Appletell

Boxee is a new application for the Mac that is much like Front Row, only better—in theory. It is an open source effort, meaning that plug-ins can be added and it can be modified by others besides the developers. It is currently in a private alpha stage, and I just so happen to be a private alpha member, and I figured I should bring a preview to you.

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Earlier, we previewed the alpha of Boxee. It’s a version of the XBMC that runs on a Mac. You can use it to watch videos, subscribe to podcasts, get recommendations from its social features, etc. They call it a social media center. There really are a lot of great things you can do with Boxee, and it’s only in alpha. Today, you can add Apple TV support to Boxee’s already long list of features.

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Being a Mac user, you’ve probably experienced more than your fair share of headaches as a result of the PC being the industry standard for just about everything. Watching online video is no exception, but Netflix is getting ready to alleviate your headaches before the end of the year with a Mac solution for watching their streaming content online.

If you’re a Netflix subscriber, you already know there are thousands of videos available online to be watched instantly...if you’re running Windows, that is. Other than this limiting factor, the system is actually pretty awesome. Just sign in, pick a movie or TV show that strikes your fancy, and seconds later you’re entertained. No waiting for disks in the mail. Plus, if you are so inclined, you can watch an entire season of a TV show in one sitting. Previously, you’d have to watch one disk’s worth of episodes, send it back, get the next disk, rinse, and repeat.

But today, Netflix has announced they will finally be providing a Mac solution for instantly watching videos online.

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Whenever I go to an Apple Store, it seems like the classes they’re having are about how to set up iCal or making photobooks in iPhoto. Little did I know you can get Emmy-winning training in Final Cut Pro! Turns out that first-time filmmaker Larry Newman won just such an award for his first directorial effort, Children’s Music Workshop: 2007 All Schools Honor Orchestra.

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Adobe Systems officially announced this morning the Creative Suite 4 product family. The CS4 programs will feature a new workflow and “hundreds of feature innovations,” including tighter integration with Flash technology across the entire product line. The updates will be seen across Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design editions, Creative Suite 4 Web editions, Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, Creative Suite 4 Master Collection, as well as 13 point products, 14 integrated technologies and seven services.

Some of the major applications receiving updates are Photoshop CS4, Photoshop CS4 Extended, InDesign CS4, Illustrator CS4, Flash CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver CS4, After Effects CS4, and Adobe Premiere Pro CS4.

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I’m not a YouTube kind of guy. I’m just not entertained by kittens falling off things, toddlers explaining the plot to Star Wars in their oh-simple-and-innocent way, or high school kids beating each other up or making out. Or both. Most YouTube users need to learn an important rule of entertainment...just because something’s entertaining to you and your friends, that doesn’t mean it’s actually, you know, entertaining.

That being said, there are a lot of wonderful videos to be found, both amateur and (usually uploaded illegally) professional. Old music videos I’ve long forgotten (Russel Mulcahy, we need you now) top the list, but every now and again I also find something new from a group of budding filmmakers that makes me wonder how so many professionals got (and retain) their jobs. Those are great moments, finding something like that, but to share your find, you’ve no choice but to just e-mail URLs or embed the video in your blog. What if you want to show someone on your iPhone or iPod, or even burn a DVD to pass around? There are various options out there—some easier than others, some more reliable than others, some more legal than others—but one of the best options available to Mac users right now is Web2 Delight.

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Wondering how to turn off the “arrows” and “Genre” listings in iTunes 8? Annoyed that Apple has taken the options away? Never fear, a quick cut ‘n’ paste in the Terminal app is all you need.

Details after the break.

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It’s finally here. The latest installment of the app that changed the way we listened to music has officially been announced. At Apple’s Let’s Rock event, the first item on the docket was this new piece of software. With new features such as Genius and HD TV Shows, many changes have been made to the system. Some of them are great, some of them are OK, and some of them just plain suck. 

Read on for my review of iTunes 8.

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Apple has released updates to Quicktime and Front Row in support of the new iTunes 8.

Quicktime 7.5.5 fixes a number of security issues. Front Row 2.1.6 improves compatibility with the new version of Quicktime and iTunes.

Details and links after the break.

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Mac users who use Final Cut Express received an update to their movie editing software on Thursday. Apple has released Final Cut Express 4.0.1. Those used to seeing the brief support notes that usually accompany Apple releases will be surprised at the detailed notes that accompany this update.

Check them out after the break.

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