Two weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal reported Apple was preparing a major redesign of MobileMe set to launch in the summer alongside a new iPhone. According to “people familiar with the matter,” Apple was “considering” making the service free, offering a “locker” for files, photos, music, and videos. Social features would also be a big part of the new MobileMe.

Cult of Mac followed up on that report with a list of new features coming to Apple’s cloud services suite, including personal video streaming and location services similar to Foursquare and Facebook Places, as well as the ability to find other MobileMe users nearby. All this information would appear on a brand new homepage, and be constantly updated from iOS devices. According to Cult of Mac’s source, “the concept is that you would have you own website that’s dynamic, all based on what you are doing at that moment. Apple thinks of it as having a webserver in your pocket… everything will be dynamically updated to MobileMe.”

If those rumors sound overly ambitious for MobileMe, the service is set to benefit from significant additional resources very soon. At the Apple shareholder’s meeting on Wednesday, COO Tim Cook announced that the billion-dollar data center in Maiden, NC would be opening in the immediate future, and it would be supporting both iTunes and MobileMe services. The opening of that data center may be advancing the timetable for the new MobileMe. Conveniently, Apple is widely expected to introduce a new iPad at an event next Wednesday. A high-profile event like that would also provide an excellent opportunity to reintroduce MobileMe to the public.

That means that current MobileMe users should think seriously about not renewing their memberships at this time. Keep in mind a MobileMe subscription can be reactivated up to 45 days after expiration. If, like me, you’ve recently renewed, don’t expect a refund. However, it’s almost a sure thing that Apple will offer a value-added rank of additional paid services that current MobileMe subscribers will be automatically switched to if it does end up making the basic service free. Let’s hope that whatever the new MobileMe “Premium” offers, it costs less than the current $99, as the days of picking up cheap activation codes on eBay have probably ended with the discontinuation of the physical box sales.

Nonetheless, as a long-time MobileMe user I’m excited about the prospect of a rejuvenated service with new features—domain hosting would be awesome—for me and a free version that will help grow the MobileMe platform and user base. What features are you hoping for in the new MobileMe, and would you switch from using comparable services from Google and others if it does become free?

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In case you missed our coverage at launch, Office for Mac 2011 is a marked improvement over its predecessor, Office 2008, in almost every regard. It more close resembles recent Windows releases, thanks to the omnipresence of the ribbon command interface, and yet it manages to seem much more at home on the Mac than previous iterations of Microsoft’s productivity suite.

To get your hands on the free trial, simply head over to Microsoft’s Mac trial download page, register and hit the resulting download link. Registering takes all of about 20 seconds, and doesn’t require an account. The download itself is around 900 MB, but you’ll need around 2.5 GB of clear hard drive space for a full install. The trial includes unrestricted versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook 2011 (which is only available in the $280 Home & Business edition, should you decide to make a purchase).

It’s good to see Microsoft offering users a chance to try before they buy. Somewhat ironically, Apple did not build the ability to do the same into its recently launched Mac App Store (where Office for Mac is not yet available). Maybe this is a subtle indication of the changing relationship between the two companies and consumers?

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Among the offerings available to Starbucks customers will be music, movies and even e-books. The move is designed to draw more people in, and to provide a competitive advantage for Starbucks over low-cost competitors like McDonalds. In addition to free content, customers will also be able to purchase additional tracks, movies and books through the Starbucks launch page, a portion of the profits from which will go back to the chain.

The decision by Starbucks to offer free Wi-Fi to all customers, made in June of this year, has led to a tremendous uptick in usage. Over 30 million users accessed the web from a Starbucks store last month alone. It was a smart move by the chain, since it provided impressive numbers to shop around to content providers. No doubt the size of the potential new audience is what attracted Yahoo and Apple to the deal.

Free content will be displayed for customers via a welcome screen when they sign in to the Starbucks online portal to get Wi-Fi access. That content will also be available exclusively to Starbucks users, which is what the chain is hoping will encourage more people to walk through its doors.

Apple will be providing free music from iTunes. Its free Starbucks track of the week song directly for download using the chain’s Wi-Fi, instead of requiring users to input a code taken from a card. Other free downloads are mentioned, but no additional details are available as yet.

Other partners include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and HarperCollins. Users browsing with Starbucks Wi-Fi will be able to read books and newspapers for free while in-store, but will have to purchase content to take it with them elsewhere. The service is designed around the idea that customers at coffee shops are compulsive browsers, making it the ideal setting for providing free samples. It’s also a natural progression of the idea of keeping newspapers available for patrons to peruse.

