Geek In Me

by Mat Lu via tuaw.com

Now, finally, Amazon is starting to rectify the situation with their new Amazon Video on Demand Service. PC Magazine has a First Look at the Service and, sure enough, it now supports Macs.

It appears that the new service will be similar to Netflix’s streaming (which does not support the Mac, though they have promised it a long time ago) in that you’ll be able to watch 40,000 movies and television shows in your browser. Unlike Netflix, however, the content will be priced individually with no subscription options. The video will be streamed with Flash 9.

Unfortunately, the program is still in beta and Amazon apparently has enough testers at the moment. However, you can sign up for their beta mailing list if you want to get in the next time they issue invitations.

by Ryan Block via engadget.com

Well what do you know, ZDNet’s German bureau has apparently released a functioning overlocking tool (ZDNet Clock) for Mac Pros and Xserves. Vater Steve doesn’t look kindly upon such things, but with a little luck (and a lot of cooling) you might be able to eke out a few hundred extra MHz from your aluminum clad box without tipping off any Geniuses the next time you bring it in for repair. Unfortunately, for the time being it only appears to work on newer Pros and Xserves — not laptops or iMacs — running the latest release of Leopard.

via gizmodo.com

Soon after the iPhone Mark 1 launch last year, we brought you an estimate of its manufacturing cost, and now the same analysts have looked at the iPhone 3G. Portelligent thinks that this time Apple may pay as little as $100 for the components, down from $220 for the original. The saving’s made in engineering advances and Apple’s buying power: the extra 8GB in the 16GB version may cost as little as $20, but you’ll pay $100 for it. “But we’re only paying $199 for the phone, so Apple make less!” you may point out. True, but Apple may be charging AT&T as much as $400 for each unit. And with 70 countries eager to buy iPhones, the analysis suggests it might be Apple’s most profitable device yet.

via tuaw.com

We’re sure that our friends down under have been wondering where is all the Apple love for Australia. Well, they can stop the sorrow and feel the joy as Apple is set to open it’s first Australia Apple Store on Thursday, June 19. The store in question will be located in Sydney and will feature the “world’s largest Genius Bar” according to a recent Apple press release (see, that’s what you get for waiting so long).

Apple also notes that the store will accommodate over 80 Macs and 60 iPods (talk about Apple goodness). The Apple store in Sydney will open at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday June 19. The Apple Store Sydney is located at 367 George Street, one block North of the Queen Victoria Building.

via ubergizmo.com

Could we actually see the introduction of a solar-powered iPod by Apple in the future? Apparently, that day is still possible as Apple has just filed a patent for an in-screen/device-covering solar film for its gadgets. After all, iPods are frequently used gadgets, so the chances of them running out of juice while being used is pretty high, and having solar film to charge itself is a pretty nifty idea especially since power outlets isn’t exactly that easy to find when you’re out of a building. Hopefully solar technology will be more efficient by then to make this a viable solution.

via tuaw.com

Korg is introducing the nanoSeries line (Japanese link, Google translation) of digital music controllers. There will be three USB-powered models: a 25-key velocity sensitive mini keyboard (nanoKEY), a 12-pad mini drumpad (nanoPAD), and a 9-fader mini mixer (nanoKONTROL). As you can see they’re clearly intended for use with a laptop running the Korg Legacy Collection synthesizer software or similar, and nicely integrate with the white MacBook.

The Korg nanoSeries is expected in October for around $100 - $120 each.