Articles
Weekly New Hannustmasgiving Deals!
Thursday, November 5, 2009 / PowerMax Culture / 0 Comments
It can be interesting to try and explain some of the vagaries and quirks of the human species to an otherwise clueless Sasquatch. For instance, trying to make sense out of what has become a two-month long holiday season, more or less kicked off by Halloween, to a huge hairy beast who can barely annunciate the word “please” (it comes out as “ppppweeeshshhhh”), presents quite a challenge. Read More »
The Microsoft Tax Man Cometh, This Time With Even More Worms
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 / Security / 1 Comment
The Microsoft/Apple debate has not only been beaten to death, but probably trampled into the depths of hell, the heights of heaven and all the stars in between by now. Let’s face it; there are those that see no value in paying the “Apple Tax,” which is just another way to say they tend to be initially more expensive, and they’re willing to stand by that opinion I think partly to help justify the relatively small savings they perceive Windows machines represent (and it’s a whole ‘nother article to talk about how Macs aren’t really more expensive at all, even when just factoring in trade-in value, a subject that we know quite a bit about. In fact, we recently stopped using the PC trade-in service we were trying from a third-party, I think mostly because PC owners were just plain discouraged when they heard what their PC’s were worth).
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20 cheap apps to get your iPhone/iPod touch ready for Halloween!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 / PowerMax Culture / 4 Comments
I’ll admit it - Halloween is my favorite holiday. Unlike most other holidays, Halloween is about little more than having a good time. Whether it’s with your kids knocking on your neighbor’s doors or getting down at some Zombie-themed soiree, Halloween gives people a great excuse to let it all hang out (sometimes including fake intestines).
Snow Leopard Heresy
Friday, August 28, 2009 / PowerMax Culture, Software / 10 Comments
As I write this, the internet airwaves are awash in reports and reviews of Snow Leopard, Apple’s latest operating system. My contribution to the broohaha is designed to represent the majority of computer users who for the most part don’t, or shouldn’t, give a rat’s patootie.
The Snow Leopard Arrives August 28th
Thursday, August 27, 2009 / Software / 0 Comments
Way back at the WWDC conference in June, Apple let the world know that its next upgrade to OS X, dubbed Snow Leopard, could be expected around September. But after what feels like an eternity of guesses and anticipation (imagine that!) the black turtlenecks have given us all a little gift and and actually shipped early (imagine that too!).
On the shared experience
Thursday, July 2, 2009 / PowerMax Culture / 2 Comments
One of the most significant byproducts of the growth of the Internet has been the availability of data. Huge oceans of data available to anyone who cares to dive into it.
WWDC 2009 Roundup - new iPhones, new 13″ MacBook Pros, oh my!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009 / WWDC / 0 Comments
Well, we all expected some interesting iPhone news out of the WWDC this year - but wowee did it ever over-deliver in this humble observer’s eyes.
Dad’s & Grad’s - Graduation Gift Ideas
Thursday, May 28, 2009 / PowerMax Culture / 0 Comments
If you’ve got a high school or college grad there’s no time like the present to grab them a gift for their graduation. Below you’ll find a number of gift ideas to help make the most of your special occasion.
The Microsoft “Lauren” Ad - It’s Kinda Funny Watching an Elephant Be Frightened by a Mouse
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 / PowerMax Culture / 13 Comments
In the old cartoons it was pretty common to see a large elephant’s eyes grow wide at the sight of a mouse, and stampede away or cause all sorts of damage in its frenzy to get away from the vicious “monster.”
Apparently Microsoft’s executives spent a lot of time watching cartoons when they were kids (or perhaps still do). The little Apple mouse is making this elephant of a company run so scared that it’s airing competitive ads against Apple, despite the fact that it still commands roughly 90% of the market.
We’ve Been Duped By Wall Street; It’s Time To Fight Back
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 / PowerMax Culture / 4 Comments
The elections of 2008 shone a bright light on the central political debate in this country: liberalism vs. conservatism. But while our country was engaged in a widening polarization of political beliefs, the true debate should have been, and should be, directed at something completely different.
What would you do with a Sasquatch?
Tuesday, April 14, 2009 / PowerMax Culture / 0 Comments
We plan on providing more videos of Max’s hijinks (aka Maxjinks), especially since the big galoot can’t walk through a room without knocking something over (although he’s no longer choking copiers to death with butt hair, and we haven’t had to clean blood off the ceiling for quite some time). Read More »
Why That Guy In Munich is Changing Your Life
Thursday, March 19, 2009 / PowerMax Culture / 3 Comments
The internet has helped create a world where everyone is our neighbor. An individual in Munich (I just picked that city at random, I’ve never even been there) can look at a price offered by a merchant as easily as the house next door to the company. We can receive emails instantly from Nigeria (promising thousands of dollars to help out this poor prince who can’t move his money out of the country no less) quicker than it takes a neighbor to walk to your door (which doesn’t happen as often as it used to; they probably just send an email as well).
Happy Birthday Internet!
Friday, March 13, 2009 / PowerMax Culture / 0 Comments
1989 was an astonishing year for many reasons.