I think this is a partnership that will benefit everyone, including customers. It launches today, so if you happen to check your local Starbucks to see what’s on offer, let us know what you find.

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Similar to “Back to School” promotions offered by Apple every summer, college students as well as faculty and staff members of any K-12 school or college in the U.S. are eligible for the promotion. Simply head into an Apple Store, purchase any Mac (except a Mac mini or refurbished Mac) and buy an iPod at the same time. The rebate is for $199, so even if you are coveting that awkwardly classic 160GB iPod or a larger iPod touch, you can still get it, though you’ll only get $199 back. Unfortunately, the offer doesn’t apply to iPhones or iPads.

The promotion runs from May 25, 2010 through September 7, 2010. Traditionally, these promotions have served as an effective way for Apple to clear out its remaining inventory of iPods, so you can pretty much plan for new iPods to be released around the first week of September. These promotions also tend to move a lot of Macs and iPods out the door, so this quarter for Apple will probably look pretty rosy.

If you’re considering the switch to Mac, this is one of the best times to save the most money on switching. From the lucrative discounts on hardware (ranging from $50 on the entry-level MacBook to $200 on the MacBook Pros) to the $100 rebate that you get when buying an eligible printer with your Mac, you can seriously save some cash. Add in a MobileMe subscription for $30 off retail and a free iPod touch ($199), why wouldn’t you switch? Oh, by the way, if you were wanting iWork with your new Mac, you can get that for $30 off too.

For those looking to learn more about their Mac, including iWork and iLife, check out our 101 series of screencasts (subscription required).

However, there are a few disclaimers. Unfortunately, the Back to School promotion is only available to U.S. customers. If you are wanting to buy a new Mac, but will require some custom configurations, such as different graphics cards or hard drives, you’ll need to complete your entire purchase online instead of in the store. For more details on any of these promotions, visit Apple’s promo website.

Even if you already have an iPod touch or printer, if you’re in the market for a new Mac, find a college student and go save some money. If you end up selling your printer or iPod touch on eBay, you’ll still come out ahead. Have you been waiting for this promotion to switch to the Mac or upgrade your current setup? Do you really need one more iPod or Mac in your family? Tell us your thoughts!

Specifically, it’s the news that the iPad will launch with 30,000 free e-books. That’s mostly public domain content, which you should technically be able to get on your device anyway with a little elbow grease, but it’s a great deal better being able to access the directly and wireless via the iBookstore.

The free books will be provided via Project Gutenberg, which has set about archiving digital editions of public domain books using the Internet. Any and all free titles will be DRM-free, as opposed to the DRM-enabled paid content.

 Apple’s decision to offer the books on launch day is seen as stemming from two major motivating factors. First, Apple wants to curtail any kind profiteering by third-party companies using public domain content. If you’ve glanced at the Books section of the App Store, you’ll see that quite a few developers won’t be pleased with this move, but I applaud Apple for putting the customers first.

Of course, Apple’s not acting purely out of concern for others. It’s also anxious about looking somewhat content-bare when the iPad does launch, at least regarding iBookstore content. 30,000 titles should flesh out the ranks nicely, even if some of Apple’s overtures to publishers providing paid content don’t come through on the day.

Now when it comes to apps, free ones do much better than their paid cousins. I’m curious to see if this trend continues with books. For whatever reason, I find myself shying away from public domain books on my Kindle, and I suspect the same will happen with the iPad. Any predictions regarding your own reading habits?

Related GigaOM Pro Research: Evolution of the e-Book Market

Apple’s iTunes application is perhaps the most popular app ever installed on the Mac. It’s also one of the least flexible, in terms of customization. There’s little you can do to “make it your own,” so to speak. However, all is not lost for habitual tweakers like myself; the iTunes Visualizer can satisfy your need to not leave well-enough alone.

If you display your iTunes window on a second monitor, or just like to look at the iTunes Visualizer full screen on your 30″ LCD, you should know that you have some really nice options available for customizing the appearance of the Visualizer.

iTunes default Visualizer

Invoking the Visualizer by hitting Command + T (hit Command + F to make it full screen if you wish) then hitting the ? key brings up an overlay on the Visualizer screen containing a few keyboard shortcuts to control various aspects of whichever Visualizer you’re running at the time. But these customizations only go so far. To move beyond minor tweaks to Apple’s built-in Visualizers, you can install a number of truly cool third-party Visualizers which really enhance the iTunes experience.

