Clearing Your DNS Cache
January 31, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Hey
Every time you access the Internet and go to a web address you computer will store the DNS record in its cache. If you aren’t fully sure what DNS is, wikipedia does a great job on explaining the concept. Sometimes this DNS cache gets a bit old and produces errors. This was the case when I switched from Blogger to Wordpress on this site. It was bringing up the old DNS records and had my banging my head against the wall.
It clear the cache in Leopard type the following into Terminal:
dscacheutil -flushcache
If you are in Tiger type the following:
lookupd -flushcache
Your cache will be clear. It may take a a tiny bit longer to pull up webpages but each request should be correct. I don’t recommend you constantly flush your cache as it will probably do more harm than good. Once a month or less is recommend.
If you still have DNS problems (eg its bringing up the wrong page) I recommend you switching your router on and off, or clearing the cache in your router. These units also have DNS caches and could be another cause of your problems.
If you want to find out more about DNS and all its related workings I recommend the DNS for Dummies these books are always useful and are really well written.
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iPhone, Apple, iPod in top 10 social brands of the year
January 31, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Hardware, iMac, Developer, iPhone, iPod touch
Put on your buzzword protectors, because here comes a whole hive: Vitrue, a company that “helps organizations leverage consumer-generated content” has released a list of the top 100 “social brands” for 2008, according to their “Social Media Index,” which… meh, we give up. Basically, they have a list of the most-talked about brands of last year, and surprise, surprise, the iPhone tops the charts. We’re not much for any company that uses the phrase “paradigm shift” completely unironically, so “Vitrue” isn’t exactly the end-all authority here, but you have to admit, no gadget, device, or tech brand has been more dissected and discussed and “empowered” (ugh) than Apple’s own iPhone.
And speaking of Apple, they’re sitting on the list at number three, and the iPod brand reached number 7. The Mac brand comes in at number 16, and AT&T is two steps below T-Mobile and Verizon at number 64. Say what you want about Apple and the day-to-day issues of the iPhone or their ongoing battles with developers, but when it comes to “mindshare” (look, now they’ve got us doing it!), the Cult of Mac reigns supreme.
[via Joystiq]
iPhone, Apple, iPod in top 10 social brands of the year originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
iPhone, Apple, iPod in top 10 social brands of the year originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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TapIt4Me brings snippet expansion to the iPhone
January 31, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Filed under: iPod Family, Productivity, iPhone, App Store
One of the first things I install on a new Mac is a snippet expander, one of those extremely handy utilities that automatically expands typed abbreviations to longer text strings (TextExpander, in my case). So, for instance, you can have a standard email sign off triggered with just a couple of letters. Given the extra challenge of typing on the iPhone keyboard, a snippet expander seems like a perfect addition to the App Store, and sure enough one has now appeared from the developer of the long-time Mac snippet expander TypeIt4Me (whose earliest versions even pre-date OS X).
TapIt4Me (iTunes link) brings snippet expansion to mail and notes on the iPhone. You can even import your pre-existing snippets files from both TypeIt4Me and TextExpander. Unfortunately, it will not work in other applications like Safari, SMS, etc. You actually compose your emails in the TapIt4Me application and then it sends them to the iPhone’s email app. Admittedly it’s a little clunky, but getting snippets on the iPhone may just be worth the extra hassle.
TapIt4Me (iTunes link) is available from the iTunes store for $4.99.
[via Macworld]
TapIt4Me brings snippet expansion to the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
TapIt4Me brings snippet expansion to the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
TapIt4Me brings snippet expansion to the iPhone
January 31, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Filed under: iPod Family, Productivity, iPhone, App Store
One of the first things I install on a new Mac is a snippet expander, one of those extremely handy utilities that automatically expands typed abbreviations to longer text strings (TextExpander, in my case). So, for instance, you can have a standard email sign off triggered with just a couple of letters. Given the extra challenge of typing on the iPhone keyboard, a snippet expander seems like a perfect addition to the App Store, and sure enough one has now appeared from the developer of the long-time Mac snippet expander TypeIt4Me (whose earliest versions even pre-date OS X).
TapIt4Me (iTunes link) brings snippet expansion to mail and notes on the iPhone. You can even import your pre-existing snippets files from both TypeIt4Me and TextExpander. Unfortunately, it will not work in other applications like Safari, SMS, etc. You actually compose your emails in the TapIt4Me application and then it sends them to the iPhone’s email app. Admittedly it’s a little clunky, but getting snippets on the iPhone may just be worth the extra hassle.
TapIt4Me (iTunes link) is available from the iTunes store for $4.99.
[via Macworld]
TapIt4Me brings snippet expansion to the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
TapIt4Me brings snippet expansion to the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Weekly App Store Roundup: Jan. 31, 2009
January 31, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Good Saturday and a Happy Weekend to one and all, it’s time to sit down, relax and wrap your big eyes round this week’s App Store Roundup.