Depending on how old you are, what happened in 1989 may or may not bring back memories, but either way many of the following events have had significant impacts on our lives, including:
The Real Star of The Apple Updates - The 24″ LED Display
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 / Apple Culture / 1 Comment
Uncharacteristically, early in the morning, Apple updated over half the Mac lineup. Most updates from Apple happen to just one product line at 10 AM on a given Tuesday morning. This time, Apple updated the Mac Pro, Mac mini, iMac, 15” MacBook Pro, Airport Extreme base station, and Time Capsule all at once… and before most of us had our coffee. Despite all these updates, the real star of today’s changes was barely mentioned, and that is the Apple 24” LED Cinema Display, now that it can attach to almost any new Mac. Read More »
Win One Of Two 8GB iPod Nanos With Your Limerick
Thursday, February 26, 2009 / PowerMax Culture / 27 Comments
Would you like to win yourself a new 8GB iPod nano? For free even? If you know PowerMax at all, you’d know that we have a cherished tradition - the Limerick contest. Well, to be honest, this is our first one ever… typically our St. Paddy’s tradition includes varying amounts of hop-based green liquid. But we’ve already declared our Limerick contest a cherished tradition because we think it’ll be pretty fun, and because we said so.
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Moore’s Law is Dead
Thursday, February 19, 2009 / PowerMax Culture / 8 Comments
Back in 1965, Roger Moore uttered the now famous phrase, “Bond, James Bond.” Oh wait, that’s the wrong Moore. And Roger Moore wasn’t even James Bond until 1973. Okay, it was Gordon Moore of Intel, who most famously observed the trend of computing power doubling every two years, ultimately becoming known as Moore’s Law.
Read More »
Win A Free 1GB iPod Shuffle And Feel The Love All Month
Monday, February 2, 2009 / PowerMax Culture / 53 Comments
You know you’re loved, right? Well, we’re all about sharing the love this February, and you’ll get a chance to feel the love every week because we’re giving away a pink 1GB iPod shuffle every Friday in February.
The Internet As Water Cooler
Monday, January 5, 2009 / Apple Culture / 0 Comments
I find it interesting to watch human behavior. We definitely have a way of thinking and acting collectively that seems to be somewhat different than what we might do all by ourselves.
Oh No! Apple’s Pulling Out of MacWorld!!!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008 / Apple Culture / 0 Comments
Apple just announced that the 2009 MacWorld is going to be its last MacWorld Expo. As a long-time veteran of this event (as well as many other trade shows), I figured I’d weigh in before I even read all the sky-is-falling articles that are sure to abound at the news of this “dramatic” news.
Here’s hoping the App Store teaches Apple a lesson…
Tuesday, December 2, 2008 / Apple Culture / 0 Comments
From modest beginnings with just a few hundred applications when iTune “App Store” first opened for business in June 2008 to over 10,000 apps today, it’s clear that mini apps for your iPhone and iPod touch are a big hit.
New Mac Minis… When is the right time to buy a new Mac?
Monday, November 3, 2008 / Apple Culture / 1 Comment
When is the right time to buy a new Mac?
Anyone who has managed sales people in the technology field will understand and even laugh about what I’m going to say: A lot of knowledgeable technicians make absolutely the worst sales people, both from the owner’s and customer’s perspective.
LaCie Announces 1 Year Free Online Storage With Every Drive Sold
Friday, October 31, 2008 / Backups / 0 Comments
Your Data is About as Secure as a Candle in the Wind
Those of us who work in the industry have a pretty good handle on the uncertainty of computer data. If you ever get a chance to look at a hard drive in operation, this understanding will become fully entrenched. You’ll see a round disk spinning around at thousands of RPMS, and this tiny little metal thing twitching back and forth over it like a worm having a seizure, grabbing the ones and zeroes and turning them into pictures, music and letters on your screen, using some mysterious alchemy that might have befuddled Einstein.
The Unibody MacBook: This is not your Father’s MacBook
Monday, October 20, 2008 / Product Review / 0 Comments
It shouldn’t surprise many that Apple is always looking to differentiate the MacBook from the MacBook Pro. With chip speeds at their current level, today’s processors can handle most operations with aplomb… so the two product lines need reasonably significant differences to justify the extra expense, and not just in screen size.
When Too Much Technology Might Be A Bad Thing
Saturday, September 6, 2008 / Technology / 0 Comments
These are exciting times. It’s a time of dramatic changes: in the way we receive information (and how much we can access), the way we communicate, the way we purchase products, even the way we run our businesses.
WWDC 2008 Report - The Really Good News
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 / WWDC / 0 Comments
Having just returned from Apple’s 2008 World Wide Developer Conference, I reflected about what I feel is the really good news lurking in the background.
And it wasn’t about the new iPhone.
Sure, most of the keynote was about the iPhone, and most of the press is about the iPhone, but the really good news is about Snow Leopard, the next OS in the pipeline. At first glance, Snow Leopard is kind of an awkward name for an OS. It doesn’t really roll off the tongue, and it’s just a variation on the current OS name, Leopard, which might bring up questions as to just how much of an advance it is over the current OS. But it’s not really an advance as much as it is a reflection of the genius that is Apple.
Pounding the Tip of a Nuclear Warhead with a Hammer
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 / Backups / 0 Comments
According to a 2006 report from CNN, only 57 percent of computer users who store personal data on their machines actually back up their data. A later survey conducted by Apple indicated that only about a fourth of those users actually professed to backing up their data, with just four percent doing it regularly.
(What wasn’t reported was that another twelve percent actually thought the question had to do with plugged-up toilets, but we won’t worry about that at the moment.)
Giving Microsoft Users a Break
Monday, March 3, 2008 / OS / 0 Comments
Much has been said about Mac users being a bit arrogant when it comes to the choice of their operating system. There is a certain amount of truth to it, which is unfortunate when you think about how it actually would be best to “convert” more users to the Mac platform. One hardly gains traction with someone on the other side of an issue by belittling the other viewpoint.
