Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
ie8 fix

mac

Choosy kills the idea of a 'default' browser for links

A system plug-in called Choosy is trying to change the way people are opening links on their computer. This small Mac OS X application gives you the option to choose which browser you'd like to open up any link with sans having to ever set a "default" browser.

In my case my default browser is Firefox, but it's not always the best solution. Sometimes I'm opening up a link for a site I know will work better in Safari or IE (like my work e-mail). With Choosy installed, clicking that link simply gives you a … Read more

Mac Mini: I'm not dead, yet

Apple's Mac Mini might be getting a reprieve after all.

A few days after Gizmodo reported that European retailers believed the Mac Mini was heading for the exits, AppleInsider says the smallest and cheapest Mac hasn't left the building. Apparently a number of casinos in Las Vegas use Mac Minis to help run the ever-present security cameras in that city, and those customers believe that an update is around the corner.

One Las Vegas-based source who runs a collocation service based on the Mac Mini told AppleInsider that there are about 10,000 Mac Minis in use in … Read more

'Rides' Genesis is an Apple fanboy's dream car

The Mac Mini is particularly valued by automobile customizers, because its small size makes it easy to hide/integrate into a cramped vehicle interior. Hyundai Motor America and Rides Magazine have taken this idea to the next level by tossing darn-near the entire Apple Computer product line into the cabin of the new Hyundai Genesis, for display at the 2008 SEMA Show.

The Rides Genesis is truly an Apple fanboy's dream car, featuring two Mac Mini computers, a MacBook Air, iPod Touch, iPhone 3G, high-speed Wi-Fi Internet connection, and movie theater-quality surround sound all integrated into the interior.

Within … Read more

Firefox 3 may get gesture support for MacBooks

There are a lot of Firefox users out there, and there are a lot of MacBook users as well, which means a lot of people use Firefox on a MacBook. And those users might be getting a special treat in future releases of the browser.

On his informative blog, Edward Lee, a Firefox developer, spills on steps he's taken to include gesture support for MacBooks in the next version of the browser.

For those unfamiliar with gesture support, Apple introduced the functionality to the MacBook line a couple of years ago. It allows you to interact with your computer … Read more

The Digital Home 38: Where are all the parents?

In his latest show, Don Reisinger discusses Apple and why parents aren't taking responsibility for their children. After that, he chats with Sonoro, an audio company offering high-end radios. Check it out! Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 38 … Read more

Solid-state drives: No rush to widespread success

Will 2009 be the year that solid-state drives take off? Maybe not. The speedy drives are catching on, but wider acceptance will take time--and the bad economy isn't helping.

Costs are still high for these drives, which typically outdo--and in some cases blow away--hard disks in performance. "2010-2011...that's when we think the price points for the SSD market get attractive enough to really drive stronger growth," Sanjay Mehrotra, president and chief operating officer of SanDisk, said this week during SanDisk's third-quarter earnings conference call.

Indeed, there is still a wide price gap between hard-disk … Read more

What readers hate about the new MacBooks

After putting up our reviews of the new 13-inch Apple MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro, we checked back over the next couple of days to see what CNET readers would have to say about them in the user reviews section.

Reader reviews generally fall into two categories. One-star ratings for negativists who want to lay some online smackdown on a brand they're not feeling too generous about (Sony, Microsoft, etc.), and so-called "fanboys" who give everything five-star ratings with an almost religious zeal. Needless to say, usually very few of these amateur reviewers even own the product … Read more

Amazon.com snaps up Reflexive Entertainment

Amazon.com has acquired Reflexive Entertainment, adding to its PC, Mac, and online casual game offerings.

Reflexive, which announced the acquisition earlier this week in a blog post by Chief Executive Lars Brubaker, said the deal will provide a larger distribution channel than it previously had.

Reflexive also noted that game developers can still submit their work to the site and will continue to have access to its GameCenterSolution.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs holds court on earnings day

Apple's fourth-quarter earnings conference call was made a bit more lively due to its unusual guest star: CEO Steve Jobs.

It's not unprecedented for Jobs to sit in on one of Apple's earnings calls, usually handled by COO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer, but it certainly is very rare. Jobs said he jumped on the call to help explain Apple's decision to shed a little more light on the contribution the iPhone makes to his company's finances, although there's probably more than one reason why he chose Tuesday to make his appearance.

The … Read more