Understanding Wi-Fi’s two spectrum bands

The evolution of communication theory is about convey one form of thing and making it better , faster , and more reliable . USB 1 evolved into USB 2 ; FireWire 400 morphed into FireWire 800 ; 10 Mbps Ethernet move into 100 Mbps and then 1,000 Mbps . Where there ’s a option , it ’s between a worse , previous option and the belated and neat . Not so with Wi - Fi , which has an interesting current trade-off with Apple ’s implementation in hardware and package ....

May 20, 2009 · 14 min · 2839 words · Jennifer Lewis

AppShelf tracks software licenses

Expert’s Rating Our Verdict I ’m a engineering writer and avid Mac user , so third - party software is an essential part of my piece of work . To avow this , you require calculate no further than my e - mail inbox , which is litter with licensing and registration information for hundreds of applications that I ’ve accumulated over the yr . I ’d made a practice of hoard them up in a separate mailbox , which made them easier to track ....

May 19, 2009 · 3 min · 468 words · Daniel Moore

Application Wizard makes program switching easy

Expert’s Rating Our Verdict I ’m a big devotee of software that extends the capability of Mac OS X and the Finder . app program Wizardis one such program , though it does so much , it ’s difficult to compactly describe . In its most basic use , app Wizard – which operates as an atomic number 76 X System Preferences pane – displays four coloured button on a small jury you may drag to any position along any screen door edge ; you may even put the panel to slide out when need , much like the Dock ’s auto - hide mode ....

May 18, 2009 · 4 min · 831 words · Nicholas Cunningham

AirRadar surveys your wireless signals

Expert’s Rating Our Verdict Increasingly , the airwaves around us are a hobo camp of competing wireless signals . Koingo Software’sAirRadarnot only helps disregard through the clutter , but also leave useful information about your wireless signaling of choice . AirRadar quick scans for surrounding wireless networks , pulling in a wealth of customizable selective information about them . AirRadar seems designed for users serious about their wireless safaris . It scans for available electronic internet , display extremely detailed entropy about their MAC address , broadcast channels , signal strengths , and numerous other category only a internet administrator could love ....

May 17, 2009 · 3 min · 489 words · Geoffrey Hernandez

CuteClips gives you more Clipboards

Expert’s Rating Our Verdict Ever since I covered Jumpcut and PopCopy back in 2006 , I ’ve been a huge sports fan of well - plan multiple - Clipboard utility program . These programs store multiple recent content of the Clipboard , letting you quickly access those past table of contents for pasting . Besides increasing productivity , they also salvage you from situations where you ’ve copied or cut text , imply to glue it elsewhere , but then absentmindedly imitate something else , losing the former content ....

May 15, 2009 · 4 min · 752 words · Chelsea Dillon

Undercover software used to locate MacBook in Norway

I ’m super paranoid about leaving my Mac unattended . give that it ’s my lifeblood , it ’s rare that it ’s more than an branch ’s reach away . I abhor the thought of what would materialise if my MacBook was stolen and I had to empower in a new one . Yeah , yeah , I have it off there ’s this Undercover package that ’s out there — a LoJack - style setup that snaps photo and sends datum back to a central location in the event of a computer stealing ....

May 13, 2009 · 2 min · 399 words · Michael Ramirez

Acquisitions, profits and recycling

In a Big Picture episode of the Macworld Podcast , we look at three tolerant issues — a loaded Apple and rumors of it flushing some of its cash to buy Twitter or Electronic Arts , a flush and profitable Apple in a down thriftiness and what its fiscal number entail for the society now and into the future , and what you might do with an old Mac that you ’d care to flush from your life ....

May 6, 2009 · 2 min · 345 words · Deborah Rodriguez

Why Firefox is my preferred browser

OS X users are blessed ( or is it cursed ? ) with a plethora of pick for our connection browsing needs . Safari , of course , is the dominant web browser app , followed byFirefox , and then any of a numeral of others , includingOmniWeb , Camino , Opera , and the venerableiCab(not heel in any sort of edict ) . In the course of my job over the last few days , I ’ve had the opportunity to employ all of these browsers , and many more — too many to count , in fact ....

May 5, 2009 · 5 min · 962 words · Dale Baker

WordDigest for iPhone

Our Verdict WordDigest , a $ 2 app fromGlobal Delightjoins the already swell ranks of mobile dictionaries for the iPhone and iPod skin senses . This dictionary hope to separate itself by offering a collection of more than 147,000 word ( with International Phonetic Alphabet pronunciations for 87,000 of them ) , thesaurus , and spellchecker . It also features integration with on-line source like Answers.com , Wikipedia , and Wikitionary ....

April 28, 2009 · 5 min · 905 words · Michelle Bolton

Mac mini media center: Is it worth it?

Throughout the week I ’ve document my experience turning Apple ’s $ 599 Mac mini into a complete media server — from upgrading the hardware , to setting up Front Row , to configure the Mac to access local , networked , and Internet medium ; to controlling the works from a prone position . It ’s now metre to turn to The Big Picture . Is it worth the trouble ?...

April 24, 2009 · 9 min · 1717 words · Eric Jackson

Mac mini media center: Control everything remotely

In the first three part of my ongoing venture to make a Mac miniskirt a powerful component of my Ab imperium we ’ve covered upgrading the Mac , connecting it to a typical AV system , and configure it to access local and streaming media . We now turn to one of the most important component of any Ab system — moderate it all from the couch . Remote control A Mac miniskirt does a far good impression of an integrated AV gimmick when it ’s not tether to a keyboard and shiner ....

April 23, 2009 · 6 min · 1267 words · Greg Romero

Mac mini media center: Configuring Front Row

In the first part of our face at the digital media capabilities of the Mac mini , I looked at promote my $ 599 Mac mini as the first tone in it becoming a capable ( and usable ) media center . In this episode , we move to link the Mac to my Ab system and configure Apple ’s built - in media app . Making connections When perform this Mac - mini - as - mass medium - host stunt in 2006 , I hold out hard - core — any gadget confiscate to the mini must be entirely at its beck and call ....

April 21, 2009 · 10 min · 2069 words · Jose Reyes

Revisiting the Mac mini media center

Nearly three years ago I lay hands on a 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo Mac mini with the idea of turning it into a media inwardness . This demure little Mac was task with roleplay medicine , recording and play TV programs , move as a tuner , and playing DVDs . It also had to be open of being verify from my couch . While I was capable to accomplish all these tasks , it took some doing and the results were n’t terribly kin - friendly ....

April 20, 2009 · 6 min · 1254 words · Wendy Crawford