Those running Apple iLife might want to know that the iLife 8.2 Support update is now available. This new patch addresses some stability issues and adds in a few bugfixes. In case you want to find out more, head on over to the full article.

Download: iLife 8.2 Support Update

We all knew that Apple is planning to release iLife before October but what we didn't expect is for it to be  officially unveiled this early. In fact, the Cupertino-based company came up with a press release the other day, officially announcing the new build for suite of digital lifestyle applications to the world.

"Apple has taken iLife '08 to a new level that is years ahead of anything available for the PC. We think iLife '08 gives Mac users even more reasons to love their Macs, and PC users even more reasons to switch," commented Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The following are the general changes applied to the program:

• iPhoto 08 automatically groups all photos into Events, each containing a day's worth of photos represented by a single picture
• iMovie '08 can import video from the latest AVCHD, HDV and DV camcorders, as well as from digital cameras, and displays a user's entire video library whether itÂ?s stored on internal or external drives
• .Mac Web Gallery is fully integrated with iPhoto '08 and iMovie '08, letting users share their photos and movies on the web with just a few clicks.
• iWeb '08 offers new features to make websites more interactive by adding live web widgets such as Google Maps, targeted ads using Google AdSense and photos or movies from .Mac Web Galleries
• GarageBand '08 offers powerful new features for more advanced musicians, including multi-take recording to capture the best performance, arrangements to cut, copy and paste intros, verses and choruses, and support for 24-bit audio interfaces

iLife is currently on sale for suggested retail price of US$ 79 through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores, and Apple authorized resellers. If you want to know more about the latest version, click on our Read link below. It should take you to Apple's dedicated page for iLife 08.

Rumors have it that the new version of iLife has reached the Golden Master phase in terms of development and is ready for public release before Leopard's launch this coming October.

Actually, the release window is quite vague as sources mentioned that the company could release it by summer or even earlier. It was also said that the new version of iLife will both support Mac OS X Tiger (10.4) and Leopard (10.5) operating system.

Despite that, it is still unclear what improvements and additions have been added to the software. Another valid point of discussion is whether Apple will release it under the name "iLife 07" or "iLife 08" since it's already the middle of the year.

More importantly, we have to remember that the final version of Leopard is still not yet finished. If Apple will indeed release iLife earlier than October, then there is a high possibility that consumers will need to perform an upgrade to make the operating system compatible with the application.

As always, we will be watching this one closely and inform you on any further developments.

 

Some of you technically-minded folks may laugh at the title and say that you knew how to do this already, or that there is a Firefox plugin out there that can help you do something similar.

However, the reason that warrant's the posting of Go Squared's little mini tutorial on how do download "any" file using Safari, is that not a lot of people know to maximize the potential of the stuff they've got on their Macs (Yes even if it's on the menu bar. You should hear the horror stories that tech support people run into on a daily basis).

Anyhow, their tutorial focuses on Safari's (Apple's web browser on the Mac) tool called the Activity Window. Access it by going to Â?Window > ActivityÂ? (shortcut: alt + apple + a) and from there you'll be able to see every website that you're viewing.

Double clicking on any one of the listed things that show up on the Activity Window lets you download it. For example, if you were surfing through YouTube, you could look for it on the activity window and download that video really quick.

Now, Other technical folks have noted that saying "ANY file" is quite inaccurate. They say that password protect files in a password protected dir, or files that are not accessible thanks to .htaccess can't be downloaded. But who cares if you can't get them all? For one thing if you're uninitiated enough to find this useful, then you're probably not the type who'd be trying to download password protected files... right?

 

According to MacRumors, Apple is building a stand-alone iWeb Pro application that will fit snug into the iLife software suite to enable small and medium enterprises to publish web content with ease.

For starters, the rumored product is a supposedly higher-end version of its predecessor. One can speculate that if it's integrated in iLife, it should be able to give users an easier time with multimedia content.

The details on the iWeb Pro buzz are still scarce. Will it be revealed in time for the Leopard's release? What new features does it carry? For now, we can only speculate. We'll give you a heads-up as soon as new word is forthcoming.

