EndUser's Amazon Blog

To be entered into the drawing for the Yellowstone Photo Expedition with Canon sweepstakes, you need to do your Wish Listing by 11:59:59 pm Pacific Time on November 15 (you can read up on all the rules here).

Entering the sweepstakes is easy peasy: just create a new Wish List or add something to an existing Wish List. After adding an item, be sure to click the Enter Sweepstakes button that appears, looking a bit like this:

If you miss out on this week's sweepstakes, there are still four more weeks of prizes coming up, including a heavenly high-def package that includes a 55-inch LG HDTV and a surprise during the final week.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

• In an effort to answer DROID's incursion into its territory, Apple may release an 8 GB version of the iPhone 3GS (which would most likely be $99) to AT&T in time for the holidays (via Electronista).

• Speaking of tethering, Harry McCracken at Technologizer reminds us that it was one year ago this week that AT&T declared that it would support tethering (using the iPhone's 3G cellular signal as a modem for a laptop) at an unspecified date... which we're still waiting for.

• The next iteration of the iPhone may include RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) technology, which could make enable the iPhone to make payments to store checkouts as well as vending machines among other uses (via Roughly Drafted).

• The Macheist folks have released a small selection of free software titles that it's calling a nanoBundle, including Twitterrific, the Shove Box organizer and the Mariner Write word processor (TUAW has more on all the included titles and Apple Matters has a review).

• Apple's new iTunes LP feature was not ready for the prime time of last week's Apple TV 3.0 software update, but folks who have purchased iTunes LPs are starting to get emails telling them to redownload their purchases as they're now Apple TV compatible (via TUAW).

  

• Macworld magazine's editors submitted an iPhone app for its Macworld iPhone and iPod touch Superguide (link opens in iTunes), only to have it rejected because it included "iPhone" in its title. However, it was subsequently approved with no changes after the gadgetosphere started to get all up in arms (via Engadget).

• Apple is floating the idea of a $30 a month service tied to its Apple TV product that would see TV programs made available via iTunes in an on-demand basis (via The Apple Blog)

• And finally... a clever way to reuse an old iMac G4 as a lamp (seen at right, via Hardmac).

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Entering the sweepstakes is easy peasy: just create a new Wish List or add something to an existing Wish List. After adding an item, be sure to click the Enter Sweepstakes button that appears, looking a bit like this:

To be entered into the drawing for the Epson Ultimate Backyard Theater sweepstakes, you need to do your Wish Listing by 11:59:59 pm Pacific Time on November 8 (you can read up on all the rules here). And if you miss out on this week's sweepstakes, there are still five more weeks of prizes coming up, including a Yellow Stone photo trip with Canon (complete with Canon EOS 7D) and a heavenly high-def package that includes a 55-inch LG HDTV.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

If you've been drooling at the thought of a $300 Apple netbook by installing OS X onto a Dell Mini 10v or similarly compatible ultraportable, you may want to do it now--according to OS X Daily, there's a substantiated rumor that the next Snow Leopard update is going to lock out support for Atom processors. 

If you already have a netbook running OS X, you should be good for a while by simply not updating, and hope that someone in the meantime figures out an easy way to mod the OS X kernel for future installs to reinstate Atom support.

It's rumored that locking out netbooks from future OS X installs is part of laying the groundwork for the release of Apple's long-hinted-at tablet netbook. But either way, if you were thinking about getting your Leopard on for cheap, you may want to hurry.

--Aric A.

The UI of the Apple TV 3.0 software adds a welcome graphical oomph, displaying cover images of unwatched TV shows or recently added albums to the top of the screen, as well as elevating the menu choice for content you've synced to the Apple TV as the first choice over the previous top item that brought you to the iTunes storefront. The update also purports to support the recently added movies with iTunes Extras (i.e., bonus materials) and iTunes LPs (albums with a multimedia interface offering lyrics, photos, etc.). However, I was unable to get the one iTunes LP I own (the new Jack Johnson live album, the only one of the few choice available that interested me) to work with the Apple TV--the songs synced over, but not the iTunes LP multimedia package.

