Canalsys is reporting that Apple shared 17% of all U.S. computer sales, which isn’t bad, considering Apple has six products (MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac Pro, Mac Mini, and iPad) to make up those sales, versus the hundred computers HP, Dell, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, Toshiba, and Sony are shipping. Apple is also still reporting that half of the Mac’s sold are to new Mac owners.

CleanMyMac- This application is probably the best computer cleaner I have ever seen. It is easy-to-use and works great. What CleanMyMac does is it takes unwanted files off of your computer. Now don’t worry, nothing important, just caches, cookies, old application updates, and other useless files. It can also easily delete application, files, and manage extension. Now while this app does cost $15 for 6 months, or $30 for a lifetime, I was fortunate enough to get mine for free. I would highly recommend buying this app, no matter how clean you think your computer is. I have cleaned over 23 GB of stuff over 5 months!

Evernote- Evernote is just like the built-in Stickies application for Mac. Now you may ask yourself, why would I need this then. Good question! This app is Stickies, but better. With the ability to create albums and folders for your notes, it is much easier to sort your individual notes. Or if you like your notes in one spot, they have one section called “All Notes”. The app can also be color coded, so you can even further organize your thoughts. Plus, this app is free, so why wouldn’t you get it?

Skype- Now I know this one is popular, but for those who don’t know, this is probably my favorite third-party app ever (perhaps behind the next app that I will review). Skype is basically a free, internet phone service. You can call any Skype users for free, and any landlines or mobile phones for a low cost. Toll-free numbers, are, obviously, free, so you can use this as a main phone if you are willing to pay. And, of course, the app is free. Bottom line, get this.

Tweetdeck- Another quality, free app. This is the best Twitter client for Mac out there. No doubt. While it uses Adobe Air to function, it is okay, it makes up for it. The interface is great, with customizable colors, and customizable column views. Tweetdeck can also be used for not only Twitter, but Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and more! Again, bottom line, get this.

These are all the third-party utilities or, productivity tools for the Mac for today. I will be doing some more reviews, if this gets good feedback.

iOS 5 officially arrived last Wednesday to the iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod Touch 3rd Gen, and the iPod 4th Gen! In this case, I have a hand-me-down iPod Touch 3rd Gen from my brother. Upgrading to the new iOS wasn’t hard, however due to the fact that so many people were downloading it, I ran into some problems installing the upgrade. Above are some screenshots of iOS 5 in action.

I thought it would be nicer to show you the new, cool features, of iOS 5 through pictures instead of writing. To download the new iOS 5, you need to update your iTunes to 10.5, plug your iOS device into your computer, and update. Depending on your internet connection, the update might be fast or slow due to how many megabytes it is.

Today my Mac Laptop Case, IPhone four case and IPad 2 arrived. Below I will go through what I like and don’t like about the products and if they do what they are meant to.

Speck MacBook Case

Design

The design of the case is pretty simple and has the see through plastic that most apple products originally did. This is not a bad thing as it matches the theme of the product. The plastic is a turquoise colour and has the Spek logo on the front. On the back of the product there are holes for the fan of the computer which provides air vents for the Air. This helps so that there is a air flow around the laptop and the product doesn’t become too hot or the laptop doesn’t become too hot.

Build

The product has a fairly strong build and the plastic has a flimsy feel to it, it also bends when you handle it but doesn’t show any sign on breaking. The case is actually pretty strong would defiantly protect the laptop in little drops or scuffs. However this would not prevent damage from huge disasters for example a drop from a building. We wouldn’t really work out if the case was meant for design or for protection as it doesn’t a pretty good job at both considering the price tag.

Overall and Other Details

In a nutshell the product does what it is meant to it protect the product and looks good. It provides comfort when using it on your lap and doesn’t mark surfaces when on the table. The pads on the bottom of the Mac case are non-stick so they don’t apply themselves to the table after a long period of time. As for fitting the case actually fits snug around the Mac without slipping or gaps. The case provides a smooth touch and doesn’t have rough corners as they are smoothed off.

iPhone 4 Case

Design

Again the design is pretty simple but still provides the things needed for a iPhone 4 case. On the front of the case is the main gap for the touch screen which Is big enough for the whole screen. There are not separate covers for the home button or the front camera. On the bottom is the charger hole for the standard Apple charger. At the top of the case is a small indentation for the lock button and a hole for the standard 3mm audio jack. The left hand side of the case has 2 indentations for the volume and space for the silent switch. There are also holes on the back for the front main camera. There is also a hole for the microphone to stop any noise muffling. The main theme for the case is black and the pattern is a brick type tile arrangement. This again provides surface drip when holding or in bags, coats etc.

