Mactropolis.com - Your Friendly Global Mac Community

As I had reported previously, 10.5.2 is rumored to be coming out soon. However, these hopes might be dashed. It looks like Mac OS X 10.5.2 is not quite ready for prime time. The seeds released last week had no big reported issues… However it looks as though they want to work on it some more.

Earlier today Apple provided developers with the 9C27 seed.

Since the launch of Leopard, this is the most anticipated update yet. There had been one minor update 3 weeks after the Leopard launch… But since then the developers have been working hard on 10.5.2.

I’ll continue to keep an eye on this! Can’t wait for 10.5.2!

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Tom Van Lenten of Google’s Mac Team has announced the release of Google Toolbox for Mac. It’s an open-source project available to Mac software developers.

Says Van Lenten: “This first release is a little eclectic. It starts with some simple utilities that we seem to need in just about every project, helpers for graphical things and for building unittests. In time, we’ll add more utilities, more interesting and complex classes, and other interesting stuff.”

For command line access, go here.

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So, I’ve given Mac OS Ken Day 6 more than the one month I said I would before deciding whether to continue with my subscription.

My conclusion: Day 6 is not worth $10 per month and I’ve canceled my subscription.

Yes, if you like Ken Ray and want to support his endeavor and, more importantly, can afford to give him $120 a year, then that’s fine. However, Day 6 appears to be the same format show as one of his previous podcasts, Technocracy Radio. That show used to be free.

On the first six shows, while there were interesting interviews with tech people, I didn’t feel each show was worth $2.50. For instance, one show was Ken interviewing his friend (and Mac developer) August Trometer. While August did a great job of predicting what Apple would release at Macworld, I didn’t feel it should cost me $2.50, especially as there were so many other podcasters doing predictions for free on their shows.

Ken can try and argue that you are actually paying for six shows each week, but as everyone else gets Monday to Friday shows free, the only extra material you get for your money is one 30-40 minute show each week.

Also, a complaint: while I’ve just canceled my subscription and have already paid my $10 for the second month’s content, my subscription has been canceled immediately, so I cannot get episodes 7 and 8, which I have paid for!

So, has anyone else subscribed (or canceled their subscription) to Day 6?

There was a time when to every machine that processed piles of data a Mac was attached, while the writing room was the dominion of the PC.

Myth (noun):

1. a traditional story

2. a widely held but false belief/a misrepresentation of the truth

There was this story about the reality distortion field that his Steveness can create to afflict the minds of people that watch him perform. The ugly truth is: Microsoft somehow managed to create something similar… Unlike Apple’s CEO they do not enhance their appearance (PCs are still mostly piles of ugly plastic) but rather alter the perception of the average PC user concerning Apple… just similar to the first sentence above, BigM. is somehow using the same arguments to defend its case for a decade now. I am sick of hearing these things over and over again - let me demystify you!

Myth#1 - Macs are specialist tools: Some lab equipment is still connected to sturdy G4s running OS9.22. Coming from PCs, people are bumping against a wall of ignorance that purposefully was meant to force people to “think different”. One button on the mouse only, the system structure completely enigmatic to someone being used to such intuitive things as C: being the system drive ;-)… Comparing the current cat with 9.2.2 You can hardly determine that it is the same operating system. What I hear most from people is the opinion perfectly describing OS9 while being ignorant about the development at apple.

In my opinion and experience I was fine with every task I was trying to do on a mac - not a single one needs to be performed in a windows environment! Time coming in this section here at Mactropolis I will review pieces of software that especially help you tackle the daily lab routine, so stay tuned and flood me with questions, please. My daring statement is: you will not need Windows on your Mac for doing your lab work, there’s an answer for everything to tackle! Moreover, some things you’d even PREFER to do on your Mac!

Myth#2 - Macs are only nice but pricy hardware: this is something I can agree upon at first - Macs are pricier than the usual desktop or notebook you buy - be it used or not. And this should make your scientifically trained synapses work. Not only does the company sell the stuff for a lot of cash, the used ones also are VERY stable in price while request is there. This could be because Mac users treat their stuff better…but on average you know mankind enough to tell that this can’t be it. Still, you pay a lot for design you say?

In my opinion: DO NOT LOSE your scientific instinct when it comes to Computers - give it an unbiased look and feel.

Wandering through the notebook sections of the big malls I see myself confronted with one material, predominantly: plastic- sorry IBM and sony, ENFORCED plastic. Now lay your hand on a Macbook pro - feel the reassuring coolness of the aluminium? This is not a mere design artifact, this is built to last! And I can speak for my sturdy Powerbook at least that where my previous notebooks lost the occasional edge of plastic frame, the aluminium just does not care. Nothing moves if it’s not supposed to. Form is not only for the sake of form like it is, but for a reason you might not have experienced yet.

