So I did it… I cracked… I bought a Mac. After years of using PCs and building my career around working with them, I bought a Mac. From the second I purchased it I had the feeling of betrayal from the PCs that have been so loyal to me, but I had to do it. Something about the sleek and minimal design, to the glowing half-bitten apple on the exterior, the ability to describe the device with words like “all aluminum unibody casing” just drew me in. Was it worth it?

Look & Feel

As soon as you open the box you have to admire how efficiently it has been packaged. Apple has obviously payed a lot of attention to detail even for something as little as packaging. Lift off the thin veil of plastic and you now have access to one of the most beautiful laptops on the market. As soon as you hold the MacBook Pro you can feel the build-quality. The entire enclosure is thin and light. It looks polished and refined. It feels very strong and durable. Open the lid and you see the product of what was once a single piece of aluminum, the unibody case.

Keyboard

I must say that I love the feel of the keyboard. It almost makes you want to type just for the sake of typing. I also love how the back-lit black keys look on the aluminum body. The one gripe that I do have is regarding the sharp edges of the aluminum casing. Yes they look amazing, but after typing for a while I have to check my wrists to make sure that they aren’t slit. I would suggest on the next MacBook Pro iteration to make sure that this is addressed.

Touchpad

The touchpad is the most natural that I have ever used. Apple has done it right. No need for a track-point (keyboard-nipple), or multiple buttons to control your clicks. Just one big, smooth, glass surface that clicks, that is multi-touch and that is completely customizable.

I’ve never enjoyed using a touchpad so much. Using multi-touch gestures including swipe, pinch, rotate, and four-finger swipe. When Apple designs something its really simple and effective. Over the years Apple’s devices have crept into my hands starting with an iPod Nano, to an iPod Classic, to the 1st-gen iPhone, and then the iPhone 3G. One thing that drew me to them was how they all just worked. There was no need to read a manual to learn how to configure or use the device. You just clicked it and it worked. The touchpad is just the same.

Screen

Look at the MacBook Pro screen and you’ll see nothing but edge-to-edge glass. The LED back light allows for a extremely thin and bright display that looks amazing. It also automatically dims depending on the lighting environment, so that battery life is conserved.

Performance & Battery Life

Now I only went with the entry level MacBook Pro that came with the 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive, and the NVIDIA 9400 GT Video Card. These specs are more than enough for the average computer user, but I had planned on using applications like Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Traktor, and a couple of other RAM intensive program. Instead of ordering the machine with the additional RAM, I decided to order it from OWC and install 4 GB myself. Along with that upgrade I also decided to install a larger and faster 500 GB 7200 RPM hard drive. Those 2 upgrades made a huge difference in performance and only cost me an additional $200, rather than the extra $400 from Apple.

I haven’t run any official benchmarks on my machine to compare the previous configuration to the current, but the difference is noticeable.

Battery Life

Apple claimed over 7 hours of battery life with this laptop. That is amazing by any standard, but never that realistic. So I didn’t expect that kind of usage from it. Surprisingly I am easily able to squeak 4-5 hours on battery with the display on a dimmer setting, and the keyboard back-light also on dim.

Apple also claims that these batteries are capable of over 10,000 full charges. I’ll be amazed if I get that kind of life out of this battery, but then again that is why I did purchase the extra 3 year warranty.

Conclusion

I love my MacBook Pro. If you are even considering getting one, do it. It is probably more expensive than its PC counterpart but I can guarantee that you will find the added value as you start using it. Apple’s attention to detail is beyond surprising, from the battery status indicator on the exterior, to the little green light that comes on the keyboard when your caps-lock is enabled. The switch from PC to Mac is no where near as hard are you make think it is.

Its been a while since I have posted anything on here. There are so many things that I would love to post about but so little time right now. One of my New Years resolutions is to be a little more consistent with my blog posts. So stay tuned!

But since it is the season of giving I’m giving away 15 Google Wave invites! All I am asking you to do is leave a comment on this post and the first 15 will receive an invite. Yes its that easy!

Now what is Google Wave?

According to Google, Wave is an online tool for real-time communication and collaboration. A wave can be both a conversation and a document where people can discuss and work together using richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.

Uses for Google Wave

At the moment Google Wave’s purpose has yet to be defined. Its not email. Its not chat. Its not social-networking. Its all of the above. I guess its just a Wave. You can organize events, use it for group collaboration, photo sharing, brainstorming, and more using extensions. Extensions are the equivalent of addons in Firefox. They are just things that you can add to your Waves to make them cooler and more useful.

In conclusion, Google Wave is probably one of those tools that is so ahead of its time that we do not know what to do with it. We are so used to using a certain tool a certain way. Email and Chat will always be a back and forth mode of communication in our minds, and Wave changes that. If you are confused while reading this then you are normal. Wave is something that needs to be experienced. So hurry up and grab your invite so you can dive in! All it takes is a comment!