So I might offer the idea that instead of putting up our noses at those who use Windows, Mac users should have a mindset that includes acceptance of the Windows alternative, and an understanding that there is a need for multiple operating systems, and a reason some people pretty much have to use one or the other.
DockStar: Supercharge the Mail.app dock icon
Thursday, January 24, 2008 / Software / 0 Comments
In this day and age, between work e-mail, free e-mail, multiple home accounts and even newsfeeds, opening your inbox can seem an overwhelming task. Many of us have had the experience of shouting, “WHAT?! 264 new messages?! I just got everything caught up last night!”
Well, now, with the aid of a simple utility, you can help get yourself a little more organized, without a single change to the way you read your e-mail. No complicated e-mail filtering rules, no lectures on what can and can’t stay in your inbox, no clandestine meetings at E-mailers Anonymous.
Contemplating Technology
Friday, January 4, 2008 / Technology / 0 Comments
I often wonder how many of us really stand back and contemplate the world of technology. I’m sure some of us pretty much just accept whatever happens, while others delight in every new-fangled creation whether or not it really improves his or her life, and of course there are others that are pretty much suspicious of anything new. Those are all reactions… but how about contemplations?
There are many of us who can think back to the days before the internet… but notwithstanding the increasing number of young workers who have never known anything but, that’s actually getting harder and harder to do. Everything’s on the web. If an evil alien race approached our planet and needed to know everything possible about the human race before they attacked, all they’d have to do is steal a personal computer and start reading.
Today’s E-mail Follies
Thursday, January 3, 2008 / Email / 1 Comment
E-mail has become such an integral part of most people’s lives that it’s almost hard to remember that its pervasive presence is barely about a decade old (like many things we use today, its “invention” dates back another thirty or forty years, but it didn’t get to be such a large part of everyone’s lives until the explosion of the internet).
For me personally, my day starts and ends and revolves around e-mail. Information I used to receive through the mail, fax machine, phone and in-person visits now comes almost exclusively via e-mail. If you haven’t pondered how to properly manage and organize your e-mail duties yet, you’d better be thinking about it now, because e-mail isn’t going away anytime soon.
Why I Thought of Apple While Hanging Christmas Lights
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 / Apple Culture / 0 Comments
In some ways, Apple and Christmas make strange bedfellows. First of all, Christmas is a time of giving, and Apple’s culture is about as averse to philanthropy as Brittney Spears is to parenthood (hey, cheap shots to go all ‘round!).
However, while hanging Christmas lights on our house, it reminded me why Apple is successful (I tried to keep these stray thoughts limited to the times I wasn’t tilting one-legged on an overextended, shaky ladder while trying to reach that last hook).
Scanning Negatives into the Digital Life
Saturday, December 1, 2007 / Backups / 0 Comments
Only six years ago, 35mm negative and slide scanners were plentiful. All the major optical-electronics companies had multiple offerings for consumers and professionals. At that time digital photography was in its adolescence and, frankly, not as good as 35mm film output. Therefore, digitizing from film used to produce better pictures. Between then and now, digital photography has caught up with film and won people’s hearts and minds.
For the last few years Nikon has been a long-time holdout with a full line of negative / slide scanners, but now even they are not upgrading their offerings. Nikon’s decision is in line with what many other electronics companies have done–they no longer see film scanning as worth their efforts. Most people are not using film cameras now. Digital cameras are the new standard and are affordable and easy to use. If you are still using film, it is probably because you do not have a contemporary computer to manage your digital photos or have a huge investment in film-based systems.
Think Security, but Don’t Panic
Monday, November 19, 2007 / Security / 0 Comments
Occasional shrieks of panic were heard from the Mac community last week as word of an active Mac Trojan virus circulated the blogs and news sites. Although this was not the first Mac OS X Trojan, it was found actively infecting computers and stealing people’s information. Up to this point most of the reported Mac vulnerabilities came from “proof of concept” programs. A proof of concept Trojan, or virus, are tools of security experts who want to illustrate how a malicious person could cause problems if not fixed. The release of non-damaging (fake) viruses and Trojans will often cause the software maker to patch the problem before a criminal takes advantage of this flaw. This Trojan, dubbed “OSX.RSPlug.A,” was not created by security experts. It is intended to mislead you into giving bad guys your valuable account information.
Where do you take a diamond-encrusted, 24kt gold MacBook Pro for service? Why PowerMax, of course.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 / Hardware / 0 Comments
PowerMax has recently teamed up with Computer Choppers to provide R&D, as well as continued support, for their first, custom 24kt Gold & Diamonds Macbook Pro. Computer Choppers is an award-winning custom designer of computer cases, laptops, and electronics. They offer a variety of services, including handmade custom cases and unique add-on modifications. Pictured below are photos of the completed laptop which features a paint matched/re-etched MBP keyboard and a diamond-encrusted Apple logo!
EyeTV, iPhone Home
Monday, October 8, 2007 / Product Review / 0 Comments
Elgato released its latest version of EyeTV software with a special feature just for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Version 2.5 now supports a special web server that will broadcast your recorded programs over a home network, or the internet. No longer do you have to come home first or connect to your computer before you have access to your newly recorded TV programs. Although this may seem like a minor addition to the slew of TV encoding options available with the EyeTV family of products, it marks yet another TV venue that Elgato is attempting to take the lead in. Watch out Slingbox™, Elgato has you by the tail.
Putting the “N” Back in Network
Monday, July 23, 2007 / Networking / 0 Comments
The concept of a home network has grown substantially in the last five years. In its infancy, most home networking was just the use of a router to share a single broadband connection with multiple computers. Now users are sharing printers, networking attached storage (NAS), and streaming large media files through their homes. The services that many people expect from their home network would have challenged a top IT manager ten years back. Now all you have to do is open up one box… well, as long as the box has an apple on it.
