 eppol

VH1 Spoofs Apple's "Get A Mac" Ads

2006-07-12T20:36:00.000+08:00

It seems that many PC users over at VH1's Best Week Ever weren't too amused with Apple's latest "Get a Mac" campaign featuring the hip Justin Long as a Mac and stodgy John Hodgman as a PC. Hence, this spoof that you may view by clicking on this article's title.

Apple's ads have been called "mean spirited" by a lot of people who apparently identified more with Hodgman's PC than Long's Mac. Whatever. In the end, Apple's bottom line post-campaign should determine whether these ads struck the ka-ching chord or an indignant nerve.

Enjoy.

Mac OS X Leopard Early Build Impressions

2006-07-12T14:27:00.000+08:00

MacOS Rumors recently got their hands on an early developer-release build of Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" and their initial impressions have been very encouraging to both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs. As we anxiously wait for Apple's reported previewing of its next generation operating system at its WorldWide Developer's Conference (WWDC) 2006 in August, here's what Leopard has in store for all of us, courtesy of MacOSRumors:

- a continuation of the Aqua, Quartz and Finder user interface (UI)
- the unified theme of Mail.app applied across all aspects of the UI
- high res rendering of the UI with the activation of Quartz 2D Extreme
- Dashboard has been moved to the menu bar
- System Preferences as a widget that is accessible from the menu bar
- Settings and System Information directly accessible from Apple Menu
- Activity Monitor to display more system activity info from the dock
- speed optimizations of up to 25% for single core systems
- speed optimizations of up to 100% for multi-core systems
- WindowsXP functionality via BootCamp/Parallels virtualization

Of course, all these impressions are sketchy at this point, so we cannot say with certainty if any of these features will find its way into Leopard. But at the very least, we now have an idea that Leopard will present a considerable departure from OS X 10.4 "Tiger" and is well worth the wait.

4-in-1 iPod Car FM Transmitter & Charger

2006-06-27T18:39:00.000+08:00

This one's killer, so keep your eyes on the road, ok?

I just snapped up this generic 4-in-1 iPod car FM transmitter and charger from PhilMUG's favorite HK goods-guy Longbeard and it's one of the best toys I've bought. Ever.

Just plug it into your car's cigarette lighter, mount your iPod via the dock connector port, choose any free station across the FM band on this baby's cool blue LCD, and you'll be rocking down the highway in no time. What never fails to get the most oohs and aahs from my passengers are videos and photo slideshows played from a 5G iPod. You won't even have to worry about videos draining your iPod's battery because this transmitter charges your iPod at the same time. Sweet.

While nothing beats the audio quality of a direct line-in connection to your car's stereo, this FM transmitter certainly holds it's own. It sounds a lot better and more powerful than many FM transmitters I've used because the audio comes from the dock connector and not from the headphone. Full iPod control functions are retained except for the volume; so you'll be using your stereo's volume controls this time. No sweat.

Don't own an iPod? No problemo. This baby also transmits audio from any device with a standard headphone-out jack and also charges it via USB. Headphone plug and mini-USB adapter included.

Priced at a mere P1,100, this generic FM transmitter/charger is guaranteed to keep your passengers entertained as you struggle to keep your attention on the road. Your personality is optional.

Germany 2006 X

2006-06-18T12:48:00.000+08:00

Know every score on the pitch of World Cup 2006!

Germany 2006 X allows you to view the match schedule in local time, download the latest scores and group/stage standings, and export stats into text or HTML. It's the definitive World Cup 2006 app and is a must for any Mac football fan (or "soccer" stateside).

Best of all, it's free.

Merom on a Mac Mini

2006-06-14T12:58:00.000+08:00

An Intel Core 2 Duo chip has fallen off a truck and found its way into a Mac Mini!

Someone from a Taiwanese forum reportedly replaced his Mac Mini's Core Duo chip with the next generation 2.16GHz Merom T740 and the benchmarks are impressive, beating out a Dual 2.5GHz G5 in an iTunes MP3 to AAC conversion by 15% despite the Mini's slower hard drive.
While CPU conversions for Apple hardware in the past have generally been plagued by heat issues, the Merom T740 actually generates less heat and should make for easier upgrades.