Build

The case has a strong build to it and although it doesn’t provide the most stable support for the iPhone 4 it still has te build to stop it from any little damage while in pockets and in contact with keys are sharp objects. Since the screen has indentations for the different components that are on the Phone it provides then from being pushed in when not in use. The rubber/silicone is rather strong and it would take a long hard drop to scuff the leather or damage the case. When bending the case it forms back to its original position and does not get left misshaped in any way.

Other Details / Overall

The case does what it is meant to and looks and protects well. Considering its price you should go and buy it if you want you IPhone to look the part. There is nothing really else to say about the case except we loved it. If we had to describe it in three words they would be strong, stylish , super.

iPad 2 Dust Jacket

Design

The design of the Dust Jacket is like the two other products simple but does the job. There is not really anything to say about the design except for the great looking leather like material that the case is made out of. On the inside of the Jacket is the holder for the iPad that keeps it inside. The back and sides of the case has all of the iPad 2 needed holes and indentations in. There is room for the charger, camera, volume buttons, microphones and other. The indentations and holes are really designed for ease and you don’t have to fight for 10 minutes to get the charger in.

Build

The case isn’t particularly strong as it isn’t meant to be we feel it is more for the look and for the thing it does. Although it isn’t strong the case is in no means flimsy and provides good support for the iPad no matter what position you have it in. The holder in the inside is made from plastic and again it isn’t the roughest going of all things but does the job. We like the case as It is the same but different from most of the others available on the market. In the sense we mean that it provides better comfort and more support for the iPad.

Other Details and Overall

The Dust Jacket does what it says on the tin it protects looks stylish and provides comfort working and doing pleasure for the iPad. The case provides a firm hold on the iPad when in the landscape or portrait position and has features for all of the components on the iPad. The packaging isn’t anything spectacular as it only came to us in a plastic sleeve. Although it’s what the products like and we loved it. The case comes in at a reasonable price for the quality of it and like all the Speck products it was a pleaser.

Go here to see some of there other products from Speck.

Design

The design is pretty nice on this joystick though it is made of plastic. First of all, it has a great, sturdy base with rubber grips so it doesn’t slide around. Obviously there is a joystick in the middle that moves around, and last of all there are 11 programable buttons and a little “dial” thing.

Compatibility

This thing connects simply by plugging in the USB cord into your computer! No drivers or softwares are required to start using the joystick. It is also Mac and PC compatible which means that it works for almost everyone. The games that it work with range from flight simulators like X-Plane and Flight Simulator X, shooting games like Call of Duty, and so much more!

Customization

Like I said earlier, the joystick has 11 programable buttons that are strategically placed for many actions. For example, there is a button on the back of the joystick which is good for a trigger if your shooting, or if you are flying a plane it can be used for a engine starter! There is a little “dial” in the front which can be used for a throttle in a boat or plane simulator, or could be used to do pretty much anything!

Price and Conclusion

For only $20 dollars, this seems like a no brainier for those that want to one up their gaming experience. The build quality is solid, it works well, and its not very expensive!

in the “Finder” is gone. If you like digging into extra application files or messing around with Minecraft mods, worlds, and texture packs, then this is for you. First, youneed to open up “Terminal” on your computer and type this command: chflag nohidden ~/Library/

If you would like to make your “Library” folder disappear, type this command: chflag hidden ~/Library/

Source: FairerPlatform.com

Many of us have been anticipating Apple’s new version of OSX. Following Apple’s OSX Snow Leopard, Lion will surely bring something to the table. Not only is it a new Mac OS, but is what I believe will be the start of a long evolution of computer operating systems. Apple showed us a new feature in Lion, where you can choose to see your Apps in a view similar to iOS called Launchpad. With Window’s new Windows 8 coming, they also will be drawing their computer OS towards their phone OS with ’tiles’.

