Twitterrific 2.1

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You either love or hate Twitter, the simple web phenom that asks, 'What are you doing?' We here at TUAW are unabashedly in the 'love' column, and our love for Twitter is greatly enhanced by the Iconfactory's free Twitter client, Twitterrific.

We wrote about the Twitterrific 2.1 Beta not too long ago, and now the final version of Twitterriffic 2.1 is available for download. New in 2.1 are:


  • Support for multiple logins

  • Enhanced Applescripting

  • Growl support

  • Dragging of tweets into other apps (it pastes the tweet's permalink into the app)


And a host of other small enhancements. Twitterriffic 2.1 is free, Universal, and available now.
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(Via TUAW.)

Parallels Desktop 3 officially released

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After teasing us by announcing a release candidate for beta testers (and a sale that is now over) and posting videos of Quake 4 - a very resource-intensive game - running impressively well in Parallels, this powerful new v3.0 of the leading virtualization suite for Mac OS X has been released. Offering significant new features like we already mentioned, such as the highly-anticipated 3D acceleration (XP for now, Vista to come) and SmartSelect for specifying files types to open in apps across virtualized OSes, this could easily be called the most significant release of Parallels since the advent of Coherence Mode.


Parallels Desktop 3.0 sells for $79.99 and is ready for download now, with 15-day trial keys are available to those who already used trial keys for previous versions.
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(Via TUAW.)

Wikipedia’s Nerd Bias

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Something Awful has a flat out hilarious (if somewhat long in the introduction) article on the nerd bias of wikipedia. The point isn’t to say that one article or another on Wikipedia has factual inaccuracies, but rather to show how much more attention certain topics get than others. They suggest opening up two somewhat related articles, where one appeals to the nerds and the other does not, and see how much longer and more complete the nerd-related entries are. Some of my favorites are below. If you want the quick results, just click on Lightsaber Combat and you’ll get the point (”The master practitioners of Form IV make extensive use of acrobatic maneuvers often thought physically impossible without the aid of the Force.”). People contribute to articles they care about. And Wikipedia’s community cares about light sabres, fantasy characters, video games and acne.



Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0



dell



(Via TechCrunch.)

Johnny Depp “Pirates” cookie does not look like Johnny Depp

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Xeni Jardin:
Recently here on BoingBoing, my co-editor Mark has been chronicling an internet-wide crusade to improve the quality of representational popsicles.

Earlier today came proof that our collective will can change the edible world. We cheered as one, upon seeing this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles treat in all its resplendent accuracy. At last, the MSM (mainstream sweets manufacturers) heard our cries!

Now, comrades, the time has come to take aim at cookie makers.




BoingBoing reader and fellow traveler Chuck7 sends the image above, and puts down his beer for a moment to type and testify:

Here is a hilarious well-frosted Johnny Depp cookie I found at the local 7-11 last night when I went up to get more beer: Link. They had 6 or 7 uniquely frosted Johnny Depp pirate cookies. I thought this cookie captured his essence pretty well.

Pretty well? Oh, the bittersweet sarcasm, Chuck7. We're gonna let them know America still cares about quality. We're gonna let them know we are here to speak truth to power, until every comestible googly-eye is centered, every tweety bird eyelash aligned.

These cookies we shall overcome, and when we've overcome, we will nom nom nom.

Previously on Boing Boing:

• Popsicle parody ad

• Bugs Bunny popsicle

• Tweety Bird popsicle doesn't look like Tweety Bird

• Turtle popsicle reflects pride in workmanship

(posted from the road in central america / xeni)

Reader comment: Nathan Seven says,

I thought the one looked rather gay myself, so I positioned them next to one another :) Link.


(Via Boing Boing.)

Coolest Workspace Contest: A vote for organization

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Our home-integrated and multi-monitor workspaces have their winners, and it looks like yesterday's top workspace is Jake Arakelian's Contrasting Colors workspace. Today it's time to pick a winner from our Battle of the organizers—a theme very near and dear to our hearts.

Hit the jump to check out the innovative organization-based workspaces and vote for your favorite.

Voting on this contest will close in 24 hours, so get your votes in. The winner will join Sunny and Cacti, the Cross Platform workstation, and Contrasting colors in Thursday's final vote-off to determine the winner of the $500 Amazon gift card.

If you're playing catch-up on the Coolest Workspace Contest, here's where we've been so far:

For more details on how we're narrowing down our winner, check out last Thursday's vote-off. Good luck contestants, and vote on!


(Via Lifehacker.)

