nVidia Geforce GTX Titan GK110 works on Hackintosh with Mac OSX 10.8.4 and official Drivers, including CUDA support!
This is big news from the hackintosh front: since you are limited to using single GPU graphic cards on hackintosh (Mac OS X only supports single GPU systems) the best possible card up to now was the Geforce GTX 680 (see our previous article).
Not anymore, since the Nvidia Geforce GTX Titan (GK110 chipset) is working on OSX 10.8.4 with official Nvidia drivers. There are already some awesome hackintosh case mods and builds out there.
Netkas reported the card working on April 2nd. Furthermore, there is a possible ROM-hack to get the card working on Mac Pro machines, making it the fastest video card you can possibly put into your Apple Mac Pro.
The current discussions and experiences from the hackintosh community are promising, though we might see several driver updates in the coming weeks. CUDA is supported, also OpenCL is reported working, though strangely not with all different vendor models.
If you want to stay on the bleeding edge, here are recommended cards that people reported working with hackintosh:
ASUS GeForce GTX TITAN 6GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 SLI Support Video Card GTXTITAN-6GD5
If you want to be on the safe side, get the EVGA GeForce GTX 680 2048MB GDDR5, DVI, DVI-D, HDMI, DisplayPort, 4-way SLI Ready Graphics Card Graphics Cards 02G-P4-2680-KR which is working flawlessly and costs only half of the current Titan price...
Black Magic Cinema Camera BMCC is available and already shipping! (3 days shipping time)
I could not believe it myself, but the Black Magic Cinema Camera is available to order from various sellers, some of them even offering free shipping within 3 days (!).
We already reported various times about the Black Magic Cinema Camera (BMCC) on nanofunk (you can read more about it in our archives) , but officially the camera was very hard to get hands on yet. Blackmagic made lots of local press viewings and there are a bunch of demo-units out, but this is big news. We just ordered an EF-Mount version. Be fast though - the demand is very high on this camera. As EOSHD pointed out: the Blackmagic Cinema Camera can be seen as disruptive technology, since it might be a game changer in terms of production-workflow speed (SSD recorder included), picture quality and especially since it comes with the color correction suite "Davinci", which makes it perfect for independent filmers.
For people in Europe: there is only one Black Magic Cinema camera in Berlin, ready to pick up, all the other offers are international orders.
Hackintosh 8-Core Build with maximum GPU, 64GB RAM, Intel XEON – Recommendation
We just finished our latest Hackintosh 8-Core build that we wanted to share with the community. Here are the specs:
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X79-UD5, X79 (quad PC3-10667U DDR3)
CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2690, 8x 2.90GHz, Sockel-2011, boxed
RAM: Kingston HyperX Beast DIMM XMP Kit 64GB PC3-17066U CL11-12-11 (DDR3-2133)
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 680 Classified, 4GB GDDR5, 2x DVI, HDMI, DP (1111MHz)
CASE: Fractal Design Define R4 Titanium Grey Computer Case
We bought original Apple peripherals, such as the Magic Mouse and an Apple Keyboard. If you care about Apple Replica Items you might want to read our previous article: Save Money with replica Apple Hardware: the good and the bad.
The system has a Geekbench score of approx. 30.000, so it is perfect for doing media and encoding work (Adobe Premiere, Pro Tools, Final Cut Pro, etc.).
NameCheap Domain Registrar accepts BitCoin virtual currency as payment
(via earlyadopterdemands) the Registrar NameCheap accepts BitCoins to pay for services (domains, SSL certificates, anonymous Domain services, etc.). This is great news, since there are only few places that officially support BitCoins (wordpress.com is also accepting them for example).
There is another good reason to use NameCheap as domain registrar: they are supporting the EFF - Electronic Frontier Foundation; in their recent "Domain Moving Day" NameCheap was raising $44.311,50 to support the EFF.
If you know about other interesting services and sites supporting BitCoin, let us know. Nanofunk is moving all domains to NameCheap soon, so should you.
Aaron Swartz – creator of Reddit and co-author of RSS forces PDF-spreading-spree posthume: #PDFtribute. Why Open Access matters.
Current discussions about the death of Aaron Swartz force bid discussions about copyright, open access and the publication of scientific data (papers). Aaron Swartz was one of the creators of Reddit and co-author of the RSS 1.0 specification, among actively working on the creation and discussion of creative commons. He was the founder of Demand Progress, which launched the campaign against the Internet censorship bills (SOPA/PIPA) and now has over a million members. His main interest was sociology, civic awareness and activism. On January 6, 2011, he was arrested by federal authorities in connection with systematic downloading of academic journal articles from JSTOR (he downloaded about 4 million of JSTOR's collection of academic journal articles). He was released on US$100,000 unsecured bail - though the prosecution continued - a potential prison term of up to 35 years and a fine of up to $1 million was discussed. Shortly before Swartz' death, JSTOR announced that it would make "more than 4.5 million articles" available to the public for free.
An unknown activist leaked 35GB of compressed data on 2011-07-21 05:20:52 via piratebay, stating:
"This archive contains 18,592 scientific publications totaling 33GiB, all from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society and which should be available to everyone at no cost, but most have previously only been made available at high prices through paywall gatekeepers like JSTOR. Limited access to the documents here is typically sold for $19 USD per article, though some of the older ones are available as cheaply as $8. Purchasing access to this collection one article at a time would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars." (source: thepiratebay)
There are currently two torrents spread via thepiratebay which actually can be seen as a distributed p2p-protest.
Another anonymous poster stated: "Aaron Swartz was was an internet activist. He believed tha information should be free. He co-authored the RSS 1.0 spec. He released about 20% of the PACER database of US Federal Court Documents. He set up a laptop in a utility closet at MIT and downloaded 35GB of the JSTOR archive. Clearly he was a great risk to society. The feds arrested him. If he had been found guilty, he could have faced up to 50 years in prison, and a $4 million dollar fine. Wrap you head around that." (source: thepiratebay)
R.I.P. Aaron Swartz - JSTOR archive 35GB
Papers from Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, fro(original torrent)
Currently there is a big open access and open source paper spree going on via twitter. People are releasing their PDF publications free and available online via the #pdftribute hashtag. The website pdftribute.net automatically scrapes all the published tweets in that context.
There is lots of response to the death of Aaron Swartz, who released the Guerilla Open Access Manifesto in 2008. Lawrence Lessig wrote an angry letter to the M.I.T. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) - and other people, such as Dana Boyd, Cory Doctorow and Tim Berners-Lee expressed their sadness and rage: after all, Swartz was facing more prison time than murderers. An international discussion has started, fueling the question on harsh prosecution of cybercrimes (see in this context: nymag.com).
Still we can hope that sad events such as this one might get people to start thinking beyond their horizon - for example actually demanding real open access!
Happy 2013! Technology Trends in 2013
Happy 2013 to all the readers of the nanofunk blog! Unfortunately, the blogging frequency was not so high the last months, please don't forget to send us your hints and posts - in 2012 over 600 emails with recommended content were sent to us.
Technology Trends of 2013
gartner.com published a list of technology trends for 2013, that is a quite interesting read.
Mobile Device Battles - mobile devices will continue to rise and by 2015 80% of the handsets sold will be smartphones. With the recent release of Canonical's Ubuntu Mobile we are coming one step closer to this.
Mobile Applications and HTML5 - according to Garnter, no single client will be optimal to display all types of content. He predicts that HTML5 will gain popularity. Well, this is not so new - if you were not hiding in the basement for the last few years, you heard of (and are maybe already using) HTML5. The HTML 5 standard was recently finished by the W3C, making HTML 5.1 the next thing to wait for.
Personal Cloud - the personal cloud will replace the PC as location. What? Maybe in the USA, but in places such as Austria or Germany, the current upload rates are so poor, people might not even completely switch to webmail yet. Gartner still stays positive: "The personal cloud shifts the focus from the client device to cloud-based services delivered across devices."
Enterprise App Stores - according to the report, by 2014 many organizations will deliver mobile applications to workers through private application stores. "With enterprise app stores the role of IT shifts from that of a centralized planner to a market manager providing governance and brokerage services to users and potentially an ecosystem to support apptrepreneurs."
The Internet of Things - "The Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept that describes how the Internet will expand as physical items such as consumer devices and physical assets are connected to the Internet." Embedded sensors, image recognition technologies and NFC payment, just to name a few. Cellular technology is being embedded in lots of devices, not only mobile phones. Next up might be watches, televisions (Apple TV) among things you might not expect being online.
Hybrid IT and Cloud Computing - "The internal CSB role represents a means for the IT organization to retain and build influence inside its organization and to become a value center in the face of challenging new requirements relative to increasing adoption of cloud as an approach to IT consumption."
Strategic Big Data - "Big Data is moving from a focus on individual projects to an influence on enterprises’ strategic information architecture. Dealing with data volume, variety, velocity and complexity is forcing changes to many traditional approaches. This realization is leading organizations to abandon the concept of a single enterprise data warehouse containing all information needed for decisions. Instead they are moving towards multiple systems, including content management, data warehouses, data marts and specialized file systems tied together with data services and metadata, which will become the "logical" enterprise data warehouse."
Actionable Analytics - IT leaders can afford to perform analytics for (almost) every action taken in the business - with the improved performance and lower costs of cloud-based analytic engines and Big Data repositories. Simulations are on the rise, among predictions optimizations and other analytics. Business analytics applications might see a big rise with the cloud and with Big Data.
In Memory Computing (IMC) - Certain (digital) processes can be dramatically improved from hour-long batch processes to minutes or even seconds by delivering them to end-users via cloud services. "Millions of events can be scanned in a matter of a few tens of millisecond to detect correlations and patterns pointing at emerging opportunities and threats as things happen.". Lots of in-memory-based solutions will appear over the next two years driving this approach into mainstream use.
Integrated Ecosystems - according to Gartner, the market is shifting to more integrated systems and ecosystems and away from loosely coupled heterogeneous approaches. This actually is another term for "virtualization" (or cloud computing), meaning the user will see less hardware and get more bang for the buck in return (in terms of computing cycles and processor speeds, or maximum IO performance). The new part in this context is for the business side: "In the mobile world, vendors including Apple, Google and Microsoft drive varying degrees of control across and end-to-end ecosystem extending the client through the apps.", meaning those companies will fragment the webs even more, making use of proprietary new protocols and squeeze out more money by saving their costs.
New MacBook Air Leaks: Upgrades rumored to include 8 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD, Ivy Bridge
According to MacRumors, new specs for the upcoming Apple MacBook Air Models leaked already, mainly confirming what we already thought: Intel Ivy Bridge, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD stock. Unconfirmed is still the Retina Display on the MacBook Air and USB 3.0 Ports, among other rumored extensions. Let's see what the next few hours will bring!
Here are the leaked specs:
11-inch
Base Model: MD223LL/A - MBA 11.6/1.7/4/64FLASH-USA
Better: MD224LL/A - MBA 11.6/1.7/4/128FLASH-USA
High End: MD845LL/A - MBA 11.6/2.0/8/256FLASH-USA
13-inch
MD231LL/A - MBAIR 13.3/1.8/4/128FLASH-USA
MD232LL/A - MBAIR 13.3/1.8/4/256FLASH-USA
MD846LL/A - MBAIR 13.3/2.0/8/512FLASH-USA
Update from WWDC 2012: Retina MacBook Pro with up to 16 GB RAM, 768 GB SSD (Retina!)
Great stuff folks - MacBook Pro Specs leaked short before they will be actually presented on the WWDC 2012: 15" MacBook Pro with Retina Display!
This is epic, I am wondering how much people will get a new MacBook Pro soon, expect the prices of the previous models to drop dramatically: there is already a Apple MacBook Pro MD313LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop selling (new) for $934, expect prices to drop even more...
here are the leaked specs and model numbers (thanks to 9to5mac)
MC975LL/A – MBP 15.4/2.3/8GB/256GB FLASH-USA
MC976LL/A – MBP 15.4/2.6/8GB/512GB FLASH-USA
MD831LL/A – MBP 15.4/2.7/16GB/768GB FLASH-USA
New Nikon D800 and D800e stock available shortly, according to Nikon and various online sources
According to Nikon USA and to various sellers, the next bunch of D800 cameras will be released by end of the month, since the production volume of the cameras (D800 and D800E) is 30,000 units per month. I am also on various waiting lists for a D800E (which is actually even harder to get hands on, since it is produced in smaller quantities), such as Amazon and B&H Photography - and I can recommend you do the same, if you are really interested in getting any version of the D800 camera.
