Apple's New iPad (I Want One!)

Check out Apple's new iPad here!

Mac OS X v10.6: About Gamma 2.2

Gamma is a numerical value that describes the relationship between the varying levels of brightness or luminance that a monitor can display or a digital camera or camcorder can capture. To better serve the needs of consumers and digital content producers, Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard uses a gamma value of 2.2 by default. In versions of Mac OS X prior to 10.6, the default system gamma value was 1.8. Using the capabilities of ColorSync, the gamma value of 2.2 is automatically applied and seamlessly transitions your display, images and videos to the new gamma value. If you are a graphic or video professional, click here for more information.

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EXCERPT:

Some images that do not contain color profiles might appear darker in Mac OS X v10.6 than they did in earlier versions of Mac OS X. Adding the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 profile or Adobe RGB (1998) profile to these images lets them display correctly.

You can use Preview to add or replace a color profile to your images. Follow these steps to add or replace a color profile to your image. For batch processing of images, see "Using Automator..." in the below additional information section.

Note: When replacing the color profile, once saved there is no way to undo this process other than by restoring an earlier copy of the image. Make sure you have the proper color profile selected. If you are not sure, duplicate the images or make a backup copy of the images. Tip: Time Machine is a great way to keep an automatic backup of your images and other files.

1. Open your image in Preview.

2. From the Tools menu choose Assign Profile...

3. From the "ColorSync Profile:" pop-up menu select the appropriate color profile.

4. From the File menu choose Save (or Save As to save a different copy).

Recommended Hard Drives

I've written about this in other posts but thought it might be a good idea to repeat again: When it comes to hard drives (internal or external), I only buy Western Digital, or Seagate, and avoid everything made by LaCie and Maxtor. Why? Because after all these years, I've never had a Western Digital or Seagate drive fail on me, while I've had multiple LaCie and Maxtor drives fail.

The Evolution of Apple

Click on the image above for a full-sized image. Source website.

DroboPro: The Perfect Backup System

I bought my first Drobo in January of 2008. This was a first generation Drobo. I'm glad to report that I have never had a problem. The backup system has worked flawlessly. Two (or three) generations later, the Drobo makers have come out with a new eight-drive backup monster called DroboPro. If I had the money, I would buy a couple of these babies and kiss backup issues goodbye forever. Until that day comes, I'll keep using the backup system I have written about in earlier blogs and imagine a couple of these beauties sitting on my desktop someday: Empty (with no hard drives installed) $1,299.00; Fully loaded (with eight Western Digital 500 GB hard drives installed) Price: $1,949.00. Click here for more information.

Viva Viveza!

I first heard about Nik Software's U-Point technology when they worked with Nikon to develop Capture NX. I was so impressed with what this technology could do, that I bought Capture NX when it first came out -- and then, because of a clunky interface and buggy program, abandoned it. My interest was recently reawakened when Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski began showcasing Nikon's Capture NX 2 software on their new D-Town program. I upgraded, but was again unhappy with the clunky interface and also didn't relish the idea of using (and learning) another software program to edit images in. Wasn't there a way to incorporate U-Point technology into Photoshop or Lightroom, which are the two main editing programs I use?

Turns out there is! The Nik software folks have come out with a program called "Viveza" which provides a U-Point plugin for Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture. Although pricey ($249.00), I think it is worth it. I bought the software and now have it working in both Lightroom and Photoshop -- and love what it can do!

Here's how Nik Software describes Viveza:

"Two of the most important factors in creating great photography are color and light. Mastering the art of selectively correcting or enhancing each of these is now possible for every photographer without the need for complicated masks or selections, or expert-level knowledge of Photoshop. Integrating award-winning U Point technology, Viveza is the most powerful and precise tool available to control light and color in photographic images.

"U Point powered Color Control Points, placed directly on colors or objects in an image (such as sky, skin, grass, etc.), reveal easy-to-use controls that photographers can use to quickly adjust brightness, contrast or color in a fraction of the time needed by other tools. With Viveza you’ll spend more time shooting photographs and save hours of image editing."

Here's where you can read more about it, watch tutorials, and download a 15-day fully functioning demo.

And, finally, here's a coupon code that will shave some buckeroos off that hefty $249.00 price tag: NIKPSS.

OmniWeb, OmniDazzle, OmniDiskSweeper, OmniObjectMeter Now Free

Attention Mac users: OmniWeb, OmniDazzle, OmniDiskSweeper, and OmniObjectMeter are now free: www.omnigroup.com

Does Mac OS X Need A Disk Defragmenter/Optimizer?

