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Apple GameTap 'Lite' launches June 28, Intel Macs only
Just a few scant weeks after revealing to Joystiq their plans to release a Mac client, GameTap has outlined the details of its branching service, which will debut with the free ad-supported "Lite" model for Apple users on June 28th. Like its PC counterpart, GameTap's Mac Lite client will feature a rotating selection of 30-40 games, but will not support newer Windows-based offerings like Tomb Raider: Legend. The "Deluxe" pay-to-play service will follow later in the summer, with a goal to provide a catalog of nearly 500 titles, including Saturn and Dreamcast games -- but again, Windows titles are out; so no episodic originals like Sam & Max or American McGee's upcoming Grimm. The Deluxe client will also support online multiplayer modes featured in GameTap's "Challenge" games category.Like Myst Online: URU Live and EA's forthcoming Mac lineup, GameTap for OS X will utilize Cider emulation technology, which is only compatible with Intel-based Macs. Cider will support cross-platform competition, allowing Mac and PC players to face off in Challenge games. Which will prevail: the one-button mouse or two?
EA employs Cider to bring games to Mac OS X
All of those "games" that Electronic Arts pledged to bring to the Mac? Well, they're not doing it alone, they've got some help. Transgaming, the folks behind the Cider portability engine, are going to do it for them just like they did with GameTap's Myst Online: URU Live. As Apple's marketshare (or, more importantly, mindshare) grows, giant publishers like EA will naturally see business opportunities there. Cider allows the financial feasibility of supporting a niche platform not geared towards gaming.There are some downsides of course. While Transgaming insists their software wrapper offers little to no slow-down, the reality is that there's still some translation happening. But if you can't notice it, no big deal right? Well, if you're running a PowerPC Mac, you won't be able to notice it at all since you won't be able to run these games. Part of Cider's magic comes from the software's Intel Mac requirement, so if you're running a machine more than a couple years old, you won't be eligible. But that's par for the course for PC gaming and just another way Mac gaming is growing up. [Via TUAW]
Front Row reworked to resemble Apple TV
One of the 300 new Leopard features that Steve didn't mention is an updated version of Front Row. Specifically, the UI has been rebuilt to look just like that of the Apple TV, so there no more need to install your own skin. From the limited copy on the webpage, we can assume that the functionality is the same, and only the look as changed. Perhaps this is just an extension of Leopard's new unified look.Thanks, to everyone who sent this in!
Apple's Mac OS X Leopard fully unveiled
No matter what rampant rumors have been tossed around, we always knew there was going to be one main attraction to WWDC 2007: a feature-complete version of Leopard. Steve Jobs and co. didn't disappoint, announcing 10 of the "300 new features of the OS."1. New Desktop - First off is the new desktop, featuring a new menu bar, a snazzed up dock and "Stacks" to help you keep your desktop clean. For instance, there's a default Stack that collects all your downloads in one place on the dock. 2. New Finder - More on the aesthetics side, Apple is going with a unified look for apps, which nixes the brushed metal style and instead mimics the current iTunes theme -- surprise, surprise. In fact, the new Finder looks and performs almost exactly like iTunes, all the way down to integrated Cover Flow for shuffling through your files. You can also save smart searches in the "playlists" side of the interface. On the back end of things, Leopard includes "Back to my Mac," which keeps track of your home Mac's IP address through various (and secure!) magicks, letting you browse your files remotely as if they were on a local network. Spotlight search also works over networks now, as expected.3. Quick Look - Another new Finder integrated function, Quick Look lets you open up previews of most common document types without opening the respective app, and unsupported doc types can be added through extensions.Keep reading for the rest!
