pixelated

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which we answer questions e-mailed in by our readers. This week readers had questions on security software recommendations for Macs, systems pausing while showing green pixels, garbled boot images when booting from the OS X DVD, and Office 2011's Solver utility crashing when launched. We continually answer e-mail questions, and though we present a few answers here, we welcome alternative approaches and views from readers and encourage you to post your suggestions in the comments.

Question: Security software for a new Mac MacFixIt reader "scfox" asks:

Unlike older cathode ray tube (CRT) displays that scan an electron beam over a phosphor screen to create light, LCD displays are composed of a fixed grid of tricolor pixels that change transparency based on a range of voltage levels provided by the monitor's controller. Without a voltage the pixel is opaque and blocks the screen's backlight from transferring through it, and when a full voltage is applied then the pixel allows full transmittance of the backlight. When this is done over the entire pixel grid in patterns, then you see those patterns on the screen.

At a … Read more

Pixel Ruler is a free application that claims to allow you to use your mouse to dynamically measure pixels. With it, you can accurately measure selected onscreen views in pixels, which can help when configuring image formats, creating graphics, and scaling images. It shows measurements in pixels up to 2,500 pixels in width or 1,500 pixels in height.

After a painless download and a surprisingly detailed installation process, a horizontal ruler appeared on our screen. There's also a ruler for vertical measurement. The interface consists only of these rulers; there are no navigation buttons or other controls. … Read more

That Apple is making a follow-up to the iPad 2 is no surprise. That it might be sourcing one of the most important components from a company it's currently involved in a massive legal spat with makes for an interesting story.

The Korea Times today is reporting that Samsung Electronics and LG Display are vying to supply Apple with a higher-resolution LCD display that will be used in the next-generation iPad. According to the Times' anonymous source, Apple's going with a display that will be the same size as it's been in the first two iPad models, … Read more

Pixel Qi has been showing off its sunlight-readable, low-powered displays at CES for years. But other than a DIY kit for the Lenovo IdeaPad S10, devices sporting the Pixel Qi display, such as the Notion Ink Adam Tablet, seem to perpetually remain in "upcoming" status. Still, the company doesn't seem to be slowing its R&D efforts, and its latest baby is a solar-powered tablet.

The prototype shown in the video below hinges on the low-powered Pixel Qi screens and a computing platform that uses less than the 1W of power generated by the integrated solar panel (which can be embedded in the bezel). While this sounds like a good idea on paper, we wonder if the actual implementation is technically feasible.

For one, the solar panel can only generate 1W under direct sunlight, and we all know how much consumer electronics "love" being left in the sun. Another issue is that of the solar panels used in the bezel. The surface of these panels need to be reinforced since most cheap varieties are easily scratched.

Nonetheless, as an alternative power source this sounds like a great idea, as long as it does not remain in the "upcoming" state indefinitely.… Read more

Every year, a large pool of professional video game (console and computer) artists from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences comes together in an art exhibition called Into the Pixel. The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) is not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of the interactive arts with more than 20,000 members.

The best entries submitted to the exhibition are chosen by a group of five jurors, including some senior figures from the artistic side of the video game industry. The contest was created to celebrate the incredible art of video games, and I find the winning entries to be mesmerizing. Some major gaming titles and studios made it into the final group of 20 images, such as BioShock Infinite, Mass Effect 2, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, and many more. Seventeen of those images are available to view in our gallery below.

The works of art will also be on display at E3 2011 from June 7 to 9 in the Concourse Foyer at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Personally, I think a few of these drawings should belong in an art museum. Move over Mona Lisa! … Read more

The reign of Apple's Retina Display as the highest-quality mobile screen in the land may soon come to an end.

At this week's SID Display Week show in Los Angeles, Toshiba unveiled a new 4-inch display with a pixel density of 367ppi (pixels per inch). With that many pixels, the screen easily bests the iPhone's 3.5-inch display, which offers 326ppi.

More pixels per inch means better visual quality, and Toshiba's screen is headed to a smartphone near you.… Read more

Every now and then you may experience problems with odd video output on a Mac system. Recently we reported on an ongoing issue in which some Mac systems have been displaying snow output when screen adapters are used. At other times people have reported problems with display output, including blank screens, odd output patterns, and unexpected color output on their displays. Display problems are nothing new for computer systems old or new, and can stem from faults with the monitor and its connections, the OS version or other software configuration, and hardware malfunctions.

Possible problems and options If you're … Read more

While Speck's PixelSkin HD Wrap for iPad 2 hasn't hit the market yet, it seems like an excellent alternative to Apple's Smart Cover. Why? Well, because it protects both the front and back of your iPad 2 yet offers similar design features to the Apple case and all its folding fun.

Apple's Smart Cover costs $39 for the basic version and $69 for the swankier leather version, whereas the PixelSkin HD Wrap costs $49.95. As we said, the only problem is that it isn't shipping yet--and it may be a month before it does. … Read more