TekkieBob - All Things Tech!

Free until November 15! MacX Video Converter Pro - Convert HD Video SD Video for Mac OS X iPhone iPad iTunes

How a small manufacturer turned to the iPad | Business Center | iOS Central | Macworld Pretty interesting article. Having a manufacturing background, I can see where this would be a great addition. But, just like anything, it can be abused too. Good parameters of use and implementation, having been laid down and adhered to, can do much to boost productivity not only on the shop floor but also in engineering and the back office.

Want a white iPhone?  Seems Lucy pulled away the football! Good ol' Charlie Brown! Apple seems to have pulled the white iPhone from their store .  You could always paint your black phone!  (Tacky)

Enable Outline Mode in OS X's TextEdit : "If you want to quickly jot down a few notes for later reference, opening up Microsoft Office is kind of a pain. It turns out there's a secret outlining mode built right into TextEdit on the Mac. You probably wouldn't want to use it for more serious work, but having an easy, automatic outlining mode can be pretty handy for adding structure to your notes. In TextEdit, just hit Option Tab to turn any rich text file into an outline. It works just like Microsoft Word's outlining mode (or other similar office apps)—just hit enter to create a new bullet point with the same indent, and hit tab to indent the current point."

Style!! Google adds iPhone app search | TiPb : "Google has added iPhone app search to their mobile interface. Just tap “more” and the drop down menu now includes “iPhone apps”. A search will display apps with their icons, price, star rating, and part of a review. Tapping on one brings you to that app in the App Store. Basically, Google has provided an alternate way to search for iPhone apps – and it’s good."

Wonder what we may see... Apple holding "secret summit" with select iOS devs next week

Here's a refresher for Gmail users. If you are thinking about using Gmail, give this a read. Getting Started Guide

What is Apple planning for its 'Back to the Mac' event? | Operating Systems | MacUser | Macworld Any new version of OSX will probably have some form of multi-touch built in. Although it doesn't seem likely to me that we will see a iPad with OSX in it, there may be iMac-like product that has a bigger screen designed to be less portable. But this could, if implemented with X-code 4 or later, simplify iOS development. Testing could be done on a virtual iOS device on screen instead of having to load onto an actual device time and again. We'll see...

Smart ways to work with smart folders | Business Center | Working Mac | Macworld Great article about Smart Folders for OS X. Great way to keep organized. If you have that common "where-did-I-put-that-file?" syndrome, then this is a must read!

Vast Ice ‘Island’ Breaks Free of Greenland Glacier - Dot Earth Blog - NYTimes.com : "Vast Ice ‘Island’ Breaks Free of Greenland Glacier By ANDREW C. REVKIN NASA, via Jason Box, Ohio State University An enormous iceberg, really an ice “island,” broke away from Greenland’s Petermann Glacier this week. Greenland has for years been shedding ice faster than the rate at which accumulating snow adds to the overall bulk of its ice sheet. The calving of an enormous ice “island” from the �Petermann Glacier several days ago created a photogenic “moment” in a long-term process."

10 Google Services That Don’t Get the Limelight They Deserve : "10 Google Services That Don’t Get the Limelight They Deserve by Saikat Basu on Aug. 4th, 2010 It’s an irony that Google hides behind its simple page, a gargantuan network of subsidiary web services. The one textbox page of Google Search is like a little door that leads inside to a labyrinth. The way we navigate through Google could make it our Aladdin’s Cave or our personal la-la land."

Official Google Blog: Update on Google Wave

Google Maps Location Finder Pinpoints You in Chrome and Firefox

Official Google Blog: Introducing Google Places Use Google Places to put your business on the map!

