Macgeeks Tech Blog

New Safari 4 (Beta) interface, Top Sites, and speed. Thoughts.

ghalimacman — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 18:47:31 +0000

Apple has released, a while back, a new version of it’s Mac/Windows internet browser, Safari. I have been using Safari as my main browser because of it’s simplicity and clean interface. I (personally) don’t need all kinds of plugins that Firefox provides, I just need to browse the web in an easy, and fast way. The Safari 4 beta has brought a new interface, ripping off Google’s Windows/soon-to-be Mac browser, Chrome. This change one up side: gain of screen real-estate. This is a very welcomed change because my day to day computer is a 13″ MacBook, which isn’t huge by any means. There have been many people voicing their annoyance at this redesign. I have gotten used to this new interface and use it day to day. But if you wish to revert back to the “old” interface, there is an easy terminal command you can look up. Another small adjustment is the blue progress bar in the address bar. It has been replaced by a circular thingy that spins, much like Firefox. You can revert to the old bar by, once again, applying a simple terminal command. Another new feature is the new “top sites”, which , as the name suggests, shows you the sites you visit most. This feature I haven’t grown dependent on but I can see myself checking it once in a while in the near future, and hopefully not finding my list full of porn sites, which it currently is full of. Next minor, (or major, depending on your point of view) adjustment made to Safari is the inclusion of Cover Flow as a way of viewing your websites, or browsing history. This enables you to get a visual feel on what you are looking for, and hopefully helping you find the desired web page quicker. Another new claimed feature is that Safari can handle Javascript 4.2x (or a number along those lines) faster . This feature I cannot comment on because comment on because, quite frankly, I haven’t seen any speed increase at all (yes, honest IS the best policy). Well there you have it, a full close to 400 word overview of the new Safari 4 beta. Have you tried it? Will you? If so, what do you think of the interface, speed, or the browser in general? Leave your thoughts in the form of a comment below, and I will be glad to answer back!

What do you think of gambling?

ghalimacman — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:51:27 +0000

The general idea of gambling is to put some money on the table, then leaving it all to luck. Gambling is generally done in casinos, playing cards, roulette, and so on. 90% of the time, you lose, that’s the way it is. It’s the 10% left that intrigue gamblers, so they keep playing hoping that the luck will knock on their door. That was gambling in my own words. I don’t generally condone gambling and feel it is wrong because it is a risk that isn’t worth taking, but nonetheless, the idea of winning the jackpot is still appealing. But I do think that people, of their own will, should be allowed to go into a casino and throw some money in, hopefully winning. Now what do you think of it? Maybe you agree, maybe you don’t. You are welcome to drop a comment formulating your thoughts about this controversial subject.

Why Netbooks are so popular. My Thoughts.

ghalimacman — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:22:12 +0000

I talk about my thoughts on why netbooks are currently popular in the consumer world. Enjoy!

Steve-less Macworld Keynote: What came out of it

ghalimacman — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:56:41 +0000

This year’s Macworld keynote is the last Apple will present. They have updated 3 products. No incredible mind-boggling announcement here. First the new 17 in. MacBook Pro. It has a non-removable battery which I have thought to be really bad because pro’s are the ones most likely to buy multiple batteries to carry around with them during long trips. Apple backs their choice by saying that most people don’t buy second batteries, but on the flipside, pro’s aren’t most people. The battery lasts 7 hours with the discrete graphics, and 8 with the integrated one, which is very high. Apple also claims the battery will last 1000 charges, and last 5 years. The resolution is 1900×1200 which is incredible. Another crazy new feature is the 8 GB of RAM max. It’s the first time I have seen a notebook support that much RAM. The MBP starts at 2799$. For the basic configuration you get: 2.66 Ghz processor, 320 GB hard drive, 4 GB of RAM, and an option for a 256 GB SSD drive. If you need more, there still is a build to order configuration where you can tweak every aspect of your MacBook Pro. Next are both iLife ’09 and iWork ’09. I will not dive in too deep into the details, iLife ’09 is full of great new little features in every application. You can check out the Guided Tour video on Apple’s website for more. iWork ’09 is also full of new features, you can try it for yourself by navigating to the Apple website and downloading the 30 day trial. Next are some small iTunes announcements. Songs will be available for 0.69$, 0.99$ (standard price), and 1.29$. Phil Schiller made sure to tell people that there will be more 0.69$ songs in the catalog than 1.29$ ones. Another announcement is that all the iTunes catalog will be DRM-free by the end of the year, which is excellent. Last, but not least, iPhone 3G users will be able to download songs not only over WiFi, but also over the 3G network, which is also a nice new feature to get people buying more songs. Overall, this Macworld keynote has been very average compared to the other years. Some disappointments for me include the lack of a new Mac Mini, and no demo of Snow Leopard. But Macworld isn’t just about Apple’s keynote, it is much more about the little developers in the small booths that have cool little products for the Mac.

