If money is no object, you love music and you’ve an iPod then the B&W Zeppelin is the speakers for you. It looks good, sounds good and costs a bundle.

This $600 (Amazon price) iPod speaker system, while pricey delivers sound that very few iPod docks can match.

B&W (Bowers & Wilkins) have been renowned speaker makers for leading audio production houses/studios all over the world. Some of it’s notable long time clients include Abbey Road Studios. They carried over their expertise in producing studio quality sound into speakers for use with the iPod at home.

The Zeppelin delivers HiFi quality sound in a relatively small package. It’s not that compact but it’s small enough that you won’t have trouble carrying it around.

The design will fit well in any modern home. While it does remind me of a football (American Football), there’s something about it that’s elegant. It’s almost a conversation piece by itself. Even when it’s not emitting sound. The arm that holds the iPod is design in such a way that it still gives you access to the iPod as if you were still holding it in your hand.

If I had a ton of money to spare, I wouldn’t think twice of getting this for our place. It’s a great speaker system for your iPod.

[image courtesy of B&W web site]

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I was speaking to a friend of mine the other day. He was narrating that he was having a difficult time combing through his photos trying to look for several that he wanted to submit for an article. He did however have smaller versions that were in his Flickr account but these weren’t massive enough for use in magazines.

Enter PhotoZoom Pro 2. He said that he’s been trying this new piece of software that enlarges images and does it pretty well.

I know this is a problem for a lot creative people who want to use images but are too small for their intended use. I know I’ve had this problem. So I decided to download PhotoZoom Pro 2 and see for myself. The results were pretty good.

Considering my source image was poor to start with, when I enlarged it, it came out ok. It’s pixelated a tiny but then again I did begin from a poor image. Given that, the enlargement was pretty decent.

The software was easy to use and straight forward.

So if you need image enlargements, I think this is a good bet. There’s a trial version for Mac and Windows. Download it here.

Check out my sample below.

Original Image

Enlarged Image

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According to this article from our local newspaper, hackers are showing more interest in creating malware for Macs and iPhones.

The article reports that according to Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) analyst Cameron Hotchkies, hackers are looking more and more at Macs and iPhones as the said devices gain market share and popularity.

Traditionally, hackers focused on the Windows platform because majority of the world uses that. So the broader base makes it a better target. However as Macs gain popularity it’s making a nicer target.

Does it automatically mean that since Mac shares are gaining that it will be more susceptible? I think more and more hackers will develop malware for it but I don’t think it will be as rampant as the problem with the Windows platform.

For one, while true that the Windows platform is broader, it’s also not as secure as the Mac OS X. So it makes for an easier target. You don’t need to be an elite hacker to make malware for it. Unlike OS X which is more secure and harder to create malware for.

It’s not impossible but I think it will be harder and that’ll discourage a lot of hackers from creating malware for it. Therefore it might not be as prevalent as it’s Windows counterparts.

The same argument goes for the iPhone.

So while it is true that Macs are getting more and more interesting for hackers, I’m not convinced that it will be as susceptible to attacks as Windows.

What do you think?

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Globe, the Philippine provider for Apple’s iPhone unveiled it’s pricing and plans for the iPhone last August 6, 2008. The iPhone will be available to its customers on August 22, 2008.

Here’s a brief overview of the plans provided by Globe.

Plan 1559
MSF: Php 1559 ($35)
Free Local Voice Minutes: 100
Free Local Text Messages: 350
Free Local Mobile World wide web Hours: 40 hours
Free WIZ WiFi Hours: 20 hours
Cost of 8GB iPhone: Php 16,800 ($378)
Cost of 16GB iPhone: Php 22,300 ($502)

Plan 2199
MSF: Php 2199 ($49.5)
Free Local Voice Minutes: 210
Free Local Text Messages: 350
Free Local Mobile Internet Hours: 60 hours
Free WIZ WiFi Hours: 30 hours
Cost of 8GB iPhone: Php 14,600 ($329)
Cost of 16GB iPhone: Php 20,000 ($450)

Plan 3299
MSF: Php 3299 ($75)
Free Local Voice Minutes: 350
Free Local Text Messages: 450
Free Local Mobile World wide web Hours: 100 hours
Free WIZ WiFi Hours: Unlimited
Cost of 8GB iPhone: Php 12,300 ($277)
Cost of 16GB iPhone: Php 17,800 ($400)

Plan 3999
MSF: Php 3999 ($89)
Free Local Voice Minutes: 500
Free Local Text Messages: 550
Free Local Mobile Internet Hours: 100 hours
Free WIZ WiFi Hours: Unlimited
Cost of 8GB iPhone: Php 5,600 ($126)
Cost of 16GB iPhone: Php 11,000 ($248)

Plan 4999
MSF: Php 4999 ($113)
Free Local Voice Minutes: 750
Free Local Text Messages: 650
Free Local Mobile World wide web Hours: 100 hours
Free WIZ WiFi Hours: Unlimited
Cost of 8GB iPhone: FREE
Cost of 16GB iPhone: Php 5,500 ($124)

As you can see the plans are a tiny bit on the high side. Not because of the monthly fees but because of what you’re getting.

