MacHeist is well-known in the Mac community for offering great deals on bundles of Mac software. There have been 3 ‘heists’ so far with thousands benefiting from the latest software at fantastic prices. I have participated in all three and have found them to be well worth participating in. The next major ‘heist’ hasn’t been announced yet but there is what they are calling the ‘nanoBundle’.There are five apps available for free right now, with a sixth, Mariner Write becoming unlocked when 500,000 folk have participated. Currently 127,641 have so there is a way to go before the target is reached. If you haven’t participated yet there are only 5 days left so you had better get a move on!

So far, with over $19,665,800 saved it represents a great deal for anyone looking for great Mac apps at the lowest price possible (zero!). If they manage to reach their target of 500,000 then Mariner Write for zilch (instead of $50) makes the bundle represents a saving of almost $154 per bundle!

Included in the bundle are:

• Shovebox from Wnder Warp Software ($24.95) – handy utility for saving and organising bits of information.
• WriteRoom from Hog Bay Software ($24.95) – distraction free writing in a very elegant package.
• Twitterrific from Iconfactory – ad-free version of the popular app for all you Twitter addicts!
• TinyGrab from TinyGrab software – simple screenshot sharing via email, IM, Twitter, Facebook etc.
• Hordes of Orcs from Freeverse – a Tower Defense strategy game with six game variations.
• Mariner Write from Mariner Software ($49.95) – a fast word processor for everyone (unlocked when target of 500,000 reached).

You can participate at http://www.macheist.com/

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Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server.

Now there’s a special version of Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server preinstalled. It’s easy to set up and easy to run. Learn more

Apple has not let the mini wither and die on the vine, as some had anticipated so many times. Instead, it has just made it into a bigger and better product without radically changing the look and design.

It has bumped up the memory, given it a faster CPU and introduced a server version to boot!

Memory has been doubled to (up to 4GB), processor is now up to 2.66GHz and  Snow Leopard Server edition is now available for £799. For your money you get two 500GB hard drives (instead of one and a SuperDrive). Even better is that the Server Edition comes with an unlimited client version, making it excellent value. This means no additional fees, no matter how many clients you serve on your network.

At the same time, Apple hasn’t forgotten the need to be green and the new mini uses only 14 watts when its idle, better than any other desktop on the market. At a mere 6.5 inches square and 2 inches tall it remains as petite as ever, taking up less desktop space than any other pc.

When you consider that it also uses DDR3 memory (many pcs use DDR2 still) and that it comes with NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, its quite a little powerhouse. It includes 5 USB 2.0 and 1 Firewire 800 ports and even lets you connect two monitors (including a TV) via its mini-DVI and Mini Displayport connectors.

All-in-all Apple have certainly not left the mini to wither slowly and eventually die but have given it a new lease of life. If anyone thought that Apple was neglecting the Mac in favour of the iPhone then they need to think again. Together with the new iMacs, the re-vamped MacBook and the new Magic Mouse they have shown they are as committed as ever to the range.

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The new iMacs from Apple certainly look really cool! In particular, their displays look something special and the fact they use LED screens means they will be bright and energy-efficient, an all-important selling point in these days when everyone is trying to be more green (if only to ‘keep up with the Jones’).

The new HD resolutions are what one would expect in these days when everyone is getting ready (at least here in the UK) for the changeover from analogue to digital TV. The new feature, called ‘in-plane switching’ should mean that viewing angles are an improvement on the existing models. I have yet to see it in action myself, as Apple Stores are in short supply in this neck of the woods. I guess we can take Apple’s word for it though.

Like the unibody laptops that we are used to seeing from Apple these days, the aluminimum enclosure looks the part and looks less cluttered. The single lead certainly helps keep the clutter down.

Apple is not only proud of its green credentials, it likes to excel in other areas of design, one of them being noise. Accordingly, the new iMac makes only 18 decibels of noise when idle, barely a whisper!

Feature-wise, the new iMacs follow in the footsteps of the current laptop range, with SD slot, improved graphics and more RAM. However, the headline feature has to be the quad-core i5/i7 CPUs in the 27-inch model. This certainly makes the new top-end models very attractive, especially if you are upgrading from a G4 or G5 iMac (yes, some of us still run G4 macs!).

Here is a summary of the main features:

• Graphics: GeForce 9400M/ATI Radeon HD 4670 (21.5-inch) or ATI Radeon HD 4670/4850 (27-inch)
• Up to 16GB RAM
• Up to 2TB Hard drive
• Built-in Wi-Fi
• 16:9 aspect ratio screen (smae as HD TV)
• 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB shared L2 cache, or
• 3.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache (21.5-inch or 27-inch models)
• 2.66GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor with 8MB shared L3 cache; Turbo Boost dynamic performance up to 3.2GHz or 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with 8MB shared L3 cache; Turbo Boost dynamic performance up to 3.46GHz; Hyper-Threading for up to eight virtual cores (27-inch model only)

Prices: £949 to £1,599

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VMware are rivals of Parallel when itcomesto providing virtualisation software forrunning other OSes on your Mac. I tried out their early beta of Fusion but ended uppreferring Parallels offering. Thislatest update is no doubtan attempt to compete with Parallels Desktop verison 4.

