Time Machine offers a no-click backup solution

Long an advocate for backing up the data on your Mac, Glenn Fleishman (seattletimes.com) believes he’s finally found the “no-fuss backup system.” It arrived with Time Machine. Part of Mac OS X Leopard, Time Machine “lets you back up your Macintosh with the least fuss combined with [the] greatest access of any archiving system I’ve ever used.” [Mar 03, 2008]

Quick Tip of the Week: Open all my PDFs in Preview

You may already know that your Mac can open some documents — PDFs, RAW photos, Excel spreadsheets, text files — in a variety of applications. But did you know that you can tell Mac OS X that you’d prefer to open all Excel documents in Numbers, all text files in Pages, or all PDF documents in Preview? Find out how by watching the latest Quick Tip of the Week. [Mar 03, 2008]

Macworld’s advice: Use Safari

In his review of Safari 3, Jason Cranford Teague (macworld.com) awards the “solid, streamlined browser” 4.5 (out of five) stars, and he offers this recommendation: “Mac users who need a streamlined Web browser for simply browsing the Web should use Safari 3. (So should their Windows counterparts, since Safari runs on both platforms.) Safari has all of the features that most Web surfers will ever need, it’s extremely fast, and it integrates seamlessly with other Mac applications.” [Mar 03, 2008]

Apple leads Fortune list of “Top 20 Most Admired Companies”

Fortune surveyed “more than 3,700 people from dozens of industries” to assemble its list of America’s Most Admired Companies [of] 2008. “This year’s winners all have strong records of innovation, leadership, and financial strength,” and Apple leads the 20 selected companies and also ranks number one in computers. [Mar 03, 2008]

Pro Tip of the Week: Take a Quick Look

With Quick Look — just one of the great new features in Mac OS X Leopard — you can get a sneak peek at the contents of a document without opening it. A single click lets you watch a video, peruse a multi-page PDF, scan a folder of photos, or enjoy an entire Keynote presentation without launching any applications. How can you take advantage of Quick Look? Find out in the latest Pro Tip of the Week. [Feb 29, 2008]

Aperture 2 “amenable to amateurs and pros”

Ian Austen (nytimes.com) takes a look at Aperture 2 and finds that it “offers a more accessible, streamlined facade and makes it easier to handle photos in full-screen mode. It is also much faster.” [Feb 28, 2008]

Quick Tip of the Week: A reminder about To Do’s

Spend lots of time in email? Then wouldn’t it be great if you had a quick and easy way to create a convenient To-Do list when you get a message about something you need, well, to do? In Leopard Mail, you’re just a right-click away from creating a new item for your To-Do list. Find out how in the latest Quick Tip of the Week. [Feb 28, 2008]

Now shipping: Time Capsule

Time Capsule, the wireless hard drive you can use to back up multiple Mac computers using Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard, has begun shipping. “Notifications of the shipments began reaching customers that pre-ordered the device early this morning,” according to Jim Dalrymple (macworld.com). [Feb 28, 2008]

The role played by Final Cut Studio in No Country for Old Men

In the making of No Country for Old Men, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen prove “just how influential a Mac and the right software can be,” writes Jim Dalrymple (macworld.com). “The movie won four Oscars at this year’s Academy Awards, including Best Picture. In fact, it is the first movie edited with a completely digital workflow on Mac to win the Oscar. ‘They [Apple] made it really easy for us — we cut now much the same way we cut on film [using Final Cut Pro]. It’s hugely faster,’ said Ethan Coen.” [Feb 27, 2008]

“I adore the Apple TV”

After all, as Julio Ojeda-Zapata (twincities.com) explains, “Apple TV is a joy to use.” And it proved “a godsend for one of my family’s recent movie nights” when frigid temperatures precluded a trip to a video store. He downloaded Disney’s The Game Plan, and the movie “was ready for watching soon after the download initiated. Viewing was flawless; ditto for Garfield, another family-night rental.” What’s more, “movie rentals sound superb on the Apple TV, as well, now that it has support for Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.” [Feb 27, 2008]

Celebrating No Country for Old Men

The film No Country for Old Men won four Oscars at this year’s Academy Awards, including Best Picture.  Find out more about the making of the film by listening to a podcast recorded during last year’s Tribeca Film Festival. In the podcast, director Barry Sonnenfeld chats with Joel Coen and Ethan Coen about their filmmaking experiences in general and their use of Final Cut Studio to edit No Country for Old Men. Enjoy. [Feb 26, 2008]

Renting movies — and more — on Apple TV “incredibly simple”

Before this year’s Oscars, Larry Magid (cbsnews.com) realized that he hadn’t seen a number of the nominated movies. Last year that might have meant a trip to the video store. “But this year, we got to watch our rented nominated films in our living room on our high definition set thanks to Apple’s newly enhanced Apple TV.” And, Magid notes, “you don’t have to use your computer to buy or rent movies, music or download free podcasts to your TV. You can do it from the comfort of your easy chair using only the small Apple remote control. The process is incredibly simple.” [Feb 26, 2008]

iTunes Now Number Two Music Retailer in the US

Apple today announced that iTunes is now the number two music retailer in the US, trailing only Wal-Mart.* The iTunes Store — now with over 50 million customers — has sold over four billion songs. In fact, it sold an incredible 20 million songs on Christmas Day 2007 alone. And with over six million songs from all of the major and thousands of independent labels, it offers the world’s largest music catalog.