For more details on Google Wave check out the official site and videos here

So earlier this week I was in need of a simple wireless router to provide wired, and wireless networking to 3 devices. I set myself a budget of $70 to ensure that I wouldn’t buy something that would be excessive for the usage I was looking for. After shopping around online and reading reviews for devices under $70 I came across a familiar face. The Linksys WRT54GL.

I remember stumbling across some articles in the past about hacking this router, and really making it a powerful device. So naturally my inner-geek told me to buy this router and hack it.

Once I got home I started to research the best way to hack this device, and 2 dominant choices came across; DD-WRT and Tomato.

The more and more I read about both of these hacks, Tomato seems to be the easiest and most user-friendly hack available. Some of the additional features that Tomato allows you to do are things such as:

• Schedule when the Internet can be on during certain times of the day
• Throttle bandwidth for specific applications
• Setup QoS (Quality of Service) for certain applications so that it will receive bandwidth priority
• Increase the transmit power of the router
• Enable WPA, WPA2 encryption
• Turning the router into a bridge
• much more…

Now before upgrading your Linksys WRT54G, please ensure that your router is compatible. According to the Tomato website the following devices are compatible:

• Linksys WRT54G v1-v4, WRT54GS v1-v4, WRT54GL v1.x, WRTSL54GS (no USB support)
• Buffalo WHR-G54S, WHR-HP-G54, WZR-G54, WBR2-G54
• Asus WL500G Premium (no USB support)
• Untested but apparently works without changes: SparkLAN WX-6615GT
• Note: Most WRT54G and WRT54GS (not WRT54GL) sold in stores right now are the v5.0+ variety and will not work with Tomato. So if you are buying a new one ensure that it is the WRT54GL model.

So your router is supported, lets get started! Just as a disclaimer I am not responsible for anything that you do to your device. This is just a guide, so use it at your own risk!

1. Make sure you have a compatible router. I can’t stress this enough, because if it is not compatible you can end up permanently damaging your device.
2. Download the latest version of the Tomato firmware from here. Since you will most likely be downloading a .7z file, you will need to have the freeware file extractor 7-Zip. You can get 7-Zip from here for free.
3. Once you have the Tomato firmware downloaded, and 7-Zip installed just extract the package to a folder that you will be able to find. I usually just extract temporary files to my desktop.
4. Now we are going to log into your router. Open up your browser and type “http://192.168.1.1″ in the address bar. This will prompt you with a username and password. Unless you have changed this information, by default the login will be “admin”, and the password will be “admin”
   

   Default user/pass is admin/admin

5. Once you have successfully logged in, click on the “Administration” tab and then on “Firmware Upgrade”
   

   Click on "Firmware Upgrade"

6. Click on the “Browse” button
   

   "Click on "Browse"

7. Now you must navigate tot he folder where you extracted your Tomato firmware files and select the correct firmware file for your router. Because I am using a WRT54GL I selected “WRT54G_WRT54GL.bin”
   

   Select the correct firmware file for your router

8. Now click on the upgrade button on the bottom, and you will see the progress meter start to move.
   

   Click "Upgrade" and the firmware will begin updating

9. Once the upgrade is complete (which may take a few minutes), the router will automatically reboot. After the reboot it should take you to the Tomato interface.
   If your router doesn’t automatically log you in to the new firmware, then you need to point your browser to “http://192.168.1.1″ and login with your new credentials. Username is now “root” and Password is now “admin”
   

   Your router's new interface!

10. Congrats! You have successfully hacked your Linksys Router!
    Be sure to read further details on how to modify settings on your router at Tomato’s FAQ Site

Be sure to post any comments on how you made your configuration settings better after upgrading to Tomato. So far I haven’t had a chance to play with too many settings but I am loving the reliability, and the real-time Bandwidth graphs.

Google Maps Navigation is an internet-connected GPS navigation system with voice guidance. It is part of Google Maps for mobile and is available for phones with Android 2.0. So looks like iPhone user’s will have to stick to using just the regular Maps app, or fork out some cash for the premium Tom Tom or Navigon applications.

Google Maps Navigation uses your phone’s internet connection to give you the latest maps and business data. But that’s not all that’s different about Google’s approach to GPS navigation.

The application for Android 2.0 allows you to take advantage of the following features:

• Search in plain English - No need to know the address. You can type a business name or even a kind of a business, just like you would on Google.
• Search by voice. Speak your destination instead of typing (English only): “Navigate to the de Young Museum in San Francisco”.
• Traffic view – An on-screen indicator glows green, yellow, or red based on the current traffic conditions along your route. A single touch toggles a traffic view which shows the traffic ahead of you.
• Search along route – Search for any kind of business along your route, or turn on popular layers such as gas stations, restaurants, or parking.
• Satellite view – View your route overlaid on 3D satellite views with Google’s high-resolution aerial imagery.
• Street View -Visualize turns overlaid on Google’s Street View imagery. Navigation automatically switches to Street View as you approach your destination.
• Car dock mode - For certain devices, placing your phone in a car dock activates a special mode that makes it easy to use your device at arm’s length.

