Appletell

MacRumors just posted that a reader has found references to “iSight HD” in QuickTime system files.

For those who don’t know, the iSight, which is currently the branding of the camera integrated into all Macs with displays, used to be the name used for an external Firewire camera sold by Apple from 2003-2006. It was released to coincide with iChat AV, Apple’s next-generation video/audio chat application. In 2006, they stopped selling it, presumably because most Macs would have one built in, but seemingly overlooked the fact that if you bought a Mac Mini or Mac Pro, there was now no Apple option for a webcam. The Cinema Displays also do not contain an integrated iSight.

More after the break.

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Ever wondered how to create the time-lapse effect you might have seen on TV or YouTube? Wish you could present hours of a movie in just a few minutes? Well, Gawker lets you do just that.

Gawker is a useful piece of freeware you can download for your Mac. Using an external camera or your built-in iSight, you can start making time-lapse movies absolutely free. One of the neatest features of Gawker is the ability to share cameras connected to other computers on your home network, this allows you to view and record other people around the house and create time-lapse movies of them, too, provided they also have the Gawker application installed.

To create a time lapse movie, all you have to do is select a camera for use with the application and then configure how often you want Gawker to take a snapshot. Every 30 seconds is the preset amount. As you record the movie you can see what has been recorded so far using the “preview” option, and the finished movie is stored as a .mov file at any location you wish.

Gawker is available as a free download, weighing in at just 2.1MB.

Product [Gawker]

How can you really show your mom that you love her this Mother’s Day?  With an Apple product, of course!  So if you’re wondering what you can get for the rapidly approaching May 11th, look no more, you can find it all here!

1) Mom’s love photos and memories, so get her an Apple photo book! You know how the saying goes, “A picture is worth 1,000 words.” Gather up all those old memories from this year and put them together in a nice, high quality book that your mother can cherish forever.  Plus, Apple is making it even easier with 20% of photo books just by using the promo code “LoveMom.” Just make sure you order in time so the books makes it for Mother’s Day.

2) Introduce them to the tech world with an iPod Shuffle! Only $49 and coming in five separate colors, an iPod Shuffle is the perfect way to show your mom you love her.  You can load it with all of her favorites songs before you give it to her and really make her smile, too!  Not only that, but they are extremely portable, light weight, and make for good fashion statements.

3) Keep in touch with a new Mac!:  If money isn’t a factor, go ahead and get her a new computer.  With the iSight camera and Leopard, it is easier than ever to have a great time video chatting.  She will thinks it’s awesome and you’ll have fun doing it, what more could you ask for on Mother’s Day?

4) If home made is more your style, use iLife! All Macs come with great pre-installed editing software.  If you want to give your mom something truly from the heart, make her a movie or slideshow with her favorites pictures and clips.  They love to see that you took the time to create something wonderful for them.

5) If your mom already has all the above, give her the gift of Apple with a gift card!:  Whether it be for iTunes or the store, everyone loves have the freedom to spend their money one what they want.  Get your mother a gift card and allow her to choose something for herself.  You can always find something at the Apple Store to spend some money on.

Xlr8yourmac is reporting that Apple’s newest iMac now comes with a higher resolution iSight camera. Originally sporting a resolution of 640x480, the product refresh has bumped that up to 1280x1024, similar to the latest MacBook Pros. Despite having a higher resolution, the image quality still remains roughly the same.

You’d think that Apple would have some sense to upgrade their iChat application to support these higher resolutions, but no. iChat only supports capturing images at 640x480, which is a real pity. Perhaps we’ll just have to wait till Leopard, or at least until the MacBook receives an upgraded iSight camera.

Read [Xlr8yourmac]