Appletell

GhostReader, a nifty text-to-voice conversion software has been updated with the 1.5 release for the Mac OS X. The new release added some natural-sounding Czech, Polish, Swedish and Finish voices as well as some enhancements to the existing voices that the software has. In addition, a pronunciation editor was also introduced to help in modifying/editing the way a word is pronounced, including abbreviations. Even more sweet is the software’s ability to directly export documents to iTunes.

Additionally, the GhostReader 1.5 is now compatible with DOCX and ODT documents. The export to iTunes features also runs in the background, so you won’t get disturbed while doing other things. Aside from these, GhostReader 1.5 is now more responsive when you are speaking selected text and it even works in floating windows now.

If you’re a registered user of the previous version of the GhostReader, you can upgrade to the 1.5 release for free, while those who will use the software for the first in their Macs will need to shell out $39.95. The software works with Macs running OS X v10.4 or later.

Via [Yahoo News] Product [GhostReader]

The popular Times Reader for PC is set to get its own Mac version sometime this month. The Mac beta version will get the same core set of features as its PC counterpart including, easy-to-read paginated format, offline access, seven-day archive, text search and font size adjustment. NYT is even throwing access to its Premium Crosswords, how cool is that?

Unlike its the PC version, where the Times Reader’s windows automatically adjust to render a user’s screen, Mac users would be given with four pre-set window sizes to choose from. Ironically, the Times Reader for Mac uses Microsoft’s Silverlight technology to render the Times pages on the Mac Version. NYT reasons out that this was done to make the Mac Version as close as possible to the PC version of the Reader.

Additionally, the search function of the Times Reader for Mac has became more robust, now allowing full text searching of each articles in the seven day period.

As the Times Reader for Mac is still in beta stage, expect some bumps as you do your daily dose of NYT readings. NYT promises to put in more advanced features into their Mac Reader including News in Pictures and a faster synchronization time.

Via [First Look Blog]

Nakahara Informatic’s iGet Mobile, a nifty iPhone-Mac application that allows users to remotely access their documents on Mac through the iPhone just got a new Version 2.0 release. This new version boasts of the following new features; iPhone-specific features through the iGet Mobile web interface, an improved web server component, a redesigned user interface and other enhancements.

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“Apple and Microsoft are on opposite trajectories in terms of their cash reserves” say recent reports, and we don’t really need those reports to tell us that either.  These differences have recently become more evident then ever, both from the fail of Vista and Apple’s rather large jump in market share.  Now, with recent three-year earning figures released, Apple’s increase compared to Window’s fall has been set in stone.  Three years ago, Apple had a pretty measly monetary reserve of only $5.5 Billion.  In comparison, Microsoft had a monetary reserve of $64 Billion.  Recent earnings reports show that Apple’s earnings have almost quadrupled, to $19.4 Billion.  In great contrast, Microsoft’s reserves to have plummeted to only $26.3 Billion.  Microsoft should be happy that their deal with Yahoo went through the floor, as they would have had to borrow a considerable amount of money.  Speculations show that Microsoft saved over $40 Billion in the short term. 

“The company’s overall decline is attributed to deliberate investment decisions, namely continual stock buybacks and special dividend payments, such as a $32 billion plan announced in 2004. In the most recent quarter, Microsoft bought back more than $1 billion of its own stock, a strategy which is likely meant to enhance the company’s EPS rating.”

Apple’s sharp increase in profits, fueled by Mac and iPod sales, has been enough to surpass even those of Google ($12.1 Billion), IBM ($12 Billion), and Intel ($10.9 Billion).  With Apple’s huge recent sales increases, both from the Mac and iPod, it seems like those numbers can only go up.

Read [MacNN]

Just after Mac clone maker Psystar was able to start shipping some products, another cloner, chris555, has put two machines up for purchase on Ebay.  These machines, which are currently at a $549.99 “Buy It Now” price with $50.00 for shipping, look a lot like the ones from Psystar.  According to the description, they “Run the award winning Mac OS 10.5 on this custom-built desktop computer for hundreds less than a computer direct from Apple.” Here are the specs from the Ebay posting:

Pre-installed Mac OS 10.5 Leopard with over 300+ new features
2.4Ghz Genuine Intel Core 2 Duo Dual-core processor
2GB DDR2 RAM
250GB 7200RPM Serial ATA hard drive
Intel Integrated 3D Graphics
DVD burner
Keyboard & mouse
Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet
Three USB 2.0 ports

Again, there has been no reported response from Apple yet even though their lawyers are usually quick to respond to this sort of stuff.  I find it extremely strange that Apple is allowing people to sell their products for a fraction of the price while potentially breaking some of Apple’s legal documents.  Although these devices will never match the look and feel of a real Mac, if allowed to get out of control, they would possibly harm the company.  It will be interesting to see what happens with this.  Let us know if you purchase one!