The handset prices are also a bit steep. A far cry from the $199 that AT&T sells it for. That’s not what bothers me though. The handset price I have the ability to tolerate. People here are used to high handset prices. It’s the lack of an unlimited data plan that bothers me.

The iPhone is a great mobile world wide web device. When Mobile Me gets sorted out it will be a good way to keep connected and synced. But both of these need to be paired with an unlimited data plan. Why Globe doesn’t offer one? I don’t know. Maybe someone from Globe can enlighten us.

I was really psyched to get the iPhone in the Philippines officially. However with the release of these plans, I suddenly find myself happy that I bought an iPod Touch just a few months ago. I thought I was going to have to sell it to get an iPhone. Turns out I’ll be keeping it for a while. I’ll probably pair it with a nice business phone such as the Nokia e71.

That’s why I’m not happy with Globe.

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I stumble across Tritton Technologies a couple of years ago when searching for easy multi-monitor solutions for my personal. About the time I discovered them I switched to Mac and none of their products were Mac compatible. Until Now.

From the Press Release:

VISTA, CALIF. – August 5, 2008 – TRITTON Technologies, a pioneering leader in USB external video card technology, this day announced the launch of the SEE2 Xtreme. The long awaited Mac-compatible version delivers on the promise of providing an external USB 2.0 video card solution for Apple users. An best solution for multi-tasking, the SEE2 Xtreme enables users to connect multiple displays to their personal. The SEE2 Xtreme is now shipping for an MSRP of $119.99 through TRITTON’s network of online and retail partners.

The SEE2 Xtreme:

• Supports up to 1920 x 1200 for DVI and VGA
• Supports widescreen and rotated screen resolutions
• Supports video playback
• Features mirrored, primary, and extended viewing modes
• Includes DVI to VGA adapter

Windows user will be able to connect up to six SEE2 Xtremes to one computer while Mac users will be “limited” to 4. Just think… this means for only $480 (plus monitors) Mac Mini users will be able to have 5 monitors. I know for me, the lack of multi-monitor support has been one of the factors that have kept me from seriously considering a Mac Mini so this is great.

I’m looking forward to getting my hands on one of these and seeing just how well it works. If it does what I think it will do, this opens up a ton of possibilities with out the cost or complication of buying individual video cards for each of my personal.

What do you think? Anybody used one of Tritton’s products on a windows personal? I am hoping to get one for review soon and will let you know all about it.

[BTW… A swift search gave me an actual street price of between $85 and $95 USD]

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USB has definitely won the format war, as far as widespread distribution is concerned. It is simple, it is inexpensive, each computer comes with it pre-installed. But unlike other format wars (Blue-Ray vs. HD-DVD), the winner doesn’t get to eliminate the loser in this battle. FireWire just keeps hanging on and getting superior.

Last week, the IEEE announced a new standard for IEEE 1394 that will bring FireWire speeds up to 3.2 gbps. With all of the advantages of FireWire and the new speed abilities of the coming standard, I don’t see FireWire going anywhere anytime soon for the serious externals in your life.

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So the big selling point of the new iPhone 3G has been speed. “Twice as fast for half the cost”. But like all internet connections, the promised speed and your actual speed on any given day are probably not quite the same. On most days, my home internet connection runs at about 75% of promised speed down and about 95% up. Occassionally its closer to 50%/50% and once or twice it has run faster than promised.

So how do you check the speed on your iPhone or iPod touch? Well DSL Reports has come up with an iPhone speed test page. Just click on how you are connected you’re off.

The site will also work on Smartphones, so I checked out my Moto Q. One thing I noticed was a large difference between Opera and IE. I have wondered how Apple got faster speeds than other phone manufacturers, but it seems likely that the speed difference is software, not connection.

The other day I got 2027kbps on 3G in Opera. This day I am hitting between 950-1726kbps on Opera and between 268-389kbps in IE.

Have you tested the speed on your iPhone? Let us know connection (GPRS, EDGE, or 3G) and speed in the comments below.

And if you’re a Windows Mobile user like me, apparently Opera really is worth the investment if your phone didn’t come with it.