Parallels 3.0 brings 3D PC games inside Mac OS X
With Apple's transition to Intel hardware came the promise of playing PC games on your Mac. Some months later, with the introduction of Boot Camp, that promise became a reality. And now, with the launch of Parallels 3.0, you don't even need to leave Mac OS X and boot into Windows to play your Windows games. The popular virtualization app has just released version 3.0 (has it been that long already?) and the killer new feature is: 3D graphics (with OpenGL and DirectX -- XP now, Vista later) support. Parallels 3.0 currently retails for $80 ($50 if you're upgrading), or you can register and receive a 15-day trial key. Peep Quake 4 played inside Mac OS after the break.[Via TUAW]
"30 Days with Mac OS X"
Bryan Boyko spent 30 days using Intel Macs running OS X, which he found to be well designed but not worth the price in the end. Unfortunately, he started by testing a Mac Mini with only 512M RAM rather than a better equipped unit and ran into a lot of swapping slow-downs. The inability of the OS X hardware to run all his Windows peripherals and the minimal support for X11 also disappointed. Further, he was unhappy with the lack of quality freeware (italics are his). New Mac users, he writes will probably have to shell out for Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop--NeoOffice and OpenOffice didn't offer the full functionality he needed. It's always easy to second-guess unhappy switcher reviews though in this case Boyko did a pretty thorough job, which he documents in his 11-page review.
360's Guitar Hero II axe working in OS X, Frets on Fire
Though we managed to get Guitar Hero II's USB-enabled X-plorer controller working with Windows XP, we couldn't manage to get it rocking with Mac OS X. Lucky for us, our friends at TUAW wouldn't take no for an answer. They emailed the developer of the open source Xbox 360 controller driver for Mac OS X who was able to implement support for the X-plorer controller in the latest revision, version 0.05 released over the weekend. Of course, the first thing to test out? Frets on Fire which, they happily report, works great with the X-plorer. The best part: the white guitar no doubt matches your shiny white Mac. Now get some white leather pants, and you're in business.[Via TUAW]
Mac OS X homebrew on Xbox 360? Not likely.
A very dubious looking video of an Xbox 360 running Mac OS X has popped up on YouTube. Despite the recent revelations regarding unsigned code on the 360, the combination of the low resolution video, some strange background noise, and the out of shot mouse -- nevermind the anonymous submitter and complete lack of explanation -- means that we're not willing to accept that OS X is truly working on the Xbox just yet. The video itself shows an Xbox 360 booting into black screen with a stream of command line text, followed by an OS X desktop, and the submitter plugging in an external flash drive into the front USB port. He or she then yanks the drive, and the usual warning about unplugging devices without dismounting them appears in a timely fashion. Hardly evidence that would stand up in the court of Mac geekery, but that said, previous teasers have hinted at OS X running on the Xbox 360: even if this particular example isn't real, it can only be a matter of time before someone else comes out with a similar hack, and some clearer proof to go with it.[Thanks, Paul]
Apple's Leopard delayed to October, iPhone blamed
Sad news, kids: Apple is pushing back its Mac OS X Leopard release date from WWDC in June (now they tell us!) to October. Apple is blaming it all on the iPhone, saying that "iPhone contains the most sophisticated software ever shipped on a mobile device, and finishing it on time has not come without a price -- we had to borrow some key software engineering and QA resources from our Mac OS X team." Apple will still be showing up at WWDC with a beta version to hand out to developers, since apparently the OS will be feature-complete by then, just not bug-free. We suppose we should be grateful to Apple for being cautious and avoiding the various and often severe quality assurance issues that has plagued it recently, but this whole passing the buck thing is little lame. "Life often presents tradeoffs," says Apple, "and in this case we're sure we've made the right ones." Thanks for that little nugget of wisdom, now get back to work![Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Missing Sync goes gold for BlackBerry
Hear ye, hear ye, Mac faithful: your definitive BlackBerry solution has arrived. Mark/Space has just completed its beta cycle for Missing Sync's BlackBerry variant and it's available to buy. Besides the obvious sync capabilities, the product adds a couple nifty features like iTunes synchronization and charging via USB (nice). Get it for $40 now -- or, if you're migrating from another Missing Sync version and tossing that Windows Mobile device, just $20.[Via TUAW]
Apple refutes "late Leopard" rumors
The release date of Mac OS X Leopard is the subject of more speculation yet again, with a source at Apple telling Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg that the OS is still planned for a Spring release. That's in response to an earlier rumor from the endemically unreliable DigiTimes which suggested that the release might be delayed until October. Earlier we heard that Leopard might make be released as early as this month, although it appears as if the Apple source wasn't directly responding to this suggestion. Either way, we're back to square one: no information apart from Apple's original announcement that it'll be out in sometime in the next few months. Exactly when is anyone's guess, and one that unfortunately can't be predicted using the usually infallible Apple rumor generator.[Via digg]
Mac OS X Leopard pushed back for Vista support?
