In a move that I'm not terribly excited about, Microsoft has bought iView, the makers of the extremely excellent photo and media management software, Media Pro (3).  While the application is available for both OSX and Windows, it was conceived on the Apple platform.  As a Mac user, I'm skeptical about the future support for my preferred platform - despite the assurances that it won't be going away:
"The product that was born on the Mac will remain on the Mac as well as on the Windows operating system. All iView products will continue to be sold on the iView website and through our partners and channel. Bottom line: You all can continue to use and buy iView products knowing that they will be fully supported as Microsoft evolves the products in the future on both the Windows and Mac platforms."

Hmmm, Well I'll try to be optimistic and hope it'll only become a stronger and better product under Microsoft's tenure.  But their track record - at least with Vista - isn't instilling much confidence.

Sound off, let's hear your thoughts about the iView/Microsoft deal.

Those of you with iPods may have already tried out the products from Invisible Shield.  They make super scratch-resistant plastic skins for iPods, digital cameras, and more (pretty much any electronic device out there).  Among their offerings, are skins for laptops - those from Apple being among the main models.

Just a day ago they released the new product created specifically for Apple's 13.3" MacBook.  With all the recent hubbub about the discoloration of white MacBooks, this release couldn't have come too soon.  I ordered one, in hopes of having it here in time for my MacBook purchase.

The question remains, as to whether the discoloration (if it's as rampant as the blog posts make it sound) is caused by oils/chemicals on peoples' skin, or an internal heat/light issue.  As I get my white MacBook and use the Invisible Shield from day one, I'll post to let everyone know if any discoloration occurs in my case (which would obviously point to the latter issue of heat/light as the culprit.

Not exactly a feather in Apple's cap, AppleDefects posts about quality issues in their products.  I think the site is both useful (in a way) and over zealous at the same time.

As I've been getting closer to buying my own MacBook, the issues with discoloration in the white models has been a concern of mine.  AppleDefects does well to announce things like these to potential buyers who may want to know more about what they're planning on spending lots of hard earned money on.  I believe in being an informed buyer, as I'm sure you do as well.

On the other hand, the internet is a big, big place.  With the invent of blogs, anyone in the world can have a poor experience with something, and make themselves heard.  So one person's problem can easily be blown way out of proportion.  So take it with a grain of salt.

AppleDefects aims to keep you informed off the less shining examples of Apple's celebrity.  Use that information as you see fit.

Prompted by David Blaine's [silly] fishbowl 'trick' in New York City recently, the Suicide Girls have decided to try their hand at a similar stunt.  One of their many ranks, has volunteered to spend an entire week inside the 5th Avenue (glass cube) Apple Store.  No leaving the Apple store for 7 days.  Sounds like heaven for some of us I suppose.

I read some random posts as the Suicide Girl has blogged her experience every step of the way - what else is there to do to pass the time?  Mostly it seems to be rambling to pass the time (expected), but I did notice a couple interesting things, such as:
- When the busy and slow times seem to be
- Cleaning procedures at a 24 hour a day store

So if you're bored, and want something to read that's Apple related, click the link.  And no - in case you're wondering - I'm not a Suicide Girls follower, saw a link in an Apple Discussion Forum...

If you've already got a nifty new Intel-powered Macintosh computer (or if you're like me and day dreaming about the day you'll finally have one all for yourself) chances are that you've heard about the ability to run Windows.  There are plenty of decent reasons to run Windows on your Mac, so let's not start with the "why would you do that to your Mac?" lines.  (I hate using Windows, but my job requires it, simple as that.)

Right now the two best options available to you are to use Apple's Beta software, Boot Camp, or a virtualization app called Parallels.  Both have their strengths and weaknesses, so you may be confused as to which is right for you, based on your Windows needs.  Well the good folks at NoteBookReview put together a lengthy article about what both apps do, how to install them, results of using each, and pros & cons of both options.  It's very well thought-out and written so anyone should be able to understand.

If you've already begun running one or both of these solutions on your MacBook/Pro, Mac Mini, or iMac, let us know your thoughts.  I'm especially interested as I hope to be mauling my very own MacBook soon...