Google states that Google Maps Navigation is currently only available in the United States on phones that run Android 2.0, including the Droid. Looking forward to iPhone support in the near future.

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The iBend stand from Widget Factory is a pretty nifty, little accessory for your iPhone or iPod Touch if you use your device to watch videos. The main selling point here is that the stand is superslim. It’s a flat sheet of flexible plastic that you can store in your wallet or the back of your iPhone’s protective cover (slip it between the cover and the back of your iPhone) and bend into a stand when needed.

Use your iBend on a plane, bus, or train – whilst lifting weights, eating breakfast, waiting at the sushi bar, getting your teeth cleaned, at a business meeting, sitting in traffic, serving on a jury or practicing yoga.

The slenderness of the iBend allows you to easily store it in your wallet, pocket or purse so you’ll always have one handy. I personally love all the cool designs that they come in, and the convenience factor of being able to keep one in your wallet. Definitely going to pick a couple of these up to test out. I’ll let you all know how they work out.

Read |  Buy

With breathtaking HD graphics and the most advanced vehicle performance modeling in a video game, Forza Motorsport 3 includes a host of driving assists and adjustable skill levels to make the game a gripping pick-up-and-play experience for audiences of all ages and skill levels. Of course this is only available for Xbox 360.

Simply put, Forza 3 is one of the best racers ever made.

It starts with the cars, of course. Forza 3 has more than 400 vehicles you can take for a spin and the crazy part is, they’re all unlocked from the outset. That’s right, with the exception of a few cars available only to those who pre-order Forza 3, every car on the disc can be driven from the get-go. Sure, you’ll need to earn some credits to make your purchases, but if you can drum up a million creds, you can take the Bugatti Veyron for a spin. If you’ve played racing games your entire life, this fact alone may just blow your stack. It goes against everything we’ve ever thought about racing games. You’re supposed to start with crappy cars, suffer through a few hours of slow-paced driving, then graduate to a sleeker class of vehicle. Well, Forza 3 is throwing racing conventions out the window.

BONUS: I will be giving away a free pre-order code for a special edition Audi R8 for a random commenter. Deadline Oct 30th 2009.

Read |  Buy

inPulse is a watch which connects wirelessly to your phone by BlueTooth®, alerting you instantly of incoming emails, SMS and Phone Calls. inPulse extends the functionality of your BlackBerry smartphone, so when you’re in a pinch you can check your inPulse instead of fumbling around with your phone.

inPulse features an elegant user interface with 1 button interaction. It grabs important information like, caller ID, text messages, email titles, calendar alerts and displays it on a colour OLED screen. The watch body is crafted from high-grade materials and is fitted to a custom wrist band. It also allows you to read recent Tweets from Twitter, or any updates from your RSS feeds, but i’d rather read them directly off my device, so I wouldn’t look crazy staring at my watch during a meeting.

Now don’t get it mistaken, this is not a BlackBerry Watch, but a watch that connects to your BlackBerry over bluetooth so that you don’t always have to grab your device from your holdster to see who’s trying to contact you.

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Watch out Amazon, Barnes & Noble has released Nook, its Kindle killer. Nook’s screen uses electronic ink, made to read as crisp and clear as a printed page. Its also has a full-colour touchscreen that encourages you to bookmark, add notes, and highlight passages. Nook also has a built-in wireless 3G connection to download your eBooks instantly. With 2GB of space there is enough room for about 1,500 eBooks, but you are not limited to that. With an expandable memory card slot you can also take music and personal files also. B&N also claims that with wireless turned off you can run your Nook for up to 10 days on a single charge.

Buy

It began with iPhone. Then came iPod touch. Then MacBook Pro. Multi-Touch technology introduced a remarkably better way to interact with your portable devices. The Magic Mouse is the world’s first Multi-Touch mouse. And while it comes standard with every new iMac, you can also add it to any Bluetooth-enabled Mac for a Multi-Touch makeover.

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Apple has finally updated its non-aluminum laptop today with the new MacBook. The new introductory MacBook features a polycarbonate unibody design with a non-skid bottom surface, an LED-backlit 13.3-inch display, a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA 9400M graphics, Apple’s latest built-in battery technology for up to seven hours of battery life, and a glass multi-touch trackpad. Now my biggest issue is do I go with an iMac or MacBook?

Technical Specs:

• 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB on-chip shared L2 cache running 1:1 with processor speed
• 1066MHz frontside bus
• 2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB

• Built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi wireless networking² (based on IEEE 802.11n specification); IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible
• Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
• Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory

• 250GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard disk drive; optional 320GB or 500GB 5400-rpm drive⁴
• 8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/
  CD-RW)

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