Newsletter to Members
April 2009
Monday 6 April 6.30pm
Room 327 Theatrette, Robert Webster Bldng, UNSW, Anzac Parade, Kensington.
Guest Presenter: Nicholas Pyers – Keynote and iWork '09
Raffle prizes include iWork '09 install DVD, a book published by Peachpit Press; 4GB USB Thumb drives, iTunes Cards, recordable CD/DVD media.
Mac Donate Project
Don't forget to bring along any pre-loved, working Macs (G3 or later, OS X compatible), and anything else you want to donate, to this meeting. Nicholas Pyers is kindly acting as NSW co-ordinator for Daniel Kadane's Mac Donate project for Victorian bushfire victims. There will be a box for small stuff, but computers etc can be transferred to Nicholas's car in the car park after the meeting. We will try to finish a little earlier to allow time for that.
For more info see the last bulletin emailed to AMUG members 12 March.
New Disc-of-the-Month CD
Presentation Assistant
A collection of applications and resources to help get the most out of your Keynote Presentations. More info (2-page PDF 780K)
Our Disc-of-the-Month software compilation CDs are provided courtesy of Nicholas Pyers and Australian Macworld. Normally $10 for other user groups, they are on sale at our meetings for the specially reduced AMUG member price of just $5 each (or $10 for DVDs, plus $2 postage if required). For the full list and order form, log in to the AMUG web site members area.
Various license types apply to applications supplied on compilation CDs. Some titles require further payment direct to the application publisher to enable full feature sets and continued use.
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Recent CD offerings include:
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Another CD available soon:
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News from Apple
In March, Apple announced a number of significant product updates. A tiny new 3rd generation iPod shuffle has had a lot of press coverage, so here is a recap of that and other announcements...
New iPod shuffle:
World’s Smallest Music Player Now Talks to You
Apple recently introduced the all-new iPod shuffle, the world’s smallest music player at nearly half the size of the previous model, and the first music player that talks to you. The revolutionary new VoiceOver feature enables iPod shuffle to speak your song titles, artists and playlist names. The third generation iPod shuffle is significantly smaller than an AA battery, holds up to 1,000 songs and is easier to use with all of the controls conveniently located on the earphone cord. With the press of a button, you can play, pause, adjust volume, switch playlists and hear the name of the song and artist.
With up to 10 hours of battery life, the new third generation 4GB iPod shuffle comes in silver or black aluminium and features a sleek and ultra-wearable design with a built-in stainless steel clip.
Pricing & Availability
Available now, RRP A$129 inc GST. Comes with Apple Earphones with Remote and the iPod shuffle USB cable.
System Requirements
iPod shuffle requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later and iTunes 8.1 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows Vista, Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 3) or later and iTunes 8.1.
Images courtesy of Apple.
A
pple Updates Consumer Desktop Line
Apple has announced updates to its iMac and Mac mini desktop lines, including faster processors and twice the memory for all iMacs and a new Mac mini with powerful new integrated graphics.
- The entire iMac line comes with faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors up to 3.06 GHz, the latest graphics technology, double the memory and up to one terabyte of storage.
- Delivering up to five times better graphics performance, the updated Mac mini now features the same groundbreaking NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics introduced with the current MacBook family.
Continuing Apple's commitment to the environment, both iMac and Mac mini feature material-efficient system and packaging designs and use highly recyclable materials. Apple's new desktop lineup features the recently introduced aluminium unibody design of the MacBook family.
Software
Every Mac comes with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and Apple’s innovative iLife ’09 suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music.
