These days Logitech pretty much owns the webcam market save Apple’s iSight. We’ve previously written about their excellent webcams, and now they have an even better one out, the Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision.
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So my wife got a sweet new Macbook Pro, yes,, the REALLY new one.  My question to you, as a non-fruitputerist, (did I say that right?)  Is what to load, that’s actually useful for a regular human.

Keep in mind She (and occasionally I) will be using it for regular web based human uses (fun and work).  There will be no-database construction, web programming, flash programming, programming, or massive FTPing.  There will also be no in-depth registry editing, or macro creation either.  So what we’re looking for here is,, real software usable by real people (ok, and sometimes she sequences DNA (if you have any great tree/sequencing software, it’s be appreciated too!)). Read the rest of this entry »

Most people don’t even know that laptop screens, LCDs, and CRTs can be calibrated to get the best picture possible, and some that do know that just don’t care, but there are a few people out there that can really notice if the colors and contrast levels are off. For those types of people, getting a specialized device that’s only purpose is to calibrate your computer’s monitor seems like a great purchase.
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Ever talk yourself into a corner or been bogged down with technical problems during a presentation? Just remember that these problems can happen to anyone… even Steve Jobs.

Here’s a blooper reel of Steve Jobs and his gang over at Apple messing up on their very important Macworld keynotes. My favorite part is when Jobs tosses a camera to someone in the audience after it didn’t work for him on stage. Enjoy.

digg story | methodshop

Oops. According to a notice on Apple’s technical support site, 1% of Video iPods shipped after September 12 had a little present on their hard drives. It wasn’t something good, like free music or movies, but a computer virus called “RavMonE.exe” that spreads via removable media.

Apple’s response was the following: “As you might imagine, we are upset at Windows for not being more hardy against such viruses, and even more upset with ourselves for not catching it… So far we have seen less than 25 reports concerning this problem…. and all Video iPods now shipping are virus free.”

Mac users can breathe a sigh of relief, the “RavMonE.exe” virus only affects computers running Microsoft’s Windows operating system. If you are a PC user who recently purchased a Video iPod, you can detect and remove the virus using an anti-virus software program like Norton AntiVirus. You should also scan any mass storage devices that you have recently attached to your PC such as external hard drives, digital cameras with removable media, and USB flash drives.

Good luck.

digg story | methodshop

It’s official. Say hello to Chad and Steve, the worlds newest millionaires. Web-search giant Google has acquired YouTube for roughly $1.6 billion. The acquisition of YouTube makes Google the 500 gorilla of online video. And that’s a perfect place to be at a time when consumers are rapidly increasing the amount of time they spend viewing video clips online, and Internet video advertising is booming.

Thank goodness Rupert Murdoch didn’t buy YouTube.

youtube | digg story | methodshop

Have you ever wondered how it feels like to hold a Victoria’s Secret catalog in your hands which could interact with everyday household items like your notebook, home PC, as well as television? Wonder no more as the TouchBook brings TUI technology into lives worldwide with a reader that enables users to interact with the icons and words inside that subsequently retrieve digital content from another device. This means printed material can be turned into a remote control for digital content. Imagine clicking a product on the catalog, only to have it fire up the Web browser on your PC that brings you to the store’s online checkout counter with the item in mind already in the shopping cart.

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18 months ago, Symantec, makers of the popular program suite Norton Utilities, had a scary prediction for Mac users. Symantec claimed that the Mac OS was “increasingly becoming a target for the malicious activity that is more commonly associated with Microsoft.” That’s quite an ominous prediction from a company that claims to be the “global leader in information security” on their website.

A lot of people look to companies like Symantec for information and guidance and I’m sure many Mac users purchased Symantec anti spyware and virus protection software based on this prediction.

So during the last 18 months how much “malicious activity” was targeted towards the Mac OS? Ummm…… basically none. This week Symantec admitted that their prediction last year about increasing Mac-targeted spyware was just plain wrong. Oops.

In addition to admitting their mistake about the Mac OS this week, Symantec also published a new Internet Threat Report. So what does Symantec have to say about the Mac OS this time? Nothing… The Mac OS isn’t even mentioned in this years report. Why has Symantec gone silent when it comes to Apple? Munir Kotadia, a reporter for ZDNet Australia was wondering the same thing so he asked Symantec about the omission. It seems that Symantec hasn’t seen any new Mac-related threats this year and doesn’t want to cry wolf again. Good idea.

But just because there haven’t been any Mac-related threats in years doesn’t mean the Mac is totally safe from spyware and viruses. If you pay attention to the OS X Software Updates, you’ll notice that Apple releases new security updates every few months. So there are holes in the system but according to Kotadia, the Mac OS was “designed with security in mind, so vulnerabilities are very difficult to exploit and most require socially engineered user interaction.”

Besides a couple Trojan Horses, I can’t remember the last time I saw a Mac virus. When was the last Mac OS virus anyway? 1987?

methodshop | digg story | flickr