Hasta La Gadget!

This article was written on May 29, 2008 by CyberNet.

For Mac users, Apple has released the update, Mac OS X 10.5.3. You’ve probably already seen the update available for download in the Software Update, but you may not be aware of what this new update does. One of the biggest things, of course, is that it includes some general operating system fixes which you can read all about here. There’s a pretty long list of minor changes that were made all across the operating system. A new feature though, is the option to sync your Google Contacts with the Address Book Application (our review here).

The Official Google Mac Blog points out this feature and explains how you do it. They recommend that before you get started, you back-up your Google Contacts as well as your Address Book. Once you’ve got that done, just open up Address Book, then Preferences, and then you’ll see the option to “Synchronize with Google” (right below Synchronize with Yahoo).

If you just followed those steps and you don’t see the option, it’s probably because you have never hooked up an iPhone or iPod Touch to your computer. See, Apple made a small mistake here and the only way the option will appear is if you’ve hooked up the previously mentioned devices. Of course not everybody that has a Mac owns an iPhone or iPod Touch, and so what are they to do? Thankfully there’s already a solution which Lifehacker writes about here. It sounds simple enough and should only take a few minutes.

Both Ryan and I installed this update without any issues (it’s a big one, 420 MB) but not everybody was so fortunate. Blogger jkOnTheRun wrote a post saying that the update crashed his MacBook Pro. He says, “It downloaded and installed fine, indicated it was “patching files,” and then never would boot up again.” The problem he had is the only problem I’ve seen mentioned around the Blogosphere regarding this update, so I’m sure you should be able to update without a hitch too. As a precaution though, be sure to back-up your files as Apple recommends you do anyways.

Thanks to Omar and Nimrodguy for the tips!

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

Related Posts:

Gmail Finally Stops Adding Contacts AutomaticallyGoogle Shows BlackBerry Love with Calendar Sync ToolHow To Add MSN, Yahoo, And AIM Contacts To Google TalkGoogle Sync Let’s Firefox Users Save SettingsSync Google Calendar with Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft gave out Samsung Windows 8 tablets at its 2011 BUILD Conference. Image: VentureBeat

The future of Flash looks dimmer and dimmer as another major player in the mobile space shuns support of the platform.

Microsoft’s brand new Windows 8 Metro user interface will not support Adobe Flash or other plug-ins, instead embracing the HTML5 set of web standards, according to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer team leader Dean Hachamovitch. For users who access legacy ActiveX controls, they’ll have to jump out of the Metro UI and switch to the classic-styled desktop browser.

Hachamovitch explains that running IE without Flash or other plug-ins “improves battery life as well as security, reliability, and privacy for consumers.” These are pretty much the same reasons that Apple doesn’t support Flash on its devices.

“Providing compatibility with legacy plug-in technologies would detract from, rather than improve, the consumer experience of browsing in the Metro style UI,” Hachamovitch wrote in a blog post on Thursday.

Of course, Adobe immediately went on the defensive, shifting attention away from Microsoft’s mobile devices.

“We expect Windows desktop to continue to be extremely popular for years to come and that it will support Flash just fine, including rich web-based games and premium videos that require Flash,” Adobe told Wired.com in a statement.

Adobe’s Flash product has had a rough time as computing has shifted to a mobile environment. Apple has long banned Flash from its mobile devices, publicly announcing the reasons (which Adobe directly responded to). Recently, Apple stopped shipping Flash capability with products like the 2010 MacBook Air, which gave the 11-inch model a whopping two extra hours of battery life. Since Google released Android version 2.2 (Froyo), many Android-powered smartphones have supported Flash. But some say Android’s Flash-capabilities are wanting.

And Android isn’t the only OS running Flash poorly. The QNX-powered BlackBerry PlayBook operating system was hyped to boast the best Flash support before its release, but Wired.com found running Flash games and sites spotty at best on the PlayBook. Similarly, the Android-powered Motorola Xoom has struggled with Flash, debuting only with a beta version of Adobe’s product that was much maligned.

“I actually find Flash on Android to be quite cumbersome,” said Michael Novak, a developer for group messaging app GroupMe, in an interview. “I would like to see Android move away from Flash support and adopt more HTML5 video options. The large run-time required by Flash is disappointing.”

Novak feels it will be a hard battle to fight though, as much of the publishing interesting are very supportive of Adobe products.

HTML5 has come to be the de facto alternative for functions that previously required Adobe Flash. For instance with video, back-end system Brightcove now uses HTML5 to deliver streaming video to devices like the iPad. Many see the move of video services in particular toward HTML5 as the “kiss of death” for Flash. As of March, 63% of web video is now HTML 5 compatible, an indication of the growing shift away from Flash.

Although Flash is losing steam, Adobe is not, even with regards to its waning product. Adobe has outed its own Flash to HTML5 conversion tool, called Wallaby, which is a free AIR application¹. Adobe’s AIR platform allows developers to use Flash and other tools to develop standalone web apps for mobile devices.

Note 1. The original version of this story incorrectly stated that Edge was Adobe’s Flash to HTML5 conversion tool. Edge is an HTML5 web motion and interaction design tool. Updated 9/16/2011 at 11:59 AM PST.

We’re about as certain as it gets regarding something you haven’t seen that the iPhone 5 will have a big ‘ol screen. There’s been prior evidence—and this might be more: a leaked screen protector and possibly-revealing case. More »

An Apple patent for a “3D imaging and display system” staggers out into daylight after seven years buried in the USPTO. Its eyes steadily adjust to the brightness of a Kinect-dominated world and its heart sinks. But then a random guy approaches and says,

“Hey little patent, what’s wrong?”

“I’m obsolete,” comes the sullen reply. “I’m all about detecting user movements in three dimensions, but the competition has that covered. Sure, people might *think* I’ve patented some kind of wild holographic virtual reality stuff too, but my paperwork only mentions that in the vaguest possible terms. There’s no way I can threaten Microsoft.”

“Nonsense!” cries the guy. “Follow me. I know a judge in Düsseldorf.”

Apple ‘3D imaging and display’ patent was cutting edge in 2005 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Patently Apple  |  USPTO  | Email this | Comments

Are you a Sprint subscriber? Super stoked about possibly getting your hands on an iPhone? It seems as though you’re finally about to be in business. After a chat with a freshly-briefed, forthcoming sales associate, TUAW is reporting that the carrier will start offering an Apple device of some sort next month alongside existing data plans — providing some confirmation for the recent Wall Street Journal report. Things get a bit cloudy after that in regards to exactly which handset the carrier will obtain, but the sales force is currently getting familiar with the iPhone 4. Regardless of which iPhone Sprint ends up procuring, it’s getting fairly impossible to shake the (seemingly) obvious. We’ll see in a month, eh?

Sprint begins iPhone briefings, exact model number remains questionable originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 02:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  TUAW  | Email this | Comments