iCal sync now available from Google Calendar

Hurray, Google Calendar has launched free two way sync with iCal on Mac OS X.5!
This was number 1 on my wish list of features for Google Calendar.

Thank you Google!

Boxee is da bomb!

If you have a digital media collection - photos, music, videos - and would like to watch it on your TV then you owe it to yourself to try Boxee. Boxee is based on the tried-and-tested XBMC but it's the best version of XBMC I've seen yet.

The latest version even lets you watch videos from Hulu, CBS, Comedy Central.

Watch this.


quick intro to boxee from boxee on Vimeo.

If you need an invite, hit me up!

Beware: The Panasonic SD9 Camcorder

In the interest of anyone looking for a HD Camcorder (a probably 1:1 mapping with those that have a new baby), I'd like to advertise this fact -

The Panasonic HDC-SD9 is a great little camcorder. It is currently the world's smallest 1080p camcorder and the video quality is pretty good. However, it does have one big gotcha - you cannot import/edit the video on your Mac or your PC in any straightforward manner.

It crashes iMovie. I had previously tested iMovie '08 with shot on a HDC-SX5, from Panny's previous generation and everything worked great. The SD9 has something different about its video that causes iMovie to crash while importing.

Today, I tried importing on my Windows Vista machine using Sony Vegas and that program went into a hang as well. I'm inclined to believe that this is clearly a problem with the camera.

The video does play back great on my PS3. I think we'll stick it out and see if Apple and/or Panasonic fix this issue.

Cool Vonage & Mac Trick!!

If, like me, you're a Vonage and Mac user at home, here's a cool tip I found this week. By setting up some simple AppleScript as an plugin for your Address Book, you can basically "click-to-call" anyone in your address book from your Vonage line.

All the instructions are at the MacOSX Hints website and it took me all of 10 mins to set it up.

So now I can do this (right click on any number in my address book)!



And my home Vonage line rings automatically and I pick it up to hear the other side ringing!

Now, if I could only get it to work with a calling card service... basically dial a really long number with the ability to program a pause. One can always keep wishing :)

Vonage lets you use "Click2Call" anyway you want. More details here.

10 days to Leopard

Apple confirmed today that the next Mac OS X, Leopard will be released in just 10 days! October 26th, to be precise. In fact, all Macs sold October 1st onwards are eligible for a free upgrade.

I for one am really looking forward to this release. Looking forward to the advances in iChat, installing BootCamp, Quick Look and Time Machine.

There are plenty of new features and although Apple touts 300 new features, you'll have to take that with a grain of salt. It's really more like 100, which is pretty impressive in its own right, I don't know why Apple has to exaggerate at all!

Here's a link to the full list.

Update: AppleInsider says there may be more than 300+ new "features". Maybe Apple should separate the features and the enhancements? To be sure, Leopard appears to be a killer upgrade - a definite must have!

Back with a new iMac!

Well, I'm just playing with words. I don't have a new iMac. However, Apple introduced a new iMac yesterday and that was enough fodder to push me to blog.
Apologies for the long silence, it has been busy at work and home since Anjali's arrival.
Anyways, back to Apple and the new iMac.



I like the new design. I see it more as an evolution than a radical new design. The G3, G4 and G5 iMacs were all radical. This one is not. What will we call it? I don't think anyone calls it an iMac G6. Probably the iMac Intel 2nd Gen?

Along with included iSight, Front Row w/ remote, 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.0, Microphone, Speakers, Optical Audio in & out, Mac OS X and iLife '08, I think the 20" iMac at $1200 is one of the best bargains out there. Don't believe me? Look up a similarly configured Sony VAIO. It even compares favourably with Dell although that would be like comparing a BMW with a Toyota (A Toyota equipped with all available options, but still a Toyota).

So, welcome to the new iMac. We'll be getting ours after Leopard is out.