We had reports of Picasa showing face at Macworld, and today Google has themselves announced Picasa on the official Google blog. 

Today, we’re releasing Picasa for Mac. While we’ve previously offered both a standalone Picasa Web Albums uploader and an iPhoto plugin for Mac users, Picasa for Mac finally brings all of the advanced sharing and sync features of Picasa to the millions of Mac OS X users who use Picasa Web Albums. Not to mention the “it-slices-and-dices” feature list that covers everything from color balance to collages.

Picasa for Mac looks and works much like Picasa on other platforms, and offers trademark Picasa features — such as non-destructive editing, and the ability to keep track of photos anywhere on your hard drive, then automatically account for new images as you add them.

If you’ve seen Picasa 3 for the PC, it should be just about the same on the Mac. Picasa will also have a one-way integration with iPhoto, being able to import tags and ratings along with the pictures.

Should iPhoto users switch to Picasa? We can only say that once we take a good look at that and iPhoto 09 that’s set

to release today. Before we leave it at that, I just want to comment on how out of place the UI is. Everything from the buttons to the shading doesn’t look like anything on the Macintosh. This will of course be perfect for Windows switchers looking for some familiarity.

The team will be demoing this release at Macworld, but you can download the beta yourself from Picasa.Google.com. Official screencast after the break. Continue Reading »

FileMaker Inc., a subsidiary of Apple, has just upgraded their flagship database suite to version 10. Incorporating a whole new user interface and features. 

With a fresh new interface, FileMaker Pro 10 delivers the most dramatic design changes in over a decade. The redesigned and customizable Status Toolbar — similar to browser toolbars — puts commonly used FileMaker Pro features, previously only accessible from the main menu, right at users’ fingertips for streamlined navigation, better workflow and time-saving shortcuts.

Other major new features, such as the ability to save the results of a search, and Script Triggers, which launch scripts triggered by user actions or based on time limits, make using databases easier than ever before. - FileMaker Press Release

FileMaker is a professional database application and comes in many flavours. Available immediately, FileMaker Pro 10 is offered at a suggested retail price of $299 /$179 upgrade. Your other options are:

• FileMaker Pro 10 Advanced for $499/$299 upgrade.
• FileMaker Server 10 is $999/$599 upgrade.
• FileMaker Server 10 Advanced is $2,999/$1,799 upgrade

For home and small business users considering using a database app on the Mac, do check out Bento 2 ($49), made by the same people who make FileMaker. Dipped in Cocoa, Bento 2 features the integration that a Mac application should boast of.

Ed note: If time permits, we’ll be doing a full review of both FileMaker and Bento 2, so stay tuned for more updates. 

You read that right. 

Letter from Apple CEO Steve Jobs

Dear Apple Community,

For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.

Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.

I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.

As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.

Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.

The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.

I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Apple’s CEO. I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first.

So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this.

Steve

That should settle everyone for a while. In response to that letter, Apple’s Board decided to issue a public statement as well:

Statement by Apple’s Board of Directors

It is widely recognized both inside and outside of Apple that Steve Jobs is one of the most talented and effective CEOs in the world.

As we have said before, if there ever comes a day when Steve wants to retire or for other reasons cannot continue to fulfill his duties as Apple’s CEO, you will know it.

Apple is very lucky to have Steve as its leader and CEO, and he deserves our complete and unwavering support during his recuperation. He most certainly has that from Apple and its Board.

This could be the best news I’ve heard all year long (well, it’s just been 5 days since). Steve Jobs is fine and will continue to run Apple. We’re looking forward to a WWDC keynote with Jobs delivering the smoking keynote in full health.

The Apple Lounge (Italian site) has got the goods. Spy shots (at least we’d like to believe they had some difficulty getting them) of Apple’s final Macworld booth. There’s a lot of pics, many of them with black curtains so you can cook up some Apple fantasies!

The most interesting shot of them all? The banner which says “Macworld 2010. The start of a new era. January 4-8, 2010.” As Gizmodo says, “You bet!”

