. Windows 7. Here are a few more links to the Onion poking fun at Apple (all links open in new window):

The Simpsons

Lisa’s adventures with Steve Mobs in Mipods and Broomsticks have the Apple Store experience captured perfectly. You can catch the full episode on Hulu.

Lisa finds heaven at Springfield’s new Mapple Store.

Steve Mobs, CEO of Mapple, makes a live announcement with Bart’s help.

Lisa receives a bill for the songs she’s downloaded.

Lisa travels to Mapple world headquarters at the bottom of the sea.

Miscellaneous Links

The Apple Product Cycle - old, but still applicable and funny
The iPod Death Clock - TUAW reviews this site that can tell users when they can expect their iPod to die

College Humor
The Apple “i” – A parody of a Steve Jobs Keynote presentation. The “i” is . . . shiny.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

The Joy of Tech
Visit the geek culture site for more Apple-related humor

source: Joy of Tech

Dilbert

No self-respecting geek humor round-up would be complete without a little Dilbert.

So that’s Macworld Expo, Fearless Blogger style – no travel, no fees, just fun.

If you have a favorite you don’t see here, please leave a comment and I’ll make sure to add it so others can enjoy.

Spotlight Post: 12 Seconds to Vegas!

faryl — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:16:55 +0000

It’s been a while since I’ve done a spotlight post and this one has me excited. Just in time for my road trip to Vegas, 12seconds (12seconds.tv) has released their video slideshow iPhone app! (Those without iPhones, keep reading – you won’t be left out in the cold.)

The app (currently available at the App Store for $ .99) lets you take three photos (or choose three photos from your iPhone library) and then record 12 seconds of audio. The photos and audio make a slideshow which outputs as a 12 second video to your 12seconds account. Since the iPhone does not yet include any video capture functionality, this has the potential of serving as a bit of a work-around.

Why 12 seconds?

According to the site, “because anything longer is boring”!

12seconds launched in August, and till now they’ve been in invite-only Alpha.

As of today, 12seconds has opened up the site in a public Beta to allow anyone to register.

You don’t have to have an iPhone to be able to join the fun. The 12second site features a video interface for users to record videos; or you can upload a previously recorded video. The videos need to be – of course – 12 seconds or less. The site is pretty nifty, every video has its own page (sort of like Flickr) and any video can be emailed, downloaded or embedded. Provided widgets make it easy to share your videos elsewhere.

And since Twitter integration seems to be a “must” these days, profiles can be linked to Twitter accounts to (optionally) send tweets linking to your most recent videos.

One thing I like about the site in particular is that the site features daily challenges for members to upload video responses to. Recent challenges have included topics such as “What Celebrity Do You Look Like?” and “Tell us your birth story in 12seconds”. This is especially handy for the creatively challenged, who might need some inspiration for their videos!

Here’s a short video the folks at 12seconds have provided on how to use the iphone app:

iphone app for 12seconds.tv from Sol Lipman on Vimeo

Viva Las Vegas!

I’ll be trying the iPhone app as I make my way from San Diego to Las Vegas which should start showing up in the widget below. You can also view updates in my snazzy new sidebar widget, visiting my 12second profile page or following my twitter updates to see how my road trip is coming along!

faryl on 12seconds.tv

Stay tuned for a follow up post on my thoughts on the app as well as the newly launched site.

And while I’m road-tripping, head over to the 12seconds site to create your own profile and start sharing your own videos.

(Keep in mind that this is their first day in Beta – so some bumps and glitches are to be expected. The team is gathering feedback at get satisfaction and has been extremely responsive thus far.)

Be sure to post links to your profiles in the comments so I can check your videos out!

this is a spotlight post

Special thanks to:

@joyofzen for turning me onto 12seconds

David Speiser of stage two consulting for connecting me with 12seconds

Jacob Knobel, founder/lead developer of 12seconds for getting me set up so quickly

Disclosure: At my request, I received a preview version of the iphone app so I could use it prior to writing the review

The Fearless Blogger » apple

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