But actually, this argument bothers me if it comes from a scientist or any other person looking for optimal performance. You don’t judge the quality of something by the mere looks. This leads to no longer comparing Macs and PCs on the looks level (let us assume that you do not detest the design on sight), but on the output level. Let me point out some things that were eye-openers for me, as small as they may seem:

1. Ever wondered how a life without viruses would be? Not worrying about connecting anywhere abroad still is perfect peace on a Mac.

2. You open the laptop, it is READY TO START WORKING in seconds - this still amazes me every time i am opening my Mac!

3. Restarts are “one time a week” - events, because installing and deinstalling does not require you to do so.

4. Since I am using my Mac the error is sitting in front of the Computer. A hard lesson at first this creates an indispensable trust in the system itself - VERY relaxing…

Myth#3 - My special software is not available on the Mac: This is the main issue most people have- you depend on exchange everywhere, not only in science. So in PC world you have all you need in a neat collection, so why change the running system?

In my opinion: I remember this ad from IBM - they showed one of those “computers” from the sixties filling half a bureau… subscripted with “never change a running system”… made me smile too, but it answers the previous “why”: to improve the current situation. And this is what happens if you dare… I don’t say trust me, I just want you to do a real comparison… All you really need is someone who asked this question and had an answer - thanks to the Mayor we have a forum now!

Nowadays you can make the switch by running a copy of Windows in parallel… either emulated or bootcamped… you can take your sweet time… but trust me I am right

Let me shoot back a question at you: what is the MAIN exchange format for information? I would say it is pdf before word, but others won’t. To have a native pdf generator has proven to be indispensible. No problems, no software to install, you wanna show someone what you have, print it as pdf and send it, print it as hard copy or present it to an audience - the looks will not be altered, period! Just as you would expect it to work.

Finally, the point for me is not to give complete for and againsts. Since I found my solution already, mentioning anything else here would be pointless. What I want to do here from now on is give a perspective to work better on a Mac. No matter whether you own one, plan to own one, or whether this is your first curious contact with the idea.

It is easy for you, being a scientist - depending on what you’re best at - compare and aim for quality - there will be no way of avoiding the Mac.

The offerings available at Apple’s iTunes U have expanded this week. You can now get new content from the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) network and PBS affiliate stations (KQED San Francisco and WGBH in Boston).

If you’re not familiar with iTunes U, it is a dedicated area full of educational content. It provides institutions of higher education a way of providing their students with unique audio and video content. You can often find lectures, debates and much more. Apple even provides educational institutions with the means to create their own custom U content sites.

The new PBS section includes content for teaching… some cool stuff on global history and even Ken Burns’ ‘The War’ among other popular titles.

I’ll be waiting for the appearance of ‘This Old House‘ and ‘Are You Being Served?‘

To visit the iTunes U Store, Click Here.

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The new version of Microsoft Entourage included in the Office 2008 suite has some notable features missing. Especially if you use a BlackBerry with your Mac. Direct syncing with the BlackBerry has been disabled… AND plug-in support which allowed apps like the missing sync to work has been disabled as well. What gives?

I’m not an Entourage user myself, but I know a lot of folks that are. On top of that many of them carry a BlackBerry as well. I’d be a little peeved about this one to say the least.

Update: Read this article that rebuts the above points (thanks Chris!)
Discuss: Talk Entourage 2008 in the Forums

I’ve read a number of reports that the latest iPhone firmware update (1.1.3) is causing SMS text messaging problems for some users. In a thread on Apple’s support site, there are more than 200 replied regarding this issue. Apple has posted a document acknowledging the problem, but has not gone so far to list it as a bug… yet. The document is titled ‘iPhone: SMS messages may be displayed in the wrong order when sending or receiving text messages’. It goes on to suggest that setting up the iPhone to receive network time should fix the problem. If you’re experiencing this issue, give it a try.

Discuss this issue in the Forums >

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The same as many people, I was looking for a GPS car navigation system.

The first one that I looked at and wanted was the ViaMichelin range but while they received excellent reviews they are not Mac compatible devices. I guess there are still some companies out there who refuse to take the Apple-pill!

So, I was thinking about Garmin or TomTom Go as both make a fair deal about having Mac software. In the end, the I chose the TomTom because a couple of my family already have TomTom Go’s and think they are so good that they bought new version a couple of weeks ago.

Well, I can report that the TomTom Go works very well indeed and, as important, the Mac software, “TomTom Home” works quite well.

I say quite well as it has crashed on me a couple of times but I don’t know if that is just the usual Leopard instability we are getting with many apps at the moment.

TomTom Home lets you search your TomTom device for installed software and then run upgrades where necessary. It gives you the ability to backup and reinstall the contents of the TomTom device to and from your Mac.