Given that the last Leopard rumor we heard was that it'd actually be shipping early (like, this month), we're not sure how much stock should be put in this latest one, but according to DigiTimes, the word from "industry sources" is that the OS has now been postponed, all the way 'till October. Supposedly, the delay is necessary in order to add support for Vista to the integrated version of Boot Camp, which those same sources say Apple wants so it can increase its chances of grabbing more of that coveted PC market share. While we can't say if that's true or not, we are fairly confident that this won't be the last Leopard rumor we hear before its release, whenever that may be.
ThinkSecret posts Leopard Gallery
Our friends at ThinkSecret are at it again, posting images that will raise Apple's ire. This time, it's screenshots from Mac OS 10.5 (build 9A343, to be exact). They note that window resizing is now instantaneous and fluid, without that brief delay that some 10.4 users experience. Also noteworthy is the new "security" screensaver. When the machine detects movement, it displays images (presumably from the built-in iSight) with a real "security camera" feel. Pretty cool.We can't verify any of these images, of course, so keep that in mind while poking around the gallery. ThinkSecret is tagging the end of March as a release date.
SageTV Placeshifter now available for the Mac
We knew it was coming, we knew it was soon, and now it's here: you can finally get the SageTV Placeshifter for your Mac. Not quite as early or exciting as we expected, but better late than never, and there's no better time than the present to start placeshifting your media to wow your friends and / or mother. Remember, you'll still need a Windows or Linux box running the full-blown SageTV app to actually do the shifting, and that'll cost you $99 and includes one placeshifting license. You can pick up another for $30. As always, we recommend such gifts on February 14th only when accompanied by the traditional flowers / candy / bears standbys -- let's stay safe out there!
VMWare video hints at full DirectX virtualization in OS X
Mac users, listen up: a video has appeared on YouTube that shows an internal beta version of VMWare running Windows games at full speed from within Mac OS X. Accompanying this intriguing video is a blog post from Regis Duchesne, a developer at VMWare, who confirms that there are internal beta builds of the program that support DirectX 8.1 virtualization. Regis notes that VMWare is currently working on DirectX 9 support and therefore, compatibility with Windows Vista's Aero interface technology. As nice as compatibility with Aero sounds, the main appeal for the first version of VMWare to support DirectX will be convenience: instead of having to boot into a Windows XP partition or deal with other flakier programs, Mac users will be able to run Windows games at full speed from within Mac OS X. Since VMWare's primary competitor -- Parallels -- has also promised to implement DirectX virtualization into Parallels Desktop, it's still up in the air as to which company will be the first to include this feature in a retail offering. So, PC gaming fanboys, what are you going to do all day now that your favorite phrase -- "Mac gaming is an oxymoron" -- doesn't cut it on the Mac gaming forums anymore?[Via TUAW]
Parallels Desktop for Mac beta build hits Release Candidate 2
It's a sign of the times that only a few days after the consumer release of Windows Vista we're able to talk about a new version of Parallels Desktop that, amongst other new features, improves the experience of running Microsoft's OS on a Mac. This latest beta build (3150, up from the previously released 3036) adds some pretty essential features like full USB 2.0 support, full support for CD and DVD burning within virtual machines, support for conversion of VMware and Virtual PC virtual hard disks to Parallels, true drag and drop functionality, and a new look and feel that meshes more effectively with OS X. On top of these changes, Parallels has improved the Coherence mode (which allows you to run Windows within OS X without switching