Dell Wyse – the cloud computing company acquired by Dell in May 2012 – may soon be entering its bet on the emerging PC on a stick genre. While the previous examples of these flash drive computers we’ve seen use Android as their primary operating system, Dell’s product will also run on Android, but will give customers the freedom to choose from different OSes to actually use.
Currently known as “Project Ophelia,” the computer is meant to be used mainly as a gateway to Dell Wyse’s cloud services. According to Quartz, “It allows access to Windows, Mac OS, Google’s Chrome OS, Dell’s custom cloud solutions, Citrix cloud software, and even Google’s Chrome OS, using virtual instances of those operating systems running in the cloud.” The PC will plug into (and draw power from) a display via USB. Then it will connect to Dell Wyse’s servers via Wi-Fi and to hardware peripherals via Bluetooth.
Dell’s vice president of cloud operations Tarkan Maner said that they’re planning to sell Ophelia for only $50 (USD) each, though he didn’t mention how much the cloud services would cost. That’s probably where they’ll generate most of their revenue.
From a tech support perspective, this could make it a lot easier to secure and manage a large number of computers. But I wonder if it also poses a risk of data theft, disconnection or lack of access on a massive scale should things go wrong. It also takes away a lot of control from the user in return for the convenience it provides. Either way, it’s too early to see what kind of effect Ophelia may have on the PC industry.
[via Quartz via Boy Genius Report]
Everyone's favorite DRM-free digital games distributor, Good Old Games, is now offering support for just over 50 games on Mac OS-based machines. That means that classics like Syndicate and the Wing Commander series are now offered through the service, not to mention new classics like Botanicula and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. To kick off the launch, GOG's offering a variety of discounts (including 50 percent off of SimCity 2000 -- a no brainer if you ask us), as well as an Apple-flavored commercial that we've dropped below the break. If you haven't already headed over to GOG and started madly purchasing things, we'd suggest watching the tongue-in-cheek trailer, for the chuckles alone.
Continue reading Good Old Games now supports Mac, kicks off with approximately 50 games
Good Old Games now supports Mac, kicks off with approximately 50 games originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsWhile I particularly like the look and programmability of the L8 SmartLight, it might be a bit showy and overkill for many needs. If you’re looking for a simpler way to indicate activity on your computer or the internet, you might want to check out this little gadget instead.
It’s called the blink(1), and it’s a tiny programmable RGB LED with a USB connector on the end of it. Just plug one into a spare USB port, and you can program it to blink or glow in any color based on software triggers from your computer. For instance, you can have it glow when you have a new email, or maybe when a friend signs on to Skype. It can be used to indicate pretty much anything you’d like. And if you’ve got more than a single available USB port, you can go to town with multiple blink(1)s.
The blink(1) will ship with apps for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux, and since its designed to be Open Source, you’ll be able to custom program it for other applications as well – and there are C and Java APIs for low-level access. Each tiny blink(1) sells for $30(USD), or you can pick up a two-pack for $55 over on Kickstarter. The project has already surpassed its funding goal, so it’ll definitely go into production.
There have been other throwback GUIs in the past, but this one created by the Amsterdam-based art director Ben Vessey looks pretty cool. You can retrofy your modern Mac OS machine thanks to this set of icons and wallpapers.
Ben Vessey was sick with the current trend of making icons shiny, thanks to the overuse of shadows and gradients, so he decided to make his own. He started out making a minimalistic design, but then went into full retro mode by using the style of the original Mac Finder, circa 1984. Then, he made some wallpaper to replicate the original OS ’84 backgrounds.
The Old School interface can be yours for the low, low price of a single tweet or Facebook post. Now that’s what I call a deal!
[via core77]
Apple's fresh new hardware may have gotten the headlines thus far during Apple's 2012 WWDC keynote, but there's also some good news for browser aficionados, too. Safari has taken a page out of Chrome's book by offering unified search for the web, your history and bookmarks. Additionally, Safari now syncs your web-browsing info across all your devices. Called iCloud Tabs, the feature lets you see the tabs you have open on any device simultaneously. That means you can surf the web on your iPhone while you're out and about, and continue your web session seamlessly on that shiny new MacBook Pro when you get home by clicking the new handy dandy iCloud button. Not only that, Safari's picked up some new multitouch tricks, letting you swipe all the way out to tab view, then pinch on the page you want to dive back in.
