Wednesday Afternoon News

<a href="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/70611841_ik85v-l-1.jpg"><img class="imgright size-full wp-image-247" title="70611841_ik85v-l-1" src="http://www.mactalk.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/70611841_ik85v-l-1.jpg" alt="70611841_ik85v-l-1" width="181" height="275" /></a>Apple spat out a few software updates. Server Admin Tools, iMovie and Aperture were all updated last night. <a href="http://db.tidbits.com/article/10208">TidBITS has more info.</a>

Apple also released a 3rd beta of the iPhone OS 3.0 to developers. For full details on the change, <a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/04/apple-posts-third-iphone-os-30-beta-with-minor-api-changes.ars">ArsTechnica bring home the bacon.</a>

<a href="http://www.tuaw.com/2009/04/13/billboard-itunes-prices-up-sales-down/">Increase pricing. Sales go down.</a> A logical assumption that somehow didn't occur to the record labels when they forced Apple and other online retailers to increase the price of digital downloads.



Snag 16 hours of battery life with this battery pack for the MacBook Air <a href="http://www.quickertek.com/products/macbook_air_charger.php">from QuickerTek.</a> It's US$350 though, so you better get work to buy it for ya.

iPod docks. So many to chooe from. So many crappy ones. <a href="http://i.gizmodo.com/5211025/ipod-dock-8+way-battlemodo">Gizmodo review a bunch of them and tell you which ones they like.</a>

I don't really know who this guy is, but he writes a good blog post. Just because you like Apple products, somehow people interpret this as being a fanboy and that everything else sucks. <a href="http://devron.wordpress.com/2009/04/12/so-am-i-an-apple-fanboy/">He argues that he is a tech aficionado, who happens to like Apple gear, not just some rabid Apple fanboy.</a>

Telstra have a very fast HSPA network - it supports up to 21mbps. However no devices existed to harness this immense throbbing power. Until now. <a href="http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2009/04/telstra_21mbps_usb_modem_now_in_store.html">For $399, you can snag a new modem that supports 21mbps speeds.</a> God speed you wireless internet viking. I hope work is springing for this one too, together with your 16 hour MacBook Air battery.

I love <a href="http://www.instapaper.com">Instapaper</a>, but I want del.icio.us integration, so I can warehouse those articles I find interesting for posterity. <a href="http://smokingapples.com/iphone/app-store-iphone/read-it-later-pro-offline-bookmarks-on-iphone/">Read It Later Pro</a> hits the scene, tackling Instapaper head on. I haven't used it, but it looks quite snazzy. It's on my iPhone now and I will check it out when I am on the train next.

Want to really easily convert your vinyl records to MP3? <a href="http://uneasysilence.com/archive/2009/04/14107/">Denon has a new turntable with a USB port.</a> All you do is play the record, plug in a USB storage device and boom, the record is converted to MP3, which you then place on your computer and it's supplied software automagically splits the long MP3 into tracks.

Are you a designer? Sick of being mediocre and average and working for the man? Want to be a rockstar?! Want to be the Noel or Liam Gallagher equivalent of graphic design? Mumbling incoherent rants whilst under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol? <a href="http://www.designersreviewofbooks.com/2009/04/how-to-be-a-rockstar-freelancer/">Well look no further than the book, How to Be a Rockstar Freelance. The Designer's Review of Books, um, reviews, this book.</a>