Get the Best of Both Mac and PC Worlds
Seamlessly run your favorite Windows applications and devices, on any Intel-based Mac. Built from the ground up for the Mac, VMware Fusion is the easiest way to switch to Mac—letting you bring all of your Windows applications with you, making the most of your Windows software investment, while providing the perfect safety blanket for the switch.

Break Down the Walls Between Windows and Mac
With the powerful Unity feature, VMware Fusion seamlessly integrates your Windows applications with your Mac. Instantly launch Windows applications from any Mac file, the Dock, and more. Minimize Windows applications to the Dock and even quickly switch between Windows and Mac applications with Exposé.

Safest Way to Run Windows on the Mac
VMware Fusion makes your Windows-on-Mac experience the safest possible with a suite of features to keep Windows safe and sound. From automated, timed snapshots, to embedded antivirus and antispyware software, VMware Fusion keeps Windows on your Mac sparkling.

Mac-like and User Friendly
Built from the ground up for Mac users, with an obsessive eye towards being a “good Mac citizen” VMware Fusion is the easiest, most Mac-friendly way to run Windows on the Mac. A Mac-first user interface ensures that users get the features they expect, like customizable tool bars, searchable Apple help, Boot Camp support, dock notification integration, and more.

Power to Burn
Based on the most advanced virtualization engine the world has ever known, the result of more than a decade of development, VMware Fusion brings all the power of VMware’s enterprise-proven technology to the Mac.

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Te Apple TV is now officially “on sale” – yet yours now for a mere for £219.  Surprisingly to some, Apple is still making its TV streaming device. Today Apple revealed a price cut for its Apple TV media buyer/player appliance, making it “more affordable” – by taking the RRP down to a decent £219, and that’s including delivery from the Apple Store.

The Apple TV  media box lets you buy TV programs via iTunes and includes support for 802.11n wi-fi for streaming “content” direct to your HDTV from your PC or Mac. The standard  model now features a 160GB hard drive for storing your media on, handy for when  you want to use your Apple TV for 1080p media playback.  Still no news of a new portable Apple ‘tablet’ device…

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Along with the announcement of the new nano (with video), Apple released details of the updated iPod Touch range. There were no major changes to the spec (no video camera- probably to keep some distance between the Touch and the iPhone) but the 32GB and 64GB models have been tweaked to improve performance, with Apple quoting a 50% boost. The 8GB version remains the same spec wise but is now only £149. The 32GB version is £229 and the 64GB £299.

At the presentation today Phil Schiller made a few digs at Sony and Nintendo for their lack of game titles compared to Apple’s (607, 3,680 and 21,178 respectively). Certainly, the Touch now looks to be a great gaming platform with new titles coming out all the time.  One game that is sure to be popular is Assassins Creed. Lots of games companies are now vying to get a piece of the Apple pie, including Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Tapulous and Gameloft. All were at the event to show off their new games. Things can only get better!

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The new iPod nano now has video, a polished anodised aluminium finish and a larger screen. Also making its debut: FM radio with Live Pause. The new iPod nano now has a built-in video camera that lets you record fun as it happens. You can then share it with friends on the Internet by uploading to the likes of YouTube, Facebook, and of course, Apple’s own mobileme. Apple have decided to compete with all those neat little video cameras like the Flip and Mimo.

The video camera specs are as follows:

• H.264 VGA video, 640 by 480 pixels, up to 30 frames per second with AAC audio
• 15 real-time special effects: Sepia, Black and White, X-Ray, Film Grain, Thermal, Security Cam, Cyborg, Bulge, Kaleido, Motion Blur, Mirror, Light Tunnel, Dent, Stretch and Twirl

Not HD but the quality looks smooth and clean,at least in the sample videos.However, all of them are taken in bright sunny conditions so it will be interesting to see some taken in overcast conditions and inside. There is no flash so quality may be poorer in less than ideal conditions.

Other specs are:

Capacity

• 8GB or 16GB flash drive²
• Holds up to 2,000 or 4,000 songs in 128-Kbps AAC format³
• Holds up to 7,000 or 14,000 iPod-viewable photos⁴
• Holds up to 8 hours or 16 hours of video⁵
• Stores data via USB flash drive

Audio

• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
• Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV
• User-configurable maximum volume limit

Size and weight

Height:90.7 mm (3.6 inches)

Width:38.7 mm (1.5 inches)

Depth:6.2 mm (0.24 inch)

Weight:36.4 grams (1.28 ounces)

Display

• 2.2-inch (diagonal) TFT display
• 240-by-376-pixel resolution at 204 pixels per inch

UK prices are £115 for the 8GB model and £135 for the 16GB version.

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Image via CrunchBase

Apple announced a firmware update for some models of SuperDrives. This update will eliminate the noise made by the optical disk drive during system startup and wake from sleep on your Mac. This update works with the following EFI updates: iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.4 Mac mini EFI Firmware Update 1.2 To complete the firmware update process, please follow the instructions in the updater application (/Applications/Utilities/SuperDrive Update.app). The updater will launch automatically when the installation is complete. For detailed information about this update, please visit this website: About SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0.

link: SuperDrive Firmware Update 3.0

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