iMac Configurations and Pricing
20-inch 2.66 GHz iMac, RRP A$1,999 inc GST:
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24-inch 2.66 GHz iMac, RRP A$2,499 inc GST:
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24-inch 2.93 GHz iMac, RRP A$2,999 inc GST:
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24-inch 3.06 GHz iMac, RRP A$3,699 inc GST:
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Build-to-order options and accessories available. All iMac base configurations include:
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Mac mini Configurations and Pricing |
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2.0 GHz Mac mini, RRP A$1,049 inc GST:
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2.0 GHz Mac mini, RRP A$1,399 inc GST:
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Build-to-order options and accessories are available. Both Mac mini base configurations include:
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Apple Previews Developer Beta of iPhone OS 3.0
Apple has previewed its iPhone OS 3.0 software and announced the immediate availability of a beta software release to registered developers. The iPhone OS 3.0 beta release includes an updated Software Development Kit (SDK) with over 1,000 new Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) including In-App Purchases; Peer-to-Peer connections; an app interface for accessories; access to the iPod music library; a new Maps API and Push Notifications. Apple also announced over 100 new features that will be available to iPhone and iPod touch users this winter including cut, copy and paste; MMS (only on iPhone 3G); landscape view for Mail, Text and Notes; stereo Bluetooth; syncing Notes to the Mac and PC; shake to shuffle; parental controls for TV shows, movies and apps from the App Store; and automatic login at Wi-Fi hot spots.
The iPhone OS 3.0 beta release will also include a new Voice Memo app and expanded search capability for all key iPhone apps, as well as Spotlight search across the iPhone or iPod touch. Customers will also be able to view shared calendars right on their iPhone with CalDAV support and sync their calendars with iCal, Yahoo, Google and Oracle.
The iPhone App Store
Today, the groundbreaking App Store has more than 25,000 applications available to consumers in 77 countries. Developers set the price for their applications and retain 70 percent of all sales revenue. Apple covers all credit card, web hosting and infrastructure costs associated with offering applications on the App Store.
Pricing & Availability
iPhone OS 3.0 software will be available for free download by iPhone users this winter, and iPod touch customers will be able to purchase a software update (some features may not be supported by older hardware).
New Mac Pro screams with power
Features Intel “Nehalem” Xeon Processors & High-Performance Graphics
Apple has introduced the new Mac Pro using Intel “Nehalem” Xeon processors and a next-generation system architecture to deliver up to twice the performance of the previous generation system. Targeted to pro users, the new Mac Pro features the latest graphics technology and an updated interior that makes expansion even easier than before.
Mac Pro comes standard with a high-performance graphics card with nearly three times greater performance when compared to the previous generation system. With both a Mini DisplayPort and DVI port, the new Mac Pro provides out-of-the-box support for the 24-inch Apple LED Cinema Display, the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display, or other DVI based displays.
The enclosure is made of recyclable aluminium and the interior includes four direct-attach cable-free hard drive carriers for installing up to 4TB of internal storage.
Base Configurations
QUAD-CORE Mac Pro, RRP A$4,499 inc GST:
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EIGHT-CORE Mac Pro, RRP A$5,899 inc GST:
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Base configuration for both models includes:
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A huge range of build to order options and accessories is available.
Apple Quick Tips
Apple Quick
Tips is a very useful RSS Feed, best viewed through Safari. It provides short,
searchable how-to videos on any topic related to using Mac OS X. Presenters are
Genius Bar experts from Apple Stores. The URL to subscribe to the RSS feed is: feed://www.apple.com/podcasts/quicktips/apple-quick-tip-of-the-week.xml
or, subscribe to it via iTunes – select the Podcasts category and search on
keywords ‘Apple Quick Tips’ then click Subscribe.