Lion is available to upgrade now in the AppStore for a mere $30. I’m still downloading it, but what will it be like? Are the updates and new features going to be good or just a bunch of gimmicks? We’ll find out…

image source: Engadadget

For weeks now there have been numerous rumors concerning the newest version of Final Cut, the popular OS X video editing software. The last version was released in 2009.

Now it’s here, and its sporting a sexy new suffix- Final Cut Pro X.

Announced at NAB (National Association of Broadcasters conference) just a few minutes ago, Final Cut Pro X will have the following features-

Developing…

[CrunchGear]

Sound is truly amazing. A lot of people make a huge fuss over the speed, the image quality, and the physical setup of their home office. But after purchasing the Harman/Kardon Sound Sticks III, I’ve really seen what sound can add to your desk set up.

The Sound Sticks III are a three-part sound system, consisting of a subwoofer and two Sound Sticks. The Sound Sticks, and for the most part, the entire system, are incased by a firm, clear plastic called acrylic. The internals of the Sound Sticks III are made to match the current Macintosh color scheme (black, silver, etc). The Sound Sticks II, however, include yellow, and navy blue but provide the exact same sound.

The individual speakers are very nice looking. The base of them is a doughnut shaped, rubberized, weighted disk. This is attached to the acrylic body by a hinge, which enables the speaker to rotate 90 degrees. On the bottom of the Sound Stick there is an air intake, and on the right one, there are volume buttons. Each stick has four speakers on it, each providing individual sound, which really gives nice real-life effects. Overall the speakers fit very nicely into my desk setup, and I think that they would fit just the same into yours.

The subwoofer can only be described with one word; beast. It out preforms Bose subwoofers selling for two hundred dollars more. The Sound Sticks subwoofer is what is called a ‘down firing’ subwoofer. This means that instead of projecting outwards like a speaker would, it projects downward onto a flat surface. This makes sure that an even coating of bass is spread out everywhere.

The subwoofer’s design is very interesting. It is so abstract that your bound to have your own opinions on it. However personally I think the design is nice. It fits nicely right behind my monitor on my desk and lights up with a white LED when on. It’s a nice attention drawer, and could even be mistaken for an abstract piece of art. However, I do think that Harman/Kardon could have maybe make it a little boxier or more subwoofer like.

Overall, I think the design of these speakers is very nice. I wouldn’t say that they are the most good-looking speakers I’ve ever seen, but they certainly keep up with my desk standards. The one thing I’d have to complain about are the wires. The physical appearance is nice, with silver wires. However, the problem is the quantity. Below I’ll list the wires…

1. Wire going from right speaker to subwoofer

2. Wire going from left speaker to subwoofer

3. Wire going from subwoofer to computer

4. Wire going from subwoofer to powerbrick

5. Wire going from powerbrick to outlet

For me this is way to many wires. I happen to have a pretty nice under-desk wire management system, but I’d have to say that if you usually just run wires across the top of your desk then you’d be in trouble. Now, I’m not asking for a completely wireless system, as I do understand that would make it pretty expensive, but please! At least make the right and left modules wireless…

The sound of these speakers is the best part. All eight speakers (four on each stick), along with the subwoofer provide an unheard of sound. Because each speaker is ‘individual,’ there are a lot of different sounds that all come together beautifully. I’ve tested these babies out in a variety of different application genres and would like to share my results with you.

Gaming

I, myself don’t do a lot of gaming on my computer. I play Angrybirds, Plants vs Zombies, and a few other casual games, but nothing hard-core. On angry birds, PvZ and a small ‘zombie killer’ I have called Biofrenzy, these games worked very nicely. The subwoofer really made the gunshots feel real and the high-pitched zombie groans to your right and left felt showed off the right and left balance. Again, I can’t say what hard core games would be like, but I assume they would work nicely.

Music and YouTube

Anywhere from Bach to Metallica, these speakers are amazing. You honestly have to experience them for yourself. I heard instruments in songs that I had never noticed before. I felt bass lines like they were right in front of me. I heard crispness of podcasts and YouTube videos like never before. I also listen to music a lot more now, because unlike many other cheap speakers, at low volumes they have the same clarity as at full volume.