In Europe (UK and Mainland), there are some sellers that actually have the Nikon D800 in stock, although for a slightly higher price than Nikon's recommended price tag, but what about the USA? I tweeted yesterday, that the Nikon D800 is available for $2750 in the US, but the stock of this particular shop seems to have been completely sold in only 3 hours. There are some people selling their factory sealed D800 cameras in the USA, so if you really want one, you have to pay the price of some few extra bucks.
But according to big resellers and to Nikon, the next batch of units will be available soon in Europe and in the USA: end of the month/beginning of next month, another big amount of preorders will be fulfilled.
"With the current 1,600 workers, the factory is producing one unit of camera per minute on a daytime shift with each unit of the D800 variant produced every four hours and the D4 variant every five hours." (source: nikonrumors)
But this is not the whole deal: according to techradar, "Some components for camera production are sourced from overseas factories including Nikon China, with around 1600 component parts required to produce both the D800 and D4."
All this hype and lots of work go into the D800, which already received the Camera GP2012 Camera of the Year and Readers Awards, and still the demand is very high.
Recommended SSD Solid State Drives for your Apple Mac, MacBook Pro and your Hackintosh
Since the SSD technology already matured a lot and the drives are mostly more stable than Hard Disk, the only question remains on which drive to choose. Actually, the answer is more simple than you might have thought: go for the longest warranty.
The OCZ Vertex 3 is a very cheap and awesome piece of hardware (read the benchmarks here: OCZ Vertex 3 vs. Intel 520 SSD) but the Vertex 3 has one major problem: it features only 3 years of warranty. So what drives are currently offering more than 3 years? The OCZ Vertex 4 and the Intel 520 SSD drives, both the cutting edge of speed and durability offer 5 years of warranty.
OCZ Vertex 4 features the best 4K random performance, so this is the drive to look out for! highly recommended!
Both drives feature a 5 year warranty, which shows us that the drives are really high quality.
The Intel 520 Cherryville Solid State Drives are built with duarbility in mind: Intel has a very good reputation when it comes to Solid State Drives - nanofunk can highly recommend this SSD for Hackintosh or Apple usage!
Optibay Replica for $14 for a second HDD or SSD in your Apple MacBook or MacBook Pro, including external case for your optical drive
A lot of readers and friends keep asking me about the Optibay and the modding possibilities of their MacBooks and MacBook Pros. Here is a current and up-to-date information on what you can do to tweak your Mac Notebooks to the extent:
First of all, you might want to max your RAM: read our article "Confirmed: 16GB RAM Upgrade for Unibody MacBook Pros" to see how to obtain the cheapest RAM upgrades possible. Second, you might want to consider an SSD replacement for your internal drive. Intel and OCZ are currently the best brands to look out for, you can read our article "OCZ Vertex 3 vs. Intel 520 SSD Benchmarks on OSX (Hackintosh)" for details.
The best way to mod your Apple MacBook or MacBook Pro is the Optibay still: for around $14 you can get the full shebang, including the Optibay (replica) as well as an USB casing for your optical drive, should you need it ever (i don't).
Optibay Replica for as low as $6.99
External Case for your optical drive: if you ever need it again, you can use your SuperDrive or ComboDrive via USB 2.0 on your MacBook or MacBook Pro
If you don't like the white color, the external drive is also available in black and there is even a slim version (slot-in) in silver. Don't worry about the replicas, they are not really different to the original Optibay - anyway you are mounting them inside your MacBook Pro and you won't see them any time soon.
Also take a look at our previous post "2011 Macbook Pro and SATA III 6Gbps, Optibay: two HD drives – setup explained". There, we recommended saving the few bucks for the external casing and getting a bluray drive instead, a recommendation i can still emphasize.
Panasonic 12-35mm GX Vario f2.8 MFT Lens for Micro Four Thirds: Possible Kit Lens for Panasonic Lumix DMC GH3
eoshd writes about the upcoming 12-35mm weather sealed lens that is Panasonic's new top-range Lumix Zoom with a constant aperture of f2.8. While the Panasonic GH3 camera is not out yet, it is rumored to be a competitor to the current weather-sealed and in-body image stabilized Olympus OM-D (EM-5). The Olympus OM-D has the only flaw that it does not output clean HDMI, a shortcoming that the upcoming Panasonic GH3 could address (and solve) since the GH2 also outputs a clean HDMI signal and allows us to use RAW/HiRes external recording devices such as the Atomos Ninja or the Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Shuttle 2 SSD Video Recorder.
The Panasonic 12-35mm GX Vario f2.8 MFT Lens will of course also work with existing Micro Four Thirds Cameras, such as the GH2 or the OM-D, and features four aspherical elements, a 25cm minimum focus distance and Panasonic’s new nano-particle coating. Also the video-optimized image stabilizer (Power OIS) is said to be better.
Expected price is EUR 1100 (approx. 1400$). The original article is in spanish but definitely worth a read (just use google translate to get the information decrypted).
Here are some other sources from the web:
* ePhotoZine: "New Panasonic Lumix G X VARIO 12-35mm f/2.8 Lens Announced"
* dpreview: Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 ASPH Power OIS Preview
* dcresource: Panasonic announces F2.8, 12 - 35 mm Micro Four Thirds lens (sample photos available)
Samsung Galaxy S3 Smartphone has already 9 Million orders – beats iPhone on preorder volume
The Samsung Galaxy S3 (SIII) is one awesome piece of hardware: not yet available (but can be preordered for $774) it already beat Apple's iPhone in preorders: over 9 million people already ordered Samsung's Smartphone
"Samsung’s new Galaxy S3 phone has been pre-ordered by more than 100 global carriers, who expect to sell at least 9 million devices at launch." (via telegraph).
I am still deciding if i go for the Samsung Galaxy SIII Gt-i9300 or the much cheaper Samsung I9250 Galaxy Nexus, which already sells for $389.99. I am not sure if I really need the quad-core CPU and the larger screen; also the battery standby and talking time seem to be quite similar. Anyone can help me make my decision? ;)
Adobe Creative Suite CS6 is online and can be downloaded
Adobe just recently released their Creative Suite CS6 - which can be downloaded already. The Trial changed from being authorized online, so no trial-prolonging anymore. But since the pricing of Adobe CS6 Suite changed so dramatically, it might be not even needed anymore: the whole Creative Suite 6 Master Collection can be "rented" for $49.90 per month.
Adobe CS6 Design Standard Student and Teacher Edition starts at $349 while the whole Adobe CS6 Master Edition currently costs $2599.
You can read our initial posting on Adobe CS6 - just judging from a short review, the speed increase from version 5.5 is dramatically. All the apps are significantly faster, especially Photoshop and After Effects.
Galaxy S III Officially Announced by Samsung, Offers 4.8-Inch Screen, S-Voice Control
Samsung Galaxy S III was officially announced by Samsung after a recent leak on the Amazon germany website. It offers a large 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280x720 and measures nearly 20% taller and wider than the iPhone 4S, but is slightly thinner and lighter. It includes an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front camera that can be used for face recognition and tracking features. Among the other possible ways to control the phone are voice, and motion recognition, including a "S Voice" feature which is quite similar to Siri on the Apple iPhone.
Samsung is also showcasing a new Music Hub service integrating both a streaming service and an iTunes Match-like scan-and-match service to provide users with access to their own music from anywhere - music "clouds" are quite common these days.
While not available on the US Amazon site yet at the time of writing, the Samsung Galaxy S3 can be already preordered on the german Amazon Website for 599€.
Samsung Galaxy S III next to the iPhone 4S (Source: Android Central)
Olympus E-M5 OM-D System Camera is shipping in Europe!
The long-awaited and revolutionary camera for digital photographers and videographers is finally shipping in Europe! The Olympus E-M5 OM-D System Camera features a weather and waterproof case, as well as a new in-body image stabilization system!
The camera is perfect for low-budget film and video productions and if the only caveat (currently only HDMI out in "preview mode") would be fixed with a firmware update by Olympus, it could be used together with the Atomos Ninja HDMI Recorder or BlackMagic Design Hyperdeck Shuttle to record RAW video (respectively Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD).
Evoking the classic design of the original OM Series introduced 40 years ago, and transforming it for the modern age, the Olympus OM-D Series is a new and entirely unique Micro Four Thirds camera system. It combines outstanding features found in the Olympus E-System DSLR line with those of the compact Olympus PEN® Series to meet the requirements of discerning photographers who demand more performance and portability from their interchangeable-lens cameras.
Ordinary cameras have a 2-axis image stabilization system, and it is not implemented in the camera body, but in the lenses - such as the mega O.I.S. from panasonic. The really awesome part of the Olympus OMD is the built-in image stabilization in the body! Compensating and correcting 5-axes of shaking and shift, this new I.S. is the future of portable digital video: it corrects horizontal shift, vertical shift and rolling camera shake - the gyroscopic sensors in the camera detect the amount of camera shake and the IS unit automatically compensates.
Olympus OMD E-M5: combatting bodyshake for vertical, horizontal, pitch, rolling and yaw. IS compensation is effective up to a maximum of -5 EV.
[Update] Thanks to thayermc for pointing out that currently clean HDMI out is crippled. I hope this will be fixed in a future firmware.
Nikon D3200 is already shipping, 1 week after announcement
The just recently announced NIKON D3200 DSLR camera is already shipping via Amazon in the US, people in europe have to still wait, since you can only pre-order for now (but the camera should be available soon, according to Nikon). The D3200 features a 24.2 MP DX-format CMOS sensor (crop factor of 1.5) and has EXPEED III image processing. It is an entry level DSLR but it can shoot 1080p HD video - still the problem is that it won't output clean HDMI signal (which could be fixed by a firmware update theoretically).
After all, we got a nice new cheap camera to chose from when shooting low budget video or just want to take casual fotos. While the Nikon D3200 should be superior in terms of photography compared to the Panasonic GH2, still in video the Lumix GH2 is the top of the class. We will see if there will be a firmware hack for the D3200 - it is quite possible since there is some hacking done with Nikon cameras, but it will take time for sure. Maybe we can order the D3200 to sweeten the long time of waiting for the D800 which is still only available via preorder.
Mozilla Firefox 12 adds silent Updates, makes the Web more secure
Mozilla Firefox was updated to Version 12 and can be downloaded for Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux. Besides updating the interface and squashed bugs, Firefox 12 offers an essential feature: silent updates. That means automatic closing of security holes and auto-updates, which is very welcome for web developers, who don't have to support legacy browsers in the future. Mozilla Firefox 12 also got a little faster, for me it is the recommended Browser on Linux and Mac.
Google introduces Google Drive (GDrive) with 5GB free space in the cloud
Google presented its new cloud storage solution, directly aimed at competing with Dropbox, Microsoft Skydrive and Apple's iCloud: Google Drive offers 5GB of free data storage in the cloud.
The extra-pricing is very competitive, 25GB of extra space costs 2.49$ per month, 100GB are $4.99. For 1000GB (1TB) Google charges 50 dollars a month. Price drops at Dropbox should appear soon.
Remember: if you sign up to Dropbox with our Affiliate Link, you get 1GB of extra storage for free (a total of 3GB).
Adobe Presents Creative Suite CS6 with Tons of Updates, introduces Subscription Service
Adobe officially announced the the launch of Creative Suite 6 (CS6) which can already be read about on the Adobe CS6 Website. Adobe also presented a new payment method for the usage of CS6: for $49,99 per Month, the whole Bundle of Software can be used on a subscription basis, which is significantly lower than assumed. Small project-teams and low-budget productions can benefit from this service. Updates of Premiere have some highlights such as "native DSLR and Video Camera support", where Adobe also lists the ARRI Alexa, Red EPIC, Red Scarlet, Canon EOS C2300, as newly supported devices. Adobe After Effects finally supports Illustrator path-import. All in all, the whole Suite is said to be much faster, as the new Mercury Engine speeds up overall usage with improved GPU support.
