magic

Japanese Copperfield proves iPad is magic

"People laugh at me because I describe the iPad as magical," said Steve Jobs at the D: All Things Digital conference Tuesday evening.

The truth is that many people were skeptical about the magic part. But then they got to see a Japanese magician called Shinya do all of Jobs' heavy lifting.

In this elevating performance, all shot on a busy Japanese street that just happens to enjoy an Apple store, Shinya doesn't so much pull a rabbit out of a hat, as pull cheese out of an iPad. As well as pouring milk into one.

The … Read more

Reader comments and commentary

Many times people will read our articles and write in with tips, comments, and suggestions for their approach or solution to the issue at hand, some of which are quite practical approaches that should work for others. We welcome these comments, and hope to include them in future similar articles such as this and our MacFixIt Answers column, to bring you some points in our discussions that our readers might find useful.… Read more

Apple KB Updates: Troubleshooting Mail, enabling Magic Mice Gestures, and iTunes quitting

Apple has updated a couple of knowledgebase articles, one of which covers how to tackle problems with Mail connectivity in OS 10.6, and others that discuss the enabling of Magic Mice gestures and how to prevent a specific iMovie crash in OS 10.6.3.… Read more

Inside CNET Labs Podcast 87: More magics!

Is the iPad all that it's cracked up to be? This "late" in the game, who cares what we think right? I mean, it's been out for a whole week! Anyway, Dong and I had a chance to check it out and pass judgment--ultimate judgment!

Dong finally gains elite status. He's been blessed by the gods at Blizzard with a Starcraft 2 beta key. He attempts to keep his composure, but instead it's half an episode of his giddy schoolgirl impression. Pathetic.

Also, Dong's further adventures in getting taken by the man as … Read more

Malware found on second Vodafone HTC Magic

When Panda Security found malware on a brand new Android-based Vodafone HTC Magic earlier this month, Vodafone said it was an "isolated local incident." Now, a second phone has been found harboring malware, including a program that turns infected machines into zombies as part of the Mariposa credit card and bank log-in-stealing botnet, according to Spain-based PandaLabs.

After hearing about PandaLabs' discovery, an employee at another Spanish security company, S21Sec, checked his recently acquired HTC Magic and found the Mariposa malware lurking on it, according to a PandaLabs blog post on Wednesday.

"This guy had also purchased … Read more

'Avatar' Oscars could make Weta household name

Update at 8:25 a.m. PST Feb. 2: "Avatar" has snagged nine Oscar nominations: visual effects, best picture, art direction, cinematography, directing, film editing, sound editing, sound mixing, and music (original score).

When the trumpets sound Tuesday morning and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces its annual Oscar nominations, could there be any more of a sure thing than that James Cameron's mega-hit "Avatar" will grace the list of visual effects honorees?

After all, while many people have enjoyed the film's sprawling anti-colonialism storyline, there's little doubt that what … Read more

Buzz Out Loud Podcast 1143: Google is sorry... you feel that way?

Google apologized to China for miscommunication over its scanning of books. But that didn't stop it from scanning the books. Or even get it to apologize for scanning the books. Also Microsoft Word is no longer sold, at least for a brief period of time. And the Apple rumors are ramping up.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 1143

Microsoft Word injunction goes into effect http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10432510-56.html

Warning, Nexus One users! Dangerous fees may lie ahead http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/01/warning-nexus-one-users-dangerous-fees-ahead.arsRead more

Mad Catz Eclipse touchmouse magically responds to finger gestures

LAS VEGAS--After the launch of the Apple Magic Mouse in 2009, we knew it was only a matter of time before Windows users demanded their own touch-sensitive mouse. Mad Catz delivers just that with its stylish new Eclipse touchmouse, a Bluetooth-enabled pointer that actively responds to a series of gestures on an integrated trackpad.

We hate to do it, but aesthetic comparisons must be made with the Magic Mouse. Just as the Motorola Droid departs from the iPhone silhouette, so does the Mad Catz touchmouse. Instead of a milky-white finish, Mad Catz went with a brushed aluminum exterior and positions your hand at sloping angle to promote streamlined ergonomics. It operates on a single AA battery and connects to a host computer via Bluetooth for wireless access.

However, unlike the Magic Mouse, the mouse only responds to gestures made on the small rectangular touchpad on the top of the device. Swiping your finger across the top of this pad enables four-way on-screen scrolling for intuitive navigation forward and backward across Web pages.

The $60 mouse currently works with Windows 7, Vista, and XP. More images of the Mad Catz Eclipse touchmouse after the jump.… Read more

Magic Mouse randomly disconnecting from bluetooth

A few people have noticed Apple's new multitouch "Magic Mouse" will disconnect at seemingly random times. When the computer is booted the mice connect just fine and are usable for a while; however, they will soon become unresponsive and the "Connection Lost" icon will float at the bottom of the screen.… Read more