Why Use a Contract? | Kuivanen Consulting – iBizGrow Blog

Mac Setups: Mac Mini with Dual Displays : " I’ve always been a fan of the Mac Mini, a powerful machine in truly tiny form factor. Here’s a particularly awesome Mac Mini setup, with dual displays being powered using both the Mini-DVI to DVI adapter and a Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter ports. I didn’t know you could drive dual monitors on a Mac Mini using that method, but here’s proof that you can! [ via Flickr ]

Drag-and-drop has been implemented into Gmail (Chrome for Windows and Mac) which allows you to drag a file from your computer and either attach it, or as in the case of images, paste into the body of your message. This feature works quite well and is handy.  Sure beats the add file > browse to file > upload file > attach file process we are all used to. Of course, if you use Gmail with Mail or other clients that support it, you have always been able to do this. A nice trick with Apple Mail: Find your file Drag it and drop it on your Mail icon on the dock Mail opens and creates a new message with your file attached ready to be addressed and sent!

Thoughts on Flash : "Most Flash websites will need to be rewritten to support touch-based devices. If developers need to rewrite their Flash websites, why not use modern technologies like HTML5,�CSS�and JavaScript? Even if iPhones, iPods and iPads ran Flash, it would not solve the problem that most Flash websites need to be rewritten to support touch-based devices." Interesting take! Adobe? Any android users out there with Flash find this to be an issue when viewing Flash based websites?

Official Google Blog: Connect with your "neigh"bors using Google Places : "As a local business owner, one of the things that sets you apart is your ability to make personal connections with your customers because of your passion for what you do. Letting people know who you are and what your business is about is a vital part of finding customers, building lasting relationships with them and helping your business succeed. Google Places helps business owners like you to manage your online presence and supplement your Place Page with all the information that helps people decide to visit you — from basics like hours of operation and address to helpful extras like videos, coupons and special announcements."

Please read: Keeping your Gmail account safe - Gmail Help These are some good reminders regarding security.

There is not currently a way to bounce an email address from Gmail itself.  There are Email clients (Such as Apple Mail) that have that option. Be aware, if you bounce and email from someone who KNOWS that you still have the address, that will not prevent them necessarily from sending you more messages.  It may even appear to be dishonest. A better solution would be to set up a filter with a 'canned response' that prevents you from seeing the message and lets the individual know that messages from them are unwelcome. Here are the steps:

Regarding the iPhone HD/iPhone 4G hardware specs | TiPb What would you like to see in the next iPhone?

How to get Internet Explorer for Mac - OS X Daily This is for web developers who wish to test their sites with IE. Astonishing how many still use IE for web browsing.

From the "You are what you eat" desk: Food Company Sells Ingredient After Salmonella Found | Chem.Info : "WASHINGTON (AP) -- The company responsible for a ballooning recall of processed foods continued to manufacture and distribute a flavor-enhancing ingredient for a month after tests confirmed it was made with contaminated equipment, according to a Food and Drug Administration report. FDA inspectors said the company, Las Vegas-based Basic Food Flavors Inc., knew of salmonella contamination on its equipment after it received the results of a private inspection on Jan. 21. They said the company continued to distribute the ingredient, called hydrolyzed vegetable protein, until Feb. 15."

Google Buzz now available on iPhone web app : " Filed under: Software , Internet , Internet Tools , iPhone Google revealed its new social communications feature Buzz yesterday while we were all traveling to Macworld, and the new service is now up and running in the Mobile Safari web app , as well as in your Gmail account everywhere else. The mobile app has all the features of the main service (it's kind of like a mix between Twitter and Google Wave, where you can post status updates and media in an ongoing conversation) with some interesting mobile features, including the option to see 'buzz' nearby while out and about, as well as comment on or 'like' other people's 'buzz.' The whole thing is still pretty new, and as you've probably seen around the rest of the 'net, there's lots and lots of people discussing how this might work alongside (or in spite of) Twitter and all of the other growing social networks out there. Time will tell whet...

UsabilityPost - On the iPad : "Another mistake people are making is assuming that the device was made for them. It probably wasn’t. Most people don’t know what a Web “browser” is, they think the little Internet Explorer icon on their desktop is the “Internet”. These people have a computer at home but they don’t really need most of it. They struggle with it to just do very basic tasks, like show the latest photos they took to their friends. This is the real mass market, and the iPad is an ideal device for them." What an excellent assessment! Very astute observation.