Mozy is one of the leading online back-up services. It’s been available on Windows since its launch, and a beta version for the Mac was released not too long ago. The service from EMC allows consumers to back up data on their desktops and laptops to a remote data center, then recover it later if their systems crash. Mozy claims that MozyHome for Mac is the only online backup service out there for the Mac platform - however MacMiniColo.net, a much smaller company I mentioned yesterday, already offer Mac Mini and Time Capsule external hosting (this is great for users who want to take advantage of Time Machine and online backups).

MozyHome lets users upload as much as 2GB of any type of content for free, with no expiration date, according to EMC. Though, for unlimited capacity, the service will cost you $4.95 per month. MozyHome encrypts the files with 448-bit Blowfish encryption and transfers them via a 128-bit SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) connection - in case you were worried about security.

Via [Macworld UK]

Grand Theft Auto IV is set to be one of the biggest games of this year, if not ever. It’s received a lot of hype in the past week, leading up to its release yesterday. The Grand Theft Auto series of games hasn’t always had good press, there are a lot of people against the game’s violent themes. Nonetheless, Rockstar Games has a great sense of humor, and it’s great to see that they have made some hilarious Apple parodies within GTA IV.

Apple is referred to as “Fruit”, and the Think Different campaign is being mocked: ”THINK Simple. THINK Minimalism. THINK Overpriced. THINK Fruit. THINK.” The Apple logo is a fruit bowl with various colored fruits - which if you look at in a certain way may not be safe for work. Apple’s iPhone is called the iFruit Phone, and is a banana-shaped phone with no buttons, no reception, and no storage capacity. No matter how hard Rockstar are bashing Apple in this parody, it’s a great find by Flickr user dunutmaz, and nice to see Apple in some video games - even if it’s not the kind of publicity Apple wants.

Via [TUAW]

Apple’s update of the iMac line on Tuesday is really beginning to show the direction that Apple is taking in its computers. Most significantly, Apple seems to be showing signs of preparing its Macs for the world of gaming.

Some evidence of this is the new 3.06GHz processor option for the 24-inch iMac, which is suspicious only because Apple is working the current technology to get 3.06GHz out of something designed to only give 2.8GHz. Another piece of evidence is the GPU, which seems to be a stock nVIDIA 8800M GTS (even though Apple calls it an 8800 GS, but Apple also called Mobility HD 2600 XT parts HD 2600 Pro). This is a very high-end GPU and offers much more power than most Mac users currently need from the iMac.

Implementing the overclocked processor and a high-end nVIDIA GPU in an iMac is a suspicious move for Apple to make. Whether Apple is starting to optimize Macs for gaming using Boot Camp with Windows, or even preparing Mac OS X-based gaming, no one can be sure. Either way, it appears that Apple is taking a step forward towards a future of gaming in its Macs.

This is part two of a series. Read Part One here.

What I Hate About Windows

1) The Taskbar - Windows users will crow on and on about the taskbar’s superiority, but it is crap. It has no one purpose, rather it is a poorly implemented strip that serves as the main control point for the computer. The place where this becomes the biggest issue is if you hide it. You may just want more screen space, or to just hide the start menu, but you have no choice. Everything goes. Your list of programs, your minimized windows, system notifications, everything, is gone. Which brings me to my next gripe. Why would all my windows be displayed in huge buttons? I can understand it if my minimized windows were, but the maximized windows are already there. No need to have them in the taskbar. The argument is that its easy switching between windows, but I don’t find it easy to try to decipher between three Internet explorer windows, or three any windows. In the taskbar they all look the same and that doesn’t speed up the workflow at all.

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In what is perhaps the coolest thing I have ever seen, Troika has created a “virus” for Mac, though its status as a virus is debatable. It lives on a USB key, and you have to have physical access to the computer to install it. The virus was created in an attempt to get back to the tme when viruses were just amusing little programs run to make the user chuckle. Nowadays, viruses are used for malicious intent, but back in the advent of the personal computer, “viruses [were] born out of the wit of early computer adopters, viruses whose sole purpose was to surprise and amuse.”

Troika says that they “chose to do it for mac as the platform is still a virgin territory.” If this is what Mac viruses will look like, I will download and install every suspicious looking thing that comes my way. The “virus” causes the menu bar to crack in half and fall, along with all desktop icons, to the bottom of the screen. Then, by turning the computer around, the icons and menu bar halves respond just as they would if they were really in a box.

The only problem? You can’t actually get it. If anyone can figure out how to get this, please comment. I want it really badly. Now, to see it in action, look after the break.

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