Circuit Court Delivers Blow To FCC’s Push To Clamp Down On TV Cursing

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Over the past few years, the FCC's been increasing its efforts to regulate "indecent" programming -- both in terms of what it wants to regulate on broadcast television, but also by expanding the scope of its regulation to include cable. The FCC's indecency push (which it tries to justify with complaint stats inflated by form letters from activist groups) has been met with a lot of resistance from broadcasters, but also by courts who aren't happy with the Commission's vague guidelines and inconsistent policies. Yesterday, the FCC got a pretty significant smackdown from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld the broadcasters' argument that its policy on "fleeting expletives" was invalid because it was "arbitrary and capricious". Essentially, the court said that the FCC can't simply change its stance without offering valid justification, and reversing 30 years of precedent requires a "reasoned basis" -- apparently "because we can, and 'cause we feel like it" isn't sufficient. While the court limited its ruling to the question of fleeting expletives, it added that it was skeptical the FCC could craft an argument that could pass constitutional muster, while also noting, like previous courts, that plenty of tools exist for parents to protect their children from objectionable programming. It seems likely that the FCC will appeal the case to the Supreme Court, but given the depth of the Circuit Court's opinion, a favorable outcome doesn't seem likely. As Adam Theirer notes, should the the wider constitutional issues come up in the appeal, the FCC could lose all of its powers to regulate indecent programming on public airwaves.

via Techdirt.

Apple updates their Macbook Pro line

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Well, as many of you know, I made the "big switch" last fall/winter and bought my first Mac. I'm now a loyal apple evangelist & swear by their products. I can't help but feel a little jealous today at all of the people who are, undoubtedly, out getting their hands on the new MacBook Pros that were released on the Apple Store this morning.

MacBook Pro updates2

From Apple Gazette:

The new MacBook Pros utilize the Santa Rosa chipset and come in the following flavors:

2.2GHz Core 2 Duo. 2GB RAM, 120GB HD, 15″ LED. GeForce 8600M GT 128MB - $1999
2.4GHz Core 2 Duo. 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, 15″ LED. GeForce 8600M GT 256MB - $2499
2.4GHz Core 2 Duo. 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, 17″. GeForce 8600M GT 256MB - $2799

The 15-inch model uses a new LED display - the 17-inch model now offers a new 1920-by-1200 high-resolution display option.

Note the significant changes: These new procs are the new Intel Santa Rosa chips. Another significant change over the older Macbook Pros(the one's that came out Thanksgiving 2006 - which I bought) is the inclusion of LED's for backlighting. Instead of ATI graphics cards you now get the mobile version of the new geforce 8600 line cards. The older MBPs supported 3 HD options: 100gb @ 7200 rpm, 160gb @ 5400 rpm, 200gb @ 4800 rpm. The new options are 120gb @ 7200 rpm, 160gb @ 7200rpm, 160gb 5400 rpm, or 250gb @ 4800 rpm. Additionally, the old default ram options for MBP were 1GB, 2GB for the 17 inch with a max ram holding capacity of 3gb. The new MBPs all come with 2gb by default with a maximum option of 4gb.

From Apple's press release:

From Apple's press release:

Pricing & Availability
The new MacBook Pro models are now shipping and will be available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The 2.2 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:

* 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440-by-900 LCD display;
* 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
* 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
* 120GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive® with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
* NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 128MB GDDR3 memory;
* DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
* built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
* ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
* two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one headphone out port, each supporting optical digital audio;
* Scrolling TrackPad and illuminated keyboard;
* the infrared Apple Remote; and
* 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.4 GHz, 15-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:

* 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440-by-900 LCD display;
* 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
* 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
* 160GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
* NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB GDDR3 memory;
* DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
* built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
* ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
* two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one headphone out port, each supporting optical digital audio;
* Scrolling TrackPad and illuminated keyboard;
* the infrared Apple Remote; and
* 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.4 GHz, 17-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), includes:

* 17-inch widescreen 1680-by-1050 LCD display;
* 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
* 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
* 160GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
* NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB GDDR3 memory;
* DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
* built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
* built-in iSight video camera;
* Gigabit Ethernet port;
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
* ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
* three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, and one FireWire 400 port;
* one audio line in and one headphone out port, each supporting optical digital audio;
* Scrolling TrackPad and illuminated keyboard;
* the infrared Apple Remote; and
* 85 Watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.

Additional build-to-order options for the MacBook Pro include the ability to upgrade to a 160GB (5400 rpm), 160GB (7200 rpm), 200GB (4200 rpm) or a 250GB (4200 rpm) hard drive, up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter, Apple USB Modem, glossy widescreen display, 17-inch 1920-by-1200 high-resolution display and the AppleCare Protection Plan. Additional build-to-order options also include pre-installed copies of iWork™ ‘06, Logic Express 7, Final Cut® Express HD 3.5 and Aperture™ 1.5.