Oct 27

VMWARE Fusion 3.0 hits the shelves

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Update 5:30p: VMware’s Pat Lee has acknowledged the problems on the serial-number system and has posted a universal 30-day trial license code and download link to allow users to install the new version.

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I never was able to upgrade to a paid version of Fusion 3.0, so I downloaded a demo version and 2.5 hours later received a 30-day serial number.

Installation was trivial, but now I can’t find my old version 2.06. That would be bad for people who are trying 3.0 and decide to go back to an older version. I tried a Spotlight search, and my older version is nowhere to be found. That’s not good. Has anyone else making the upgrade experienced this? Update: Commenters make it clear that 2.0 will automatically be removed when you move to 3.

I’d already upgraded to Windows 7 on version 2.06, so the same OS came up fine under version 3.0. One of the advantages of 3.0 is that you can assign multiple cores to the app, and since I’m running on a 2 x 2.66 Dual Core Xeon I assigned 2 cores.

Start-up was faster than the old version. About 45 seconds to the Windows 7 desktop, and a few more seconds to bring up a couple of gadgets and settle down. Launch times of apps seem pretty fast, but I don’t find the difference dramatic.

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Oct 27

TomTom package for iPhone, now at Apple store

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The long-awaited TomTom car kit for the iPhone has finally arrived at the Apple store. The hardware/software combination hardware unit sells for US $119.95. [Sorry about the mixup. As noted in the comments, the app is an additional $50-$100 depending on your locale.]

The cradle is designed to enhance the TomTom GPS app [iTunes link], which has been available since July.

The kit provides secure docking and enhanced GPS performance with its own built-in GPS receiver. The car kit will charge your iPhone and give you for hands-free calling. The unit also has an audio out connector so you can play your music through your car audio system, however, the cable that enables this is not included.

The TomTom solution has been criticized by some for being too expensive because the car kit plus the cost of the Tom Tom navigation application is more than $200. One could easily buy a standalone GPS for less than that, although you have more hardware to carry.

The TomTom has also fallen a bit behind the best-selling Navigon application which includes a text-to-speech feature and has received generally better reviews from consumers.

According to the Apple Store, the car kit is not yet available, and there is no time estimate of a ship date. (Note: some of our readers are getting December 4 ship dates from the Apple Store.)

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Oct 27

Apple post 2 new updates

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Just days after all the hardware updates on Tuesday, Apple has posted two new support downloads.

The first, Pro Applications Update 2009-01, contains several updates for applications in Final Cut Studio. This update includes Final Cut Pro 7.0.1, Motion 4.0.1, Soundtrack Pro 3.0.1, Color 1.5.1, and Compressor 3.5.1.

This update addresses general compatibility issues, improves overall stability, and addresses a number of other minor issues.

You can download this update through Software Update, or on the Apple Support Downloads page.

Also, Apple released Apple Server Diagnostics 3X106, which replaces Apple Server Diagnostics 3X104 to provide support for Snow Leopard Server. This is compatiable with the Xserve (Early 2008 or Early 2009) or the Mac mini server config (Early 2009).

This download is also available on the Apple Support Downloads page.

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Oct 27

Google chrome makes it to OSX

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Google has released an official developer preview of Google Chrome for the Mac. Rather than digging through nightly development builds, you can download the developer preview of the WebKit-based browser at Google’s official webpage.

Chrome sports several features similar to Safari 4 in Snow Leopard, such as sandboxing – each tab runs as its own process, so if one crashes, it doesn’t bring down the whole browser. It also sports the “tabs on top” interface present in some builds of the Safari 4 beta released earlier this year. Some people hated tabs on top in Safari, but others eventually got used to it and even missed the feature when it was omitted from the final release of Safari 4; if tabs on top is your thing, then Chrome has you covered.

Chrome supports importing bookmarks, settings, and history from whatever browser you’re currently using, so if you’re curious to see how it runs on a Mac, go ahead and give it a try. Let us know in the comments if you run into any issues.