It sounds like this might change in the next couple weeks as Apple updates compatibility with previously released iTunes LPs (and movies with iTunes Extras), but that will require a re-download of that material--which is frankly stupefying, but just another reminder that the Apple TV's second-class hobby status. Anyhoo, it doesn't sound like I'm missing anything, as Jason Snell at Macworld notes that the iTunes LP interface "drops away" once you decide to actually start playing the album, returning you to the standard Apple TV Now Playing screen.

There are some who wish Apple would add a Blu-ray drive or DVR recording of TV content to the Apple TV's arsenal, but these are pie-in-the-sky wishes that Apple will surely never fulfill. As an Apple TV owner, I just want a device that plays media reliably (my ATV has recently started to freeze occasionally for a brief moment during playback) and a fuller spectrum of content choices. While the TV section of iTunes is pretty robust (which is great, since we gave up cable over a year ago), movie selection (rentals in particular) is frustratingly hobbled by the complex web of availability windows dictated by Hollywood studios. At minimum, I'd love to see Apple open up the ATV to additional file formats, but luckily the device is decently hackable on your own with Boxee or using ATV Flash collection of apps (which I will be purchasing as soon as it's compatible with the new ATV software 3.0).

Now, for other Apple-y bits and bites from the week (on the shortish side as I'm still bed-ridden)...

• Leander Kahney has a review of his new 27-inch iMac over at Cult of Mac, calling it the "sexiest desktop on the planet." I got to ogle a 21.5-inch model a friend bought this week, and I love the build quality of the unibody design and the screen was definitely kick-butt. However, 27-inch iMac owners beware--it seems some users have been afflicted with choppy Flash video playback.

• The VMware Fusion 3.0 virtualization software (which lets you run Windows alongside the Mac OS) got released this week, and MacNN gives it an extensive and positive review. And it's got full support for Windows 7.

• Rumor Revue: The next iteration of the MacBook Pro (which got a refresh just in June) is rumored to include some models with Intel quad-core processors. References to new MacBook Pros have been detected in the latest build of OS X, and they could be released before the holiday season. And 9to5Mac reports the iTablet has been shopped around down under, with the Sydney Morning Herald among several top-dog media companies getting the low down on the specs of this machine.

• I've been using the Lala.com streaming music service more and more lately, and Lala's hoping to get its iPhone app approved by Apple for release in November. TechCrunch has a look at the app along with a hands-on video.

• And finally... perhaps the greatest Apple-related Halloween costume ever: lifesized iPhones with fully working screens:

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

The centerpiece Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web scans, copies and faxes as well as prints and includes both Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and Ethernet networking. But where other network-connected printers are happy just to connect with other PCs on the network, the Photosmart Premium Web can also access the Internet (albeit a gated community) via apps created by HPs partners. Using the integrated 4.33-inch touchscreen display, you can access the Snapfish photo sharing web site to view, edit and print photos stored online without having to boot up a PC. Other partner apps include Fandango (enabling you to buy movie tickets through the app and then print them out), Google maps (though without the ability to print directions), Dreamworks and Nickolodeon (the latter two geared specifically for kids with activity books and coloring pages). The touchscreen panel can also be used make basic edits to photos before printing (such as rotate, crop, and adjust brightness).

Stepping down a bit, the Photosmart Premium features a 3.45-inch touchscreen, but one that doesn't do apps--it just connects to your online Snapfish and provides basic on-screen photo editing. But aside from that (and the faxing capabilities of the Photosmart Premium Web), the Photosmart Premium offers much of the same features including networking (802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Ethernert), Bluetooth capabilities, 33 ppm black and 32 ppm color printing, and automatic two-sided printing. Lastly, the affordable PhotoSmart Plus all-in-one offers a touchscreen panel that controls the printer, but does not include access to Snapfish or HP's web apps. It also does just Wi-Fi networking (no Ethernet or Bluetooth). And because all three do Wi-Fi, they're all compatible with HP's iPrint Photo iPhone/iPod touch app (link opens in iTunes), which allows you to print 4 x 6-inch photos directly from your Apple device.