It also lets you create a TomTom account and then purchase TomTom products online, such as a yearly subscription to the TomTom traffic and safety camera updates.

If you have the more expensive TomTom units, when you connect your device to the Mac, TomTom Home gives you the option to manage your photos and music.

To sum up, I am very happy with my TomTom Go and can recommend it to Mac users, just be careful of crashes and make sure you back up the TomTom device regularly.

As you can see from the screenshots below, the application is quite simple/basic to use (click for a closer look).

People might wonder what my new column ‘Macs in Science’ will be all about, so I will try to give you a brief scope on what I want to discuss here… and what my idea was when the mayor talked me into this

So first of all: I am a Biochemist from Germany doing a PhD getting myself busy with everything molecular biology has to offer, excluding some weird mathematical stuff they nowadays do to so-called “big pile ‘o data” - studies like Gene arrays and such - count me out there. I am nothing more than the average computer using scientist - which is what you need to know. Firstly for not falsely thinking that I can answer all weird questions, secondly to know that I am just like you (but maybe a bit bigger), trying to kick my a** to make that degree - while also getting now more involved in the process of writing for Mactropolis.

What I expect my column to be about is what I am currently missing no matter where I have looked: a forum from a scientist for Mac-using/potentially Mac-using scientists. Maybe because scientists are a group of ignorants - in order to believe in what you do makes sense we really sometimes need to have a very - say - obscured views on life itself. I trust that you, are one of those who like getting as much interaction as possible in order to grow in many more dimensions than just mere knowledge.

But now enough of that, this is the software I am currently using / have experience with, so this’ll be what I want to introduce to You!

• Papers: amazing bibliography and search and storage All-in-one for (scientific) publications
• Prism: The way graphs want to be displayed combined with the way You want to enter graphs
• EnzymeX: Cloning part 1
• 4Peaks: Sequencer can make mistakes, right?
• Geneious: it is easier to name the tasks NOT performed by this program
• SerialCloner: Cloning part 2
• Cellquest Pro: For everyone working with a Cytometer from BD
• Flowjo 8: form and functionality at its best for Your FACS analysis
• PCalc: big small calculator
• Freehand MX: Desktop publishing– or– I got the data and I want to publish them– what next?
• Micromanager: seeing is believing

Obligatory excursions towards general apps in science:

• Pages in scientific application
• Numbers in scientific application
• Keynote in scientific application
• Safari in Science
• Mellel with Bookends: the dreamteam for Your thesis?
• Scrivener Gold gathering and writing in one place.
• OmniFocus: How not to lose control over Your schedule.

I am already looking forward to each of these topics, so stay tuned!

I am the most anal-retentive Mac-junkie you may ever meet, one of my biggest pet peeves is when someone touches my MacBook monitor with their finger and leaves a greasy smudge! Don’t worry, I recognize that this is just a petty issue and I normally don’t even mention it to the perpetrator. But there is a much bigger elephant in the room: using Lime Wire or, for that matter, ANY illegal downloading software. Nothing gets me more upset than seeing a beautiful, expensive, state of the art piece of machinery being destroyed by illegal software!

Since the first time I was screwed by the monster’s grandfather, Napster, I have always loathed music downloading software. All it brings is problems! I watched it eat away at my old Dell machine years ago and even today, I see the same thing happening to my friends. To boot, they don’t even seem to care! When I try to explain it to them all I hear is cries of, “Oh no, it won’t happen to me” and “I only download it for a couple hours every few weeks and then delete it right after.”

When you download files through this type of freeware, you are directly accessing the files from someone else’s computer. What most users don’t realize is that hundreds of other people are doing the same to their own computer; remotely accessing it without their knowledge or consent. Therefore the firewalls are non-existent and absolutely nothing lies between them and evil-minded hackers.

So please, this is my cry to all Mac users out there: DO NOT USE ILLEGAL DOWNLOADING SOFTWARE! It will literally eat away at your computer for months without you realizing. I’m not saying that it all hits in one day; it’s actually a very gradual process. I saw it happen to my cousin’s MacBook Pro, she never listened to me. It all began with minor start up issues, such as extended blue screen and then it progressed until her computer wouldn’t even turn on. In the end, she gave up, leaving her once great, MacBook Pro to gather dust in the corner and began using her desktop again. I simply don’t understand how anyone can let their computer fall to the wayside for a couple free songs.

This isn’t the end and I don’t come empty handed, I have a solution! You can purchase, for a nominal fee, iPod backup software that is completely safe. Whenever one of your friends comes by, plug in their iPod and take all the songs you like! So easy a caveman could do it! Even my boyfriend, after a few weeks, had already accumulated 6,000 songs. And if you don’t have any friends with good music on their iPods, well, then I guess you’re out of luck. But at least your computer will still be working 4 months from now.

Don’t even get my started on Jailbreaker for iPhone…