Safari's Mobile version has also gained the ability to upload images directly and it now has an Offline Reading List that downloads and caches anything you add. Furthermore, Safari can now provide a notification if there's an app for the website you're browsing. Tapping the notification brings you to the App Store, and once downloaded, the browser pushes the URL to the app so you can pick up the content right where you left off.
For more coverage of WWDC 2012, please visit our event hub!
Apple unveils new features for Safari: unified search, iCloud Tabs multi-device syncing and more originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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As we try to get to our feet after that tidal wave of hardware announcements, Apple's moved onto Mac OS, quoting with some impressive new figures. Over 26 million copies of OS X Lion have now been sold, making it Apple's "best-selling release ever." Meanwhile, Mac users now total over 66 million -- that's three times the number in 2007.
For more coverage of WWDC 2012, please visit our event hub!
Apple: 26 million copies of Lion OS sold, 66 million Mac users originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jun 2012 13:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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As if there wasn't enough speculation already, what with WWDC just around the corner, bets are already being placed on the possibility of "Retina Display" Macs. So, when an app turns up in Mac App store mentioning "Retina graphics" under the new features list, eyebrows are understandably going to rise. Of course, this isn't the first such tease we've seen, but it's not the least convincing either. So, we're still not ready to put our money down on a retina-reveal next week just yet, but those odds do seem to be getting ever shorter.
Approved Mac OS app boasts 'Retina graphics' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 06:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The Macintosh is an impenetrable fortress of malware-free computing, right? In recent years, we've certainly seen that image eroded a bit, thanks to a number of nasty outbreaks. And if you listen to Nikolay Grebennikov, the CTO of security software maker Kaspersky, things have the potential to be much worse. The executive told British site Computing that the company was invited to improve Cupertino's security, only to discover that, "Mac OS is really vulnerable." Grebennikov also had some rather unfortunate news for all the iPad and iPhone owners out there, telling the site, "Our experience tells us that in the near future, perhaps in a year or so, we will see the first malware targeting iOS."
Update: So, this is turning into a whole "he said, they pubbed" situation. We reached out to Kaspersky earlier and just received a comment from the security company, which claims that the whole thing was simply taken out of context. Here's the statement. It's a doozy.
On Monday, April 14, computing.co.uk published an article titled "Apple OS 'really vulnerable' claims Kaspersky Lab CTO" that includes an inaccurate quote regarding Apple and Kaspersky Lab. The article reports that Kaspersky Lab had "begun the process of analyzing the Mac OS platform at Apple's request" to identify vulnerabilities. This statement was taken out of context by the magazine - Apple did not invite or solicit Kaspersky Lab's assistance in analyzing the Mac OS X platform. Kaspersky Lab has contacted computing.co.uk to correct its article.
Please refer to the statement below from Nikolay Grebennikov, Chief Technology Officer, Kaspersky Lab, which clarifies this misrepresentation:
"As Mac OS X market share continues to increase, we expect cyber-criminals to continue to develop new types of malware and attack methods. In order to meet these new threats, Kaspersky Lab has been conducting an in-depth analysis of Mac OS X vulnerabilities and new forms of malware.
This security analysis of Mac OS X was conducted independently of Apple; however, Apple is open to collaborating with us regarding new Mac OS X vulnerabilities and malware that we identify during our analysis. Kaspersky Lab is committed to providing the highest level of security for all of our customers, including Mac OS X, and we will continue to enhance our technologies in order to meet the ever-changing threat landscape. "
Kaspersky exec calls Mac OS 'really vulnerable' (update: clarification from Kaspersky) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 11:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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So, you're tapping your manifesto into a Macbook, but twitter, RSS and email alerts keep clamoring in your face. How to finish that latest screed with such distractions? In the "where has this been all my life?" category, a new update to OS X Mountain Lion Preview 3 has a Do Not Disturb option, which stonewalls all notifications and banners. The feature, which could be useful on plenty of other devices too, can be armed with a mouse click on the menu bar or a left swipe on a trackpad. Some other iOS-style tweaks debuted in Preview 3 include the Game Center, Notes, Airplay Mirroring and Reminders. Now, back to fomenting that revolution.
OS X Mountain Lion Preview updated with Do Not Disturb feature originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 10:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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