All three are HP Photosmart TouchSmart printers are currently available from Amazon.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

If you've ever had to do a format and reinstall of Windows XP (and I like XP, but everyone's had to do it at least once), you're familiar with the hours spent on a fresh desktop hunting down drivers and all the essential programs you need to get back to being productive.

Ninite (formerly a project called Volery) can take one of the lengthiest steps out of the process of any new Windows install.  It's a site with a catalog of useful free software--familiar apps like Firefox, Pidgin, Skype, and VLC--that you can select for download.  Once you've selected all the software you need, simply click "Get Installer" and you'll download a sub-200K file that you can carry anywhere for future installs.  (The installer will have a huge filename, so you may want to rename it for convenience, but this is optional.)  Keep it on a flash drive, or even save it in a draft email in your Gmail like I do, and you'll always have one-click access to your most-needed apps for those dark days when there's no other way to be sure but to nuke your hard drive from orbit.

Using the installer will install each of the programs you selected without any input needed, selecting each program's default settings and automatically refusing any addons like browser toolbars.  Note that this does mean that if you need special settings, like different install paths, they won't be available; once it starts, you can cancel the process but otherwise can't affect it.

There are only a couple of catches.  First, no 64-bit apps are available, though they're reportedly coming soon.  Second, as mentioned, you only get the default settings with each install, so you'll still have to do a little configuring once everything's up and running.  Lastly, Ninite is currently free to use, but will eventually have the option of "premium accounts", with free accounts to lose some features (but not the basic purpose or functionality).  So you may want to hop on and grab your essential programs while you can. 

Ninite works for Windows XP, Vista, and 7.  Grab your own custom installer at the Ninite website.

Which makes the Powermat wireless charging device an intriguing possibility for our household. The Powermat charging pad allows you to simply place a mobile phone or other portable device on a charging mat to juice it up. Well, for maximum convenience, you do need a bit more than just one of the Powermat charging pads (one for home/office, the other portable). In order for it receive a charge, your iPhone or BlackBerry needs to be outfitted with a case (for the former, at left) or a battery door (for the latter, at right) to receive the electrical charge from the Powermat pad.

Both the home and folding portable version of the Powermat charging pads can charge up to three devices at a time, and they come with a "charging cube" universal receiver (seen below) that includes tips that fit a wide range of mobile phones and PSPs (including BlackBerry and iPhone, so you don't have to invest in the optional case or battery door). And in addition to the convenience of wireless charging, the Powermat is also rather energy efficient, terminating the transmission of power once a device is at full charge to save energy as well as protect the device from over-charging.

The company is also marketing itself with some rather funny ads:

Amazon is offering all of the Powermat charging pads and accessories for ordering, and they'll start shipping on October 25.

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

CNet's Crave posts some hands-on thoughts about the new MacBook (complete with video), calling it the "best version to date of it's non-Pro laptop line." Walt Mossberg calls the improvements to both the iMac and MacBook "evolutionary, not revolutionary," but he is quite taken with the Magic Mouse. For more on the Magic Mouse, check out this review at Register Hardware.

• Speaking of the 27-inch iMac's wall-mounting capability, The Apple blog wonders if this foretells the future of the Apple TV (i.e., its UI and functionality embedded with an HDTV/Mac).

• Pocket-lint features an Apple video for the new iMac and Magic Mouse with Jonathan Ive (and other Apple brand managers) talking about their design. Yes, it's very market-ey, but I can listen to Ive's voice all day.

• Apple also released new versions of its Airport Extreme wireless router and wireless Time Capsule backup devices (in 1 TB and 2 TB flavors) this week, with promises of "50 percent better performance and up to 25 percent better range." Wi-Fi guru Glenn Fleishman explains how this is done with a new 3x3 MIMO (multiple in, multiple out) antenna array (instead of the up-'til-now 2x2 standard).