Samsung Galaxy S3 (SIII) is official: 12 megapixels Camera, 4,7 inch Touchscreen, Quad-Core
Earlyadopterdemands reported that the Samsung Galaxy S3 surfaced on the german Amazon Website: Specs are quite clear now. The Smartphone features a 4.7inch super-AMOLED touchscreen and a quad-core CPU running at 1.5Ghz (or 1.8GHz). In difference to the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the Samsung Galaxy S3 can hold a microSD card to increase storage up to 32GB. (it remains unclear if that means 32 GB in total, or 32 additional Gigabytes).
Furthermore, Samsung is currently teasing us with more information on their website www.tgeltaayehxnx.com. Official release date of the Samsung Galaxy S3 is Max 3rd, according to Samsung.
Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera: 2.5K RAW Video in ProRes, CinemaDNG and Avid DNxHD
Black Magic Design unleashed the Black Magic Design Cinema Camera with 2.5K RAW Video in CinemaDNG (12-Bit), Avid DNxHD (10-bit) and ProRes (10-bit) support. The Camera can record on SSD drives internally and features a touchscreen with 5" and 800 x 480 resolution. But that's not all: it has Thunderbolt connection, so getting that recorded data out fast is not an issue.
The camera has a dynamic range of 13 stops (!) and supports EF (Canon) and ZF (Zeiss) lenses. Only disappointment seems to be audio support: one integrated mono mic, 2x 1/4" jacks for balanced analog audio (why no XLR?).
Oh, and wait - that's not all - for the suggested price of $3000 they also give you DaVinci Resolve, which is said to be "world's most advanced color correction software", as well as BlackMagic Media Express (Capture Software) and Blackmagic UltraScope software for waveform monitoring from the camera’s Thunderbolt port.
If that isn't something!
Apple Store Down for Maintenance: New Products Imminent? [Updated]
Apple's Store Page is currently "down for maintenance". While this often means new products are about to be introduced, it could also only mean a general site maintenance or redesign.
New MacBook Pros as well as new Mac Pros are on the horizon, including the possibility of the upcoming iPhone 5. Personally, I would favor a new Mac Pro line the most - giving us updated GPU drivers (kexts) as well as more hardware support. Let's see what the day brings.
[Update 2012-04-11 9:35 CET] Site is back online and NOTHING NEW. Apple really teases us too much these days. As if there were nothing to update. Still waiting for decent GPU support on the outdated Mac Pros.
Android HD Resolution Mobiles: HTC One X vs LG Optimus 4X HD vs Samsung Galaxy Nexus I9250
Since my iPhone 4S was stolen I need to chose a new mobile phone. As I decided to go with an Android device next, I wanted to share my research and opinions on three of the hottest Android powered mobile smartphones out there.
First of all, we have to be clear that those devices are already full blown computer/console replacements, for their CPU speed and GPU power. But what about the only things I personally care about: a high resolution screen and long battery life?
Here is a specs roundup:
| HTC One X | LG Optimus 4X HD | Samsung Galaxy Nexus I9250 |
 |
 |
 |
| HTC One X - people call it the King of Android mobiles. Quad Core and fastest phone out there, best screen evar. Only a bit pricey. | LG Optimus 4X HD: LG's new superphone. Not really out yet, but specs look promising. | Samsung Galaxy Nexus I9250: a cheap bargain for what it offers. No SD-card slot though. |
| please treat the benchmarks with some grain of salt: they reflect individual seettings of individual people and should just give a brief overview of what the phones are capable of. | ||
| Quadrant benchmark: 4,907 | Quadrant benchmark: 4,512 | Quadrant benchmark: 2140 |
| AnTuTu benchmark: 11542 | AnTuTu benchmark: 11,147 | AnTuTu benchmark: 6,149 |
| CPU: 4x 1.5GHz Cortex-A9 (nVidia Tegra 3) • GPU: GeForce ULP (nVidia Tegra 3) • RAM: 1024MB • 1280x720 | CPU: 4x 1.5GHz (nVidia Tegra 3) • GPU: GeForce ULP (nVidia Tegra 3) • RAM: 1024MB • True HD IPS 1280x720 | CPU: 2x 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 (TI OMAP 4460) • GPU: PowerVR SGX540 • RAM: 1024MB • 1280x720 Super AMOLED |
Conclusion
* if you are on a budget, go for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. It currently sells for $450 new, which is a bargain for what it offers.
* if you care about the best screen, go and get the HTC One X. For a price of $650 it is not exactly cheap, but the 4.7 Inch 720p HD Screen (1280 x 720) is really mind blowing. Going into details - the HTC One X screen has not such a good black level as the Samsung Galaxy S2, although wins when it comes to realistic color representation.
(image via soyacincau.com)
On the horizon
If you have time, maybe you want to wait for the Samsung Galaxy S3, which is said to come with a 4.6-inch Super AMOLED Plus full HD screen and 1,280×720-pixel resolution. Rumors suggest that the S3 might come with an edge-to-edge display and a much larger chassis. Samsung might launch the S3 as its first phone with a 3D screen and a peculiar S-shaped bend in the 4.6-inch screen. The S3 can also receive a revamped light and scratch-resistant ceramic encasing. The processor could be a quad-core ARM A9-based Exynos 4212 chipset, clocked at 1.8GHz with 2GB RAM.
New Apple Macbook Pros on the horizon? Retina Displays, USB3.0, Quad-Core Ivy Bridge
New Apple Macbook Pro Models are on the horizon? Intel Ivy Bridge for the 13, 15, 17 inch and MacBook Air models are most likely, with quad core and possibly USB3 ports. There might be a "slim form factor" that would mean MacBook Air-like MacBook Pro Models, with USB3 ports along other features such as dual Thunderbolt ports and Retina Displays (treat this information as rumors!). As macrumors notes, Reseller Shortages Hint at Forthcoming Update for 15-Inch MacBook Pro: "Apple has been said to be ramping up production of new 15-inch MacBook Pro models carrying a thinner form factor, with Intel's rumored April 29 debut of quad-core mobile Ivy Bridge processors undoubtedly driving that timeline."
The 13" MBP still goes for around $1,115.00, the 15" Quad Core i7 15-inch version is still at $1,679.88. Prices for the upcoming models are obviously not known yet.
Mac Java Trojan: over 600.000 Macs affected – how to secure your Mac [Update]
Update: F-Secure offers a FlashbackRemoval Tool, the Flashback Checker app tells you if your machine is infected.
The Flashback Trojan for Apple's Mac OSX already infected over 600.000 Machines, according to @hexminer on twitter. There is an existing Java Security Update from Apple, all users should update immediately.
Apple is too slow in releasing security fixes - the last known security holes in Mac OSX Java took Apple over 6 months to fix.
F-Secure shows how to secure your Mac by disabling Java. Lion does not come with Java by default, although most of the times it is installed afterwards (running Java applets or Java applications, the Systems asks to install the Java package).
The Flashback Trojan hides as Adobe Flash Player, so the most secure thing to do is to remove Java and Flash from your system. Adobe Flash still does not completely work with Mac OSX Lion, bugs that were reported by Nanofunk over 6 months ago are still open.
Gizmodo posted a simple way how to test if you are infected:
Run the following command in Terminal:
defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment
Take note of the value, DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES
The expected output should be:
"The domain/default pair of (/Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info, LSEnvironment) does not exist"
Then, run this command:
defaults read ~/.MacOSX/environment DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES
"The domain/default pair of (/Users/joe/.MacOSX/environment, DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES) does not exist"
"does not exist" means you've got a healthy rig. If there is any other message, keep following F-Secure's instructions to vanquish the intruder.
Dropbox Cloud Storage increases Free Accounts to 16GB (maximum), increased Referrals from 250MB to 500MB
Dropbox increased the maximum space for Free Users to 16GB: referrals were upped from 250MB to 500Mb per invited user, for "Pro" Account holders, the referral space was even upped to 1GB per accepted invitation. If you sign up to Dropbox with this link, you get an extra 500MB for your signup - that means you will start with initial 2.5GB free cloud storage. A maximum of 16GB is possible, if you invite some more people.
I mainly use Dropbox for Backups and Syncing my data between devices - the Dropbox application/client is available for almost all platforms. We can recommend using the free service as long as possible, since Google plans a new service that will be a strong competitor: the Google Drive Service (GDRIVE) could force Dropbox to lower prices drastically.
OCZ releases Vertex 4 – based on Indilinx Everest 2 silicon
OCZ just released the OCZ Vertex 4 as a successor to the OCZ Vertex 3. The internals and performance of the Vertex 4 are very different from the Vertex 3: based on the Indilinx Everest 2 Chipset, the OCZ Vertex 4 is a totally different story: I would call this drive the Octane 2, but OCZ went with Vertex 4, to show the future of the Vertex product line.
The drive shows lots of potential, especially in random 4K writes, where it even outperforms Intel's 520 Cherryville SSD. Anandtech notes "OCZ has finally delivered much of what we've wanted in an SSD: low write amplification and very good random/sequential write performance. It could use a more aggressive real-time garbage collection algorithm but running an OS with TRIM, that's mostly picking nits." Is the Indilinx Everest 2 Chipset finally challenging the throne of the dominating Sandforce Chipset? I would definitely say: yes.
[Update] the drives are already available and are actually quite cheap! The 128GB variant is $139.99, the 256GB version sells for $277.00 and the 512GB edition sells for $639.99.
iPhone 5 coming in June 2012, according to Foxconn leak
Foxconn is supposedly searching for 18.000 workers to support the production of the upcoming iPhone 5, to be released in June 2012. Although Kotaku commented "the interview was conducted from a distance, and it doesn't look like the recruiter knew he was on camera and his reply is hardly rock solid." - it still might be a valid assumption, since Apple released almost all iPhones in summer, with the iPhone 4S being the only exception (release in autumn). Insiders are discussing a possible higher resolution display and "real" LTE support (e.g. Europe) as new features. Since the release of the iPhone 4S was not long ago, design changes of the upcoming iPhone 5 are most likely, to make a stronger distinction between the 4S and the upcoming Version 5 of the smartphone from Apple.
OCZ Vertex 3 vs. Intel 520 SSD Benchmarks on OSX (Hackintosh)
Long story short, the Intel 520 240GB SSD is a bit faster than the OCZ Vertex 3 240GB.
The tool to test read/write speeds: AJA System Test is a free download from AJA. The Software is available for Mac and Windows, the Tests performed were on a 10.7.2 Z68 Chipset Hackintosh System (Intel Chipset).
OCZ Vertex 3, Firmware v2.15 240 GB (SATA 6GBPS)
Intel 520 Cherryville 240 GB SATA6GBPS
Adobe Releases Flash Player 11.2 and Air 3.2 – still kernel: IOSurface: buffer allocation size is zero
Adobe released Flash Player version 11.2 and Adobe Air 3.2 but still did not fix the kernel: IOSurface: buffer allocation size is zero issues.
Nanofunk reported on this on Jul 28, 2011 and again on Dec 22, 2011. Furthermore the issue was reported in the Adobe Bug Tracker and reproduced by many other users.
It is 8 months after we reported to the Adobe Forums and there was not even a single response from Adobe yet. I will start to boycott Flash Player from now on (currently removing it from my system). Here is a link to the Uninstall Flash Player Howto. Bye Bye, Adobe.
Fullsize Nikon D800 image samples
Nikonrumors posted Nikon D800 image samples on flickr - and they actually look awesome. The fotos are different takes - from high iso to "normal" shoots, so it should be quite meaningful how the D800 keeps up in everyday work.
The only thing that keeps me from the D800 still is the size of RAW photos: 24 fotos fit on a 4GB card in RAW mode. Still, the level of detail and the overall picture quality is stunning. Hoping to get hands on one myself quite soon.
Panasonic GH2 beats the crap out of Canon EOS 5D MKIII (MK3)
"Now here we are nearly 4 years down the road from the original 5D Mark II that started it all. What do we have? A 5D Mark III with video quality dated to the tune of nearly 4 years." (eoshd)
I am a big fan of the Panasonic GH2, but since the Canon EOS 5D MKIII and the Nikon D800 were released to the public, I am thinking of switching gear. Currently, there is a fight between the D800 and the 5D3, but the Panasonic GH2 seems to still beat the crap out of Canon. Did Canon finally lose the DSLR wars?