Tags: 3G, iPhone, speed, speed test

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Recently I encountered a post about the new file backup service, Dropbox. After a tiny digging, I got myself an invite to the private beta, and got it set up.

Set up was truly a breeze. This is one of those programs that just seem to work. I have it installed on my Mac and on my Windows XP Desktop. From receiving the beta invitation to uploading files was 3 steps. I’d write a tutorial, but really, it’s just that easy.

The ideal part is that the software is designed, specifically, to sync one folder on your personal to the web. Whatever you put in the folder, syncs to the online service and in turn to your other personal that are linked to your account. Change that file at work, and it’s changed on the internet and at home as well.

The one negative, I suppose, is that it only watches and syncs one designated folder on your personal. If you want it to be in sync, it has to be in that folder. I know they’re working on more advanced ways to designate what syncs, but I would prefer not move stuff out of my folder/naming scheme to get it to sync.

Dropbox will also let you share folders of pictures as slideshow albums. I think Flickr (or other comparable service) would probably be a superior tool for that particular feature, but might be useful for some people. It also lets you share public folders and individual files. Just think about the next time you need to email that 100 MB file. Just drag it to the public folder and email the link instead.

The timing on this is probably what I like the most. I’ve been debating about Mobile Me since the announcement, but with the bugs their facing and a $100 per year cost, I just haven’t convinced myself its worth it. And this is just one more free option that takes the place of one of Mobile Me’s features. (It looks like after the beta, 1 GB accounts will still be free).

Currently, Dropbox works with Windows Vista/XP or Mac OSX Tiger/Leopard. There’s a Linux version soon to be released in Alpha. The program is still an invite only Beta, but I have invites available for the first 10 comments.

Check it out and let me know what you think. Could this, with a few other free tools, replace Mobile Me?

Tags: drop box, Dropbox, Mobile Me, online storeage

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So today I accidentally stumbled across the new Windows marketing campaign. If you haven’t seen it, check out “The Mojave Experiment”. The gist of the campaign is that Microsoft disguised Windows Vista and told random people that it was the new Windows OS, code named Mojave. After a brief demo and rave reviews, they revealed to everyone the secret. What you just saw was Windows Vista.

The comment I loved the most was one guys shocked disbelief with a simple question. “So why is it faster?” And I guess that’s my point for sharing this.

One of the things I dislike about Mac is their limited offerings of hardware configurations. BUT… by only offering certain configurations, they have the ability to insure that even the most basic system is going to be able to run the OS properly and quickly. Windows, on the other hand, has often been sold inside of “value machines” that are stripped down junk. They need an upgrade just to meet system suggestions. So whether you are buying XP, Vista, or a new Mac, lesson to be learned, don’t buy the bare minimum.

And more important lesson number two… You are the cause of most of your problems. Or at least I am the cause of most of my problems. My Mac is currently running slow as snot. BUT… I’ve just about maxed out the hard drive, I am running 5 or 6 programs with at least 30 or 40 tabs open in Firefox and I haven’t rebooted it in at least a week. A few weeks ago, I cleaned off the hard drive, exercised some self-discipline with the number of tabs I used at any given time, and rebooted each couple of days. If I didn’t know superior, I’d swear they were different machines.

Same goes for my Windows PC’s. My old Dell is a fresh clean install of XP Pro with only a couple of apps and only one user. And as old as it is, it runs very well. The personal I am typing on at the moment is one my whole family uses. We’ve multiple accounts and often are logged into a couple of them at the same time. My wife tends to download little apps here and there and it has been at least 3 years since I have reformatted it. The hard drive is almost full and although this machine has more RAM than my Dell, there’s a noticeable lag most of the time.

So yes, Vista on a kick butt demo machine with Microsoft staff demoing the features is impressive. Honestly, I don’t mind the Vista interface and think a lot of the features are breathtaking. Of course, I had those same features on my Mac a year or two previous to them being available for PC, but that’s beside the point. The question, and the issue Microsoft needs to address, is how is Vista working for the average user with the average Personal computer? How is the average user supposed to pick which version they need?

What do you think? Any Vista users out there absolutely satisfied with their experiences? If so, on what kind of hardware?

Tags: Mac, microsoft vist, Mojave Experiment

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First I was ecstatic! Then.. I was disappointed. The good, WordPress finally released their app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The bad, The After Mac still runs on a version that’s not supported by the app. Bummer…

It looks to be like a good app though. If you’re a WordPress blogger with an iPhone of iPod Touch running v2.0 I think this will be a must have. So download it but check out the FAQ first.

As for me, I’m hoping b5 tech upgrades our WordPress version soon. So I have the ability to use this app. For the rest of you who’re on WordPress 2.5.1 and up plus the latest MU version of WordPress, enjoy!

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