• You may have heard that Windows 7 got officially released this week. Ars Technica reports that Apple will be providing support for the various flavors of Windows 7 (Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate) by the end of the year.

• Speaking of which, Apple released a salvo of new Get a Mac ads to counter the Windows 7 rush, and Kara Swisher over at All Things D includes all three videos.

• The Mac minis got some decent speed boosts, but the most interesting wrinkle of this year's crop of mini is a configurable version that includes the Snow Leopard Server OS. TUAW looks at the possibilities this brings for small businesses.

• While we're talking servers, I've been considering some options for a Mac-friendly network attached storage (NAS) solution for our home media and home-based businesses (I do writing, my wife is an architect), and there have been a couple of new releases that have attracted my attention. Iomega recently added its lineup of ix4-200d NAS servers (available in 2, 4 and 8 TB sizes, and offers four drive bays for more storage), which seems to ably handle backup and media storage/streaming responsibilities based on these quick reviews from the UK's Register Hardware and MacUser. Iomega also offers a smaller version (the ix2-200), with two drive bays and an interesting BitTorrent feature according to Cult of Mac.

  But I think I'll be saving my pennies for the latest release of the HP MediaSmart home server (which I covered previously). Gizmodo has a review of the top-of-the-line EX495, which includes 1.5 TB of storage out of the gate (with the extensibility of four drive bays) and a dual-core Pentium processor (HP also offers the EX490 with 1 TB and a Celeron processor). Having a dual-core processor in a NAS server might seem a bit much, but Gizmodo notes it's pretty handy for DVD conversion (a feature of the new MediaSmarts):

  In our tests, the EX495 was able to convert a DVD movie into a full resolution h.264 and a phone-streamable 300MB movie in about an hour and a half, give or take. Very useful for not sucking up your main machine's horsepower to convert videos when you can just vomit them onto the network and have it be done by a slave machine.

  The MediaSmarts have also upped the Mac integration with improved Time Machine backup capabilities and (finally) a native home server console (instead of dealing with just a Web interface). At just a shade under $700, it's definitely an investment, but one I think will work for our needs. I just hope it's a little quieter than the HP MediaVault I tested out.

• I'm salivating at the prospect of this report from 9to5Mac of the BBC taking its iPlayer international, providing download purchase access to those living outside the UK. Currently, iTunes offers some BBC content such as Dr. Who, its spinoff Torchwood and Top Gear. But I'm a bit of a Beeb-o-phile and would love to get my hands on other shows that don't get much exposure here in the States, like Spooks (new season coming up) or Master Chef.

• AppleInsider reports that an ad for the Android-powered T-Mobile myTouch 3G has inadvertently spurred sales for a steamy iPhone app that's similar to one featured in the ad.

• Fast Company reports that Amazon is working on a native Kindle app for the Mac (it already offers one for the iPhone).

• Despite a jittery economy, Apple reported yet another record-busting quarter this week with a net profit $1.67 billion and more Macs (3.05 million units) and iPhones (7.4 million) sold than in any previous quarter (via TidBITS).

• And finally... my colleague Jeff Carlson provides a short-but-sweet video comparison of a 15-inch MacBook Pro, 20-inch monitor, and new 27-inch iMac:

--Agen G.N. Schmitz

Microsoft isn't typically known for wowing audience with its product demos, which may explain why this moment at the company's Windows 7 launch event in New York today impressed even some veteran company watchers. If Microsoft's goal was to make a statement and convince the skeptics that its new operating system is different, and much better, the attention-getting demonstration might have done the trick.

The feature, called "PlayTo," lets Windows 7 users stream content from a computer to devices and screens around a house. It was the capper for a series of slick demos by Brad Brooks, the Windows vice president for consumer marketing, during the company's Windows 7 launch event in New York City this morning.

Will be interesting to hear what people think after watching.

Read more of Todd Bishop's posts at TechFlash.com, and follow him on Twitter @toddbishop