The Panasonic GH2 is a bargain on amazon US:
($899)
($849)
If you are into second-hand gear, you can get your hands on the Panasonic GH2 starting at $400. Go and get one, while they are still cheap ;)
Canon can still turn the wheel around, by releasing a firmware upgrade. Currently, the EOS 5D MK3 has very poor video quality - only the reduced rolling shutter and moire are worth an upgrade - although the price of the Canon is far too high. I totally have to agree with EOSHD on this one.
Commodore Amiga Mini gets launched by Commodore USA – and looks like the early Mac Mini
Commodore USA, the company that was founded in 2010 to revive the Amiga Brand, just unveiled their latest gadget: the AMIGA MINI. It actually looks like an early Mac Mini - with a faster CPU and more plugs, as well as some extras. Configurations start at $345 (Intel i3) up to $2990 for a 600Gb Solid State Drive, 16GB Ram and a Core i7-2700K 3.5Ghz (3.9Ghz Turbo).
The new Amiga comes with Commodore OS Vision pre-installed plus 2 restore discs. Commodore OS Vision is a 64-bit Linux distribution, based on Linux Mint, created for Commodore enthusiasts purchasing Commodore USA hardware, such as Commodore 64, VIC series and the upcoming high-performance line of Amiga computers. These are essentially restore disks for pre-installed Commodore systems. Commodore OS Vision uses the classic GNOME 2 interface and features extensive Compiz/Emerald desktop effects. It includes dozens of games of all genres (FPS, Racing, Retro etc), the Firefox and Chromium web browsers, LibreOffice, Scribus, GIMP, Blender, OpenShot and Cinellera, advanced software development tools and languages, sound editing through Ardour and Audacity, and music composition programs such as the Linux MultiMedia Studio. It has a classic Commodore slant with a selection of applications reminiscent of their classic Amiga counterparts. (information via distrowatch.com)
The new Commodore AMIGA mini case is ultra small and is made of 100% all aluminum housing, finished by sandblasting and anodic oxidation. It also includes a slot load Blu-Ray drive and internal space for two 2.5" hard drives. It measures 7.5 inches square, with a height of only 3 inches. There is no end to its placement possibilities.
further reading:
* Commodore USA: introducing the new AMIGA mini
* hot hardware: Commodore Amiga Mini PC Surfaces: Mighty Powerful SFF Box
* time.com: There’s a New Amiga, and I’m a Trifle Melancholy About It
* cnet: Amiga Mini wants to relive Commodore glory days
Nikon D800 (D800E) vs. 5D MK3 (MKIII): Raw Video, HDMI, Magic Lantern
The war on the DSLR front continues to evolve between the Nikon D800 and the Canon EOS 5D MKIII. The current state of information is as follows:
Canon 5D MKIII
The Canon 5D MKIII performs better in low-light and high ISO. Sadly it has no clean HDMI out, which is a real bummer. The internal codec is at 90Mbps 4:2:0, which is not much. The available video samples look good, although it could be even better with clean HDMI output - but who is to bring clean HDMI to the 5d3? There are two possible ways:
a) Magic Lantern could bring clean HDMI output to the Canon 5D MK3, if it can be hacked, which is not clear as of now. Also, it will take some time, expect at least 6months to see any usable development (if at all).
b) Canon could release a firmware update to provide clean HDMI out. We could try and contact canon to tell them, that we demand clean HDMI out. Of course, it remains totally unclear if they will ever release such an update.
Although, the Canon 5D MK3 seems to have better Video capabilities, clean detail and no moire (or at least almost no moire) - which would not be fixed by HDMI out anyway. If there is the chance to crank up the codec to 180Mbit (with a hack by Vitaly Kiselev or Magic Lantern) we would see a definite winner in the battle.
Nikon D800/D800E
The Nikon D800 performs quite well on paper, but in reality the Canon 5D MK3 performs better in low-light and high ISO. First samples of clean HDMI output and RAW Video (Apple ProRes) with the Nikon D800 are online - and they look great. Keep in mind that the Nikon D800 provides 8bit output (not 10bit), and the first RAW Video results are better than the internal codec Canon 5D MK3 Videos. Bundled with the Atomos Samurai and the Atomos h2s connect the Nikon D800 brings you high resolution 800×480 LCD (with focus peaking and zebras via latest firmware) plus 4:2:2 video. This is clearly the best setup we have as of today, maybe only topped by a D4+Samurai (c.f. mike kobal's results with the d800).
Still, the current discussion is about comparing apples to oranges, at least from watching actual results and comparing them:
Comparing photo/stills performance (via canonrumors forum)
1. At ISO100, the Nikon D800 has noticeably superior images out of the camera, due primarily to greater detail and dynamic range.
2. At ISO6400, the Canon 5DIII has noticeably superior images out of the camera, due primarily to significantly less noise.
bobatkins notes: The bottom line is that neither the D800 nor the EOS 5D MkIII sensor is "better". They are different. The Nikon sensor should have higher resolution which will be desirable for those making very large prints or who need to significantly crop their images. On the other hand the EOS 5D MkIII sensor will produce images with lower noise and higher dynamic range in lower light conditions where the use of higher ISO settings are desirable. For smaller prints at lower ISO settings (which is where most amateur photographers will be working most of the time), the sensor pixel count and noise characteristics won't matter.
Comparing video performace
Fact: Video doesn't need a high resolution sensor, it is all about the crop modes and sensor scaling, as outlined by eoshd, when we just look at the surface of the Nikon D800 vs Canon 5D MK3 debate.
BUT (as discussed on dvinfo) the Nikon D4 could be the real deal, beating both the D800 and the 5D3: It would seem to me that as a micro-budget filmmaker without access to as much lighting as one would like - the fatter pixels of the d4 would provide better low light shooting outside at night, dimly lit night interiors etc. When moving about with only a china ball and a c-stand I think I would want the sensor of the d4 on my side to maximize the lack of additional equipment. So while it seems like the d800 is better suited because of the price tag - my thoughts are that the d4 with one more crop setting than the d800 [fewer lenses], and better low light, and wireless control [small crew] that it is the d4 that will actually be the indie-filmmakers choice.
There is no clear winner to the war, and Canon could still turn around and release a firmware update that provides HDMI out. Further, the actual results of the D4 vs D800 have to be compared to crown the king of DSLR video.
In the meanwhile, it might be also worth to invest in a Canon 5D MKII still, since it is selling quite cheap those days (selling for $2,199.00 new) and can be used with RAW Video (HDMI) output with Magic Lantern Unified soon.
Apple OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2 released
Apple released a new Developer Preview after recently releasing DP1 to Developers. The change log shows that there are still a lot of unfinished edges in the OS, from Game Center to AirPlay to the Notes app.
Mountain Lion is said to run on the following machines:
Mac (mid 2007 or later)
MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, 2008), (13-inch, Early 2009 or later)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2009 or later), (15-inch, 2.4/2.2 GHz), (17-inch, Late 2007 or later)
MacBook Air (Late 2008 or later)
Mac Mini (Early 2009 or later)
Mac Pro (Early 2008 or later)
Xserve (Early 2009)
Here is the full NDA information of Apple OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2
(thanks to TheVerge for posting this
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MESSAGE IS UNDER NON-DISCLOSURE
OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2 Seed Note
OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2 is prerelease software. Do not use this prerelease software in a commercial operating environment or with important data. You should back up all of your data before installing this software and regularly back up data while using the software. You will not be able to upgrade from the OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview to the final release.
If an installation of OS X Developer Preview 2 fails, try using Disk Utility from a Recovery HD to repair the disk.
Architecture Requirements
The OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview supports the following Macs:
• iMac (Mid 2007 or later)
• MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, Late 2008), (13-inch, Early 2009 or later)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2009 or later), (15-inch, Mid/Late 2007 or later), (17-inch, Late 2007 or later)
• MacBook Air (Late 2008 or later)
• Mac Mini (Early 2009 or later)
• Mac Pro (Early 2008 or later)
Known Issues
• Installing OS X 10.8 over 10.7.2 or earlier with FileVault turned on may fail
• Upgrades over Lion Server will offer to migrate data again in Setup Assistant even though an in place migration has already succeeded.
• Entering your Apple ID in the Setup Assistant does not sign into iCloud
• Migration does not migrate RADIUS configurations
• Creating an iCloud account using a non-me.com address in the Setup Assistant requires verification before it can be used in Mail, Contacts, and Calendars.
• Some Apple menu items such as Restart may not work when a sandboxed app is in the foreground
• Twitter accounts added in Developer Preview 1 will need to be re-added after installing Developer Preview 2
• The first time an unsigned or unidentified app is launched when "Mac App Store" or "Mac App Store and identified developers" is selected in the Security & Privacy pref pane, the exception mechanism may fail. Subsequent attempts to run the application with an exception will work as expected.
• iTunes no longer syncs Notes
• Notes shared via Messages may not include note content
• After quitting and reopening Messages, the message window is blank. Continuing a conversation will bring the data back.
• TextEdit may hang after enabling Documents & Data in iCloud preferences
• Screen Sharing in Messages does not work
• Screen Sharing sometimes fails when no users are logged in
• Mail's photo browser cannot access the iPhoto library
• VoiceOver cannot access the Notification Center on some machines
• Documents stored in iCloud cannot be renamed in the open panel by setting an insertion point and typing. The document can be renamed only by overwriting the entire name.
• Back to My Mac doesn't work for the first 5 minutes after rebooting
• Find My Mac is not enabled if checked in Setup Assistant iCloud setup
• To enable Find My Mac, turn on Find My Mac in iCloud preferences and then close and reopen the preference panel.
• DVD Player may not launch after inserting a DVD on some systems
• Some Nvidia GPUs limit the resolution on an external HD display to 1280x800
• Some AppleScript applets may not run when Gatekeeper is set to Mac App Store or Mac App Store and identified developers
• Selecting Open PDF from the Print Dialog displays the message "Error while printing"
• Network scanning does not work in Developer Preview 2
• The system may hang after several hours when an external drive is connected
• After entering your redemption code, the Mac App Store may not show download progress on the Purchases tab. Quitting and re-launching the Mac App Store will show download progress as expected.
•
Game Center
• In this seed, Game Center applications may only access the Sandbox environment. In the Sandbox environment:
◦ Game & Friend Recommendations are not supported
◦ Friends can view games in common but not friends' other games
◦ Photos are not supported
◦ Email addresses are not verified during sandbox account creation, allowing multiple test accounts to be created
◦ Out-of-network friend requests are not supported
◦ Game matchmaking versioning restrictions are more relaxed
• If you've never set up a Game Center Sandbox account, you will need to create one. You may continue to use a previously set up Sandbox account. Note that when using Setup Assistant to create a GameCenter account, the account will be created in the Sandbox environment.
• To use Game Center in your game on OS X:
◦ You must include the "com.apple.developer.game-center" entitlement in your Xcode project.
◦ The app must be signed, in order for the entitlement to take effect.
◦ You must install a provisioning profile that enables Game Center for your app.
• Code signing, entitlements, and provisioning profiles are all described in detail in Tools Workflow Guide for Mac.
• Multiplayer gaming with Game Center between iOS and OS X is not available in this seed.
• In the Game Center app, game detail information such as game provider, pricing, etc. is not displayed.
• In the Game Center app, search is not functional
• The local peer-to-peer GameKit API (GKSession, GKPeerPickerController, and related classes) is not supported
• APIs related to in-game UI (GKAchievementPanel, GKLeaderboardPanel, etc) have changed
◦ The new API is not compatible with the previous seed
◦ Games in development must be updated and recompiled
Bug Reporting
This build is being provided to you for testing and development purposes. Should you encounter any problems, please submit a bug report using the online Bug Reporter at <http://bugreporter.apple.com/>. Please make sure to include "10.8 (12A154q)" in the bug title and description. This information will ensure that your bug is processed quickly.
When submitting a bug report, please make sure to include a Summary, Steps to Reproduce, Actual Results, Expected Results, the System Profile Report, and any other relevant information that is necessary to process the report.
IMPORTANT: Engineering requires additional information for crashing bugs, kernel panics, and hangs.