Keep Your Eyes On Your Screen
Tuesday, July 10, 2007 / Software / 0 Comments
Sometime during the last decade, the era of traditional touch-typists began to wane. It’s ironic because more people interact with a keyboard now than in any other time in history. Perhaps it’s because some of our keyboards are not standard QWERTY keyboards. We use cell phones and smart phones that use thumb typing. Or we use a standard keyboard but with one hand resting on a mouse. Unlike the text-driven days, we click the mouse button almost as much as we click keys on the keyboard. Whatever the cause, we know the vast majority of us are not true touch-typists, and that means we are looking at the keys when we type. Why else would Apple make a laptop keyboard that lights up in the dark? In the interest of getting your eyes back to where they belong, I have two products the will keep your eyes on your screen and not on the keyboard.
Consumption Vs. Creation: Apple’s Changing Balance
Wednesday, June 27, 2007 / Apple Culture / 0 Comments
Over the last six years, Apple has existed as a computer company that also makes consumer devices. Every year, Apple has become more divided between its device business and its computer business. The result is that Apple essentially exists as two different companies doing business under one name. One company makes products of media consumption, such as the iPod, iTunes, and Apple TV. The other, older side of Apple is a toolmaker for creative people.
The Macintosh and the software that comes from Apple are products used for creation. They’re used to make great new things or create a better understanding of the world in your mind. Macintosh computers, and the software that runs on them, are founded on user creativity. However, 2007 has been a year of growing the consumption company to greater prominence, and relegating the creative departments to the back of the bus. This has and will continue to have impact on those of us who love using the Mac.
Making Sense of Adobe Creative Suite 3
Monday, May 14, 2007 / Software / 0 Comments
The title of this article may be a little misleading. This guide is not about learning how to use the new Creative Suit applications — that would require an undertaking of encyclopedic proportions. This article will attempt to explain the differences between the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Standard, Premium and Masters Editions.
Since the acquisition of Macromedia in 2005, Adobe has incorporated newly updated applications (such as Dreamweaver) into their suites. The result is a comprehensive, albeit confusing, collection of software.
Bare Naked Drives
Thursday, May 3, 2007 / Product Review / 0 Comments
The longer you use a computer, the more your data piles up. Sometimes you migrate those files from one computer to another. Other times those files stay locked up, forever entombed inside a retired computer.
If you are anything like me, you have old computers sitting in your garage or tucked away in closets. Perhaps you ditched the computer, but removed the hard drive and saved it. I have a small stack of those drives sitting on my desk right now. For years I asked myself why I was saving those drives. As it turns out, I was just waiting for Newertech to develop their Universal Drive Adapter .
Apple TV Taken Apart
Monday, March 19, 2007 / Disassemblies / 1 Comment
After we filled all our back orders for the Apple TV we decided to break one open and see what it’s all about. The Apple TV is certainly a device for people who are invested in their TV-watching experience. That left us wondering why Apple gave the Apple TV a hard drive smaller than a Video iPod. The last few generations of iPod have been able to connect to TVs, albeit at lesser video quality, so having half the capacity of an iPod didn’t seem like enough space.
As a result, we figured out how to upgrade the hard drive from its original 40 gigs, and turn it into an Apple TV 120 GB unit. Of course, we took some pictures to document the process.
The Incredibly Hackable Apple TV
Saturday, March 3, 2007 / Product Review / 0 Comments
Never before in the history of Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.) has one of its products been so quickly and thoroughly hacked as the Apple TV. The swarm of attention surrounding the Apple TV is a phenomenon that defied all expectations, and deserves examination.
Almost all of Apple new releases get inspected by the faithful with the enthusiasm of a newly discovered archeological dig. New product “un-boxing” pictures make their way around the net within hours of the first FedEx delivery. Every detail of Apple’s award-winning packaging is displayed. The Mac-geek photo spreads often include disassembly pictures. I myself have had my hand in a few of those online Mac centerfolds. For the last few years, the bar has not been raised beyond that point, but now we have the Apple TV. Not only was it un-boxed and disassembled like other recent Apple releases, but this time the product was re-engineered by Apple-loving zealots, and within a matter of hours.
Monster on Vacation
Sunday, December 24, 2006 / Product Review, iPods / 0 Comments
Whoever said that “half the fun of travel is the journey,” must have been an iPod video owner. That’s because without your iPod, trudging through the long security lines and the otherwise endless waiting can be too much for a lot of modern Americans to endure. The longer we wait without anything to occupy us, the higher our stress levels climb. It defies logic, but doing nothing at all can really be more stressful than a full day at work.
What PowerMax is all about!
Saturday, December 2, 2006 / PowerMax Culture / 0 Comments
The Mac is enjoying a resurgence, part of which can be credited to the iPod, part of which can be credited to the successful transition to Intel processors (which levels the playing field against PCs and allows Macs to run Windows), and part of it can be credited to great quality and design of hardware combined with the best personal computer operating system on the planet.
We’ve always had the latter, but now more people than ever are aware of this fact, and with competitive prices, Apple is making headway against the virtually institutionalized use of the Windows-based PC.
The new Intel XServe!
Friday, November 17, 2006 / Disassemblies, Xserve / 0 Comments
We finally got our shipment of Intel XServes and we can’t wait to put them to work! But first, we thought we’d give you a look at what these guys are all about. Here’s a few photos as we get them ready for production use.