Does Mac OS X need a disk defragmenter/optimizer?
MacFixIt
March 1, 2007

EXCERPT:

Defragmentation and disk optimization in Mac OS X collectively represent an issue nearly as contentious as the debate over repairing disk permissions -- one camp argues that utilties purportedly performing these functions amount to little more than nostrums, while others claim real-world performance gains as a result of the tools' usage.

Apple's input on the subject is, as usual, less than definite. The company states explicitly in Knowledge Base article #25668 (published in 2003) that that "you probably won't need to optimize at all if you use Mac OS X," then provides instructions for what you should do "if you think you might need to defragment."

According Apple's advice, there are two scenarios under which you might need to defragment your drive:

• You have many large files (such as digital videos)
• Your disk is low on space (i.e. more than 90% full)

If these are in fact your only concerns, there are some basic remedies.

In the case of myriad large files, you can easily (as described by Apple) create a backup of all your important data -- essentially everything but operating system files -- then re-install Mac OS X and restore the files from backup. It's somewhat tedious, but should result in faster access to said large files. Or, you can use a utility like SuperDuper! to make a clone (or near-clone) of your startup drive, then simply format your drive using Apple's Disk Utility (located in Applications/Utilities) and copy the files back...

The bottom line is that users with large files will benefit most greatly from defragmentation routines in Mac OS X. However, use of the disk optimization routines offered by tools like iDefrag can also serve as a boon to casual users of Mac OS X looking for a speed boost. If you choose to use such a utility, you'll likely see the most betterment after applying a significant system update.

SMARTReporter

Another software program I use to protect my Macs is SMARTReporter. SMARTReporter monitors your hard drives and can warn you of some hard drive failures before they happen, giving you time to backup critical data before it's lost!

In case you need a good backup system, here are a few suggestions from previous blogs:

• Fantastic Backup Systems: WiebeTech's RTX200
• Second Generation Drobo With Firewire 800
• Scott Kelby's Photo & Computer Backup Strategy
• What To Do If Hard Drive Disaster Strikes!

TechTool Pro 5

Micromat just came out with TechTool Pro 5. I've been using TechTool Pro for years, both to diagnosis and keep my Macs running smoothly. I'm using the "Volume Optimization" feature right now to optimize a badly fragmented hard drive on my MacBook Pro. Apple, by the way, includes a stripped down version of TechTool Pro in their Apple Care program.

New MacBook Disassembled

Take a look a what a new MacBook looks like -- on the inside.

First Look: MacBook & MacBook Pro

Excerpt from MacWorld:

"The new MacBook and MacBook Pro are here. No, not just 'here' in the sense of 'publicly acknowledged by Apple and being shipped to arrive in Apple Stores tomorrow.' Here in the sense of, in my office right now. So in advance of our full reviews and lab tests of these products, let me give you a quick tour of the products..."

Read Article
Visit Apple's Website

Anti-Static Case For Bare Drives

After purchasing WiebeTech's RTX200 to add to my backup system, I realized I needed a way to store the loose internal drives I planned to switch in and out of the RTX200. Turns out Wiebetech also sells a couple different protective cases. The one pictured above (which is the model I bought) sells for $5.95 each. Their "Anti-Static Drive Cases For Bare Drives" are located here. My earlier post on WiebeTech's RTX200 can be found here.

Fantastic Backup Systems: WiebeTech RTX200

I recently added WiebeTech's RTX200 to my backup system, which now includes a first generation Drobo (with four internal 500 GB SATA drives), two 300 GB Seagate external drives, and one iOmega 500 GB drive. I've included the WiebeTech RTX200 to my backup system because I recently had THREE! -- yes, you read that right, THREE! -- LaCie external hard drives all fail in the course of one week! Or, to be more accurate, the LaCie housing failed. So I pulled the drives from the LaCie housing (two Seagate drives and one Samsung drive), and bought the WiebeTech system to house the old drives. The beauty of WiebeTech's system is that it allows you to hot swap drives. So instead of continuously buying new external drives, which consist of an internal drive encased in some kind of housing, you simply buy the internal drive and plug it into your WiebeTech bay whenever you need it. The particular WiebeTech box I bought is the RTX200H-QJ. It provides two docking bays and comes complete with FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB2, eSATA connections.

Final note: When it comes to internal drives, I plan to stick with Digital Western, or Seagate, and avoid everything made by LaCie and Maxtor (which have both repeatedly failed me over the years).

