Who doesn't want to watch "Desperate Housewives" or "Lost" in their iPods (especially during long road trips)? You've already Lostified your videos so that iTunes shows them up organized (because you're obsessive compulsive like that). Now, it's all just a matter of getting them into your iPod. Well, "squint" no further, because Techspansion has updated their video converter app to iSquint v1.5 to help you in that area.

It converts almost any popular video file (.mov, .mp4, .avi, .dv, .mpg, .vob, .3gp, .asf, .wmv, .flv, .m4v, among others) into MPEG-4 faster than Quicktime Pro. If you're converting an XviD file, you won't even need codecs or what not. All you need to do is drag your files onto the application and click "Start". Before you can say "wham bam, thank you, ma'am" your files are ready for transferring. Of course, the size of the video will affect the conversion time, but still, it will convert nonetheless.

Here's what's new in v1.5:

• New 640x480 H.264 Low Complexity Support!
• Crazy confusing name!
• Higher quality than QuickTime/iTunes. Faster too.
• Select "Optimize for TV" and "H.264 Encoding" for this new feature.
• Flash 8 video can now be converted!
• iPod videos are now created in such a way that tagging in iTunes is much much faster.
• Files in folders with two-byte characters now convert correctly.
• "Multiple of 2" error gone.
• Log files are now archived at ~/Library/Logs/Techspansion/
• Rare stability problem on 10.4.8 Intel worked around.
• New Icon by Nelson Darkwah Oppong

Download: [iSquint v1.5]

There's a lot of activity going on at Apple these days. By Thanksgiving, there'll be a new line of refreshed Apple notebooks that will come with Intel's Core 2 Duo microprocessors (instead of Apple's own Core Duo), running at speeds of up to 2.33GHz dual-core. Apple has actually slowed down Core Duo MacBook Pro professional notebooks production in lieu of revised and custom-configured models.

Apple has reportedly completed the revisions to its entire notebook product family, including the new 15- and 17-inch professional MacBook Pros, as well as new 13-inch consumer MacBooks last month.

The Mac maker's move was probably inspired by the sales figures of the MacBook. Compared to the MacBook Pro, the demand for the MacBook was far higher on a 2 to 1 ratio. Obviously, the demand for MacBooks has inspired Apple to keep on dishing out new and better versions of it, including the new 13-inch MacBooks. There's still no word, however, whether these 13-inch MacBooks will come equipped with Intel's Core 2 Duo chips or not.

So, you're happily running your Intel-Mac and suddenly, you hit a stumbling block that throws you off track from your work flow. Yeouch. We hate it when that happens. Good thing the folks up at CodeWeavers have a nifty solution that allows you to run Windows applications on your Intel-Mac. It gives you the opportunity to run Windows Office programs as if they were native, without even having to run Windows itself.

Now, the BETA version for CrossOver Mac has been upgraded. It's running faster and a lot of bugs have been fixed. Here's some of the new stuff:

• Performance improvements - startup time, bottle creation and install processes should run faster.
• Fixed switching to full-screen mode so the screen does not go all black.
• Fixed the CPU detection, which makes many installers happier.
• Made the Open Shell feature more reliable and useful.
• Fixed a freeze in Internet Explorer when accessing Windows Update.
• Much better support for Outlook 2003 and other Office 2003 applications.
• Many improvements to game support. Should install and run World of Warcraft and Half-Life via Steam.

Do note that this requires an Intel-based CPU in your Mac. Mac systems based on the PowerPC (G3, G4, G5) are not supported. Click the Read link to download the 60-day free trial, and make sure you give the developers your feedback.

Ecto continues the Kung-Log tradition of being the best desktop blogging client out there for Mac OSX and Windows users. It supports a wide range of weblog systems, such as Blogger, Blojsom, Drupal, MovableType, Nucleus, TypePad, and WordPress.

The key feature of ecto is that unlike your weblog's control panel, you can use this application offline and enjoy the perks of writing and manage entries with the aid of tools like spellcheck, creating links, attachments, and much more.

Adriaan is still keeping us in suspense on ecto3. Currently, he is taking his time on the full rewrite of ecto2 to ecto3, so we'll have to wait a little more. Good thing he released v2.4.1 as a worthwhile filler. Adriaan says, "I have decided to release an Intel build of ecto 2.4.1. It is not fully tested and no support will be provided, but it should be a good interim solution for those having trouble running the PPC version on intel Macs."

Changelog:

• Added localization files to the build.

Download: [Intel build of ecto 2.4.1]

Apple finally released the latest update for Mac OS X 10.4.7 -- the Mac OS X 10.4.8 Update, also called "delta". Those who are updating from Mac OS X 10.4, 10.4.1, 10.4.2, 10.4.3, 10.4.4, 10.4.5, or 10.4.6  to 10.4.8 should install Apple's "combo" update instead.

Apple offers troubleshooting tips if your installation encounters issues. Basically, you use one of the two methods in updating to Mac OS X 10.4.8: The Software Update or the standalone installer.

The update addresses some important issues in the printing, Finder and other Apple applications, networking and modem, and third party software, and security among other things. It's a leap from the 10.4.7 version, especially when it comes to improving reliability and support with other apps as well as enhancing the software's general performance.

With the latest version, it's now possible to sync iTunes with other iPod models with less hassle. Furthermore, the external Apple USB modem has improved the connection reliability when faxing in France or Belgium. Issues with Microsoft Word's OpenType fonts, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, Canon EOS Utility and even with the TV Tracker 2 Dashboard widget have also been resolved.

