Category: Software
Apple exec unintentially leaks new OS X 'Snow Leopard' release date
Apple hasn’t made a public statement to this effect yet, but it appears that the new version of OS X 10.6 – a.k.a. Snow Leopard – will be arriving early next year. During a presentation recently, Apple’s director of UNIX technologies, John Hubbard, revealed a slide with a list of OS X release dates, including 10.6 in “Q1 2009”.
Last June, Apple said that Snow Leopard would be arriving in ‘about a year’, so the timing makes sense. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get an announcement at Macworld in January about exactly when the new OS will arrive. In the meantime, unless you want to shell out for the new OS in 3 months time, don’t get a new Mac.
Apple (via Obsessable)
Related posts: OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard confirmed by Apple, will be GPU-friendly, optimised for multi-core processors | WWDC 2008: Snow Leopard, the next Apple operating system, announced by Steve Jobs
Musebin looking to Twitter-ise the world of music reviews
Newly launched Musebin seems to fancy itself as a Twitter rival, targeting the music-blogging scene with its angle of one-line music reviews.
As well as the idea of a limited 140-word verbal workspace, Musebin rips-off another popular internet thing – voting. The community can give every post a Yay or Nay, ensuring that spam and nonsense is swiftly voted…
Become a renowned photography expert thanks to the Universal Photo Timer
The Universal Photo Timer definitely lives up to its universal tag. You can set it up to be triggered by motion, like the clever person who took that fancy droplet splosh photo to the left there did, by aiming the trigger sight at the area and letting it automatically take a photo when it senses movement.
Or, if you’re feeling arty AND dangerous, the thing can be set up to take photos via sound, so you may take pics of bullets going into watermelons if you’ve ever wondered what the insides of a watermelon look like. Or you can just have it take a shot when you tell it to, thanks to also having a simple wired remote…
Mobile Internet Explorer 6 not available as an upgrade
The problem with massive companies like Microsoft is that while some bits of the company can be doing great, forward-thinking stuff, other bits of the company can spectacularly drop the ball.
That’s what’s happened at Microsoft over the weekend. On Friday, Microsoft announced sweeping changes to Windows Live. Today we find out that Mobile IE6 won’t be available as a download – you have to upgrade your handset to get it.
It’s a ridiculous, idiotic move from Microsoft that’s only going to annoy and frustrate its users, who’ll turn to piracy to get the software they want on their handset. Microsoft says, in explanation:
AVG antivirus falsely accuses critical Windows file of virality
I’ve been a long-time fan of AVG Free Antivirus, until recently when I had to swap to Avast because it worked with Vista 64, and AVG didn’t. That said, with free antivirus software you’re always running the risk of ‘getting what you paid for’ and experiencing a show-stopping bug.
Well, AVG’s show-stopping moment occurred on Sunday. It somehow got it into its head that user32.dll – a critical Windows file that lets users interact with programs – contained one of two Trojan Horses – PSW.Banker4.APSA or Generic9TBN. AVG, hilariously, recommended deleting the file, which would cause a system to either fail to boot, or get stuck in a continuous reboot cycle.
The Novus Mini Coyote – happily exploiting a legal grey area to give drivers real-time speed camera updates
The Novus Mini Coyote lets drivers radio in the location of hidden, newly-placed and mobile speed cameras, compiling a central database that will alert aggressive BMW drivers to when they need to slow down.
It isn’t illegal – but presumably soon will be. We can’t imagine THE LAW putting up with this sort of anti-social, rule-flouting behaviour for long. Here’s how Novus describes its all-seeing, all-warning anti-radar machine…
REVIEW: Wacom Bamboo Applications
Following my preview of the new applications available for Wacom’s “Bamboo” PC input tablets the other week, Wacom has sent me a tablet to have a play with, and test out the new apps. Here’s what I think.
Bamboo Scribe
I was originally going to try to write this whole post just using the tablet and bamboo scribe to convert my handwriting into text, but then I realised that it would take me hours. I don’t have hours, so you’ve got a keyboarded post instead.
Killjoy company Paraben launching anti-porn network download analyser
If you spend your lunch break positioning your monitor so no one else can see it and happily browsing through Raven Riley’s charming online photography albums while you deep-throat a Gregg’s sausage roll – YOUR TIME IS UP, SICKO.
Network safety specialist Paraben has revealed the latest development in its world of computerised forensics, a file-scanner that, no doubt thanks to everyone at Paraben spending ages analysing all kinds of porn themselves, can identify porn photos on users’ computers and instantly grass the offender up to the boss. If you’re a fan of beach volleyball you’d better start being more careful…
Steve Ballmer doesn't "understand" Android or why Google would give stuff away for free
Everyone's favourite jellyfish-like Microsoft employee has been shooting his mouth off in public again, this time thoroughly dissing Google's plans for its Android OS. Specifically dissing the idea of not charging money for it. Here's Ballmer's latest odd public outburst….
3 to release INQ handset with massive Facebook integration
Continuing in 3’s long tradition of trying to shake up the established phone industry, the network is planning to launch a new phone next week called INQ. It builds on the direction that the Skypephone started, and features very close integration with social-networking behemoth Facebook.
Although info about the phone has been floating around for a little while, we’ve got the official confirmation from 3 now, and they’re holding a press event next Thursday to announce the handset. It’s a not-particularly-pretty-looking slider phone, but where it really shines is in the software. Your Facebook contacts are your phonebook. Your SMS messages are Facebook messages. IM is handled over Facebook chat…