Resistance 2 story mode Review

ghalimacman — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:04:30 +0000

I have just finished the Resistance 2 story mode. Having had a bit of hands on with it here is my review. First off: graphics. This game has superior graphics to most of the games out there. The cut scenes look great and realistic with cohesive textures. Second: sound. I am no audiophile so take what I say with a grain of salt. The sound is also good with nice variations. For example: when you have been hit by many bullets and see red all over the screen (meaning you have not much to live) you hear the sound decrease and brings realism to every situation. Other sidenote: I have played this game with the standard speakers on my LG 46 in. LCD, no surround sound, but it still sounded awesome to me. Next the most important component of a story mode: the actual story. The story is captivating and makes the player care enough to make him want to continue playing to know what will happen down the road. The ending is excellent and leaves you waiting for Resistance 3. If I were to give a grade to this game’s story mode on the scale of 10, I would give it a 9.0. This is so-far, the second best story mode I have ever played, behind MGS4.

Steve assures he is fine.

ghalimacman — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:28:06 +0000

Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, has written a letter addressed to the Apple community in which he assures he is not ready to die. He is to be recovering through Spring of this year from a hormone imbalance which has cause he unhealthy weight loss. I, for my part, never believed the rumors about Steve’s health issues, but nonetheless relieved the iconic CEO is not to step off as chairman of Apple. The full, detailed letter written by Mr. Jobs himself, can be found over at MacRumors.com. URL: http://www.macrumors.com/2009/01/05/steve-jobs-missing-macworld-due-to-health/

Why the Playstation Home is a fail.

ghalimacman — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:36:11 +0000

PlayStation Home was long waited for to be Xbox Live’s opponent. Playstation Home is kind of similar to Second Life and The Sims, but in a social networking way. It permits users to move freely among a virtual world full of other people wandering about. The basic idea of having a virtual world full of gamers interacting is great, but the way in which Sony accomplished this feat makes it a fail. When you first login into the PS Home, you have to create an avatar representing you. The tools that are given are very deep and permit very precise maneuvers. I, for my part, only created a quick and dirty one because of my impatience. You get a house with couches chairs and so on. You can even change the placement of these objects. Kudos to Sony for implementing such deep customization features. As a side note, the entrance to the PS Home is free. When you begin to walk around the Home Square (the main place for people to meet and hang out) you get bored quickly. It’s pretty much a waste of time walking around a garden or watch an ad for the PSP over and over. Next place: the bowling alley. You go in and have in front of you 4 bowling alleys, 4 pool tables, and 8 mini-games. Mini games include Echochrome, icebreaker and several others. What I have noticed while being there is that: the bowling alleys are always full, and pool tables also. The mini-games are nice to play, but as you would expect, they get boring pretty quickly, but hey, at least they are there! Other main place of the PS Home is the Mall. When I say Mall, you pay with your real money(Yes, the one you wake for every morning to earn!). I mean come on Sony! Make someone pay 3 bucks for a pair of virtual Diesel pants, or even 10 bucks for a secondary virtual house! You must be kidding me. I don’t know if there are many people out there who would be happy to pony up real cash to get virtual stuff. (If so, feel free to disagree in the comments section below). The bottom line is: I would prefer paying an entrance fee as the Xbox Live does, and have a better experience, than having a free entrance and asking 1 cent for every (virtual) step I make. So, Home has been kind of a disappointment for myself, I will still hang around once in a while there, but it still is a bummer. Maybe it’s just me. Feel free to leave your thoughts in form of a comment wether you agree or disagree

iPhone Nano, smaller shuffle, cheaper MacBook: thoughts

ghalimacman — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:31:20 +0000

Apple is famous for having a high price tag attached to their products. Other PC companies have very low computer prices because to be able to have such low prices, they have to cut many things out including components and many other things. But one thing they have to cut that costs them money is customer service. Apple is well known for their better customer service than average PC companies. You can easily walk into an Apple store and sit with a genius and try to resolve your issue. That’s why I think Apple won’t present an iPhone Nano at Macworld. Apple isn’t interested in cutting prices if it means lowering the customer experience. That’s also why I think they won’t present a cheaper MacBook or “netbook”. There are also rumors citing a new, smaller shuffle. It would be nice to see a new shuffle because it has been a long time since it got a real redesign. (not just a new color).

Merry Christmas and Happy holidays

ghalimacman — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 22:22:03 +0000

Just a quick post wishing to everyone a Merry Christmas and holiday in general. I, personally, don’t celebrate Christmas but nonetheless hope you have a safe and happy holiday with the people you love and care for!

Steve Jobs not at ’09 Macworld. Apple’s last Macworld. Thoughts.

ghalimacman — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:51:45 +0000

This has been a huge shocker. Apple discontinues a tradition old of 18 years. Things will never be the same. No excitement for each beginning of year. Next year will be the last year where ma fans will experience the thrill of waiting for a major announcement from Apple. But no Steve Jobs. The iconic CEO of the Cupertino firm. There is of course a rational explanation behind it: money. Apple judges their appearance at Macworld too expensive and not necessary. I respect this decision but nonetheless, I am saddened and disappointed by this choice.