Apple's iTunes eventually made its way to Windows, thanks in part to the iPod's success. Now, with Apple throwing its full support behind the Apple TV, could another component of iLife eventually appear on Windows? Apple Matters' Chris Howard explores the possibility of a Windows version of iPhoto. According to Howard, it's all about "the Apple experience and Apple having control." Howard also parallels the iTunes move to the possible iPhoto move. He states it like this:

iTunes for Windows gave users a taste of the apple and created a more seamless integration with the iPodÂ?whether perceived or real. Plus then Apple also had control over the feature set.

Likewise a Windows version of iPhoto will give users a further taste of the apple and create a more seamless integration with the Apple TVÂ?whether perceived or real. Plus then Apple will also have control over the feature set.

Howard also notes (in the comments section) that one of the reasons why users are sometimes reluctant to switch to a whole new platform is the subsequent porting of their old data to the new platform. "How many Windows users worry about switching to Mac because theyÂ?ve got thousands of photos in Picasa or Adobe Album etc and they donÂ?t know what to do with them on a Mac?" Howard ask. "iPhoto on Windows makes more sense the more I think about it."

What about you guys? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

A lot of great things has been said about Mac products: they're innovative, great, and all that. But a great product is useless if the user doesn't live up to his end of the bargain (such as not installing a decent anti-virus or cluttering your RAM with useless apps). Anyhow, we're deviating from the topic here, someone over at MadMac did a little investigative report on the top 10 Mac memory hoggers. Here are the apps that made that list:

1. Safari - 487.79Mb
2. Photoshop - 258.71Mb
3. GarageBand - 201.59Mb
4. NeoOffice - 154.96Mb
5. Pages - 144.88Mb
6. iMovie HD - 132.48Mb
7. Keynote - 128.52Mb
8. iWeb - 110.89Mb
9. iDVD - 92.11Mb
10. iPhoto - 91.87Mb

These are averages, so others who might snoop about it might get a different result. If you noticed, most of these applications are Apple's own apps. All of them are very powerful and useful products, but then again, power does come with a price and in this case, the price you have to pay is the massive memory space it'll occupy. This doesn't make the Mac bad because if you think of it, Photoshop on Windows would probably use up a lot of memory too. Maybe Apple should give more RAM with their new line of computers.

The best way to organize, retrieve and edit your photos on your Mac is through iPhoto 6. It boasts of an array of features like a large storage capacity of up to 250,000 photos (which means that you can snap over a thousand photos per month for the next 20 years), full screen editing (that takes advantage of your Mac's wonderfully large and bright screen), one-click effects and printing out personalized calendars, greeting cards and books, which on this update has additional greeting and postcard themes for use with Apple print services. Print services are available in the U.S., Canada, Japan and selected European countries.

You can also use your iPhoto for photocasting, so long as you have your .Mac account and a Mac OS X version 10.4.4.

Download: [iPhoto 6.0.4]

Together with their successful update for the iLife applications last May 16, 2006 (iDVD, iMovie, iWeb and iPhoto. iDVD 6.0.2), Apple makes iWeb even better with iWeb 1.1.1.

iWeb allows you to build beautiful websites with Apple-designed templates and view them with ease using iLife media browser. Blogging and Podcasting is a breeze with one-click .Mac Publishing.

In this version, comment and search support for blogs and podcasts published to .Mac have been refined. The updater will update your iWeb version 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.1 if it is in your Applications folder and you have not changed its name.

MacWorld has released details to a super secret mode which gives access to a couple new advanced editing tools in iPhoto.  You must have the latest version of iPhoto '06 for this to work, and even then it may not quite work out for you (it didn't when I tried).  The tools you'll get are advanced retouch and red-eye.  the results look to be subtle, but useful if you're into using those features.

So how does it work?  Well you've got to be in the iPhoto editing mode, and have either the Red eye tool or the Retouch tool selected.  Now hold down CTRL, CAPS LOCK, and 9 (ctrl + caps lock + 9).  There's no audible or visual recognition of the newly enabled mode.  But if you hit the TAB key, your cursor will change to one of those seen above.  According to MacWorld, it's smartest of you edit within the iPhoto window, and not pop out into a new window.  Otherwise you'll have to enable the new tools each time you open a new window into editing mode.

Who knows how they figured this one out.  Someone with a lot of time and imagination to combine those keys I guess.  I couldn't get it to work for me, but maybe you will.  Let us know what you think, and if you think Apple should turn it on as a full time feature set.