[Via Download Squad]

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Oct 27

New Apple products for holiday 09 linup

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Surprisingly, the Mac mini, Magic Mouse, iMac, MacBook, AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule updates are not the only things Apple updated today. Several other products were updated today, which include:

  • Apple Wireless Keyboard: This keyboard, the subject of several update rumors, did get revised today. It now only requires 2 AA batteries, down from 3 in the previous model.
  • Apple 60W MagSafe Power Adapter: This adapter now has a aluminum connector, much like the one found on the 45 watt adapter for the MacBook Air; it should be more durable for use.
  • VESA Mount Adapter Kit: This model for the 24 inch Apple LCD Cinema Display and the previous 24 inch iMac now supports the new 27 inch iMac.

Also, the wired mouse-formerly-known-as-Mighty Mouse — which is still available — was renamed to “Apple Mouse.” This is consistent with the trademark for Mighty Mouse (the computer mouse) being finally picked up by Man & Machine, instead of CBS and Apple.

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Oct 27

How to install OSX on any PC

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imageA new boot loader developed by Miami-based hardware/software corporation Psystar, enables people to install Mac OS X on any Intel-based personal computer.

At a cost of $90, an individual can download a 7.6MB file, called Rebel EFI, to create a bootable CD. After starting the computer on this disk, insert Snow Leopard when prompted.

Charlie Sorrel is skeptical of the product, citing several warnings and error message contingencies provided by Psystar.

Many problems, plenty of which are anticipated by the company itself, are associated with installing the Mac operating system on other machines.

As an introductory promotion, the price of this software is now temporarily $50.

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Oct 27

New 27″ iMacs have arrived

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TUAW may have had the date wrong (we guessed October 9, 2009), but the new iMacs we were looking for finally showed up today. The 20″ and 24″ models are gone, replaced by 21.5″ and 27″ iMacs with a true 16 x 9 HD aspect ratio. It’s also obvious that Apple intends for the new iMacs to end up on the desktops of a lot of designers, since the line now includes the first quad-core iMac ever.

The pricing for the iMac line starts at the same US$1199, but that’s where the similarities stop. The displays are now backlit by LEDs, providing better energy efficiency. The 21.5″ model has a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which is the equivalent of a 1080p HDTV. That screen size is actually 90% of the resolution of the old 24″ iMac. Resolution on the 27″ model is 2560 x 1440 pixels. Both of the new iMacs use the IPS display technology for excellent color fidelity and a very wide (178°) viewing angle.

For the first time, iMacs now have an SD card slot located below the optical drive slot on the right side of the computer. The systems will ship with Apple’s new wireless keyboard and Magic Mouse, or you can get wired models as a configure-to-order option at no extra cost.

All of the new iMacs can be loaded with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 2 TB of storage. The new low-end model, at US$1199, is running a blazing-fast 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and comes with 4 GB of RAM, a 500 GB hard drive, and an Nvidia GeForce 9400M video card. The US$1499 model of the 21.5″ iMac bumps storage up to 1TB and upgrades video to a Radeon HD 4670 card. The US$1699 27″ model has the same features as the US$1499 21.5″, but of course has the 27″ display.

At the high end of the line will be an iMac that won’t be released until next month — a $1999 27″ that is powered by a 2.66GHz Intel Core i5 quad-core processor. That model also has a Radeon HD 4850 video card built in. If you wish, you can swap out the Core i5 chip for the even more powerful Core i7 processor.

The Core i5 is based on the Linfield processor, which is part of the same Nehalem family found in the existing Mac Pro line. The Core i5 features a turbo mode, which means that the chip can shift from a slower clock speed with four cores to a faster mode with two cores active. The turbo mode speed of the Core i5 processor is 3.2 GHz, while the turbo mode speed of the i7 is a whopping 3.46 GHz.

What’s really incredible is a new feature for the iMacs 27″ models that allows them to act as external monitors or HDTVs. You’ll be able to attach DVD players, Blu-Ray players, gaming consoles, or even other computers, and display them on the bright, clear, iMac display. Update: The 27″ will handle DisplayPort-based input, with adapters to be announced. The 21.5″ model will not support video input, based on the spec page.

The last iMacs were released in March of 2009, with a 20″ model powered by a 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo available at US$1199, and 24″ models with 2.66, 2.93, and 3.06 GHz processors at US$1499, US$1799, and US$2199.

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