That Dreamy 30-inch Apple Cinema Display
Thursday, November 16, 2006 / Displays, Hardware / 0 Comments
I recently switched to a 30-inch Apple Cinema display, and one of the first things I encountered was how many people were curious as to “what it’s like.” I suppose that has to do with the fact that it’s about the biggest, baddest, coolest display out there, and since display real estate is such a prized commodity, people are very curious as to how it would affect their own personal computing experience.
So, I thought it might make interesting reading for some of our customers to know in advance what might be in store for you should you upgrade to a 30-inch Cinema display.
The Right Place to Write
/ Software / 0 Comments
The line between writing and publishing has become blurry over the past decade. It became that way mostly due to the widespread integration of Desktop Publishing… and that became a problem. It may be hard to imagine a tool like desktop publishing being a problem, but it this kind of ubiquitous tool puts “form” ahead of “substance.” That relationship has weakened the writing tools we have. Fonts and line spacing are products of print publishing, and not of content creation. Words create substance in writing, not formatting. This was not much of a problem when word processors and page layout programs were separate. Now we have a single bloated program that pushes features and appearance over functionality. The troubles stem from the need for profit and the desire for dominance… two qualities that often define Microsoft.
ConvertX Vs. TVMax
Thursday, November 2, 2006 / Hardware / 0 Comments
In the pursuit of the perfect Mac PVR, I have sampled many hardware solutions that work with Elgato’s EyeTV software. Miglia’s TVMax has impressed me with its ability to encode video in MPEG-2, MPEG-4 and DivX. Elgato’s own EyeTV 250 device can only encode MPEG-1 and MPEG-2. Both MPEG-4 and DivX are important video compression codecs for smaller file storage and multi system playback compatibility. That places the TVMax ahead of the EyeTV 250, but the TVMax is not the only device that that can encode in four codecs. Plextor makes a Mac PVR package like the TVMax, called the ConvertX 402U. In addition to the same encoding capabilities, the ConvertX has been around longer than the TVMax and has the trusted Plextor name attached to it. With all that the ConvertX has going for it, it should be a better solution than the TVMax, but that’s not necessarily the case.
The iPod Interface for Your Car that Works
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 / Hardware, iPods / 0 Comments
I have been on an exhaustive search for an iPod connection for my 1998 Toyota that actually works. Over the years, I’ve meet many other people on the same quest for true iPod / car harmony. Years went by: my iPod changed but my search continued. Last week I found my perfect solution and I got to keep my original Toyota stereo. USA Spec makes a line of quality iPod interface kits that attach to the factory stereo in your car. Installing it took only minutes and it gave me every feature I could expect.
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When a Vote Costs a Buck
Friday, September 15, 2006 / Apple Culture, PowerMax Culture / 0 Comments
I often think of the dollars I spend as votes. I’m not sure everyone thinks of their expenses the same way, but I believe it’s a good consumer strategy.
Here is my thinking: when you spend your money at a particular establishment, you are basically “voting” for that business to stay around. You are telling them “I appreciate the service and/or price you are offering, so I am going to give you my dollars to help you stay in business so that I might use you again.”
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Slimming Down Your Keyboard
Wednesday, September 6, 2006 / Hardware, Product Review / 0 Comments
Often people think of the display as being the most important point of contact with a computer. It is true that a bad display can make even the best computer look worthless, but the display is only half the story. A display will get the information out of a computer, but your keyboard is what gets most of the information in. As important as a keyboard is to the computing experience we often give it the least amount of thought. We buy expensive mice and tablets but few people invest in a new keyboard. The included keyboard from Apple is a quality keyboard that lasts through years of key pounding. Undoubtedly that’s why they are rarely upgraded. But just because Apple makes a good keyboard doesn’t mean that a different style keyboard would not serve you better.
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Getting TV to Your iPod Video
Wednesday, August 16, 2006 / Product Review, iPods / 0 Comments
After opening the iPod I gave my wife for our anniversary, she had only one question: “Can I get Oprah on this?” The answer was not an immediate ‘yes,’ but instead a tentative ’soon.’
There are really only two ways to put broadcast TV on an iPod. The first, and by far Apple’s preferred method, is through the iTunes Music Store. It’s certainly a simple way to add TV to your iPod, but not every show is available and the $1.99 cost per episode can add up quickly. Which leads us to the second option: capturing TV with a Personal Video Recorder (PVR). There are a variety of external PVRs, but converting video for your iPod requires many extra steps. For direct TV recording to your iPod there is one name that is universally respected. EyeTV 2 is the Mac PVR software from Elgato that turns any Mac into an impressive entertainment system. Although Elgato currently makes hardware to work with their EyeTV software, they encourage other hardware manufacturers to use the EyeTV software with non-Elgato devices.
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Mac Pro taken apart!
Tuesday, August 8, 2006 / Disassemblies / 6 Comments
Jacob and company take the new Mac Pro down to its unmentionables.
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“Unknown Artist” No More
Wednesday, July 26, 2006 / Software, iTunes / 1 Comment
One of the true powers of iTunes and digital music is that it’s searchable. As personal music libraries grow to thousands of songs, they would be cumbersome to use if people could not search by a multitude of song data. Many of us have been listening to MP3s since the 90s, long before song names and other information were automatically filled in for us. Back then we were probably a little sloppy with our labeling. Like many of you, I have old MP3 files with missing album info or shorthand spellings. Worst of all, some MP3s I imported from homemade mix CDs and now I’m clueless as to what songs they are. Next to my nicely indexed new song files those old MP3s are mostly ignored. Often I have wished for some all-knowing music zombie to go through iTunes and correct my MP3 data tags. At last someone wrote that zombie application and it is called iEatBrainz.
