Another fine-looking widget from iSlayer

From the maker of the awesome menubar app, iStat menu, and Dashboard widgets like iStat nano and iStat pro iSlayer, out comes Organized, a widget the features a calendar with events, notes and to do’s. The calendar and to do’s sync with iCal and Mail. It also has a world clock built-in.

I haven’t used this widget yet since I’m too disorganized to use Organized but I’m willing to give it a whirl soon

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Cocktail 4.1.3 released

Macworld reports Maintain has released an update to the their Mac maintenance utility, Cocktail. New to the update is compatibility with the recently released Mac OS 10.5.4 and some bug fixes. Free to registered users. $14.95 for a license. Free trial version is available.

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Real cool laptop sleeve and backpack from Koyono

Got this off from iPodNN.

This is the first time I’ve heard of Koyono but I like their two new notebook cases. I like it enough that I’m thinking of getting one of them.

The BUILT Cargo Laptop Sleeve is a beautifully designed sleeve that comes as being modern and minimalist. It’s made out of neoprene and stretches to accommodate your notebook. It has three external pockets that can fit in your charger, iPod, and notebook mouse. This sleeve is all about the bare essentials. It comes in four colors and costs $40 to $50, depending on the size of your laptop.

The BUILT Laptop Backpack looks very sexy. It’s slim and streamlined and is made out of breathable mesh and neoprene. But don’t let the slimness fool you. It still has enough space to fit a 17″ laptop. It has two additional compartments: one located on the shoulder strap for your phone or iPod. This comes in two colors and cost $80. A bit pricey but me likey.

All images are linked from Koyono’s website.

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Macworld San Francisco 2008

This week, Apple faithfuls are once again gathering at the Moscone Center for the annual Macworld San Francisco.

Tomorrow, at around 2AM, I will be wide awake to watch Steve Jobs’ keynote. What does he have in store for us?

Pictures of the Moscone Center show banners from Apple the says “Something’s in the Air.”

Speculations on what those words mean range from streaming video to the iPhone to Wi-Max to Ultrawide Band. There also has been reference to the “Macbook Air“.

What I’m wishing for is wireless for the iPod. No more wires to get tangled in.

I’ll just have to wait and see.

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FAQ when choosing a Mac

Walt Mossberg has FAQ for those who are thinking of buying a Mac. Below are some questions that he answers in the FAQ:

• Who should consider a Mac?
• Who shouldn’t consider The Mac?
• Can I run Microsoft Office on a Mac?
• Can I use all my Windows files on a Mac?
• Can I mix Macs and Windows on the same home network?
• Can Macs run standard peripheral hardware?
• What minimum specs should I look for on a Mac?

This is a good read for those who are considering in getting a Mac. It’s also for those who have friends or relatives who are asking about the Mac. Give them the link to Mossberg’s FAQ to have some of their questions answered.

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Tweak that Leopard Dock and Menu Bar

Some Leopard users are really hung up about the look of the new Dock under Leopard. Some consider ‘hate’ as too mild a term to describe what they feel every time they see the 3D dock. Hacks into the terminal can turn that 3D Dock into the 2D strip seen in Tiger.

Others seem to like the 3D Dock but not in its current state. LeopardDocks.com has a tutorial on how to replace the 3D dock or how to make it 2D.

The site also has a gallery of 3D Dock mods users have submitted. There’s Chain Link, Dark Cherry, Grass, Real Marble, and many more.

Another hack is for bringing back the hierarchal browsing in the Dock. With Stacks, Apple has removed the ability to right-click an item on the right side of the Dock to access the hierarchal menu. The Unofficial Apple Weblog suggests using the free to download Hierarchy as a solution to bring back the now missing feature.

TUAW has declared the problem of the translucent Menu bar as solved. This does require hacking into the innards of Mac OS. Not for the newbie, novice, amateur or the faint of heart.

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Twenty updates from Apple

MacMerc.com lists 20 updates Apple released in the week or so.

Security Update 2007-008 (10.3.9 Client)
Security Update 2007-008 (10.3.9 Server)
Soundtrack Pro 2.0.2
Server Admin Tools 10.4.11
Final Cut Pro 6.0.2
DVD Studio Pro 4.2.1
Motion 3.0.2
Color 1.0.2
Cinema Tools 4.0.1
Compressor 3.0.2
Pro Applications Update 2007-02
iPhoto 7.1.1
Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo Update (PPC)
Mac OS X 10.4.11 Update (Intel)
Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo Update (Intel)
Mac OS X 10.4.11 Update (PPC)
Mac OS X Server 10.4.11 Update (Universal)
Mac OS X Server 10.4.11 Combo Update (Universal)
Mac OS X Server 10.4.11 Update (PPC)
Mac OS X Server 10.4.11 Combo Update (PPC)

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Leopard’s mosaic screen saver

I didn’t even know that this feature exists until I heard it from a podcast. I think it was the MacCast Loop or the Typical Mac User Podcast. There is a screensaver option creates a photo mosaic out of pictures in iPhoto. The effect is hypnotic, according to Michael Rose. From what I understand the effect goes something like A picture will first show up on the screen and it will slowly zoom out revealing more pictures in the process. Then the pictures will resolve into a mosaic of a picture from your iPhoto library and this will just go on and on and on.

I think this is a really cool feature. Unfortunately, I didn’t know about this until after the Davao Mac Users Group meeting. I couldn’t have demoed it anyway since I don’t have iPhoto ’08 yet.

Can’t wait to try this out soon.

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Mac ultra-portable at Macworld San Francisco 2008 – AppleInsider

AppleInsider is reporting that their sources is telling them an ultra-compact, ultra-portable Mac is going to be introduced next year at Macworld San Francisco. The much rumored, much anticipated sub-Macbook will be 50 per cent lighter and much slimmer than the Macbook Pro. The ultra-portable is shedding off some flab by getting rid of the optical drive. A NAND-based drive will result into faster boot times and better power efficiency. Also contributing to power efficiency is the adoption of a 13-inch LED display. MWSF will be held on January 15 to 18, 2008. More from AppleInsider.

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The good and the bad in the Leopard

The Unofficial Apple Weblog asked its readers to vote for the little good things and the little bad things in Leopard. What topped the ‘Good‘ list are Quick Look, an improved Finder, and iCal Dock icon showing the correct date. The top ‘Bad‘ things are the changing Stacks icons, two step edit of iCal’s info, and Spaces pulling you away from dialog sheets. That last bit’s got me confused though. I don’t know what that means. I’m surprised the translucent menu bar and 3D Dock didn’t make the ‘Bad’ list. Then again, the topic’s been talked about, discussed and argued ad nauseam.

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