desktops) so that you can use the dock icon as a start menu, and the use of a Boot Camp partition as a virtual machine. That's a whole lot of improvements for a beta upgrade -- which will currently only accept U.S. serial numbers: live anywhere else and you have to slum it with the 30 day free trial -- although one demographic still won't be happy. Full support for DirectX still hasn't been implemented, so any gamers hoping to ditch that gaming PC (or merely an annoying reboot) will have to continue waiting for the release that does. For all the people out there who like to get things done with their computer, the 40MB download is free, so what are you waiting for?[Thanks, Chuwy]
Wii Transfer for Mac OS turns your Wii into a media center, but not really
Though the Wii doesn't pack the same multimedia functions as the Xbox 360 or the (soon to be enhanced) PlayStation 3, it does support video playback. It's not high-def and it doesn't stream it off your network -- this functionality is more for watching those low-res digital camera movies you've got lying around. That's not to say you can't use the newly upgraded Wii Transfer for Mac OS X to turn those downloaded videos (just podcasts, right?) into Wii-friendly formats. The creator reports successfully watching a 30-minute video despite reports of a 15 minute limitation.Not just that! The $9 app has added the ability to stream MP3s and photos to the Wii using the (still in beta) Internet Channel, even displaying iTunes' cover art. Now all the Wii fans can claim they've got a multimedia console too ... we'll just forget about the whole DVD thing for now.[Via TUAW]
MIT writer says Vista drove her to Mac
There's a tiny thrill when you hear about the "Macpiphany" moment from a long-time Windows user; that cognitive gear shift where suddenly, out of the blue, they get it. Erica Jonietz, writing for MIT's Technology Review magazine, had her moment while doing something that, for a self-confessed 20-year "Microsoft apologist... not just a fan, but a champion," should have been a big Windows shiver of delight: reviewing Windows Vista. Instead, the anticipation turned sour, and a light began to dawn... as she puts it:Ironically, playing around with Vista for more than a month has done what years of experience and exhortations from Mac-loving friends could not: it has converted me into a Mac fan.Ouch. Hey, if it's good enough for Jim Allchin... Although Jonietz was reviewing Vista RC1, most of her criticisms stick with the release, and her feelings for Mac OS X are undiluted. Check out the complete article for a sincere and thoughtful take on Redmond bloatware versus Cupertino cool.[via Apple Hot News]
WoW + Wii = WiiCraft
Now this is interesting. Take your Nintendo Wii remote, hook it up to your mac via a free program called DarwiinRemote, and run World of Warcraft. If you're wishing for Warcraft on the Wii, you've... kind of... got it. He says you can also do this with a free Windows program (that should be Wiindows, actually), but as he shows, I still think it's more of a novelty than an actual control scheme-- he doesn't answer the question of how to actually talk to anyone, and I doubt that by moving the little remote to click all your spells that you can actually get anything done quickly, but for grinding it might be OK. But even as a novelty, it's a pretty nice, extremely easy little hack. Nice job, Wiicast guy.[ His name, we believe, is Pooch. Thanks, Pooch! ]
Use the Wii-mote in Mac OS X with DarwiinRemote
We've got no data to back up this claim, but we're going to guess that the majority of Wii owners are also Mac owners. Yeah, yeah, yeah, this flies directly in the face of statistics -- like a pile of bugs (no Windows pun intended) smashing into the aerodynamically ineffective windshield of common sense. But think about it. Elegant, white devices with nonsensical names ... it's a no-brainer. How else do we know? Both come with Bluetooth built-in. So, while Windows users are busy trying to figure out if their beige box supports Bluetooth, Mac users can get busy and download DarwiinRemote to control their Wii-Motes in Mac OS X.[Via TUAW]