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Do You Digg The New Media?
Friday, July 7, 2006 / New Media, Technology / 0 Comments
I became addicted to the news at a very young age. At 11 years old I remember salvaging every old black & white TV I could get my hands on. Then I set them up all in a row so that I could watch every channel at once. Later I dreamed of becoming a journalist myself, in either TV or print. One thing that is consistent between the gathering of both TV and print news is that news items are filtered through a few individuals who decide what will “make the news” that day. The beginning of the internet news age did not vary much from that old model, because just one or two people had editorial control over what news made it onto the news website.
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Using iWeb Without Dot Mac
Wednesday, June 14, 2006 / Support / 0 Comments
Not only do I write articles like this one for PowerMax, but I also write a computer support column. It’s called “Ask Jacob,” and a link to it can be found in the right hand navigation of www.powermax.com’s front page. All day long emails come in, ranging from troubleshooting to buying advice. The questions I get in those “Ask Jacob” emails are just the tip of the iceberg. Each day I get all sorts of Mac questions from PowerMax sales people and other staff. Those questions are often customer questions that have stumped our expert staff. Even with all these questions from email and everyone around me, I still get some of the most difficult questions, not from work, but when I get home.
Photoshop Elements 4
Sunday, June 4, 2006 / Software / 0 Comments
When I was a child, my father often used much more powerful tools than he needed. He used a chainsaw to cut twigs for kindling. To mow the lawn, he used a tractor fitted with a brush cutter. If there were more than one tool for the job, my father would always choose the biggest one… sometimes with disastrous consequences. The chainsaw threw dirt all over the yard as it went through the twigs, the lawn, and anything else that happened to be in the way. The tractor once rolled over on him. He is living proof (no, he hasn’t killed himself yet) that the biggest tool isn’t always the right tool for the job.
Inside the Macbok!
Wednesday, May 17, 2006 / Disassemblies / 0 Comments
Apple has just released the replacement to the allstar consumer laptop, the iBook! Now it’s called the MacBook, but the same burly childproof construction is still there. Well, nothing’s childproof, but this comes pretty darn close in our opinion. The case is made from the same tough polycarbonate that contributed to the legendary durability of the previous iBook line. Only now there’s a smoking Intel Core Duo chipset in there! Let’s take a look-see…
Spring Cleaning for Mac OS X
Wednesday, April 26, 2006 / OS / 0 Comments
Spring has arrived, and for some people that means a frenzy of housework. For me, spring has always been about getting my Mac OS in order. My suggestion is that everyone should take some time about now and follow some simple steps to getting a streamlined Mac. Your system will run faster and you’ll have more hard drive space because of it. This is the annual procedure I have used ever since there was a Mac OS X.
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Will Windows on the Mac make or break the Mac OS’s future?
Tuesday, April 11, 2006 / Apple Culture, OS / 0 Comments
One of the most repeated quotes of Steve Jobs is: “It’s better to be a pirate than join the navy.” With Apple’s announcement that it’s going to facilitate installing Windows for Intel Mac owners, I can only wonder if Apple has “joined the navy.” This decision could potentially propel the Mac towards Dell-like sales, but could also wreak havoc in a growing Mac application market. The reality will most likely be somewhere in between, but not even Apple knows for sure what the outcome will be.
Remembering All 100 Passwords
Friday, March 31, 2006 / Software / 0 Comments
Over the last decade, I have accumulated nearly 100 passwords, more than any one person should be expected to remember. During the early years, I used the same password for everything. Although this method works most of the time, it’s not very secure. Later on I started using Apple’s Keychain to remember my passwords. This worked well until the website changed its layout and consequently it was no longer recognized by Safari’s AutoFill function. Then I was stuck without any chance of remembering what the password was. Because AutoFill remembered the password for me, I did not even use a cute way of recalling that password (For instance, I once used a combination of my dog’s name and my childhood home’s street address). So I had to reset my password, right? No, I didn’t, and neither do you. If this happens to you, there is a perfect little utility on your hard drive waiting to bail you out. It’s called Keychain Access and like its name implies, it gives you access to all your saved passwords in the OS X Keychain.
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One Step To Safer Computing
Tuesday, March 21, 2006 / Security / 0 Comments
As Mac users, we are greatly protected from some of the perils of the online world. To date, OS X has not suffered from any major Trojan, worm, Spyware, or virus. Vulnerabilities in OS X have been only theoretical exploits that are quickly patched, or are infections that relied on gross user error. I, as do many experts, discourage Mac owners from using an anti-virus program because they are unneeded. We all need to remember that change is the only constant, but by just adjusting one setting, you can make your Mac nearly impervious to any future online attack.
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The Wireless that Wi-Fi Promised
/ Networking / 0 Comments
I was thrilled when Apple announced its Airport Wi-Fi hardware. Like many others, I envisioned walking down the street with my iBook constantly connected to the Internet. We all soon found out how difficult that was, at least without buying a cup of coffee. A small culture was born from people driving through neighborhoods looking for Open (Without a password) wireless access points. This scavenger hunt was not the wireless network we had envisioned. That dream connectivity came many years after Wi-Fi, and it is called EVDO.
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Another Hybrid For Your Shopping List
Sunday, March 19, 2006 / Product Review / 0 Comments
A wise man once told me “Be careful what you ask for, you just may have to buy it.” For me this advice has never been so relevant as it is now, with regards to the EyeTV Hybrid. Several years ago I reviewed Elgato’s EyeTV 500 and was substantially unimpressed. In my opinion, it lacked versatility because it could only be used with over-the-air HD broadcasts. If you wanted to capture standard definition TV or an analog video source, you would have to buy a different EyeTV box, and use it with the EyeTV 500. I wanted both units in one box for a reasonable price, and that is just what I got from the EyeTV Hybrid . Not only did Elgato pack the contents of two boxes the size of hardcover novels into one unit, but it all fits in a case smaller than my two fingers put together.
