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The Apple Core

The Apple Core: The Real Apple Media Center

Although Apple’s included Front Row software is adequate, MediaCentral takes the definition of Mac home theater to an entirely new level. MediaCentral (US$29) is a Swiss Army Knife media center application from Equinux (of iSale fame) that plays virtually any media format. Hook it up to a Mac mini and a plasma display and you’ve […]

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The Apple Core

The Apple Core: IM interoperability is a must

One of my biggest pet-peeves about IM services are their proprietary protocols. If you’re on AIM/iChat and your friend is on something else (Yahoo, MSN, etc.) you’re hosed. Sure, there are a bunch of third-party IM clients available (like Adium) but they only interoperate for text – they won’t do audio or video chats. It’s […]

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The Apple Core

The Apple Core: Treo 700p, still the best smartphone for Mac users

Bank in November 2005 I wrote about the Treo 650 from palmOne and how it’s the best smartphone for Mac users. Its successor, the Treo 700p, now inherits that crown. The Palm OS is a much better smartphone solution for Mac users because the sync software is freely available from the manufacturer. The Windows Mobile […]

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The Apple Core

The Apple Core: I use .Mac, do you?

.Mac began in 2000 as a service called iTools that offered iReviews, iCards, KidSafe, Mac.com Web/POP email, iDisk and HomePage. People flocked to the service because it was useful and it was free. At Macworld Expo New York 2002 Apple announced .Mac, the upgraded version of iTools that provided email, Web sites, storage of digital […]

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The Apple Core

The Apple Core: Social software site

We Macheads tend to be obsessive upgraders, we keep tabs on our favorite software and tend to keep it fanatically up-to-date. Sites like MacUpdate.com (my personal fave) and VersionTracker.com prove indispensable at tracking our favorite application versions and user comments about them. There’s a new kid on the block that combines software updates with social […]