Crashing Bugs: Crash logs are required for crashing bugs. Crash logs can be located in ~/Library/Logs/CrashReporter and /Library/Logs/CrashReporter
Kernel Panics: Backtraces, which contain vital information for investigating kernel panics, are required for kernel panic issues. Backtraces can be saved to NVRAM on restart/shutdown, then copied to a panic log file on restart. This log file will be located at /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReportsThe
Hangs: When an application is hung, a sample should be provided. This can be done using the Activity Monitor (/Applications/Utilities/). To generate a sample using this utility, click on the hung application's name, then from the View menu select "Sample Process".
For complete instructions on submitting bug reports, please visit the Bug Reporting page at <http://developer.apple.com/bugreporter/>.
Thank you for your support.
Apple World wide Developer Relations
Auto-Submission of Diagnostic and Usage Data
By default, OS X 10.8 Developer Preview builds automatically send anonymous diagnostic and usage data back to Apple. This includes information about crashes, freezes, kernel panics, and information about how you use Apple and third-party software, hardware, and services. This information is used to help Apple improve the quality and performance of its products and services. If necessary, this setting can be disabled in the Privacy tab in the Security & Privacy preference pane.
Legal Notices
The pre-release software identified above is Apple Confidential Information and your use of such software is subject to your Registered Apple Developer Agreement and Mac Developer Program License Agreement. Distributing such pre-release software to anyone other than another Registered Apple Developer who is working for the same entity as you is considered a violation of your agreement with Apple and is damaging to both Apple and those who develop for the Apple platform. We sincerely appreciate your efforts to keep this pre-release software Confidential.
You agree that you will not export or reexport any of the software or Confidential Information received from Apple (a) into (or to a national or resident of) any U.S. embargoed countries (currently, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria) without first obtaining proper authorization from the U.S. Government; or (b) to anyone on the U.S. Treasury Department's list of Specially Designated Nationals or the U.S. Department of Commerce Denied Person's List or Entity List. You also agree that you will not use said software for any purposes where prohibited by United States law, including, without limitation, the development, design, manufacture or production of nuclear, missile, chemical or biological weapons.
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MESSAGE IS UNDER NON-DISCLOSURE)
Nikon D4 16.2 MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) already on eBay
The 16.2 MP full frame DSLR camera Nikon D4 is already available on eBay.
Starting bid is US $6,350.00, let's see for how much it will finally sell.
Mupromo Apple OSX App Bundle: $49 for VMware Fusion, Drive Genius, PDFpen, Phone to Mac and more
mupromo is currently offerin a Software Bundle with 11 applications for Apple Mac OS X at an extreme discounte. VMware Fusion would cost normally 49$ alone, here are 10 other apps included for free. For twittering about the discount promo, Aurora Alarm Clock can be received free of charge.
Included Apps in the Software Bundle
VMware Fusion 4
VMware Fusion 4 is the easiest, fastest and most reliable way to run Windows applications and other operating systems on a Mac without rebooting.
DriveGenius 3
Drive Genius 3 is the industry's leading disk utility and the best way to optimize your drive's performance.
PDFpen 5
PDFPen 5 is a PDF toolkit that lets you add text, images and signatures to PDFs -- and much more.
ForkLift 2.5
ForkLift 2.5 is arguably the most versatile utility ever made for the Mac. Originally conceived as a robust FTP client for file transfers, ForkLift has evolved to the point that it can be used as full-blown Finder replacement.
Typinator 5
boosts your typing productivity by automatically inserting frequently used text, graphics, and more
DesktopShelves 2
will organize your chaotic Desktop in no time
Snapheal
new photo retouching tool that's easy enough for beginners to use
Boom
convenient volume booster and system-wide equalizer that lets you boost the volume of your Mac and your music files
Phone to Mac
Phone to Mac transfers files from your iPhone, iPod or iPad to your Mac with ease.
Star Wars TFU (Game)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed invites you back into the Star Wars universe for another high-energy, intergalactic adventure.
Worms Special Edition
Worms Special Edition is a modern reprise of the classic comic strategy game.
The mupromo bundle sells for $49.99 and is delivered digitally via download. Payment is done via paypal.
98X6AC5GQV8R
Mozilla Firefox 11 was released for Mac, Windows and Linux
Mozilla released Firefox Version 11 today, with some updates and news to is previous version 10. Features include new tools for developers such as the Tilt tool for inspecting elements, 3D rendering support for WebGL-capable systems, a new style editor, and as usual a lot of bugfixes. Check out the complete changelog here.
Sony Alpha SLT-A57 with APS-C Sensor supports 1080p full HD Video with 60 FPS
Sony unveiled the Sony Alpha SLT-A57K 16.1 MP Exmor DSLR HD Video Camera with a CMOS Sensor, Translucent Mirror Technology, 3D Sweep Panorama and 18-55mm Zoom Lens. The midrange d-SLR features a 16-megapixel, APS-C-sized sensor and is positioned to compete with Canon's EOS Rebel T3i and the Nikon's D5100. It can be pre-ordered on amazon already, for a price of $699.
Sony has announced the SLT-A57, a replacement for the original A55 fixed-mirror, electronic viewfinder DSLR. The A57 still features a 16MP sensor and LCD viewfinder but incorporates them into essentially the same body as the more expensive A65. Use of the latest Bionz processor means the A57 offers a wider-than-ever selection of photographic features and image processing modes. There's also an optional HVL-LE1 video-lighting LED panel.
Key Specifications:
16.1MP CMOS sensor
Latest Bionz processor
Larger, FM500H battery (same as A65 and A77)
ISO 100-16000
Auto ISO 100-3200
1,440,000 dot LCD electronic viewfinder
920,000 dot bottom-hinged rear LCD
10 frame per second continuous shooting mode with AF (12fps at 8.4MP crop)
Picture Effects processing options
Clear View Zoom up-sizing digital zoom
Peaking manual focus guide overlay
1080p AVCHD 2.0 movies at 60 or 24 fps (50 or 25 in Europe)
Sadly, neither the Atomos Ninja 10-Bit Uncompressed to Apple ProRes Field Recorder nor the Black Magic HyperDeck Shuttle Raw Video HDMI Recorder
supports 50frames and 60frames in Full-HD (1080p), so we are limited to the internal recordings on the camera. The Sony Alpha SLT-A57 supports AVCHD 2, so the video output should be decent. We are looking forward to example videos and will keep you posted on updates.
MultiBeast 4.3 Update for booting Hackintosh systems: Chimera 1.8, OpenCL for GeForce and more
tonymacx86 released Multibeast 4.3 today - the bootloader that powers alternative hardware to boot up Mac OSX. It includes the upgrade 10.8 of Chimera, to also support Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. Furthermore, lots of other updates and changes were made (read about them below).
Today MultiBeast was updated to version 4.3 for Lion. We've added a new Combo OpenCL Enabler, which when combined with Chimera 1.8 will enable full QE/CI and OpenCL for all NVIDIA GeForce 4xx and 5xx graphics cards. Two more big additions are the flAked SpeedStepper for UEFI power management fixes, and maolj's Atheros ethernet driver. The latest version of MultiBeast is now available at tonymacx86.com/downloads.
Full changelog inside.
Confirmed: 16GB RAM Upgrade for Unibody MacBook Pros
I just confirmed that 16GB RAM modules will work in the early 2011 Macbook Pro Models - and in the other Sandy Bridge Models as well, including
* Macbook Pro Early 2011 (13", 15", 17")
* Macbook Pro Late 2011 (13", 15", 17")
Corsair RAM SO-DIMM DDR3 16GB / 1333Mhz [2x8GB] KIT CL9 Apple
EUR 123,13 in Europe, $116.98 in the USA.
Theoretically, other RAM Modules with the same specs should work as well, but I can definitely suggest and confirm the Corsair Modules to work, as they show "Mac Memory" on the German Amazon page and reviewers are reporting successful installs.
Please tell us in the comments section if other RAM modules worked for you. 16GB is currently the largest supported Memory Upgrade for the Unibody Macbook Pro. OWC still sells the same KIT for $239.99.
Canon EOS 5D MKII MK3 is here and can be pre-ordered on amazon. But: no clean HDMI makes D800(E) a strong competitor
The long awaited Canon EOS 5DMKIII is here, as correctly predicted by canonrumors and the best news: it can be pre-ordered on amazon. This means that we won't only have to see if the Canon 5D MK3 will be hackable and can use Magic Lantern, it also has to face a direct competitor: the Nikon D800.
Why would anyone switch lenses and go down the Nikon Road when the new Canon EOS 5D looks so promising? Well, it has one small but serious flaw: it does not support clean HDMI (uncompressed HDMI) output.
This small fact means, that external HDMI recorders (see the RAW VIDEO comparison on nanofunk) such as the Black Magic Hyperdeck Shuttle or the Atomos Ninja will not work with the Canon EOS 5D MK3. Still, if the camera gets hacked by the Magic Lantern Project, or a firmware update gets released by Canon, the situation could change. After all, the 5D3 is a very capable camera, and in some points even superior to the Nikon D800.
What are the new features of the Canon 5D MKIII for filmers/videographers?
The new 5D3 produces 90mbit h264 files out-of-the box. This is a significant improvement over the previous 5D2. Also, the negative rolling shutter effect is reduced by half, as outlined by a japanese blog. ISO performance is almost clean at ISO 3200, and much improved at 6400 and 12,800. Aliasing and moire are reduced. There is less false detail and the codec improved a lot.
improvements roundup (via eoshd)
* 91Mbit high bit rate video support
* possible "movie crop mode" (similar to the Panasonic GH2 Extra-Tele Video Mode)
* Audio controls and on screen meters
* Clean ISO 12,800 and full resolution JPEGs
EOS 5D Mark III ISO 12800 MOVIE
EOS 5D Mark III ISO 12800 MOVIE from SAIKA on Vimeo.
Please add your comments below. It looks like with that specs, we might not even need the 5D MKIII to be hacked, as it performs quite well out-of-the-box. Still the Nikon D800 is a worthy competitor and we have to wait for both cameras to be delivered, so we can crown the future king of DSLR Video. Until then, why not get both cameras? :)
Finally! The Canon EOS 5D MKIII (MK3) is here (soon)! (Pics inside)
[Update 2012-3-11] The Canon EOS 5D MKIII (MK3) can be pre-ordered at Amazon.com. Also, the Canon EOS 5D MKII (MK2) is currently selling for 1.599€ as B-Ware on Amazon Germany.
After years of waiting it finally happened: Canon will present the 5D MKIII in the upcoming days. Canonrumors reported, the camera will be announced Friday, March 2, 2012.
The Camera will be 22megapixels qnd feature an improved auto focus system with 61 points AF. 5D mark 3 also will have 100% viewfinder coverage, slightly larger LCD screen and dual CF/SD card slot. This camera is targeted for professionals or enthusiasts who want a lighter and more affordable cameras.
SPECS
22mp
61pt AF
100% VF
3.2″ LCD
Dual CF/SD Card Slots
Price: Around $3500 USD
The release of the Canon 5D MKIII might bring down the price of the Canon EOS 5D MKII which is still at 2399$ in the US and EUR 1.756,42 in Europe. I will post more information as it becomes available.
(EFF) How to Remove Your Google Search History Before Google’s New Privacy Policy Takes Effect
On March 1st, Google will implement its new, unified privacy policy, which will affect data Google has collected on you prior to March 1st as well as data it collects on you in the future. Until now, your Google Web History (your Google searches and sites visited) was cordoned off from Google's other products. This protection was especially important because search data can reveal particularly sensitive information about you, including facts about your location, interests, age, sexual orientation, religion, health concerns, and more. If you want to keep Google from combining your Web History with the data they have gathered about you in their other products, such as YouTube or Google Plus, you may want to remove all items from your Web History and stop your Web History from being recorded in the future.
[...]
Note that disabling Web History in your Google account will not prevent Google from gathering and storing this information and using it for internal purposes. It also does not change the fact that any information gathered and stored by Google could be sought by law enforcement.
With Web History enabled, Google will keep these records indefinitely; with it disabled, they will be partially anonymized after 18 months, and certain kinds of uses, including sending you customized search results, will be prevented. If you want to do more to reduce the records Google keeps, the advice in EFF's Six Tips to Protect Your Search Privacy white paper remains relevant.
