MacBook Pros updated with Corei5/i7 processors, 10hr battery

Benjamin SchollnickNo Comments

After an unusually long wait, Apple has finally released updated models of its MacBook Pro line of notebooks. The 15\’ and 17\’ models offer the latest Core i5 and i7 processors, though the 13\’ model still uses a Core 2 Duo processor. But new processors aren\’t the only improvement; Apple has also seen fit to increase the base RAM configuration to 4GB on all models and bump the hard drive and SSD options. And Apple claims battery life has been improved, with some models now going as long as 10 hours without plugging in.

The new 13\’ MacBook Pro offers 2.4GHz or 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo processors and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. The lower-end model gets a 250GB 5400RPM SATA drive, while the higher-end option comes with a 320GB 5400RPM drive. A 500GB 5400RPM hard drive is a build-to-order option, as are 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB solid state drives. Both models come with NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics, an update to the 9400M that previous MacBook Pros used. Combined with a 63.5WHr lithium polymer sealed battery, Apple claims these new 13\’ MacBook Pro models can run up to 10 hours on a single charge.

DVD Copy protection, how easy it\’s to bypass…

Benjamin SchollnickNo Comments

Now, I have a 5 year old….  And that means, I really need to ensure that the DVD\’s she can use are backed up…  But many discs are starting to use a relatively annoying but easily defeated copy protection…
This can be identified since the DVD\’s are reporting that they have 99+ tracks…  So Handbrake and other packages really don\’t have a way to identify which track is the real movie.  Why do I say real?  Because the other tracks consists of random scenes thrown together…
Here\’s how to defeat it….

  1. Open the DVD in your software DVD player of choice.
  2. Start the main feature.
  3. From the \”Go\” menu in DVD Player.app or the \”Playback\” menu in VLC, take note of the current title, indicated with a tick mark.

Now here\’s the sad part, do you know how much the studio\’s are charged for this copy protection?  They license it from someone….
Think about it.  The DVD that you legally purchased, and simply want to make a backup of, or play on your iPod, or on your Linux box was probably $2-5 more expensive, because someone wants to make you start the DVD player and see the track number before you can RIP it…

ClockWords, Act 1

Benjamin SchollnickNo Comments

\"Click

Description:

Clockwords is back! Act 1 continues the story, following the adventures of the inventor and his machine. Clockwords is a word game like no other. Mix of a word game with speed, strategy, and steam-powered bugs! Use your vocabulary to defend your laboratory.

Instructions:

Use the keyboard to enter words to destroy the invading bugs. Press Enter after each word. No proper nouns. Any letters can be used, but the ones that are shown do extra damage.

Control Scheme:

  • fire: enter
  • Enter: Submit Word
  • Space: SubmitWord and Clear

Ethical? What\’s not ethical about Apple?

Benjamin SchollnickNo Comments

Folks,
This really get\’s my goat…

I know that a number of good people work at Apple. If you\’re seeking a more ethical company, Adobe is hiring: adobe.com/aboutadobe/careeropp -John Dowdell – http://twitter.com/jdowdell/status/11881181351

Well, I would really like to know what Mr. Dowdell considers to be unethical?
I suspect that this has to do with section 3.3.1 of Apple\’s iPhone / iPad / Ipod Touch SDK. Prior to today’s release of the iPhone OS 4 SDK, section 3.3.1 of the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement read, in its entirety:

3.3.1 — Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs.

In the new version of the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement released by Apple today (and which developers must agree to before downloading the 4.0 SDK beta), section 3.3.1 now reads:

3.3.1 — Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs. Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and Objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited).

What does this mean?  Cross-compilers such as Adobe\’s Flash-to-iPhone compiler, MonoTouch from Microsoft, and possibly others are legally banned from being used to create iPod, iPhone, and iPad applications.
Oh my gosh, that\’s unethical!!!  Is it?  It\’s Apple\’s hardware, and they have year after year said, these are the languages you can use (Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript).  They hold courses at WWDC, and there are plenty of books covering how to create iApps.  Why is this unethical?
Apple has stated time and time again, Flash is bad.  Flash shall not run on the iPhone.  So Adobe comes up with a method to create an emulation layer application that will take Flash (or decompiled Flash) and run it on the iPhone.  Even if it\’s not really Flash related, even if it\’s converted to an iPhone native application, is it right and ethical?
Well, yes.  But that does mean that Adobe could not support iPhone features that they don\’t like…  After all, your relying on Adobe to produce your iPhone Application for you..  Isn\’t it safer, and more beneficial for you to use the native tools that Apple provides?  I think so…
I did post to Twitter asking Mr. Dowdell what ethical issues he was referring to….  It has been several days, and I have not heard back from him…
So, I guess You will need to decide on what is the ethical issues at play here…