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DigitalFriedChicken has released CookWare Deluxe 3.2, an update to the recipe collection and organization software that adds a calendar to help plan meals. The application automatically formats recipes as they are entered, creates custom printing templates, enables users to assign multiple categories to recipes, and supports saving searches as well as menus. The software is priced at $36, and requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later.The latest release features an editable market list that is sortable by store, as well as the ability to link recipes together that complement or require one another. CookWare Deluxe 3.2 also allows users to create a cookbook from selected recipes with one click, and provides five print formats with unlimited custom formats for creating a physical copy of recipes. CookWare Deluxe 3.2 allows users to print a single recipe, a menu, an index, or recipes that fit in a three-ring binder. The application supports exporting single or multiple recipes in three formats, and can create recipes, market lists, or cookbooks that are viewable on Apple’s iPod on-the-go.

source: macnn.com

The MacBook Air should finally go on retail sale Wednesday, possibly as soon as Tuesday, reports claim. While the sub-notebook was announced on January 15th by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, it has only so far been available for online pre-order, reflecting Jobs’ statement that it would only begin shipping in two weeks. Apple’s retail stores are said to be putting up banners and other displays today though, and Genius Bar employees should begin training on Tuesday.Frustrating to some prospective buyers may be indications that the Air arrived in stock on Friday or Saturday, but has been kept off shelves in order to follow Jobs’ marketing plan. Retail stores do, however, often need at least one extra day to prepare for a major launch. Apple has in some cases spent several days readying for new products, most notably the iPhone.

source: macnn.com

Netflix hopes that changes in two formats will prove to be catalysts for its business in 2008, the company said late yesterday in its quarterly results call. Following a year in which the company profited by 97 cents per share and added 1.2 million subscribers, the rental firm says it intends to offer a Mac version of its web-based Watch Instantly feature sometime this year. Though it did not say how it would reach this goal, the company explained that the move would reflect a larger trend towards web video in general by expanding the available audience.”Web-based video viewing is becoming mainstream, as a wide range of content companies make their content easily accessible on the web,” said company chief Reed Hastings. However, Hastings added that a lack of Mac-native digital rights management (DRM) remains a significant “hold-back” for the move. To date, the only widely used DRM format for the Mac has been Apple’s own FairPlay system, which has not been licensed to any third parties. This has so far limited the Netflix service to Windows alone, where the company uses the protected form of Microsoft’s Windows Media to prevent users from ripping permanent copies of streamed videos. An OS-independent copy protection system named Marlin is expected to debut with the beta of Pioneer’s SyncTV service but has not been announced for use outside of other major projects.

Additionally, the movie house also said it should benefit from Warner’s switch to Blu-ray for movies. By consolidating towards one HD movie disc format, subscribers are more likely to buy the relevant movie players and therefore rent Blu-ray titles. This may accelerate further if Blu-ray players crack the $200 mark currently reserved for low-end HD DVD players or if Paramount and Universal decide to sell Blu-ray movies, effectively ending the HD format conflict altogether.

The Netflix executive also dismissed efforts by others to join the Internet video on demand industry with Apple’s iTunes rentals and similar offerings, noting that many of these services are limited by when and where they can be viewed and are dependent on the Internet, potentially causing problems in a very young industry. “You only have 24 hours in which to complete watching the movie [on iTunes], so if you watch over two nights, you pay twice,” Hastings said. “DVD rentals advantages over VoD are ubiquity of content, ubiquity of DVD players, an early window for new releases, and lower prices.” The senior official acknowledged that there will be a switch to online distribution “at some point” but considered the Watch Instantly feature an investment in the future rather than a complete business model, as with Apple’s service or on-demand viewing from many cable TV providers.

source: macnn.com

The MacBook Air’s special processor is not the only example of the ultraportable veering away from Intel’s reference designs, Electronista has discovered. People familiar with the internal design of the system have explained that the external Superdrive DVD burner available for the notebook should only be recognized by the Air rather than any computer due to custom requirements from both the subnotebook and its peripheral.While external optical drives have existed that rely on the USB port alone, the particular power demands of the Apple-made drive should prevent it being used elsewhere; the sole USB port has been boosted past its specifications to supply enough power to use the drive with just the data cable rather than a direct power connection, say contacts. The computer’s port should allow other optical drives, the design choice essentially limits the $99 add-on drive to the Air alone. No external AC power connector exists on the external burner to support systems that more closely follow Intel’s official power requirements.