If you have several Google accounts, you will need to do this for each of them. (Text: EFF)
Booting and Installing Mac OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion on Hackintosh (and 10.7 as well)
Besides running hackintosh on Intel Sandy Bridge-E, there are more good news from the front:
Chimera, the bootloader that powers standard PC hardware to boot up Mac OS X, received an update allowing it to support OS X Mountain Lion. To obtain OS X Mountain Lion you need an Apple Developer Account that'll cost you $99 per year, but of course your might already know where to find Mac OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion by yourself.
Today MacMan updated Chimera to version 1.8. For Mac OS X developers, OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion support has been added. This version will be included in the next MultiBeast release. (via tonymacx86)
Next Canon 5D Mark III (5D X) announcement in the next days
[Update] the Canon EOS 5D MKIII has been announced and can be pre-ordered at Amazon.com. Also, the Canon EOS 5D MKII (MK2) is currently selling for 1.599€ as B-Ware on Amazon Germany.
According to various sources, the long awaited successor to the Canon 5D MKII (MK2) will be announced in the next days. Canonrumors reports an "announcement on February 27 or 28, 2012 (depending where you are on earth)".
Specs:
* 22mp
* 61pt AF
* 100% VF
* 3.2″ LCD
* Dual CF/SD Card Slots
* Price: Around $3500 USD
The picture below was taken by Stephen Oachs when he spotted a Japanese photographer field testing the mystery camera in Kenya: the photographer explained he was taking a new 200-400mm lens with a built-in teleconverter for a test-drive, but the camera body also looked unfamiliar. Design changes seem to be:
- No popup flash
- Joystick on the battery grip
- Screen appears wider (although it could be distortion)
- New button layouts
- New Scroll wheel
The full-frame 5D3 is expected to be GPS enabled and feature eye control auto focus. A sensor resolution in the 22 megapixel range along with shooting at 6.9 frames per second and 61 auto focus points have also been reported. Canon recently replaced both the 1D Mark IV and 1Ds Mark III models with the EOS-1D X digital SLR.
Once the 5D MKIII or the 5D X is announced, we can expect it to show up at amazon.com so we can post preorders. The same can be seen with the Nikon D800, which can be preordered on amazon germany and amazon UK.
[SOLUTION] Steam.app Apple Mac OSX SteamStartup failed with error 1: Failed create pipe:0
[update] Valve fixed the issues for Steam.app on Mac OSX. We will keep the file mirror for Steam active, since there will be faulty updates in the future for sure. Thanks for all the nice responses and donate us some TF2 hats, if you want to thank us ;)
Ok here is the solution for all you people that suffer from the current bug since the last Steam.app Update on Apple Mac OSX. Solution: Download an older version of Steam.app and replace Steam in your Applications folder of OSX until a new patch has been released from Valve.
SteamStartup(0xf,0x0xbfffec4c) failed with error 1: Failed create pipe:0
This is generally a good (temporary) solution for various Steam issues on Mac OSX, if you need to get your TF2 or Portal fix. Just use an older version of steam.app.
Download the old version of steam.app hosted by nanofunk.net to access your games! (currently all "source" games are affected such as TF2, Portal2, CS, Left4Dead)
Steam (Steam.app) fails on Mac OSX: SteamStartup(0xf,0x0xbfffec4c) failed with error 1: Failed create pipe:0
[update] Valve fixed the issues for Steam.app on Mac OSX. We will keep the file mirror for Steam active, since there will be faulty updates in the future for sure. Thanks for all the nice responses and donate us some TF2 hats, if you want to thank us ;)
Just had this error after updating Steam.app on Mac OSX Lion 10.7.2, and I am not the only one: it's all over the internet - see the results on google (past 24hrs).
SteamStartup(0xf,0x0xbfffec4c) failed with error 1: Failed create pipe:0
As there were no reports on successfully solving the issues, I tried to solve it by myself.
Although, no luck yet. I will post updates to this issue, once it has been solved. In the meanwhile go Steam Support and paste the following (thanks to acidking)
[UPDATE] SOLVED! just download the mirrored older Steam.app and you are ready to go until Valve fixes this!
Dear Steam,
Ever since your update on the 23rd of Feb, and I can't play any Valve games through Steam on my Mac. I keep getting this error:
Error: SteamStartup() failed: SteamStartup (0xf, 0x0xbfffecac) failed with error 1: Failed create pipe: 0Many are reporting the same issue on the forums. Please check it out ASAP.
Link to update in question: http://store.steampowered.com/news/7392/Thank you.
Games affected: Team Fortress 2, Portal (2), Counter Strike.
Please post your comments and issues to this topic below.
AMD Cayman 6950 and 6970 support for Mac OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion (Hackintosh)
The Cayman GPU works fine with the kexts from OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion, as reported by netkas. This means, the AMD Radeon 6970 and AMD Radeon 6950 work with Hackintosh - making the 6970 the fastest card currently supported by Hackintosh systems. Netkas further posted a patched x3000.kext that will solve the existing problems. Can't wait to try this out myself. Will post updates here.
[Update 2012-3-11] netkas writes about Geforce gtx580 support out of the box. The netkas forum thread 6950 working NATIVELY in 10.8 !!! is currently 18 pages long and there are people getting it to run, some people are still having issues. The 6950 and 6970 running natively with the Mac Pro, as reported in the macrumors forums.
osxfuse: successor to macfuse brings NTFS and lots of file systems to Mac OS X
Since I wanted to use write-support for Windows NTFS drives on Apple Mac OS X, I was researching on alternatives and possibilities. I knew about the macfuse FUSE Project (File System in Userspace), but since it was not maintained anymore - what would one do?
Meet FUSEOSX (FUSE for OS X), the successor to MacFuse.
FUSE for OS X allows you to extend OS X's native file handling capabilities via third-party file systems. OSXFUSE is a successor to MacFUSE, which has been used as a software building block by dozens of products, but is no longer being maintained.
As a user, installing the "FUSE for OS X" software package will let you use any third-party file system written atop "FUSE for OS X" or MacFUSE, if you choose to install the MacFUSE compatibility layer. As a developer, you can use the OSXFUSE SDK to write numerous types of new file systems as regular user space programs.
The most used extensions are SSHFS and NTFS-3G for Mac OS X, but there are lots of them out there.
How to get 5GB of free Dropbox space extra for free, using the beta client
[Update 2012-03-11] with the Experimental Forum Build 1.3.21 the total of free space was reduced to 3GB and the import of 3gpp files was added.
I just confirmed this and got some 5GB of free permanent extra space on my dropbox account: using the Experimental Forum Build and being part of the beta test concerning the new foto/video upload feature. The beta client is available for mac, windows and linux.
What's new?
The "Dropbox Camera Import" feature automatically uploads your photo and video content, when plugging in a SD-card or connecting your smartphone. The autostart of the Dropbox importer did actually not work when I tried on Linux and Mac OSX 10.4. On Windows, you'll need to have Autoplay enabled to get the automatic uploader working.
During this beta period, we are also offering additional free space to test automatic uploading of photos and videos. For every 500MB of photos and videos automatically uploaded, you'll receive another 500MB space bonus, up to 5GB total. The Dropbox space you earn is permanent. You can use it for the life of your account.
[Update 2012-2-22] the latest version of the Experimental Forum Build is 1.3.17 that fixes a lot of bugs and issues. I updated the links accordingly. If you are getting started with Dropbox, use this referral link to get 250MB of extra free space on signup.
Sandy Bridge-E Intel 2011 Socket confirmed working with Hackintosh
[Update] Intel Socket 2011 does not only support Sandy Bridge-E, but also the upcoming Ivy Bridge-E Chipset, as outlined by one of our commenters. That makes the Socket-2011 Mainboards a perfect choice for a hackintosh system.
Many of us are waiting for an update to the Sandy Bridge (E) Chipset to the upcoming Intel Ivy Bridge (along with the release of new Apple Hardware), that would allow running the new Intel Chipset with Hackintoshed customac systems.
But what about Sandy Bridge-E?
Ivy Bridge will be Quad-Core. If you want more threads and cores, go for SB-E. Sandy Bridge-E as well as Ivy Bridge will have PCIe 3.0. SB-E has 40 PCIe lanes (compared to 16 lanes in Sandy Bridge) as well as 1600MHz memory speed (quad-channel memory) which should be around 33% faster in theory.
There are confirmed builds that can run Mac OSX 10.7 (Lion) as well as 10.6 (Snow Leopard) with the Intel Sandy Bridge-E (SB-E) X79 Chipset. Integrated Graphics are not supported, but who needs them anyway, since the AMD 6990 GPU or the upcoming 7990
Here is a list of the confirmed mainboards:
Asus P9X79 Deluxe (user: vonmolk)
$370 in the US, €299 in Europe
Pro: good build quality (compared to other versions of that board)
Cons: none. The Asus Rampage IV has even better build quality.
Gigabyte GA-X79-UD7 (user: machacks)
€297 in Europe, ??? in the USA
Pro: Awesome board! (nanofunk recommendation). Gigabyte has a longer history of hackintosh-capable boards, so get one of those.
Cons: none, really. Overclocking features could be better.
ASUS RAMPAGE IV EXTREME - LGA2011 - X79 - 8x DIMM - PCIe 3.0 Motherboards Hackintosh chimera
* ASUS Rampage IV Extreme (user: nfsking2)
$415 in the US, €369 in Europe
Pro: awesome build quality, extreme overclocking support.
Cons: expensive.
The MSI X79 Big Bang XPower II is suspected to work as well (once it becomes available). Theoretically, most of the X79 boards should work, we just have to wait and see what early birds (early adopters) are coming up with. Keep up the great work, ppl! (and don't forget to share your experiences in the comments below)
AMD Radeon HD 7970 still not accelerated in 10.7.3 but usable on Hackintosh
The new ATI Graphics Cards from the 7970 series are super-fast, while being single GPU systems (the upcoming 7990 will be a dual-GPU 6GB Graphics Card). Besides being quite "cheap" (around 500€ in Europe, $589 in the US, they are said to be supported in OSX soon (see also a discovery by netkas) - until then, there is a current way how to use them (although not accelerated) with chimera. Props go to Shrapnl from the tonymac86 forum:
I was able to force my 7970 into a higher res (still unaccelerated of course) via the org.chameleon.boot.plist with the following:
<key>Graphics Mode</key>
<string>2560x1440x32</string></pre>
Of course, you can overclock the 7900 Series just fine. There are "Waterblocks" from Aquacomputer for the 7900 series, as outlined by Geeks3D.
Of course, the GPU runs quite fast without overclocking, still you could go faster. Below: Shamino has overclocked a Radeon HD 7970 under LN2 with the following clock speeds: 1650MHz for the GPU and 1800MHz real speed (7200MHz effective) for the memory. (Source: geeks3d)
[Update] the best way to cool your AMD Radeon 7970 is the Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme 7970 which will cool down your GPU for additional 10degrees celsius (at least). Overclocking, here we go!
New Olympus OM-D Camera is said to beat Panasonic GH2 in video quality
A new camera from Olympus will be released soon: the Olympus OM-D, styled after the classic OM-1 manually operated 35mm single-lens reflex camera. The Olympus advert features the words "Oh My Goodness", with the O and the M highlighted in bold. The OM-1 is a 35mm SLR film camera harking back to 1972. It's likely that the new camera would directly compete with the Fujifilm X Pro1, which was announced at CES, and also features retro styling and interchangeable lenses.
According to 43rumors, the "New Olympus OM video quality is better than on the GH2!" - but what does that mean exactly? First of all, Olympus is said to have reduced the "jello effect" as well as improved the dynamic range of the sensor. The question remains, what's the new sensor that could achieve such specs?
Here is a roundup of the rumored specs:
Olympus OM-1n with 50 mm / f 1.8 lens. Body weight 510 g only Author: Jmak, Source: Wikipedia
* 16 million MegaPixel Sensor
* Micro Four Thirds Mount and Sensor
* built-in electronic Viewfinder
* weather sealed magnesium body
* new AF System
* ISO range: 200 - 25600
* EVF which will simulate the pentaprism design
* The built-in flash will have a GN=10 (Guide Number)
* 5-axis shake reduction
* Fast AF & 3D tracking
* Two colors will be available: black and silver
* Weather sealed magnesium body
* Camera width: 121mm
* Weight: 425g
Rumours suggest that the OM-D will be presented on February 8th, during the CP+ photography show, taking place in Japan (home of Olympus).