Apple Software Updates released in March
- iWork 09 9.0.1 is recommended for all iWork ’09 users. March 26 - 42.75MB
- iMovie 8.0.1 improves overall application stability. March 26 - 24.53MB
- iWeb 3.0.1 addresses issues when publishing to an FTP server. March 26 - 14.23MB
- iLife Support 9.0.2 is recommended for all users of Aperture, iLife 09, and iWork 09. March 26 - 3.97MB
- iPhoto 8.0.2 Update improves overall stability and addresses minor issues in Faces, Places, photo sharing, and slideshows. March 26 - 87.86MB
- MacBook Pro Graphics Firmware Update 1.0 is recommended for all 17-inch MacBook Pro (Early 2009) users. March 25 - 770KB
- Mini DisplayPort to VGA Firmware Update addresses intermittent flickering and compatibility issues. March 17 - 11.4MB
- iTunes 8.1 for Windows provides improvements and bug fixes. March 11 - 69.93MB
- Front Row 2.1.7 provides iTunes 8.1 compatibility. March 11 - 12.6MB
- iTunes 8.1 for Mac provides many improvements and bug fixes. March 11 - 63.4MB
- MobileMe Control Panel for Windows is required to set up and manage MobileMe syncing and manage iDisk settings on a Windows PC. March 11 - 2.27 MB
- Time Capsule and AirPort Base Station Firmware Update 7.4.1 includes bug and security fixes. March 5
- AirPort Utility 5.4.1 is the setup and management utility for AirPort Express Base Station, AirPort Extreme Base Station and Time Capsule. March 3 - 17.40MB
- AirPort Client Update 2009-001 is recommended for all Intel-based Macintosh computers running Mac OS X 10.5.6. March 3 - 2MB
- Battery Update 1.4 improves the ability of MacBook batteries to maintain a charge when the system is shut down and not used for an extended period of time. March 2 - 210KB
- Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 2.5 extends RAW file compatibility for Aperture 2, iPhoto '08, and iPhoto '09 for certain cameras. March 2 - 3.81 MB
Other Recent Software Updates
- Firefox 3.0.8 (Free update, 17.2MB)
- Carbon Copy Cloner 3.2 (Free update, 2.8MB)
- CopyPaste Pro 2.0 (US$30, free update, 3.7MB)
- Camera Raw 5.3 updater for Adobe Photoshop CS4 (Free updater, 42.7MB)
- Adobe Lightroom 2.3 (Free update, 64.7MB)
News from the Net
AKVIS Birthday Celebration 2009: Raffle, Discounts, Contest
Every year on May 29 AKVIS Software organizes a raffle in celebration of its birthday. The prize is free license keys to a package of any 5 AKVIS programs.
Everyone who enters the raffle before May 29, 2009 will receive a coupon for 15% off of an AKVIS software title of their choice. The discount coupon code will be valid till July 1, 2009. The coupon will work for purchasing any AKVIS program (any license type), but not for software bundles.
AKVIS Software Inc. develops Photoshop compatible plugins that assist in photo editing tasks such as scratch removal, fixing problems with underexposed or overexposed photos, removing digital noise, adding creative effects, etc. Their latest product, AKVIS ArtWork, can transform a photograph to appear like an oil painting or comics style painting. All AKVIS plugins work with Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, and some even work with Graphic Converter v5.6 or later.
In addition to the raffle, AKVIS has also organized a Creative Contest. The prizes are:
- An autographed copy of the outstanding book The Art of Digital Photo Painting by Marilyn Sholin (www.thedigitalpaintbrush.com), and
- A license key for any AKVIS program.
Contestants are asked to draw their own version of
AKVIS's mascot (it must be an original drawing of a horse).
More info and full
conditions: http://akvis.com/en/birthday-2009.php
Australian Macworld Forums
Australian Macworld (AMW) has been undergoing some changes in recent months, starting with a new Editor, Chris Oaten. Nicholas Pyers says that Australian Apple User Groups have had a great relationship with Australian Macworld over the last few years and Chris plans to continue developing that relationship, which is great to hear.
You can keep up with all that is going on with the Mac community on Australian Macworld Forums. Categories include iPhone, Software, Hardware, Help & Tips, Industry News, Macs & Music, Macs & Photography, Macs & Video, Macs & Education, and a special category devoted just to User Groups – where you can get details of our monthly Disc of the Month offerings compiled by Nicholas Pyers, as well as see what other Mac User Groups are up to.
Disc of the Month blogs will include descriptions along with a hyperlink for each application back to the product page on the original vendors’ website.
Computing History Podcast
Adapted from a MacTalk post
Stephen Fry is a geek's geek and truly someone to admire. He gave a speech at the Regent Street Apple Store in London about the history of computing and why he loves Apple so much (and a couple of other non-Apple things). Wonderful listening for anyone vaguely in love with Apple.
The first half hour or so is a great thumbnail view (and funny to boot) on the history of computing, with the Mac's 25 years dotted amongst quirky mentions of Xerox, the internet, IBM and Microsoft developments, not to mention his connection of the 'device' in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to the iPod/Phone! The last part is Q&A from the audience.
This link invokes iTunes to download the audio podcast.