Apple iPad and iPhone 3.2 Preview

iClarified - Apple News - Don\'t Worry About the iPad\'s Micro-SIM, Just Trim Yours Down (Comments) Sounds like a great idea for an unlocked iPad!

Apple Lifts 3G VoIP Restrictions for iPhone Apps : "Apple has updated the iPhone developer SDK to allow VoIP over cellular networks." Anyone read "Google Voice" into this?

Access Google Voice from the iPhone via Safari : " Filed under: Software , Internet , Internet Tools , iPhone Earlier today, Google made a mobile web version of Google Voice available for the iPhone. To understand the significance of this move, here's a bit of back story. Apple pulled all Google Voice related apps from the App Store back in July , which led to an FCC inquiry , which led Apple to claim they had not rejected but were 'studying' Google Voice , which Google contradicted . The biggest surprise in the whole scenario is that AT&T said that they had no problem with Google Voice on the iPhone. Months later, there's still no official Google Voice app in the App Store. You can view the long version of the story here . The mobile web version announced today (iPhone 3.0 required), while not the first, utilizes HTML 5 to accomplish some new and impressive tasks. For example, it lets you display your Google Voice number on outgoing calls and provides easy ...

AppleInsider | Steve Jobs: Apple a $50B company, excited over 'major new product' So many rumors, so little proof. What will Wednesday bring?

AppleInsider | Offbeat: Steve Ballmer signs MacBook Pro - running Windows, of course : "Ballmer gained attention last September when a Microsoft employee at a private company meeting snapped a picture of him using an iPhone. Ballmer grabbed the phone and made lighthearted remarks while the onlooking audience booed. He then put the phone on the ground and pretended to stomp on it. After the incident, one Microsoft employee said of the situation: 'You just don't pick up the CEO of Chevy in a BMW.'" What a perhaps unwitting but good choice of car to use as an example. Cheap vs. High End.

Why does this matter to me? My fingers are a tad large so I need accuracy. I have never really had any issue with my iPhone. Anyone else? Droid doesn't. Have touchscreen accuracy, that is... : " Filed under: Hardware , iPhone Now there's a nicely-documented fact that you can throw back in the face of that annoying friend of yours who got a Verizon Droid and who keeps saying 'It's just like an iPhone!' According to a report cited on AppleInsider this morning, the touchscreen accuracy of the iPhone is much better than that of three Android phones: the Motorola Droid pushed by Verizon, the HTC Droid Eris, and the new Google Nexus One. Why is that important? Well, when you're trying to tap a link on a website, for example, chances are very good that you're going to be successful on the iPhone and not on the the Android phones. The tests, performed by MOTO Development Group (no relation to Motorola), measured touchscreen accuracy with a si...

Use mouseover highlights in Snow Leopard's Stacks | Mac OS X | Mac OS X Hints | Macworld : "To use mouseover highlights on an as-needed basis, you just need to change how you activate your Stacks. Instead of clicking on your Stack and then immediately moving the mouse into the Stack area, click-and-hold on the Stack icon until your Stack appears. Now when you move into the (grid or fan view) Stack, you’ll see a mouseover highlight effect (a blue background in fan view; a silver one in grid view)."

Lifehacker reports: WineBottler Turns Windows Programs into Standalone OS X Applications : " Mac only: Wine has always been popular among Linux users for running Windows programs, but Wine is available for Mac, too—and now, free utility WineBottler can "bottle" Windows programs into separate application bundles that run as standalone Mac apps. To use WineBottler, just download a Windows EXE, then drag and drop it onto the WineBottler app. You can install them in a fake C: drive located by default in your home folder, just as you would on Linux, and run them from there easily. However, if you want to create a standalone application bundle (so that you can give a Windows program to a fellow Mac user, for example), WineBottler will create a separate bundle with Wine included inside, so your friend doesn't have to have Wine installed—the app acts just like any other OS X app. Note that just like in Linux, not all Windows programs work in Wine—so you'll have to see fo...