Still, the Panasonic GH2 is a good choice for film makers and photographers alike (starting at $650 in the US and €695 in Europe), since it is currently cheap and has the same mount as the upcoming OM-D. If the OM-D firmware can be hacked remains unclear - it is a fact though, that hacking will take its time, since the Panasonic GF3 hack is also not even done yet.
Canon 5D Mark II – Merging AJ and Unified Magic Lantern versions
Magic Lantern, the alternative firmware for Canon cameras is currently running on 550D/T2i, 60D, 600D/T3i, 500D/T1i, 50D 5D Mark II and 1100D. The Unfied Version is not running on the 5D MKII yet (although you can get early access by donating via paypal) - but the long-term plan is "merging the AJ 5.x firmware with the unified one currently running on smaller cameras". This is good news indeed (see the HDR-Video option of ML Unified). You can also read the review of ML Unified on EOSHD.
Meet the new 5D Mark II Magic Lantern Unified from Andrew Reid on Vimeo.
here is out only wanted feature:
* more work on HDMI output for the 5DMKII so it is fully usable with the Atomos Ninja
You can support the development by sending them a small donation: http://goo.gl/gvD8Q. Here is the original sendout from the magic lantern user group:
Following the small, but positive feedback from this thread [ http://bit.ly/ml-unified-5D2 ], I'm glad to announce the next long-term direction of Magic Lantern: merging the AJ 5.x firmware with the unified one currently running on smaller cameras.
I need your help. As explained in the previous post, a good port (one suitable for paid jobs) requires me having a camera for testing. On 550D/60D ports, crashes are almost non-existent, audio meters are calibrated, HDMI monitors are fully usable and so on. So, if you like this idea, you may help me buy a 5D2 by:- a small donation (you don't need a PayPal account for this): http://goo.gl/gvD8Q
- or by spreading the word, since right now there are not many users familiar with both ML versionsFeature-wise: I'd like to ask the users who have tried both AJ and Unified ML (especially those using both versions in a regular fashion) to comment on this. Main question: what's the best of both worlds? What do you like better in AJ 5.x and what do you like better in Unified? Big thanks to all ML community for making it possible!
Alex
Canon Cameras: 5D Mark III Sooner Than Later, 7D Mark II for Photokina?
canonrumors puts a date on a possible announcement of the long awaited Canon 5D MK III (MK3): announced around the end of March or early April 2012, "availability will probably happen before the summer begins in 2012. No specs were given at this time. This is a very solid [CR2]. The NAB show is April 14-19 in Las Vegas.".
The Canon EOS 7D Mark 2, northlight-images amongst other blogs report, "will be one of the big items Canon shows at Photokina 2012 in Cologne, Germany". Reports about the camera being APS-C are rumored, even though there is some info out there about it being APS-H. (dpreview, canonrumors)
Currently, the Canon EOS 5D MK II sells starting at $1,980.00 on Amazon US and EUR 1.679,95 on Amazon Germany. The Canon EOS 7D starts at $1,298.49 (Amazon US) and EUR 1.229,95 (Amazon Germany). Since there were recent price drops, it is unclear if the prices will further slide down, once a new product will be introduced. Our recommendation is to get a Camera now, if you really need it, possibly refurbished. The second hand value will still be high, so it's currently a good time to buy, although new models might be around the corner.
Magic Lantern Unified: High Dynamic Range VIDEO feature (HDR Video) for Canon DSLR cams
Magic Lantern Unified looks promising: High Dynamic Range VIDEO for Canon cameras:
============== UPDATE ================
available for download now!
magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/Release_2011Dec22
======================================
Demonstration of the new and free High Dynamic Range VIDEO feature for control over ultra contrast situations.Discussion, workflow, RAW footage, FAQ:
vimeo.com/groups/74140/forumthread:250295Magic Lantern is a custom firmware add-on for Canon dSLR cameras. It is not a hack, or a modified firmware, but it runs alongside Canon's own firmware, booting from the card every time you turn the camera on. The only modification to the original firmware is the ability to boot software from the card.
HDR Video: what does it mean? It does not output pre-processed HDR video from the camera, rather it blends the alternative high ISO / low ISO frames together in post (see this discussion thread at Vimeo). There is of course a difference if you use two Canon 5D MKII for generating a HDR movie (as this guy did) compared to this "hack", although the development of Magic Lantern continues to impress!
Keep on rocking! We can't await clean HDMI output for the 5DMKII to use it with the Atomos Ninja (if this hack is possible at all...)
Minicraft is the new game from Markus Persson, creator of Minecraft.
Minicraft is the new game from Markus Persson, the developer of the successful online game Minecraft. It was developed for the contest Ludum Dare, where the aim is to create a new game from scratch within 48 hours. Markus Persson just recently stepped back from further development of the Minecraft game, handing all the responsibility to an employee of his company Mojang.
Minicraft is an 8-bit game written in Java (playable in the Browser or via a downloadable version) where resources and materials have to be collected to craft and create something new. Persson told, the higher aim of the game is to kill the only other creature with "consciousness" to be alone forever.
Firefox 11 Aurora: The Future of Firefox
[Update 2012-3-14] Mozilla released the stable version of Firefox 11 today. As of now, Aurora will be the upcoming Firefox 12.
Since the Mozilla Foundation got 300 Million US$ per year from Google to implement Google's search engine as the default one, two new releases of the Firefox Browser have been presented: Firefox 10 (stable) and Firefox 11 Aurora (Version 11). The mobile Android version of the Android implementation gets a new, native UI. That makes the browser faster and it needs less memory besides other improvements and fixes. Firefox Aurora and Beta can be downloaded from Future of Firefox.
Rumors of Apple iPad 3 to be released on February 24 2012
FocusTaiwan reports (via 9to5Mac) that Apple pushing its manufacturing partners to meet deadlines that would allow the company to launch the iPad on Steve Jobs' birthday, February 24th.
According to the report, workers at several iPad component suppliers as well as manufacturing partner Foxconn will have limited time off during the usual Lunar New Year holiday. The Lunar New Year holiday itself falls on January 23rd next year, with workers generally receiving a number of other days off from work around that date.
Sources have been reporting a variety of rumored dates for an iPad 3 introduction, with some claiming a debut in the March-April timeframe while others have pointed to a February launch being in the works.
Apple last year launched new MacBook Pro models on Jobs' birthday, although that unusual Thursday introduction was likely a convenient coincidence driven by the debut taking place during the Presidents Day holiday week.
[original via macrumors.com]
kernel[0]: IOSurface: buffer allocation size is zero – A never-ending story about Adobe failing to get their Flash Player and Adobe Air Plugin to work on Mac OSX in a “normal” way.
kernel: IOSurface: buffer allocation size is zero
kernel[0]: IOSurface: buffer allocation size is zero
With Mac OSX Lion 10.7.0, a message was repeatedly showing up in the Console.app, so the logfiles would grow in size - sometimes around 100 MB per minute. This is especially bad for SSD owners. While the issue was reported over 6 Months ago, and Flash Player 11 solved the amount of errors in the console, still the message appears and slows down OSX 10.7 systems.
At least the release of Adobe's Flash Player 11 solved the system freezes - but the Log message still is filling the kernel.log, so any debugging or search for errors is quite hard with that amount of data to read through.
If you are experiencing the same issues, please write your concerns to the Adobe Forums in the existing thread and alternatively also in the Apple Discussion Thread.
Nanofunk reported about this issue in july 2011, and we got over 60.000 unique visits to this post - so this is not a rare case, this is a serious bug with Adobe Flash and Adobe Air. We will post any updates to the situation to this blog, make sure to bookmark our feed.
See also:
* macrumors forum about kernel: IOSurface: buffer allocation size is zero
* nanofunk: Mac OSX Lion 10.7 System Freezes: kernel: IOSurface: buffer allocation size is zero (console message)
[Update] I posted to the Adobe Bugbase with a bug description. Hope they will respond now.
Caution with Promise Pegasus Thunderbolt RAID 6x3TB (18TB) or 6x4TB (24TB) modification. 6x5TB (30TB) possible as of January 2012?
Nanofunk reported on a possible modification of the Promise Pegasus Thunderbolt RAID to host 6x3TB Hard Drives for a total of 18TB storage back in July 2011. While we did not have any issues with Hitachi Deskstar 3 0F12450 and Western Digital 3 TB SATA II Intellipower 64 MB Drives, other people repeatedly reported issues and even failures when the drives hold more than 11TB of data.
Currently, with the announcement of the Hitachi Deskstar 7K4000 4000GB, SATA 6Gb/s (0F14681) and the 4TB Deskstar 5K4000 as well as the 4TB Seagate Barracuda XT 7200RPM a total of 24TB could be reached when modding the Promise Pegasus just replacing the 2TB drives it comes with.
Tomshardware even reported on 5TB HDDs arriving in January 2012, so a modification to fit 30TB into the Promise Pegasus would be possible theoretically.
While all the drives are not available at the current time of writing of this article, please do consult the Promise Support if you are planning to do modifications or already did! Judging from the current feedback on modifications, updating the Promise Pegasus before an official answer or statement from Promise Technology is NOT RECOMMENDED!
Please send emails to Promise directly and ask them to react on the current limitations. I already did so - still waiting for response.
Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro (Late 2011) is slower in every category than the early 2011 model
The early 2011 MacBook Pro is Apple's masterpiece, no doubt: besides the overheating problems that many of us reported (but which seem to be solved as of now). Core i7 MPBs are super-fast with a Geekbench score of over 10.000 points for the i7 quad-core version - this was and still is an awesome performance for a notebook.
If you are planning on buying a new MacBook Pro 15", keep in mind that newer does not necessarily mean better: the early 2011 MacBook Pro is currently the best deal you can get ($1,549.99 for a new, $1,499.99 for refurbished MC721LL/A 15.4-Inch quad Core on Amazon) especially since they fixed all the flaws people reported about. I was complaining about issues a lot, but after Apple replaced the two notebooks we had, the run smootly ever since.
So a clear winner for buying a new MacBook Pro in 2011/2012 is the Apple MacBook Pro MC721LL/A 15.4-Inch early 2011 model
iPhone 5 Prototype Hands-On: Fake or Real?
(via macrumors) Business Insider now reports that it has received word from a source who has claimed to have had access to an iPhone 5 prototype and offered some details on the device. We've been told this by an industry source who has been right about future Apple products in the past.
It has not been verified yet, but there are some leaked details, which are of course just rumors:
- 4-inch screen
- Aluminum back
- Capacitive home button
- "Flatter" form factor
- Much faster than current hardware, but poor battery life
- 10-megapixel rear camera
- Siri prototype known as "Assistant", which had been the rumored name for the feature until its introduction
There are quite some good deals on the Apple iPhone 4S on ebay, an introduction of the iPhone 5 would let the price of the "older" models drop significantly (talking about the Osborne Effect)
Apple MacBook Pro Firmware Update to Fix Unexpected Shutdown Issue
Apple has released MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.5: it fixes an issue where the machine would shut off unexpectedly under heavy processor load, even when plugged in. As I actually had some issues before, this update is very welcome.
Affected Models: Macbook Pro models 8,1, 8,2, and 8,3. These include both MacBook Pro (Early 2011) and Macbook Pro
(Late 2011).
This update resolves an issue where a MacBook Pro being used with a power adapter may unexpectedly shut down under heavy workload if the battery charge level is near empty.
Your computer's power cord must be connected and plugged into a working power source, or your battery must be at least 25% charged.
When your computer restarts a gray screen will appear with a status bar to indicate the progress of the update.
Your computer's fans will run at full speed during the update but will return to normal speed once the update completes.
Do not disturb or shut off the power on your computer during this update.
The MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.5 can be downloaded from Apple's support website.
Canon launches the C300 cinema camera: a competitor for Red Scarlet and Arri Alexa?
Canon recently unveiled its C300 cinema camera at Hollywood's Paramount Studios, in front of a huge crowd. Cameras such as the Arri Alexa and RED EPIC dominate the digital filmmaking world - the Canon C300 aims at people that are into professional DSLR Video and want to take a step further.
It will cost somewhere in the range of $20,000. It contains a Super 35mm CMOS sensor and delivers up to 4K resolution with the outfit's new "top-end" EF zoom lenses, which come in four flavors: two 14.5-60mm lenses and two 30-300mm. And the lenses keep on coming, with three EF prime lenses in 24mm, 50mm, and 85mm variations. That CMOS sensor offers 1920 x 1080 pixels for the reds and blues and 1920 x 2160 for greens.