Hidden Free Features of iPhoto 6
Tuesday, March 14, 2006 / Software / 0 Comments
When iPhoto 6 was demonstrated at MacWorld, I barely noticed the addition of the Card and Calendar features. Both features are presented in the same fashion as the photo book feature that has been part of iPhoto for a long time. I was never thrilled with the “Book” feature because it had to be sent off to a printer who would then mail it to me. Ignoring the print fee aspect of the process, it’s inconvenient to have to wait for something I create on my computer to be mailed to me. Not having to wait for my pictures is why I have a digital camera in the first place. So I ignored the Card, Calendar, and Book buttons on the bottom of the iPhoto window. Because, to me, they were a bad idea just meant to collect more money from me and eat up my time.
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First Look at the Intel iMac
Wednesday, March 1, 2006 / Product Review / 0 Comments
It was widely expected that Apple would introduce at least one Intel-based Mac at the 2006 MacWorld Conference. So most attendees were not surprised that there was an introduction of the two Intel Macs, but they were in fact shocked by what models Apple chose to introduce. The year before, Steve Jobs had said that Intel processors would first be introduced into low-end Macs. Many assumed that would mean iBooks and Mac minis. Instead, we see the middle of the Mac lineup offered with the Intel chips. Apple really just slipped them in, quietly discontinuing the G5-based Macs, and in a very unconventional way kept the new Intel systems nearly identical in appearance to their PowerPC counterparts. The iMac G5 and the Intel iMac are so similar in fact; it is better to talk about what is different between the two instead of reviewing it by itself.
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The insides of the Intel Core Duo iMac!
Tuesday, January 31, 2006 / Disassemblies / 0 Comments
Twice as fast as the old iMac? Intel chips inside? With this kind of hype buzzing around, we had to take a look inside one to see what all the fuss is about. As usual, the inner workings of the iMac are as unique as the external case. Let’s take a look…
MacWorld 2007 Was All About “The Network”
Wednesday, January 18, 2006 / MacWorld / 0 Comments
Three new advancements in the Apple universe were announced at this year’s MacWorld conference, and the most useful one of them didn’t even make it on stage. The much-anticipated iPhone and Apple TV (Formerly iTV) received the Steve Jobs treatment, but the all-new Airport Extreme Base Station wandered quietly into existence.
All three devices focus on connecting to the network in some way. The iPhone is about connecting you when you’re out in the world. The Apple TV and the AirPort Extreme Base Station is about connecting everyone in your home in as many ways as possible. Both home devices will be available in February, which will make it a very fun month for a lot of us.
I/O and You!
Wednesday, January 11, 2006 / Hardware / 0 Comments
I/O stands for input/output, which is just geek-speak for any peripheral device that talks to and/or listens to your computer. Apple has slowly and quietly been changing the included I/O ports of its new computers. It is important to understand what changes, because the add-ons you buy and the ones you own will be affected by these changes. So before you buy that FireWire 800 hard drive, check your connections and read on.
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Apple Tries to Create Tranquility Out of “Universal” Confusion
With Apple’s introduction of Intel based Mac models, they also introduced a new icon for Mac users to look for when buying software. The “Universal Binary” icon indicates that software will run on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. The new icon has the suggestion of peace and order by impersonating the Chinese “Yin-Yang.” The reality of what this will mean is almost the complete opposite. This is because these first Intel Macs are the incentive for software makers to introduce versions of their applications that will run on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. Even Apple is not ready for all its software to run on these new computers. Before running out today and buying one of the Intel Macs, you’ll have to consider what this will mean for you.
Self-diagnosing Your Sick Mac
Thursday, December 22, 2005 / Support / 0 Comments
When your Mac is sick, the first thing you want to do is to find a utility to console you. Macs are solid computers that some of us have come to think of as being maintenance-free, but any computer is bound to have some trouble within its lifetime. Here are some tricks to solving your problems, or at least finding the cause of them.
What does Apple’s announcement about the move to Intel processors mean?
Tuesday, December 20, 2005 / Apple Culture / 0 Comments
With Apple’s announcement that they will be switching from the IBM PowerPC chip to Intel at the Worldwide Developers Conference last week, many people have been wondering what impact this change will have on the Mac.
From our point of view, there is a lot of good news in regards to this announcement.
First of all, this move reinforces Apple’s commitment to remaining a market leader in all aspects of the Mac platform. It had become abundantly clear that IBM was not able to keep up with the performance increases users have come to demand. On laptops, for instance, Intel simply has much better technology when it comes to low-heat processors; IBM simply wasn’t able to produce the G5 chip in a form factor that would work in a portable computer.
iPhoto in the RAW
/ Software / 0 Comments
iPhoto has been doing some growing up lately. When it was first released I had great hopes for its potential to “iTunes” my photo collection… hopes that were soon dashed. One of my biggest complaints was that it would make copies of all my photos and organize them as it saw fit. I resisted for a year, not wanting to give up control of my photo filing system. But after discovering my system was not really easier to use, I opted for the visual scan and album method of iPhoto. Little by little, iPhoto changed into an invaluable friend of my photos the way iTunes bonded with my music. Photo albums are published to my .Mac account in minutes, and pictures are compressed for easy email. iPhoto 5 has an abundant list of features, including support for the RAW file format. However, iPhoto 5 only supports RAW taken from some cameras and only if you get them directly from the camera. Not from a folder or older collection.