Google Earth v4

2006-06-13T18:56:00.000+08:00

Know your place in this world (and that of others' too) with the new and improved Google Earth v4.

Aside from improved terrain-mapping and GPS support (for Earth Plus users only), this newest version of Google Earth features a complete redesign of the user interface. Gone is the nav panel that was located at the bottom of the screen, replaced by an uber-cool control UI that pops up whenever you move the pointer to the upper-right corner of the viewing pane.

The popup controller features a joystick in the center that you toggle with the mouse to move the map around as you please. Around the joystick is a circular dial to rotate the map 360 degrees, similar to what Tom Cruise's character in Minority Report used. The tilt slider is located on the top of the dial, while the zoom slider is displayed on its right.

For improved realism, Google Earth now comes with Google Sketchup, enabling you to create and share your own textured 3D building models over the internet.

As an added bonus to local users, Google Earth has updated many Philippine maps with greater detail, so we can view our personal realms better and order precision air strikes in other places of interest.

iBlind on Mac Island

2006-06-08T23:41:00.001+08:00

I love my Mac. Love is blind. It should follow that I am blind. But I'm not.

While I vigorously extol the virtues of my 17" PowerBook G4 1.5GHz as any self-respecting PowerPC-straggler should, I must remind myself to be realistic on Mac Island and remain grounded on this ninety percent (90%) Windows-weary world.

Which brings me to the point of this entry: video chatting.

To this day, video chatting on the Mac remains a hugely hit-and-miss affair. Video conferencing with fellow Mac users using Apple's latest iChat software and iSight webcam offers arguably the best video chatting experience around. However, therein lies the problem - Mac users. There simply aren't really enough of us to go around.

So if one were to expand one's online circle of friends and relate with our Windows brethren, you would have to jump into the Skype, ICQ, Yahoo and MSN Messenger bandwagons. But that is all and well if not for the nagging fact that iSight very often refuses to play ball.

You see, the iSight webcam, the wonderful piece of industrial magnificence that it is, will not work at all with Skype, ICQ and MSN and is merely video-only (no audio) with the Mac's version of YahooIM.

Us Mac users aren't by any means limited to solely using the iSight for our web chat fix. Many Mac hacks out there have managed to use third-party USB webcams with YahooIM (and only YahooIM) with similar results - no audio. Better than nothing right? And about an eighth of the cost of an iSight, it's still a fairly good deal.

But until Skype, ICQ, Yahoo and MSN update their software to enable audio-video chatting on the Mac, us poor thinking-differently chaps would have to contend with being blinded by love with our pretty and capable machines. We can't see nor be seen by those whom we will be chatting with for now. While some might "view" (pardon the pun) not being seen as a plus, I don't.

I'm not really that bad-looking.

This Week's Mac Bargains

2006-06-08T13:34:00.000+08:00

In what will be a regular entry on this blog, "This Week's Mac Bargains" will showcase the week's best prices of Apple products in the Philippine secondary market. I reserve the right to select these items based on personal assessment and other considerations. I shall assume no responsibility nor liability for negotiations / transactions over the same as the displayed items are independent of http://eppols.blogspot.com and are thus the sole responibility of the seller. Tips/leads are most welcome.

15" PowerBook G4 1.67GHz / 80GB HDD / 1GB RAM / 128MB VRAM / D/L Superdrive - P65T

15" PowerBook G4 1.67GHz/ 100GB HDD / 1GB RAM / Superdrive - P55T

15" PowerBook G4 1.67GHz/ 80GB HDD / 512MB RAM / 128MB VRAM / Superdrive - P45T

Cheers to the sellers!

The Booq PowerSleeve12

2006-06-08T10:13:00.000+08:00

Check out what's available at PowerMac's SM Mall of Asia branch: the Booq PowerSleeve12.

