ColorVision ColorPlus now for Mac

ColourConfidence.com:

Colour Confidence, the leading independent colour management specialists, have today announced a long awaited upgrade to the ColorVision ColorPlus, bringing the product to a MAC for the first time. This upgrade gives Mac users the opportunity to calibrate their monitor at a fraction of the cost of other monitor calibration solutions. ColorPlus has been the lowest cost monitor calibrator available for some time; however the new price of £59.53 ex. VAT is revolutionary and is the first time a colour management tool has been offered at such a low price point. ColorPlus is available to buy now from www.colourconfidence.com“For some time now Mac users have been requesting access to this level of affordability when it comes to monitor calibration. Not only has ColorPlus been made Mac compatible but the price has come down as well. At Colour Confidence we are often advising people on the benefits of colour management, and one of our more frequently used ‘nuggets’ is that if you don’t do anything else, calibrate your monitor! ColorPlus offers users an affordable introduction to monitor calibration and we are delighted that Mac users now have this option,� said Geoffrey Clements, Managing Director, Colour Confidence.

This is great news! This low-cost color calibration product has so far been Windows only but now we get to try it on Mac. I think I may just be one of the first in line to buy a copy ;-)

[posted with ecto]

Mac4Arabs conference

The Mac4Arabs conference (unfortunately all in Arabic it seems), taking place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 17-18, 2006. Reports MacWorld:

“The event will be a chance for companies interested in introducing their products to the Arab world to do so,� say Mac4Arabs’ coordinators. It will include press conferences, a roundtable discussion, lectures and classes to help inform attendees about Apple and Mac products.

[posted with ecto]

Media center and video iPod

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It was an iPod video! I was wrong and most other people were wrong as well. Apple did release an iPod that can play video but we’re not talking feature-length movies here but rather select music videos, promotions and TV shows purchased and downloaded and from the iTunes Music Store (which is now up to version 6).

Now you can put all your music in your pocket and still have room for, well, practically everything else. Catch up on your reading with audiobooks. Browse your memories with photo slideshows, complete with music. Watch video podcasts, music videos and your favorite TV shows. Consult your calendar or look up an email address. Even check the time in another city or time your fastest lap. The new iPod keeps it all close at hand.

Apple also released a new iMac G5 with something called FrontRow Media Experience. FrontRow is basically a Media Center software for the iMac:

Dazzle your friends with an elegant full-screen media display. Front Row transforms an evening of home movies or TV shows into a blockbuster Hollywood premiere. Or preview actual Hollywood blockbusters from the Apple.com trailer website. Press ‘menu’ on the new Apple Remote to let Front Row take center stage with large text, intuitive menus and brilliant graphics. No setup required.

The iMac comes with a remote control that looks amazingly like an iPod nano:

The new Apple Remote makes it easy to navigate through all the digital goodies you’ve collected and created. Apple designers simplified the average remote from 60 buttons you’ll never use to just the six buttons you need. So you can navigate quickly through the Front Row interface, enjoying your digital media exactly as you wish. Pause. Skip. Crank up the volume. Whatever your pleasure, wherever you sit.

The iMac also has a built-on iSight video camera:

Atop the newly slimmed iMac G5 is a high-quality iSight camera so neatly integrated, you’ll hardly notice it’s there. That is, until you launch iChat AV or the new Photo Booth application. The moment you do so, a small green light tells you it’s time to smile. No need to worry about installing or configuring. (But you might want to dress up.)

So what’s my verdict on all of this? The video iPod is a little bit “so-what?” but thinking about it some more I guess that Apple is taking it in small strides, setting the stage for a later introduction of an iPod that can do feature-length movies which is undoubtedly where the real money and public-interest lies. Starting with shorter clips might just be the smart thing to do although it will mean that many pundits will declare this a lame duck. Personally I’m much more excited about the iMac with the iSight and FrontRow. We’ve used Microsoft’s Media Center for some time now and all the time I’ve whished for an Apple-alternative. With everything you get for $1,299, it’s a really good deal I think. It’s certainly not cheap but as far as I can tell, compared to Media Center PCs it’s not a bad price. One thing puzzles me though – why not put in a TV-tuner so you could record TV as well? I guess the answer might lie in Jobs trying to stay on the good side of media-executives. He wants to sell you that content through the Store instead of letting you record it yourself. Now I want to get FrontRow and put it on a mini (I’d buy another mini in a heartbeat if I could put FrontRow on it).