source: electronista.com

Apple stock should still be rated a “buy,” despite its recent stock slide, say Gene Munster and Michael Olson from the research firm Piper Jaffray. The analysts first deconstruct the reasons for the drop: foremost may be Apple’s guidance for the March quarter, which has an EPS 15 percent below expectations from The Street, at $0.94, but with revenue only 2 percent lower, at $6.8 billion. Year-over-year iPod growth was also only 5 percent in the December quarter, versus 50 percent in the same period of 2006. Finally, the state of the economy may be deterring even wealthier people from buying expensive electronics.The depressed state of Apple represents a buying opportunity however, according to Munster and Olson. They suggest that the investor panic is an overreaction, in part because Mac sales are continuing to grow; December-quarter market share was in fact 3 percent higher in 2007 over 2006, the largest Mac share increase in at least seven quarters. Valuation of Apple stock, meanwhile, is currently at 25x NTM EPS, whereas the two-year low is 24x, and the two-year average is 31x. The 2.3 million Macs sold last quarter is further said to be a 7 percent sequential growth, instead of what could have been a flat figure for the past two years. Slowing iPod sales are said to be a serious concern, but Apple claims that the iPod touch is just the beginning of a Wi-Fi mobile platform, and so there is still plenty of economic potential.

source: ipodnn.com

The next update for Mac OS X may be one of the largest Apple has ever released, accounts say. During last week’s Macworld event, it is said that a new build of Mac OS X 10.5.2 was circulated amongst developers, under the version name 9C16. Aside from adding support for Remote Disks (for the MacBook Air) and using networked volumes as Time Machine devices (required for the Time Capsule), it reportedly addresses issues with almost 40 OS components, including AirPort, firewalls, Dashboard widgets, Finder, the Dock, iCal, iChat, Mail and Safari.Some 100 issues are said to have been addressed in total; the latest build alone includes 20 fixes, to problems such as DVD playback and secondary displays, Time Machine and resumed backups, and multiple PDF-related complications. The size of the complete v10.5.2 update could be in excess of 400MB, although users who already have v10.5.1 may have less to download. Two bugs are claimed to be outstanding in the new release, connected to hangs when scrolling through PDF files, and updating default locations under Applications. These may be resolved by the time v10.5.2 is distributed to the public.

source: macnn.com

Two new cases have already been announced for Apple’s yet-to-be-released MacBook Air. The first of these is the AirMail, which takes a cue from Apple’s marketing and is designed to resemble a manila envelope, complete with brown-hued “paper” and a red seal. The case is actually handmade out of vinyl, with a thick fleece liner. It is said to protect against smudges, scratches and light bumps, but not any harsh impacts. It should ship for $30 within two weeks, the same timeframe as the Air itself.

The second case is WaterField’s new version of the SleeveCase, a more general design usually meant for many different notebooks. The case is made of a nylon exterior and a neoprene interior, and can be customized with a vertical or horizontal orientation, a strap, a front flap, and/or a detachable accessory holder. The new MacBook Air size (13-2) can be pre-ordered for prices starting at $40, but will only ship sometime before January 25th.

source: macnn.com

iSkin’s presence at Macworld is being used to demonstrate four new pieces of protective gear. The first of these is the ProTouch, a skin for Apple’s thin aluminum keyboard. The ProTouch is primarily made out of silicone, but uses Microban antimicrobial material to prevent the spread of disease. When the skin does need to be cleaned, it can be quickly removed and manually washed and dried. The skin is already available for $25, in blue, black, pink and frosted colors. Currently without a price or release date are iSkin’s Redline notebook bags, each made of a single piece of cow leather with a minimal number of seams. Handles and straps are stitched into the base of the bags, and the findings are built of solid metal alloys. Microfiber used as liner is said to prevent any scratching.