There’s another interesting one, “Even the small talk will be big”, but I’m not sure whether Apple’s or IDG Macworld’s words.

AppleInsider’s latest rumour says that the Mac mini is going to get a dual monitor solution at the coming Macworld update. 

Those familiar with the company’s plans say the small form factor desktop will have both the Mini DisplayPort connector first introduced on unibody MacBooks but also a Mini DVI connector.

I’m calling fake! We’re almost certain that the Mac mini will be updated, and I’m even on board with it having dual-display support. But it having both a DisplayPort and Mini DVI connector is totally impractical!

What’s the second port for? Legacy support? I think Apple is smart enough to know that a converter can be used with the DisplayPort to connect it to a Mini-DVI port. Besides, most monitors in the market need a full sized DVI or Analog port anyway, so the customer will have to buy a converter. Besides, Apple is definitely not one to revisit past technologies. 

Aside from this particular article, the Mac mini is said to be made partially from black plastic, move to SATA, as well as provide an option for a second hard drive instead of the optical drive. All these are, and will remain, at least until the 6th of Jan 2009, rumours. 

[From AppleInsider] [Image sourced from Gizmodo]

8 hours behind schedule, the iPhone Dev-Team has finally announced the sources for the iPhone 3G unlock. 10 days after the unlock was demoed on Qik, millions of iPhone 3G users around the globe thronged to the team’s blog, waiting for an announcement. To their dismay, it was announced (albeit in a cryptic message), that the unlock would only work on the 02.28.x baseband version, something which the team had originally advised not to update to.

If you’ve been waiting for the gods of unlock to shower some love on your iPhone, here’s what you’ll need.

» An iPhone 3G with 02.28 baseband version (Goto the Settings app » General » About ; then scroll to the very bottom). If it’s not, update your phone to the latest software using iTunes. 
» Your phone should be jailbroken. You can either use Pwnage Tool or QuickPwn for this.
» Launch Cydia or Installer.app and add the following sources:

Cydia source: http://apt9.yellowsn0w.com/
Installer repo: http://i.yellowsn0w.com/

» Download and install yellowsn0w, return to Cydia and reboot.

As always, the team maintains that this is a beta release, so proceed at your own risk. They are updating the original blog post with new information as they receive it from users who’re trying the unlock. If you’re the over cautious nerd, we’d advice to wait a couple more days before they iron out the tweaks. Of course, we want to hear your story, so irrespective of success or failure, let us know how it goes!

[More details on the Dev-Team’s Blog]

Just as we approach the beginning of a new year, 30GB Zunes around the globe have decided to take a break. Gizmodo reports that around midnight last night, Zunes started becoming unresponsive and practically useless. Okay, we all knew that Zunes were practically useless, but now that they’ve become unresponsive as well, that’s something to talk about. 

Apparently, around 2:00 AM today, the Zune models either reset, or were already off. Upon when turning on, the thing loads up and… freezes with a full loading bar (as pictured above). I thought my brother was the only one with it, but then it happened to my Zune. Then I checked out the forums and it seems everyone with a 30GB HDD model has had this happen to them. - Gizmodo report. 

I must admit this is the weirdest stunt out of Redmond. When I was reading the report, I didn’t know what to think! At least give it a feel-good 31st December date. What’s with the extra day left? The public however is hell bent on calling this the Z2k9 (or more pricisely, Z2k~9). 

This sure sounds like something out of a Sci-Fi movie, but there’s no need to panic. I mean, even if all the Zunes in the world turned into evil robots, that would mean we would have around 23 brown cripples to take care of. Not a problem at all. Anyway, since we are into naming every event that happens, 

Anyone’s iPod Touch also acting up? If you notice anything weird, shoot us an email. Nothing? We thought so.

Cultured Code has kept their star app Things in a public beta state for a while now. The getting things done application has stolen many a heart, doing the thing it does best. The team has been slowly culturing their code, and we’re finally approaching the final release date, 6th Jan, Macworld 09. 