Mobius - 1080p HQ from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.
Installing Mac OSX Lion 10.7 on any Core 2 or Core i based PC (Hackintosh) with xMove or HOTiSO
Tonymacx86 showed how to Install OS X 10.7 Lion on any Supported Intel Core 2 or Core i based PC with xMove + MultiBeast. Furthermore, there is a Mac OSX Lion v10.7.2-HOTiSO that should also boot from any PC. Don't forget that you need to buy Apple Mac OS X Lion from the App Store to legally use it.
OS X Lion is the next major release of OS X, the world’s most advanced desktop operating system. It includes over 250 new features that will transform how you interact with your Mac. Built on a rock-solid UNIX foundation, OS X is engineered to take full advantage of the technologies in every new Mac. And to deliver the most intuitive and integrated computer experience. Brought to us by HOTiSO group. Mac OS X 10.7 was first shown to the public in October 2010. The presentation was understated, especially compared to the bold rhetoric that accompanied the launches of the iPhone (”Apple reinvents the phone”) and the iPad (”a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price”). Instead, Steve Jobs simply called the new operating system “a sneak peek at where we’re going with Mac OS X.”
New Apple Macintosh Trojan Disables Your Mac’s Auto-Updates
via gizmodo: a new trojan that addresses Apple's OSX operating system disables your auto-update. Is there a new generation of Apple malware coming?
F-Secure offers removal instructions
"The original iteration of the Flashback Trojan was a nasty little bugger, quietly shipping your Mac's details off to a remote server. This newly discovered variant is even worse.
The new version, dubbed Flashback.C, also disables the your Apple's security definition update service by wiping files necessary to run future updates. Both Snow Leopard and Lion are vulnerable, though the Trojan seems to delete itself on any system running Little Snitch. The Trojan itself comes disguised as a Flash package installer."
Adobe Photoshop CS6 has leaked
Adobe Photoshop CS6 has leaked and various sources start to offer a download from the prerelease version of the latest version (13) of the popular image editing software.
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Panasonic GH2 Driftwood/Vitaly Patches 176Mbps AVCHD Intra up to 244Mbps Intra: A poor man’s RED?
Video: Tsawout Spit – Gh2 Test (driftwood 176mb gop1 hack) from mark wyatt on Vimeo.
There seems to be no day without any surprises with the Panasonic GH2. The latest hot-shit is a hack to get 176Mbps AVCHD Intra up and running on the camera. Right now there's no possibility to record in 25p but there are attempts by vitaly and others, so let's see what the future holds.
What is AVCHD Intra?
"AVCHD Intra is usually recorded to extremely expensive P2 cards on high end cameras and here it is on a consumer camera with an SD card. [...] This is a codec that uses i-frames only unlike consumer AVCHD. Every frame from the sensor is stored. Standard AVCHD is a Long-GOP compression format and works by estimating and guessing at frames in-between ‘real’ images but Intra doesn’t. [...] AVCHD Intra is very good for heavy colour grading, fast action, hand held footage and green screen VFX work. You certainly get a better result from AVCHD Intra on the GH2 than by outputting from any DSLR’s HDMI feed to a external recorder as well." (via eosHD)
How does it compare?
eosHD has a comparison on AVCHD intra 100Mbps vs 24Mbit AVCHD.
And if that's not enough: there is even a 244Mbps AVCHD Intra Hack, as outlined by Driftwood: "It's stable and with good lighting conditions can look amazing."
eosHD recommends: "AVCHD Intra at such high bitrates can be tricky to edit so I recommend transcoding it to ProRes 4-4-4 first."
Canon announces new flagship DSLR: 1Dx with improved Video capabilities
Canon announced the company’s newest flagship professional DSLR today, the 18 megapixel full-frame Canon 1Dx. The 1Dx will sit atop Canon’s model line as an update to both the Canon 1Ds and the 1D Mark IV, and is expected to debut for $6800 body-only in March 2012.
The 1Dx will feature dual DIGIC 5 processors, which Canon claims offer approximately 17 times more processing power than the previous generation DIGIC 4s.
Those looking for an upgrade to the 5D Mark II for video capture may find a friend in the 1Dx, as it is capable of 1080/30p/25p/24p HD video capture, with options for 720/60p/50p as well. The image sensor has been designed with video in mind, meaning that downsampling errors and the resultant moire effect should be significantly reduced. The file system’s 4GB limit has also been worked around, with an automatic file splitting functionality enabling up to 29 minute and 59 seconds of continuous video capture.
The camera also supports two methods of SMPTE-compliant timecode embedding, Rec Run and Free Run, to ease syncing up multiple cameras in post. The 1Dx will also support both intraframe (ALL-i) and interframe (IPB) compression, to aid post-production and editing workflows, depending on need. The camera also offers manual audio level control both before and during video capture with the internal monaural mic or an external stereo microphone.
Canon's all new full-frame CMOS sensor ensures that video footage captured on the EOS-1D X will exhibit less moiré than any previous Canon model, resulting in a significant improvement in HD video quality. A desired feature for many documentary filmmakers using Canon DSLRs was to enable recording beyond the four gigabyte (GB) file capacity and the EOS-1D X is the answer. The new camera features automatic splitting of movie files when a single file exceeds 4GB. The new file splitting function allows for continuous video recording up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds across multiple 4GB files; no frames are dropped and the multiple files can be seamlessly connected in post production, providing filmmakers the recording time they want in the same convenient DSLR form factor. The camera records Full HD at 1920 x 1080 in selectable frame rates of 24p (23.976), 25p, or 30p (29.97); and 720p HD or SD video recording at either 50p or 60p (59.94). SD video can be recorded in either NTSC or PAL standards.
The Canon EOS-1D X also includes manual audio level control, adjustable both before and during movie recording, an automatic setting, or it can be turned off entirely. A wind filter is also included. Sound can be recorded either through the internal monaural microphone or via an optional external microphone through the stereo mic input.
The Canon 1Dx offers USB transfer, but will also sport a wired gigabit Ethernet port for stable wired transmission of video and still images at up to 1000BASE-T transmission speeds. That should allow not only faster transmission of files, but longer, more practical connection solutions for professionals. For on-camera storage, the 1Dx will eschew SD storage in favor of dual Compact Flash cards.
The low-light capability of the EOS-1D X is evident in its incredible ISO range and ability to photograph in extremely low-light conditions. Adjustable from ISO 100 to 51,200 within its standard range, the new model offers a low ISO 50 setting for studio and landscape photography and two high settings of 102,400 at H1 and 204,800 at H2, ideal for law enforcement, government or forensic field applications.
(via usa.canon.com)
Apple iCloud is for iOS devices only, sorry OSX Lion users, you need Dropbox still.
Apple's latest hot shit, iCloud is in everyone's mouth, since it comes right with the 10.7.2 OSX Lion Update. But what does it actually bring for OSX-only users? Nada.
First of all the bad news: currently there is no way to store any files directly in iCloud. That makes Apple iCloud not a competitor for Dropbox at all. But why do they state "you can access your content on all your devices" when they actually don't mean your MacBook or Macbook Pro? Well, they currently mean "all your iOS devices". While Apple could offer such a service (Backups from your Computer to iCloud) in the near future, currently it really doesn't make any sense to use iCloud if you are not using any iOS 5 Device - and if you also care about backing up other things besides your address book and photographs, let's say your 3D-models or local databases. In this context I can totally recommend iBackup, a free tool for OSX users that need point-and-click backups. In this case, you can backup right to FTP or your Dropbox, which gives you cloud-power as well.
Fuji high end mirrorless system will be uber-large, higher than full-frame!
Fuji will make a mirrorless system with an ueber-large sensor that will deliver an image quality higher as any full frame system. The resolution and Signal-to-Noise ratio will top all current full frame sensors.
Fuji president and CEO Shigetaka Komori said they will create a mirrorless, interchangeable lens camera built around a larger sensor with ‘resolution and low noise [that] will surpass the 35mm full size sensor’. If Canon does not come up with the EOS 5D MKIII fast, people will start to switch.
(via DC.watch)
New Apple iPhone 4S – mainly lens improvements, but: great optics indeed! (plus: Siri A.I.)
Everyone's talking about the new iPhone 4S that was announced by Apple recently. But is there more to it than improved optics? Even if not, the camera is a huge improvement over the previous model: 1080p video recording, 8 Megapixel photo sensor, f/2.4 aperture.
Behind all the updates, the most interesting is HSDPA support. In countries such as Austria or Japan, where HSDPA is widespread, this is a very welcome hardware upgrade. Still, why is there no HSPA+ support? In cities with a weak broadband coverage (everything above a few MB upstream) - such as Vienna, this is really akward. We still have to fall back to the Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100, which offers HSPA+ among other great features. So the "only" killer feature of the Apple iPhone 4S remains the greatly improved Camera - which is to question, concerning the price of such a gadget. An Amazon Search for the iPhone 4S
Our recommendations: wait for the iPhone 5 and get some real gear instead.
1) Get a Canon PowerShot S100
2) Get a SONIM XP5300 3G FORCE
Ableton Live 8.2.5 fixes Apple Mac OSX 10.7 Lion compatibility
Live 8.2.5, the latest version of Live 8, is currently available. This update includes full compatibility with Max OS X 10.7 Lion, improved synchronization with external MIDI devices, and other improvements and fixes. The update is free to all users of Ableton Live Lite 8, Live Intro, Live 8, and Suite 8.
Currently, Ableton Live 8 is $499.00 (new) and $425.00 (used).
Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple
Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO of the company effective immediately. Tim Cook will be the new CEO - but the question remains if Apple stocks as well as the general direction of the company will stay the same. To be honest: Apple's policy of moving towards the consumer market and leaving the pro sector, was criticized by lots of producers around the world - on the example of recent Final Cut Pro X debacle (many professional editors see Final Cut Pro X as an improved version of iMovie, not an improved version of Final Cut Pro) or the discontinuing of professional server products such as XSAN. I hope that Apple will not continue provoking the pro audience - but speaking from a pessimistic perspective, Logic Audio X could be the next Garage Band Pro.
Earlier this month, Apple became the largest publicly-traded company in the world, surpassing Exxon-Mobil for the position.
Apple Releases OS X 10.7.1 with Fixes for Video in Safari, Audio Out, Wi-Fi and More
Apple released Mac OSX Lion 10.7.1 updates today, with the following release notes:
The 10.7.1 update is recommended for all users running OS X Lion and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability and compatibility of your Mac, including fixes that:
- Address an issue that may cause the system to become unresponsive when playing a video in Safari
- Resolve an issue that may cause system audio to stop working when using HDMI or optical audio out
- Improve the reliability of Wi-Fi connections
- Resolve an issue that prevents transfer of your data, settings, and compatible applications to a new Mac running OS X Lion
For detailed information on this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4764.
There is not much fixed, at least not for the reported issues such as SSD TRIM support for non-apple SSDs and the well known flash issues.
Still, Seems more stable. There is a seperate update for 10.7.1 Server and another update specific to the latest MacBook Air and Mac mini models, adding a few additional fixes. (via macrumors)
Should I use Trim Enabler on Lion for the OCZ Vertex (3)? No! (Benchmarks inside)
We recently blogged, after purchasing two OCZ Vertex SATA3 Drives
We also blogged that enabling TRIM is a good thing, although it seems that it seems to be not necessary on Sandforce based chipsets.
Since we still were experiencing freezes and Sandballs on our Mac OSX Lion 10.7 SSD Setup that were actually not related to TRIM, also the system did not feel as snappy anymore.
Conclusion: don't use TRIM on OSX Lion 10.7, if you are using a Sandforce based SSD. Revert to the original driver and not only the Beachballs will go away, but also the system feels snappy again. See the below Benchmarks for real-life results (since AJA System Test does not work on internal drives, we can recommend using XBENCH to verify the figures for you).
XBENCH Screenshot with TRIM Enabled (using TRIM Enabler for OSX 10.7 Lion)
Screenshot of XBENCH without TRIM Enabler (Restored to original setting)
UPDATE: Grant Pannell (digitaldj.net) reports on how to restore to the original settings.
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