iTunes 7.2 brings DRM-free music
Posted by admin | Filed under Apps
The big news some weeks ago was how EMI was going to be releasing its music DRM-free on iTunes at a slightly higher price, and higher quality (bitrate). Well that day has finally come, as seen in this screenshot.
Upgrades here in Canada cost $0.40/song, 30% of the album price, and $0.80/music video (We still don’t have access to tv shows or movies). Buying iTunes Plus songs without already owning it is $1.39 per song.
An iTunes Plus option allows you always see the higher-quality, drm-free version of a song when available.
Another new option is Complete My Album, where you receive credit for songs already purchased when buying an album.
With these new features, I’m noticing delays on the store as everyone flocks to the site to upgrade their music. I can’t even preview a “plus” song, but the old one previews fine.
More screenshots of the new iTunes
Via TUAW
Google Maps Street (US Only)
Posted by admin | Filed under Web
Originally uploaded by clompers
Google has rolled out a new feature that allows you to see a virtual tour of streets in major cities in the US. To avoid the complaining from other countries about why their cities haven’t been photographed, Google has blocked access to this feature to anyone not in the US. I suppose some would say it’s to prevent access to a terrorism tool, but then how did I take this screenshot from Canada…? http://maps.google.com
This is nothing compared to the new 3D view Microsoft has just come out with where you can see 3D buildings in some major cities. However, that only works in windows. http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/05/28/microsoft-live-takes-new-york-3d/
[Via Petah]
Tags: Web Apps 2.0
Flexible OLED displays
Posted by admin | Filed under Random
Only a matter of time before the morning paper includes popups.
[Via Gizmodo]
Update: The video has been removed, but it used to show a very thin screen being bent as it played a movie. Here is a still from the video:
Tags: Gadgets
Google buying Feedburner for $100 million
Posted by admin | Filed under Web
It seems the best web apps are being bought out, and now its Feedburner’s turn. They are being sold for $100 million to Google. Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated into Google.
[Via Techcrunch]
Tags: Web Apps 2.0
Lost in translation
Posted by admin | Filed under Random
I’ve been looking for automated translation options for a client and found an interesting website called Lost in Translation. You put in a phrase and it uses babelfish to translation from english to another language and back several times. The result should be the same as you entered but that is rarey the case. I entered “I am addicted to coke” (caffiene, honest) and it came out “They are poisoned, the carbonates of the end”. Could this be a sign to cut back?
http://www.tashian.com/multibabel/
Tags: Humor
Coda – Streamlined Dreamweaver
Posted by admin | Filed under Apps, Web
I’ve been coding in Dreamweaver for several years now, and while it worked fairly well, it always felt like I was using a sledgehammer when a screwdriver would do. I never use the database connections, and as a coder I rarely use design view. The built-in ftp is by no means advanced, and it was slow to boot.
Panic’s new app for the Mac called Coda is rapidly becoming my favorite environment for developing. I hate reading long paragraphs, so I’ll split this up…
Pros:
- Split a window up to 4 times horizontally or vertically, and different documents, previews, css files, terminals, and reference books in each pane.
- My newest favorite feature: a function index. Some php scripts can get very long, so it is great to have an index pane.
- Changes made to a site are tracked so you know which files were changed before uploading
- Edit remote files directly – great for fixing that typo before the client sees it
- The file browser is a real file browser where you can create folders, rename files, open with a specified app, etc.
- Its easy to forget all the possible css properties, so Coda organizes all the properties into groups and drop-downs. As a coder I prefer CSS Edit for CSS, and Coda even lets you right-click a file and edit in your favorite editor
- For the people who know *nix, there’s a built-in terminal for ssh connections
- The preview window uses WebKit and adds javascript and DOM inspectors
- Code hints as you type as well as syntax highlighting and code snippets – even shared editing over Bonjour.
- The trial only counts days you open the program – very nice!
Cons:
- Find and replace only works in the current document. There are times when I rename a folder and have to update all files with the new path, which currently cannot be done with Coda.
- The excellent reference manual requires an internet connection. Believe it or not, I don’t live online. I run a local web server to develop sometimes – the internet can be distracting.
- I’ve had issues with ftp uploading all files to the root folder of some web hosts, though a reply to my support request says this is fixed in 1.02 with a publish command.
Hints:
- If you’re used to coding in Dreamweaver like me, you may remember selecting a block of text and pressing tab to indent it all at once. In Coda, the shortcut is CMD-] to indent or CMD-[ to reverse it.
- Explore the menus and preferences for hidden options and features.
Take a look at the website for visuals and download.
Tags: Development, mac, Shareware
Gagdets to Widgets
Posted by admin | Filed under Apps
There are many widgets created with the purpose of being copied and pasted onto your myspace or personal website, and now those can live on your Mac’s dashboard too. I’ve created a few widgets from Google Gadgets with Amnesty Generator and it works pretty well so far. Amnesty Widgets makes a few other useful tools for widgets, though not all free.