For iPods the company has released the eVo3 classic, an iPod classic version of its long-standing case series. The new case comes in black and translucent frost colors, and in each instance features anti-dust protection, a textured grip, and an extra resin shield to guard the screen and front panel. A rotating belt clip allows vertical and horizontal orientations. Pricing is $35. The company’s next iPhone case will be the Fuze, a model with a polycarbonate exterior and a softer shock-absorbing interior. All ports and antennas are by default exposed, but for extra protection, the docking connector can be sealed with a flexible cover. The case can additionally be used with the revoClip, although this is a separate purchase. The Fuze should ship in the second quarter of the year.

source: ipodnn.com

Apple’s not only pushed the envelope with the industrial design of the MacBook Air, but also pushed Intel to deliver some advanced CPU technology, according to a new report. Rather than use Intel’s newly introduced 45-nm Penryn mobile chips, the company used a modified version of current 65nm mobile chips with smaller packaging. According to Anandtech, the new MacBook Air uses a specialized version of Intel’s Merom-based Core 2 Duo chip, the same chip used in Apple’s other laptops (and from other PC vendors); however, it appears that the chip is actually uses technology originally slated to ship with its next-generation Montevina platform later this year. According to the report, the CPU comes in a package that was originally reserved for mobile Penryn due out in the second half of 2008 — using the Montevina SFF Centrino platform. Intel apparently accelerated the introduction of the packaging technology specifically for Apple, the report says.

While Intel was initially coy about the technology, a follow-up email from the company notes that the MacBook Air chip is not a low-voltage chip, but a specially made version of its standard Core 2 Duo. “The MacBook Air uses the Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and Intel 965GMS chipset with integrated Gfx using a new miniaturized package technology,” Intel explained. “This new CPU and chipset allows for approximately 60 percent reduction in total footprint. The Core 2 Duo Processor TDP is 20 watts. The Macbook Air is using existing Core 2 Duo technology with a lower voltage spec in a new miniaturized packaging design. It is not a ULV processor.” Thus the CPU and chipset are both using advanced packaging technology for a smaller footprint, while still using the current generation mobile Core 2 Duo chips (perhaps to save costs associated with the newer Penryn chips). Anandtech notes that the 1.6GHz chip in the MacBook Air runs at 1.0V - 1.25V, while the 1.8GHz version runs at 1.1125V - 1.25V — both less than the standard mobile Core 2 Duo, but more voltage than the Low Voltage chips. “The TDP of these not-quite-low-voltage Core 2s reflects the increased voltage,” Anandtech writes. “While the L7700 and L7500 have a 17W TDP, the chips used in the MacBook Air are rated at 20W.” Standard mobile Core 2 Duo chips are 35W parts.

While it’s unclear why Apple’s chose a modified version of the Merom Core 2 Duo chip rather than standard low-voltage parts, the report says the that an avoidable side-effect may be a hotter notebook. “The bigger concern however has nothing to do with packaging technology or operating voltages, but overall thermals. The MacBook Pro runs very hot and while the 20W TDP of the MacBook Air is significantly lower than the 35W TDP of the Pro, it’s high for such a small chassis,” the site notes. “We won’t know for sure how hot the Air will get until it’s in our hands but the SSD route seems like an even better bet now that we know a little more about what we’re dealing with. Cutting down heat in that thin chassis will be very important, and moving to solid state storage is the only real option you have there.”

source: macnn.com

Tom Bihn on Wednesday introduced the first laptop case for Apple’s MacBook Air. The popular laptop case manufacturer introduced the Brain Cell Size 6X, a new version of its Brain Cell laptop case designed specifically for Apple’s newest notebook. The Tom Bihn Brain Cell laptop case offers advanced protection and is designed to clip securely inside a wide variety of Tom Bihn messenger bags, briefcases, and backpacks — bags including the Empire Builder, Super Ego, ID, Ego, and Zephyr. Among the protective materials that make the Brain Cell are 8mm thick soft foam padding, 4mm hard corrugated plastic, cross-linked closed-cell polyethylene foam, and 12mm thick premium memory foam. The Brain Cell Size 6X will be available for $60 and is expected to ship in late February.

source: macnn.com