Video Editing

Most of the time in video editing, you wear headphones. However you always want to listen to your finished product on a variety of things, to ensure you’re not missing anything if your headphones don’t project all sounds. When I bought these speakers, I was in the middle of editing a video. I was using my Macbook Pro 13” to project the sound of it… and it sounded okay. However, after listening to it on the SoundSticks III, I heard things that were never even broadcasted off of my Macbook. I then edited them out, and it sounded amazing.

Overall I think these speakers are very amazing. They sell for around $170 USD and can be found on Amazon.com no exclusively for $130. I highly suggest heading over to you Apple Store and testing these out. After seeing these, I no longer consider Bose to have the best speakers. These might not be as good, but for half the price it’s a no-brainer.

The Harman/Kardon SoundSticks III get an excellent nine and a half.

I own a 13” Macbook Pro, but the screen size isn’t big enough. I couldn’t do anything without having to reformat my windows… and that was a pain.

Design

The Acer S273HL is a LED backlit 27” monitor. What LED means is that it’s backlit by little LED lights and ensures more of an even color (no darker patches) than non-LED monitors. Also because LEDs are so small, it allows the screen itself to be very thin. The display measures exactly one inch thick all the way around.

This monitor is definitely a design monitor. What I mean by this is that not only does it look nice from the front, but also from every single angle. The base of this monitor is made of brushed aluminum. It has one really crappy speaker in the base, which does add support but no other value in my opinion. Right next to the speaker is another aluminum panel, which is backlit by a bright blue LED. This gives the six containing standard buttons: power, left, right, menu, auto, and Acer’s ‘e’ button a nice look. I’ll talk about display settings a little later.

Although attractive from almost every angle, this monitor does happen to look the best from the side. Its boxy little base goes into a series of zigzags, which then enter the monitor. Its hinge is a small cylinder, only enabling it to tilt up and down. I think this isn’t a problem for a 27” monitor, as it would be virtually impossible to make it rotate. However, its 24” brother has the same hinge, whereas it should be able to rotate.

The back of the monitor is also really nice. Having my desk facing the middle of my room, I needed a monitor that would look nice from behind, just for the sake of it. On the back of the display, there is smooth black plastic. It gradually angles in on all sides to create a little flat point in the back. On the top-back of the display, there is the Acer logo. This did kind of annoy me (as I’m hooking my Mac up to it) but it wasn’t that big a deal. On the back of the base, there are the ports. Two HDMIs, one VGA, an audio in, and a power supply all kept with the slim profile of this monitor, as they weren’t placed on the back of the display itself.

Appearance

This monitor is really nice. Its full 1080p HD looks great. I think this monitor could be used by anyone; from the average user to maybe even some minor video/photo editing user. There were no dead pixels, all the colors pop out and it gives a beautiful picture. The frame rate is good enough to do most tasks, and actually stands up to my PS3 test of gaming.

The menu system on the S273HL is the Acer standard. It doesn’t have nearly as many options as the Dell monitors but it does have a decent amount for the average user. Yes, they have presets, and all the other usual stuff. Though the menu system may be nice, it is SLOW! Changing one little thing takes a good 3 minutes. This was probably the one and only flaw in this monitor for me. I just don’t understand why every computer monitors have to have separate buttons. Why can’t they just put a small d-pad or a joystick?

Features

In terms of features, this monitor is quite limited. The sexy design cuts down on its ‘extras.’ One feature of this monitor is the screen size and picture. Though this is marketed as a computer monitor, it has two HDMI inputs, which allows you to connect something like a cable box or a gaming console. I turn it around all the time and watch Hulu from my bed using my wireless keyboard. I also sometimes bring my PS3 up to my room, hook it up, and play a little. It works absolutely great.

Overall I think this monitor is a GREAT buy. It looks fabulous and performs great, and in my opinion is one of the best 27” mid-class monitors out there. If you even own a laptop and use it as your primary computer, I’d go online right now and order this. I can’t stress enough over how much more productive you are when you have a large monitor.

The Acer S273HL gets an absolutely amazing 9.5 out of ten.