Note that the update applies for both Intel- and Power-PC-based Macs. Download your standalone installer for PowerPC and Intel-based Macs here.

If operating systems are your thing, it's time to start getting excited as Apple beta testers have themselves claimed that Mac OS X 10.4.8 is bug-free and very much ready for release. For those of you that aren't keeping track, the Mac OS X 10.4.8 Update will be the  eighth maintenance release issued to users of the operating system named 'Tiger' since its launch in April 2005. It has been said that Apple has addressed issues with Image RAW, ImageIO, ColorSync, Xsan, Xsan File Manager, CoreImage and web images in the latest update for both traditional and Intel-based Macs.

According to reports across the internet, the Mac OS X 10.4.8 will also introduce improvements to AFP, DVD Player, Graphics and Graphics applications, iCal, iPhoto, Mail, Microsoft Word & OpenType fonts, Modem usage, Networking, Printing, Safari and USB, as well as stability and performance updates. This latest release is also likely to include support for new lines of Core 2 Duo-based MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks that are due for release in November.

The Barcelona-bound X06 rumor train carries word that Alan Wake is now fully playable. As the release is slated sometime in January 2007 already, we can actually believe as much as the rumors claim. Fortunately for all of us psycho-thriller fans, an unrelated event this morning unwittingly backs up the reports.

semiconductor company">Intel unveils the processor with codename "Kentsfield" today and name it Core 2 Quad. The California-based semiconductor company announces, "This Kentsfield, the Q6700, had been overclocked up to 3.73GHz, a 1GHz clock, with no issues." And to further demonstrate the new processor's power, they ran a demo of Remedy's unreleased follow-up to Max Payne.

According to Markus Maki, the developer's representative at the forum, "Remedy has coded the engine to take advantage of quad-core processors - the engine scales as you move from single to dual to quad." He also added that one whole core is used for physics calculations alone. This images taken from that very forum show environmental effects that are to say the least, stunning. We wonder if we would be soon hearing questions like, "What Unreal engine?"

  

If we were all filthy rich and had magic bottomless wallets, we'd all be buying PC with the priciest, most ridiculously high-end CPUs. Such is not the case for most of us though. Performance must always be weighed against budgetary constraints. Also, the CPU isn't the only variable in the equation. We have to consider graphics cards, memory, storage... It's almost enough to drive people insane.

To help prevent an outbreak of foaming-at-the-mouth madness, ExtremeTech's David Case decided to take a look at the CPU side of the equation. Case compared 5 Intel Core 2 Duo processors (E6300, E6400, E6600, E6700, and Core 2 Extreme X6800) and 5 AMD X2 AM2 processors (3800+, 4200+, 4600+, 5000+, and FX-62) based on each processor's performance in 5 different tests, including media content creation and PC gaming. In the tests, the processors vary but everything else stays the same.

Final verdict? Let's hear it from the reviewer himself: "It's clear that Intel's Core 2 Duo lineup offers superior performance across the product line when compared with AMD's Athlon 64 X2. In some applications, even a lower-cost Core 2 Duo can outperform some of the higher-end Athlon 64 X2s."

In other applications though, it's not so clear. For a lot of users, adequate performance is good enough, especially when we factor in the prices. Says Case, "AMD's Athlon 64 X2 3800+ certainly offers great value, at under $160, and even the 4200+ can be found for under $200. However, the overall "sweet spot" seems to be the two midrange Intel CPUsÂ?the Core 2 Duo E6400 and E6600. The E6600 offers a higher clock rate and larger L2 cache, while the E6400 can be found for well under $250."

As for the the Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800, Case concludes that it "is simply in a class by itself. If you're willing to blow over $800 for a processor, then going a couple hundred bucks more doesn't seem quite so extreme."

Read the full review by clicking on the 'read' link below.

Before the year ends, Intel is expected to introduce two four-core processors that are compatible to its Core 2 and Xeon Line. With these, it is now theoretically possible to have an 8-core Mac Pro (it features two LGA-771 sockets). Single systems can experience a dramatic increase in processing power should this quad-core processors become a reality.

To test the validity of this assumption, the guys over at AnandTech ran a simple experiment. According to them: "We grabbed a pair of 2.4GHz Clovertown samples and tossed them in the system, and to our pleasure, they worked just fine. The most important part of the test is that all 8 cores were detected and functional." The final chip is foreseen to use a 1333MHz FSB.

No crashes with the processors were also encountered after a series of stability test was performed.

Two weeks ago, Apple Computer released to its developers builds 8L2108 and 8L108 for the Mac OS X 10.4.8. This weekend, the second external build has been released - the Mac OS X 10.4.8 builds 8L2122 for Intel Macs and build 8L122 for systems with PowerPC processors. If you would recall, the Mac OS X 10.4.8 is one of two maintenance updates that will be made to Mac OS X before the year ends. This time around, the new builds are continued efforts to improve the stability and performance upgrade of the Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger operating system.

The focus is now on system components such as AFP, DVD Player, Graphics, Fonts, iCal, iPhoto, Mail Printing, Networking and Safari. Under this same development is a push towards testing scientific applications on Rosetta.This Mac OS X translator is a key part of Apple's strategy for the transition of their Macintosh line from PowerPC to Intel processors, enabling pre-existing Mac OS X software to run on the new platform without modification.

Some of the developments with the latest seeds include finding a solution to issues concerning Image RAW, ImageIO, ColorSync, Xsan, Xsan File Manager, CoreImage and web images. But the remaining issue is that Apple still needs to address is that kernel panics can occur when Cisco VPN client and Parallels Desktop are run simultaneously on the newly released builds.