Free Adobe eSeminars
Adobe software experts run a series of online eSeminars (or 'Webinars') that demonstrate specific applications and highlight new features designed to help users enhance their skills.
Usually running for 1 hour at midday, the April schedule covers topics in the categories of Photography, Acrobat, Design, Video, Web, Design for Beginners, and Flash animation for Education.
eSeminars use advanced Acrobat Connect™ Pro web conferencing technology. Once registered for an event, Adobe sends you an email with a link containing an invitation to join the nominated broadcast with a guest login.
Broadband Internet connection required. Full schedule and
event registrations at:
www.adobeeseminars.com.au
Ordering Photo Books online
Photo Books make a great keepsake for holiday trips, weddings, special events or family albums. Your digital photos printed in a one-off, high quality hard cover or soft cover book. Backgrounds, embellishments and text can all be added using a range of design templates.
Photo Books can be ordered online through the Apple plugin in iPhoto, or through a number of other digital photo print services, one of which is Harvey Norman PhotoCentre Services.
The Harvey Norman PhotoCentre website has been upgraded to allow online ordering of all the same photo products that are available from its physical PhotoCentre locations. In conjunction with Fujifilm, the new site offers:
- The ability to create photo books online from $39.95 each.
- A new range of photo gifts including puzzles, keyrings, beer steins, mugs, bags, canvas prints and more.
- A photo uploading and print ordering process.
Use of the site requires setup and login with a free Harvey Norman PhotoCentre account through 'Fujifilm Imagine', by following the 'Order Online' link from product pages listed on this web page:
www.harveynormanphotos.com.au/order_digital_photo_gifts_online.asp
Take Control of the Mac Command Line with Terminal
Learn how to release your inner geek!
If you've ever thought you should learn how to use the Unix command line that underlies Mac OS X, or felt at sea when typing commands into Terminal, Joe Kissell is here to help! Written entirely from a Mac user's point of view, this 111-page ebook will help you become comfortable working on the Mac's command line, starting with the fundamentals and walking you through more advanced topics as your knowledge increases. And if you're uncertain how to put your new-found skills to use, Joe includes numerous real-life "recipes" for tasks that are best done from the command line.
For more details about the topics covered visit www.takecontrolbooks.com/command-line
The cover price is US$10, but as a MUG member, you can get it for 30% off (US$7) via this URL.
Remember, TidBITS has increased the MUG discount on ALL Take Control ebooks to 30%. The new coupon code is CPN90219MUG. You can just type in the code after putting things in the cart, or use this URL, which pre-loads the coupon and shows the full catalog.
TidBITS Snippets
Macworld Expo moves to February
Extract from TidBITS #971-30-Mar-09 by Adam C. Engst
IDG World Expo has announced that the 2010 Macworld Expo in San Francisco – previously held early in January each year – will take place roughly a month later than usual, from Tuesday, February 9 to Saturday, February 13.
The new official title – Macworld Conference & Expo 2010 – reflects the shared emphasis on conference sessions with floor exhibits. Macworld's conference sessions will take place in Moscone West for all five days, whereas the show floor will only be open in Moscone North the last three days, from Feb 11-13, 2010.
Read the full tidBITS article.
Apple Announces WWDC 2009 Dates
Extract from TidBITS #971-30-Mar-09 by TidBITS staff
Apple has announced that the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will be held 08-Jun-09 through 12-Jun-09 in San Francisco. It's certain that developers will be treated to details of Snow Leopard and the iPhone 3.0 software; the question is if Apple will use WWDC to launch one or both, as many anticipate. (Posted 2009-03-26).
Windows comeback at Apple ads
Microsoft has posted some slick fun videos on YouTube as a comeback from Apple's "I'm a PC – I'm a Mac" series of TV ads.
"Laptop Hunters $1000 – Lauren Gets an HP Pavilion" is enough to get the picture.
Saturday Workshop
One-on-one Mac Help from AMUG Committee members in a friendly, sharing environment.
Saturday April 18, (derferred because of Easter) commencing 10am. Room 136C (Computer Lab), Ground Floor, Webster Building, UNSW Kensington.
Bring your own Notebook or use one of the Uni's iMacs.
Enquiries and bookings, phone Rob on 9387 2069 or email sydamug@mac.com
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