I Luv Disk Utility
/ Software / 0 Comments
My favorite Apple application is an often-overlooked program called ‘Disk Utility.’ Found in the ‘Utilities’ folder located inside the ‘Applications’ folder, it has been included in every version of Mac OS X. As OS X has advanced, so has Disk Utility; becoming much more than the hard drive formatting application it used to be. Some of you have used Disk Utility to format or repair a damaged hard drive. Perhaps you have read about ‘Repairing Disk Permissions’ and that’s how you use Disk Utility. All of those things are great features, but with Disk Utility 10.4 there is a world of additional features far more useful than just maintaining a hard drive.
Super Secret Twitter Giveaway: LaCie d2 Quadra Hard Disk 500GB Hard Drive
Sunday, November 20, 2005 / PowerMax Culture / 74 Comments
If you’re reading this chances are you’re one of PowerMax’s Twitter followers, and you get to participate in one of our super-secret Twitter giveaways. In honor of LaCie’s recent announcement of their super cool 1 year free online backup service, we’re putting a brand new 500GB LaCie d2 Quadra Hard Disk Drive up on the chopping block.
Phishing, It’s in your email not the sea.
/ Email / 0 Comments
During my very first online experience I encountered phishing. It was back in 1991. I had just logged into AOL as a trial member to test my new modem. Before clicking on anything, a message popped up saying that my credit card information had been lost and my account would be terminated if I didn’t respond back with the name, number, and expiration date on my credit card.
The Internet Disappeared!
Saturday, November 19, 2005 / Support / 0 Comments
Seventy percent of your fellow Internet users are on broadband at home. So many users have made the switch that Apple has stopped including 56k modems in G5 towers, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the other Apple desktop computers ditch them soon. There are several reasons that broadband is surpassing dialup. Speed is obviously an issue, but another primary feature is also having a constant connection. But, when you suddenly find yourself offline and don’t know why, it’s annoying.
The New Face of IT, It’s in the Mirror.
Thursday, October 20, 2005 / Software / 0 Comments
Just like in many businesses, most families have an IT person. One person that will always get “the call” when technology stops behaving. It often starts out as a compliment: “you’re so smart at these things,” they say. But then the calls keep coming. Because you’re reading this, you may be that person. So perhaps you should come to grips with your new, non-paying, IT job and start using some professional IT tools.
The New Dual-Core Power Mac G5 Unveiled!
Monday, October 10, 2005 / Disassemblies / 0 Comments
Once again, Apple has thrown out some shiny new hardware for us to slobber on, so we thought we’d give you a peek at the very latest from Cupertino.
The Power Mac G5 gets a big technology bump this time around, with new dual-core processors, a brand-new PCI Express architecture and some other very cool stuff that gets us geeks all misty-eyed. Let’s start with a view inside the case…
I Have My iPod nano. Where’s Yours?
Tuesday, September 20, 2005 / iPods / 0 Comments
Take out four credit cards from your wallet. Stack them and hold them in your hand. Apple’s iPod nano is about the same weight and half an inch less wide than that stack of cards. Now put three cards back in your wallet and use the remaining card to go buy yourself a nano.
The nano’s introduction should not be misinterpreted as just another iPod in the lineup. It is, in fact, exactly what the iPod should have been in the first place: a flash-based jukebox with a long battery life and stunning color screen. This new iPod is not a smaller version of another iPod, or combination of any other two iPods. The user interface is the same (which has always been iPod’s strength) but that’s it. The differences here are under the skin, most notably with the screen.
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Your Mac and Your Kids
/ Support / 0 Comments
For some Mac fans reading this, their Mac is almost like their child. However, for those of us who have both children and Macs, we have to take responsibility for educating and protecting our children on the computer. This was never made clearer to me than one late night a few months back.
PowerMax Giveaway Rulez
Saturday, July 30, 2005 / PowerMax Culture / 5 Comments
No Purchase Required to Enter or Win
Eligibility: The PowerMax Giveaways (the “Giveaways”) are open only to individuals who are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (including the District of Columbia) and are 18 years of age or older. Employees of CSNW their advertising or promotion agencies, those involved in the production, development, implementation or handling of Giveaways, any agents acting for, or on behalf of the above entities, their respective parent companies, officers, directors, subsidiaries, affiliates, licensees, service providers, prize suppliers any other person or entity associated with the Giveaways (collectively “Giveaway Entities”) and/or the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members (whether related or not) of each such employee, are not eligible. All U.S., federal, state and local, provincial, and municipal laws and regulations apply. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law.
To Clone or Transfer
Wednesday, July 20, 2005 / Support / 0 Comments
After years of entrenching your digital life inside your computer, moving to a new system is not always easy. You can choose to make a clean break, opting to move files by using CD-Rs or an external hard drive and then reinstalling all their applications. For the digital packrat this is often a good thing to do, especially since hard drives can clutter up worse than the average teen-ager’s bedroom.
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Bluetooth Enabled Artistic Freedom
Thursday, July 7, 2005 / Product Review / 0 Comments
I don’t like being chained to a desk. Often I will have to pace around the room or change my sitting position to find inspiration. This has always meant I had to stop working, walk away, and run back to the desk when I had an idea. That is until now, because Wacom recently introduced Bluetooth to their popular Graphire tablet line. For those who are unaware of Wacom and their products, they are the undisputed heavyweight of penned input for computers. Many companies have copied Wacom tablets but few have bested them in innovation, and the Bluetooth Graphire is no exception.
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