Hands-down, it's the best-looking shoulder strap carrying case I've seen. Weighing at just 1.4 lbs with dimensions of 12.2 x 10.1 x 2.4 inches, the PowerSleeve12 is tiny but seems more heavily-padded than my trusty Incase SlingPack. This sells for about P2,500 and is worth every cent. Stay away from rain.

Some of its features:
- 1680D ballistic nylon exterior
- 1/2" foam padding
- buckle flap with zippered pocket
- large back pocket

Now if only I had a 12-incher..

I meant the PowerBook.

iPod U2 Encore

2006-06-08T09:31:00.000+08:00

The iPod U2 Special Edition makes a comeback iPod 5th-gen style. Priced $30 more than a standard 30GB iPod, this new achtung baby returns with a distinctive red click wheel, signatures of the quartet on its new black metal back, and an ITMS coupon that you may redeem for a 30-minute U2 video.

While U2 remains HUGE and cool with thirtysomethings such as myself, I am not too sure if rockstars pushing 50 would appeal half as much to today's younger set. iPod Shakira perhaps? Throw in some pre-loaded videos and I'm sold!

MacBook First Impressions

2006-06-07T23:11:00.000+08:00

Apple's replacement to the venerable iBook G4, the MacBook is probably the Cupertino-based company's most-eagerly awaited offering since last year's video-enabled iPod.

Once I had the opportunity to get my hands on a 1.83 GHz white MacBook the other day, the first thing that caught my attention was how thin it truly was. Having used a 14" iBook G4 for the past two years, I can't help but think how bulky it was when compared to the new MacBook. Think PowerBook. It's THAT thin.

The next thing that I noticed was the screen. I always disliked 12" screens because I can't imagine myself doing any serious work with it, no matter how popular it was with a lot of Mac users. When Apple announced that the MacBook would sport a 13" screen, I was initially disappointed until I saw it in person. The MacBook's 16:9 ratio 13" screen reminded me more of my old 14" iBook than a 12-incher. With a native resolution of 1280 x 800, the MacBook means business and I can imagine it to be well-suited to spreadsheet work.

Forget what you've heard about glossy screens. The MacBook's screen is nothing like the glare-y screens found in other notebooks. The improved contrast of this screen makes images crisp and the increased brightness reduces eye strain, which is more than I can say about the PowerBooks that Apple released in 2005.

A contention with the MacBook is its redesigned chicklet-style keyboard. I must admit that I particularly don't like it. When I tried to type, I noticed that the motion of key presses should be directed downwards, unlike standard keyboards that allow a more natural, slightly angled motion. Standard keyboards have concave keys that are close to each other that somehow "catches" the fingers. The MacBook's keys are flat and spaced far apart. I can imagine speed typists' fingers to slip from the keys often and make mistakes.

Now on to performance.

The MacBook's speed is evident and it makes my 1.5 GHz PowerBook G4 seem sluggish when running Apple's native apps. Finder is more responsive than ever and the over-all user experience is confident and assuring. System Profiler launches instantly, as do all iLife apps with the exception of iPhoto that launches at par with the PowerBook G4. I would probably attribute iPhoto's slower launch time to the MacMini's shared graphics, but I suppose more RAM than the base 512MB that I tested on would address that.

My brief encounter with the MacBook has been a very positive one. Its lasting impression on me was that Apple had indeed made the right decision to switch to Intel and that the MacBook is testimony to this.

The MacBook offers superior value to its target clientele: mainstream consumers. It is more than adequate for web browsing, multimedia and MS Office work. It looks cool too. Gamers and imaging/video professionals should look to the MacBook Pro instead because of its dedicated video card, but take nothing away from the MacBook. Starting at US$1,099 and with the ability to run WindowsXP via BootCamp, the MacBook leaves little excuse for PC users not to make the switch.

 eppol is here!

2006-06-07T20:58:00.000+08:00

Welcome to eppol.

This blog intends to take a bite out of anything Apple and put a Philippine twist to it. I hope that this site will someday grow into an invaluable source for Mac musings from a highly-opinionated-yet-independent-although-frequently-idle mind.

Thanks for the visit and I hope you enjoy your stay.