This week on TheAppleBlog, we got in there super fast with an in-depth look at iMovie ‘09, iPhoto ‘09 and iWeb ‘09. Of particular note was our very own Liam Cassidy describing iWeb as an, “embarrassing, backward cousin,” to the breathtaking updates of iMovie and iPhoto.
And in other news, Darrell Etherington reported on rumblings from two separate sources about a potential new iPhone.
With some of the week’s most notable news out of the way, let’s roll on to our weekly App Store Roundup.
This week I’ve been looking at Distant Shores, Sax Man, Photo fx and LifeTicker.
Distant Shore (99 cents)
Frankly I’m not a fan of LOST. The same location again and again, the same characters every episode, the same premise… it’s infuriating. I’ll take my re-runs of Cheers any day, thank you. However, this app — a virtual desert island which you can wander at your pleasure, soaking up the tropical ambiance — is a wonderful concept. You’re even able to cast off a message in a bottle and read messages from other stranded players. Think of it as LOST, albeit without the uncannily beautiful people, the perpetual onslaught of pointless puzzles or the hairy hobbit rockstar.
Sax Man (99 cents)
The folks over at Yudo are doing good things with their 1 Dollar Game series. The latest addition, while not strictly a game, is a fun little musical toy. Indeed, as a virtual saxophone Sax Man allows you to seriously get your jazz on. In a control-scheme reminiscent of the utterly breathtaking Ocarina for iPhone, to play the Sax you simply blow in to the iPhone’s microphone while holding the corresponding key combination for a given note. It’s not too tough for beginners and musicians, particularly those experienced with wind instruments will find playing Sax Man to be a breeze.
Photo fx ($2.99)
Like Quantum Leap’s Sam, leaping from place to place and searching for a way home, my journey — from one disappointing photo app to another — searching for the perfect set of iPhone camera tools continues. The developers, The Tiffen Company, actually make real photographic filters, so it seems they know a thing or two about photography. The app itself is intended to simulate Tiffen’s glass filters, optical lab processes and photographic effects. On first look, this app is incredibly promising — feature-rich, easy to use and a wealth of interesting filters and effects.
LifeTicker ($9.99)
Allowing you to keep track of important events in your life — meetings, birthdays, medical appointments — LifeTicker could be an essential tool for some. Or at least as essential as a calendar. I’m gonna skip the pleasantries on this one: the app looks ugly, is light on features and vastly overpriced (even at $9.99 which is, apparently, a limited time 50 percent off launch-price). Users looking for an alternative that integrates more effectively with your lifestyle should try checking out Google Calendar (with NuevaSync) or Apple’s iCal (with MobileMe), both of which sync with your iPhone and are robust enough to feature notes, reminders and contact invitations.
Just One More Thing
Earlier this week, TheAppleBlog’s Darrell Etherington spoke about the recent rumors pertaining to a possible Premium Game Section in the App Store. Currently, in the game section of the store, the sub-categories relate to gaming genres such as puzzle, racing or casino.
If the rumors actually happen, it means that Premium Games will be an additional category in the App Store. Within this category would be products from the big game companies and the pricing would reflect this, with a download costing around $20 (regular players will know that games currently range from free to around 8 bucks).
EA's disappointing MySims Kingdom for Nintendo DS
When I say that the substantial price increase is a reflection of the fact that these are games from big companies, to be more specific, I mean that the big game companies desire to charge you more, much more, for games. This potential move by Apple absolutely does not mean that the games will be higher quality, better graphics or deeper gameplay.
So why is this happening? It’s all a matter of perception: as Pocketgamer.biz note, Apple sees the touch and iPhone as serious contenders in the handheld game wars, up against the DS and PSP where games are upwards of twenty bucks each. This new section in the App Store means that there will be a special shelf in the store for the games from the larger global publishers.
I’d argue that we’re seeing more innovation, more compelling gameplay, and more quality produce at appropriate price-points since launch in the App Store than on the DS and PSP combined. This is because the App Store allows independent developers to bring their wares directly to us on the same store shelves as the big boys, something which just does not happen (at least not enough) on Sony and Nintendo’s handhelds.
And while Apple’s potential move won’t directly stifle this innovation, it may draw the flow of cash towards premium products from risk-averse game publishers, towards games that some consumers will incorrectly perceive as higher-quality and better value for money and away from independently developed gaming pearls like Rolando and Trace.
That’s all for this week’s App Store Roundup, as ever, thank you for joining me for a rundown of the week’s most interesting releases. I’ll be back next Saturday with my picks from the week, in the meantime, drop by the comments and let me know which apps you’ve downloaded this week.
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Next-Gen iPhone Revealed in Firmware
January 31, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
New Game Lets YOU Land a Plane on the Hudson
January 31, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
A new game called “Hero of the Hudson” challenges you to try your hand at a Hudson River landing. Can you do what US Airways pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger did (minus, of course, the pressure of lives at risk and realities of actual flight)?
Source:[therawfeed]