Adobe/Macromedia have been hard at work on Lightroom for a few months now.  If you're hearing about this app for the first time, Lightroom is a RAW photo processing and organization tool for photographers.  As of now, it's only available for the Apple crowd (a direct challenge to Apple's Aperture?) but a Windows version is planned at some point in the future.

I used the initial release (Beta 1) for a week or so, but deleted it shortly after.  It was taxing the processor on my 1.5ghz G4 PowerBook something fierce, and I didn't feel the need to continue with it.  The interface and tools were all nicely thought out, and the app (other than the cpu-intensive issue - seemed pretty nice.  Given that it's up to Beta 3 now, it may be time for me to give it another spin.

The Beta 3 release notes offer wider RAW format support, Before and After views, Edit History, Keyword import/export, and more.  Lightroom has been a Universal (PPC and Intel friendly) application since Beta 2.

If you're a Lightroom fan, please share your experiences with us.  I'd love to hear what you like, or don't like about it.  If you've got any comparisons to Adobe's Camera Raw, I'd be interested to hear those too.

The field of available text editors for the Mac has exploded in the past couple of years.  At one time, BBEdit was the only player in town, but those days have faded away.  While it still holds a large and devoted following, the many smaller text editors have chipped away little by little.  Among the larger players threatening BBEdit, are the collaborative SubEthaEdit, and more notedly, TextMate.

TextMate is developed by a single coder named Allan Odgaard who releases many small enhancements on a wonderfully regular basis.  His editor has a simple and elegant interface with muscles to spare under the hood.  You can use it as simply or robustly as you desire, and trust me when I tell you, there'll always be some other feature you haven't yet leveraged or discovered yet.

MacDevCenter has posted a lengthy interview with Allan.  Discussed are his development strategies, drive to keep things on the cutting edge, and more.  If you haven't tried TextMate yet, I'm sure hearing directly from the developer will help push you to give it a shot.

If you're not satisfied with Spotlight's performance, or lack of customization, you should check out Meta, from Big Robot Software.  It's a version 2 release and it looks pretty strong in features.

With Meta (Spotlight's Bigger Brother, as they have tagged it), you can easily limit the directories that get searched, on the fly!  No more checking and un checking directories in the Spotlight Prefs.  You can also add and append Spotlight Comments to files, using Meta, so that you can apply your own method of custom metadata tags for sorting and searching with better results.  Creating custom query folders is as simple as a single click.  And you can even combine simple or complex query strings for more specific results, as suits your needs/style.

There's a 15 day free trial on Meta.  If Spotlight's lacking in the areas you're looking for, give Meta a try.

Worship false idols, Rejoice in the opening of a new Temple, learn from the Gospel of Ellen.  Have a good laugh. 

Darren Barefoot has put together the satirical site following the opening of the Da Vinci Code in theaters this past weekend.  It's little more than a front page, but it's well thought-out and leaves few stones un-turned. 

Parody versions of the Apple Computer website never seem to get old - there's always another good/funny idea to do.  Which is your favorite?

Thanks to Darren for the Tip

As I wandered by Apple's website today (as I do most days), I saw a new banner along the bottom proclaiming some involvement between Nike and Apple. I clicked, and I like what I've seen.

Nike will soon be releasing a new line of shoes, called Nike+.  Beyond whatever latest and greatest shoe technology they posses, there's a small pocket beneath the sole.  What goes in the pocket, is available for $29 as the Nike+ iPod Sport Pack.  The Sport Pack gets you a small sensor that fits in the shoe's sole-pocket, and a wireless receiver that plugs into your iPod Nano.  (I'll assume a regular iPod will work too, but is just considered too heavy/bulky.)

So while you run, the sensor relays data to the iPod, which then notifies you of average pace, distances, time, etc via voice over top of your music.  You can set exercise-length playlists, have 'boost' songs for those tough uphill segments of your run, and then download your exercise results to your computer when you're through.  Your results can be tracked over time, and Nike even has a great website setup for comparing results, finding music, and tracking your own progress.