Second Generation Drobo With Firewire 800

Those of you are regular readers of my blog know that I bought a Drobo in December of 2007. Now, seven months later, I'm glad to report that it has performed flawlessly. I reported two significant concerns in previous blogs: 1. That Drobo only uses SATA, not ATA drives; that Drobo uses 1/2 to 1/3 of your total storage capacity for making a backup of your backup. You can read my previous Drobo posts here.

I solved the first problem by migrating to SATA drives, and accepted the second shortcoming as a necessary evil of having a backup system that is designed to stay viable even if one or more of your drives fail. It costs more, but the peace of mind that comes from knowing specific hard drives can fail and you won't loose any data was worth it.

There was, however, another issue that has bugged me from day one: the first generation Drobo shipped with a USB 2.0 connection which made for slow transfers of data. The Drobo folks have now fixed that shortcoming with their second generation Drobo. Here's some background information from Rob Galbraith's website:

"Data Robotics has announced the immediate availability of a new version of its Drobo storage device featuring twin FireWire 800 ports, promised faster USB 2.0, an upgraded internal processor, quieter, cooler operation and revised firmware.

"A version of Drobo with four empty SATA I/II hard drive bays, two FireWire 800 ports and one USB 2.0 port is US$499 when purchased direct from the company (the previous generation USB 2.0-only Drobo is still available, for US$349 in the same driveless configuration). The FireWire 800/USB 2.0 version with two 1TB drives is US$899; with four 1TB drives, US$1299."

Click here for more information, including Drobo's press release.

The Mac OS X Leopard Book

The Trouble With Steve Jobs

Fortune Magazine just published a very interesting article on Steve Jobs, the founder and CEO of Apple.

Excerpt:

By now it's one of the most remarkable stories in business. When Jobs returned in 1997 to Apple - then facing its own near-death experience - he arrived with a tarnished legend. He was, of course, the charismatic boy wonder who at age 21 had co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak in his parents' garage back in 1976. He was worth $200 million by 25, made the cover of Time magazine at 26, and was thrown out of the company at age 30, in 1985.

What he's accomplished in the past decade has not just restored Jobs to the Silicon Valley pantheon but elevated him to the status of superstar. On the brink of bankruptcy when he returned, Apple now has a market value of $108 billion - more than Merck, McDonald's, or Goldman Sachs; $1,000 invested in Apple shares on the day Jobs took over is worth about $36,000 today. And it isn't just Apple and its investors that have benefited from Jobs' executive skill. Pixar, where he served simultaneously as CEO, has come to dominate the animation business, churning out megahits like "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles" that prompted Disney to buy the company in 2006 for $7.5 billion. (Jobs now owns 7.3% of Disney, worth $4.6 billion, in addition to Apple stock worth $682 million.)

No less an authority than Jack Welch has called Jobs "the most successful CEO today." Jobs, at age 53, has even become a global cultural guru, shaping what entertainment we watch, how we listen to music, and what sort of objects we use to work and play. He has changed the game for entire industries.

Jobs is also among the most controversial figures in business. He oozes smug superiority, lacing his public comments with ridicule of Apple's rivals, which he casts as mediocre, evil, and - worst of all - lacking taste. No CEO is more willful, or more brazen, at making his own rules, in ways both good and bad. And no CEO is more personally identified with - and controlling of - the day-to-day affairs of his business. Even now, Jobs views himself less as a mogul than as an artist, Apple's creator-in-chief. He has listed himself as "co-inventor" on 103 separate Apple patents, everything from the user interface for the iPod to the support system for the glass staircase used in Apple's dazzling retail stores.

Read complete article.

Interview With Apple's Jonathan Ive

Interview With Apple's industrial design guru, Jonathan Ive. From 2007.

Mac OS X 10.5.2 Update

Mac OS X 10.5.2, released today as a free update to the current version of the Mac operating system, adds support for RAW files from the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, Canon PowerShot G9, Hasselblad CF-22, Hasselblad CF-39, Leaf Aptus 75s, Nikon D3, Nikon D300 and Sony Alpha DSLR A700. Apple's Aperture support forums, Joe Schorr, Sr. Product Line Manager for Photo Applications at Apple, hinted (for the second time) that this update was imminent, and that new features are coming to Aperture as well.

Click here for more information.

Steve Jobs Macworld 2008 Keynote In 60 Seconds

For those of you who are fans of Apple like I am (my business and personal life is entirely Apple based), here an extremely abbreviated version of Steve Jobs Macworld 2008 Keynote. While the new MacBook Air was the big announcement, I was more interested in Apple TV 2, being able to rent (versus buy) movies via iTunes, and the new GPS-like mapping feature that the delightfully dazzling iPhone now offers.



His complete presentation can be found here.