* Based on the latest data from the NPD Group. [Feb 26, 2008]

Introducing new MacBook and MacBook Pro models

Apple today introduced new models of the MacBook and MacBook Pro. MacBook Pro models feature the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors (running at up to 2.6GHz with 6MB of shared L2 cache), larger hard drives (up to 300GB), and 2GB of memory standard in most models. They also include the latest NVIDIA graphics processors — with up to 512MB of video memory — and an innovative Multi-Touch trackpad, first introduced in MacBook Air.

The three new models of the MacBook feature faster processors and hard drives: sleek white 2.1 GHz and 2.4 GHz models with 120GB or 160GB 5400 rpm hard drives and a stunning black 2.4 GHz model with a massive 250GB 5400 rpm hard drive. The 2.4 GHz MacBook ships with 2GB of memory standard, expandable up to 4GB across the line.

Available immediately, the new MacBook and MacBook Pro models start at just $1,099 and $1,999, respectively. [Feb 26, 2008]

Order your 2GB iPod shuffle

Apple today began taking orders for the new 2GB iPod shuffle. Available in five colors — silver, blue, green, purple, and (PRODUCT) RED special edition — for just $69, the newest model of iPod shuffle holds up to 500 songs. Order yours today from the online Apple Store; or visit an Apple Store in your area and try one on for size. [Feb 26, 2008]

Join the Aperture World Tour

Aperture 2, the exciting new version of Apple’s powerful photo editing and management software, delivers more than 100 new features, and you can get a great introduction to many of them by attending the Aperture World Tour. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn about Aperture 2 from members of Apple’s photo marketing team. The free, in-depth presentation comes to cities around the world beginning next month. Sign up today and reserve your seat. [Feb 25, 2008]

Big Spaceship: All Fun and Games

“We’ve earned a reputation for innovation, so we get to do incredibly fun stuff for great brands,” says Big Spaceship CEO Michael Lebowitz. “We like making people laugh, and we like making people scared,” he adds. And they like working on the Mac. “The Mac is the only platform that understands one of our key principles: How you engage with something has a direct impact on the results. I truly believe that working with thoughtful, human-oriented, creative technology makes you create more, and better, work.” [Feb 22, 2008]

Free digital library awaits at teachers’ domain

As a teacher, you’re always on the lookout for great educational resources. And you’ll find a rich supply of content on iTunes U. Take, for example, the free digital library available at teachers’ domain. Brought to you by WGBH, Boston’s award-winning PBS station, teachers’ domain offers downloadable videos and educator guides. Ranging from A Night in the Coral Reef to Homo Sapiens versus Neanderthals to Mitochondrial Flyover, they offer an invaluable addition to your science curriculum. And they’re just a tiny portion of the content waiting for you on iTunes U. [Feb 22, 2008]

Which is better: Aperture or Lightroom?

That’s what Stephen Shankland (c|net news) wants to know, and he’d like your help. “With the new Aperture 2 now available and Lightroom just celebrating its first birthday, I thought it opportune to survey readers. What would you buy? What would you advise somebody else?” The polls are open. [Feb 22, 2008]

New Apple TV — “fantastic”

“Downloading and watching recent movies — in high-definition, from the comfort of your living room — is a stupendous experience,” writes Gary Krakow (thestreet.com)in his review of Apple TV. Krakow “chose the fabulous Disney/Pixar feature Ratatouille to test the system. All I can say is wow! Apple TV video quality is spectacular. The audio is pretty special, too. All in all, video rental has never been this quick and easy.” [Feb 22, 2008]

• iTunes Now Number Two Music Retailer in the USFebruary 26, 2008 7:40 AM PST
• Apple Introduces New MacBook and MacBook Pro ModelsFebruary 26, 2008 5:05 AM PST
• iPod shuffle Now Just $49February 19, 2008 5:30 AM PST
• Apple Introduces Xsan 2February 19, 2008 5:30 AM PST
• “American Idol” Performances Available Exclusively on the iTunes StoreFebruary 18, 2008 5:11 AM PST
• Apple Releases Aperture 2February 12, 2008 5:30 AM PST
• Apple Adds New iPhone & iPod touch ModelsFebruary 5, 2008 5:14 AM PST
• MacBook Air Now ShippingJanuary 30, 2008 9:30 AM PST
• More press releases...