muse

Ted Landau

June 2008

If you've spent time peeking under the hood of Mac OS X, you already know about packages. What you may not know is that Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5) offers a new type of package called a flat package.

Packages are Apple's name for what are essentially folders disguised as single files in the Finder. The two most common uses of packages are for applications and installer documents. Applications (with their often hidden .app extensions) are packages/folders, with the "real" application code as well as a collection of related resources … Read more

If you can't make up your mind about where to go on vacation and are comfortable buying prepackaged vacation deals, there's a new site for you: TravelMuse. You tell it where you live, what your budget is, and what you like, and it will suggest destinations and hotels.

The idea could be a very positive contributor to domestic harmony. But how's the execution?

While the "Find Inspiration" feature of TravelMuse is smart and very Web 2.0-ish, the rest of the site has a somewhat retro business model. The content on TravelMuse is all professionally … Read more

Ted Landau

May 2008

Leopard is a surprising cat. Here it is, more than half year after Mac OS X 10.5's release, and I'm still discovering new features. I'm not talking about the big time features that are well publicized on Apple's Web site. Rather, I am referring to those much smaller, tucked-away features ? ones that tend to appeal more to "techies" than the mass market. These are features that Apple barely mentions in its PR, if it takes note of them at all. Of course, that's probably not unrelated to … Read more

Ted Landau

April 2008

It's that time again. Time for me to check out the current status of creating an emergency boot drive ? this time one with Leopard installed. Let's cut right to the chase: the ease of creating these startup drives continues to move in one direction: from bad to worse.

Creating a pint-sized custom startup drive, with your own selection of utilities, was a breeze in Mac OS 9 or earlier. It became much more difficult in Mac OS X, but was still manageable, all the way through Panther. With Tiger, most previously successful methods would … Read more

[Friday, March 20th]

Ted Landau

March 2008

Planon's DocuPen RC800 ($299.00) is a handheld portable scanner. At about the length of a straw, the thickness of a cigar, and weighing less than 2 ounces, it's indeed very portable. It works on battery power, with its own built-in memory, completely untethered from any computer. This means you can scan items whenever and wherever you and your DocuPen may be, even if there is no computer in sight. Later, when you are back at your desk, you transfer the scans to your Mac (via a USB connection). Unlike most … Read more

Alltel is now selling the Samsung Muse. As we told you in January, the Muse is a slim flip phone in midnight blue. Though its rather generic design won't stand out from the Samsung crowd, it offers more features than you might expect. Inside you'll find a 2-megapixel camera, GPS capabilities with Alltel's Axcess Mobile Guide preloaded, stereo Bluetooth, and a music player. And on an original note, it is compatible with Alltel's new Celltop music-streaming application. The Muse is $269 if you pay full price, but you should be able to get it for $89 … Read more

[Friday, February 15th]

Ted Landau

February 2008

Default Folder (with and without the X) is one of the most enduring utilities ever released for the Mac. The first version dates back to 1988. That's right. 1988. Even Apple doesn't have much software that dates back that far. This means that 2008 is Default Folder's twentieth anniversary!

My recollection is that I started using Default Folder soon after its initial release and have been a more than satisfied customer ever since.

For those of you unfamiliar with this great utility, here's what you need to know: Default … Read more

Alltel added three cell phones to its growing lineup today. In addition to picking up its a red version of the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130, the nation's fifth-largest carrier also added its take on the LG Rumor (the LG Scoop that we saw at CES) and the new Samsung Muse.

Alltel's Pearl is identical to not only its existing 8130 but also to the Pearls from Verizon Wireless and Sprint. Inside you'll find the full set of BlackBerry features plus a 2-megeapixel camera. Likewise, the Scoop is largely similar to Sprint's Rumor. Features on the messaging-centric … Read more

Ted Landau December 2007

Dear Mr. Landau:

I bought an iMac about a year ago and have been delighted with it. It was my first Mac, having previously owned several Windows machines. It did take me a bit of time to get used to all the differences. But it was worth it. Actually, the biggest adjustment I needed to make was a very pleasant one: I needed to get used to the idea that my Mac would not crash every couple of hours, would not need to be cleaned of viruses every other day, and would not require that I … Read more