With just 7 days to go, Cultured Code has also pushed out the Release Candidate for Things 1.0. This is a feature complete version that includes a whole lot of changes including some slick new icons, increased flexibility with moving around items, rearrangement and change of functionality in Areas and Projects, and a whole lot of bug fixes. 

We’ll be doing a full review of Things, including the let’s-not-forget iPhone version, so stay tuned for more updates on that. Things costs $50 for a single user license, but using the coupon code “THINGSPRESALE20” will get you a 20% discount through January 15. In the meantime you can go ahead and download the release candidate to check it out for yourself.

As Macworld approaches (just 7 days to go!) the rumour mill begins spinning faster and faster. AppleInsider has a report (*ahem* rumour *ahem*) that Apple is set to release new Magnesium-Aluminium iMacs early next year. 

“A new family of iMacs due early next year may include a more sophisticated cooling system, hints the latest reports from sources close to the company’s Taiwanese manufacturing facilities.” reports Slash Lane for AppleInsider. 

AI’s report is based on Chinese paper Economic Daily News’ report, which claims that Foxconn has secured a contract with Apple to manufacture the new chassis. Foxconn will also manufacture the ‘cooling module’, says the paper. 

DigiTimes, another publication situated near Apple’s manufacturing facilities, recently cited sources who said Apple and rival PC makers HP, Acer and Dell had each agreed to use a new family of quad-core desktop chips from Intel in systems due early in 2009. These are low-power desktop chips operating at 65W compared to the 55W of the current iMacs’ mobile processors. Therefore, a decision by Apple to employ the chips inside the iMac line could signal a need for modifications to the computer’s cooling methods.

This move will definitely help bring in Quad-Core processors in a big way for Apple’s consumer desktop. They could built in sophisticated graphics and power, ready and waiting for when Snow Leopard comes trotting along with its Multi-Core “Grand Central” optimisations and features. So are we excited about Macworld or not!

[Full report at AppleInsider]

It’s list time! It’s the end of the year, and we need to make some lists. Here’s mine listing out five apps that I have discovered in 2008. Writing for SA has got me in touch with so many awesome Mac apps, that I seriously had a hard time limiting myself to five apps. In no particular order…

Mac

Pixelmator »
This is the first image editor that has made me slowly move away from Photoshop. The quick performance, the slick UI and the overwhelming satisfaction of using something that Adobe didn’t make, gets this app a +1 from me!

Frenzic »
Age has caught up with me (23 is old isn’t it?) and I just can’t find myself playing games anymore. Except for Frenzic. This is one of the most engaging games I have played since Warcraft III on the PC. iPhone and Desktop versions highly recommended.

CoverSutra »
In my opinion the best iTunes extender out there. The killer feature? Music search. I’m not a QuickSilver user so playing music using Spotlight doesn’t quite cut it. Of course, CoverSutra features all of the other features of an iTunes extender, and at the current low price of $11, it’s a damn good deal.

TextExpander »
In fact, I almost forgot to mention this app, being that it is so transparent to the user. TextExpander has saved me a ton of screenshots over these two months of using it, and I don’t know how I worked without it. 

EventBox »
So far my best discovery of 2008. EventBox is the best twitter client on the Mac, and more. You can stay connected on Facebook, reddit, Flickr, and it even acts as your RSS reader. Buy it if you haven’t already. To get a 20% discount, use the coupon code from our magazine.

iPhone

Things »
The best task management app for the iPhone. Syncs beautifully with the desktop client, and really helps you get things done

Tweetie »
Hands down the best twitter client for the iPhone. It’s got everything, including a slick UI!

NetNewsWire »
I don’t realise how much I use it, but NNW for the iPhone has made things a whole lot easier for me. 

Favorites »
Quick access to my most important contacts has been a great help. Favorites has a well thought out interface, and is easy on the wallet. 

Mail »
It may be built into the iPhone OS, but this is one of the most important apps on my iPhone. I never thought a portable device could do email so well (I’ve used email on a CrackBerry previously). Still, it could be better. 

While the rest of the team hustles up behind the scenes getting their lists ready, what’s your favourite app you discovered in 2008?