Download More Visualizers

I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite Visualizers to get you started. This is by no means a complete list, so if you’re looking for even more, I suggest a quick Google search to quench your thirst.

All the Visualizers listed below work perfectly with OS X Leopard, iTunes 8.2, and are free to download and use. Click the preview image to go directly to the download page of each Visualizer.

Punkt Visualizer

Punkt is a Quartz Composer Visualizer that is much cooler than it appears in this screenshot. Colors burst to the beat of your music.

Circle Visualizer

Circle places the track name, artist and album in a circular format, and floats in a 3D space.

Fountain Music Visualizer

Fountain Music is probably one of my favorite Visualizers. It reminds me of the drummers in The Blue Man Group, where water is blasting upwards from the drums, highlighted by bright neon lights as they play. Fountain Music also has a decent amount of customization options, such as particle size and color.

Dragon Visualizer

Dragon features a squishy, squirmy dragon dancing to your music. I almost feel like this one borders on being somewhat icky — but it’s truly awesome.

WhiteCap Visualizer

WhiteCap places dynamic wireframe mesh visuals on your screen, cycling through colors and traveling through space.

Figure Visualizer

Figure places the track title, album, artist and album art on a virtual wall, swiveling around in 3D space.

Bugaboo Visualizer

Bugaboo places colorful dancing lightning bugs on screen. This is another one of those that you have to see to appreciate.

Cubism Visualizer

Cubism brings a Tetris-like appearance to your Visualizer, bouncing blocks to the beat of your music. A 3D cube with the album art mingles among the blocks as well.

Gaslight Visualizer

Gaslight is a customizable frequency spectrum analyzer — kind of old-school, but still quite nice!

Snow Visualizer

Snow, another offering from WowLab, displays colorful snow blowing across your screen. This one is really nice for soothing music after a rough day at the office.

LED Flow Visualizer

LED Flow uses Apple’s Quartz technology to place a colorful level meter in 3D space.

G-Force Visualizer

G-Force, the original awesome third-party Visualizer for iTunes, still going strong with its fractal goodness!

Sing Visualizer

Sing places a friendly little creature in your iTunes window and sings. Sort of. Well, it’s cool to look at anyway.

Jumping Steve Visualizer

Jumping Steve pays homage to Steve Jobs with a cutout jumping jack that dances to the beat. Hit the P key for a special iPod commercial-like silhouette feature.

Don’t forget that different Visualizers will offer disparate customization options, the level of which (if any) varies between minor, and fairly major stuff — it just depends on the developer, and how much time they bothered to put in. Don’t forget to hit the ? key to find out what options are available to you.

If you’ve never installed a plugin or other add-on to iTunes, Visualizers are a great place to start. They’re simple, require little effort to get up and running, and typically they either work or they don’t, with no ill side-effects.

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As a kid, or even as a university student, if anyone had mentioned back-to-school shopping, sales, gear, or anything else this early in the game, I’d definitely have lost it on them. The summer has yet to begin, just let me get my bearings!

Still, if I were to make an exception, I’d make it for Apple’s annual back-to-school promotion, during which the company offers a free iPod to all education customers when they purchase a new Mac.

The iPod in question, or at least the most expensive one that qualifies for the deal, is the 8GB iPod touch (which is probably nearing end-of-life, but hey, it’s free, and it’s still great hardware), which you buy along with your MacBook when you make your purchases. When you receive both items, you fill out and submit an online claim (which must be done by Oct. 8 to qualify), and Apple will reimburse you for the total amount of the iPod — not quite as insidious as a mail-in rebate, but not nearly as straightforward as a complete freebie, either.

If you’re not keen on the iPod touch, or for some reason you just want to save Apple some money, you also have the option of getting any iPod of lesser value, including an 8GB or 16GB Nano, a 120GB Classic, or a 4GB Shuffle with rebates of varying amounts according to which you choose. On top of that, you also get the standard education customer discount on whatever model Mac you’re buying, so the total savings end up being pretty significant.

Not all Macs are eligible for the promotion, so hopefully, you didn’t just read the first half of this article and then go buy a Mac mini and an iPod touch. The mini, along with any refurbished Macs, won’t get you the free iPod, although any other model will, including all notebooks, the Mac Pro, and the iMac. Offering the relatively inexpensive Mac mini along with the discount probably cuts too close to the profitability line for Apple’s comfort.

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For years, Mac users have been annoyed by Apple’s refusal to just give in and offer these features as part of the free version of QuickTime that packages with OS X. Perhaps most useful among these features, at least for most users, is the “Save” function that allows you to download QuickTime files that you’ve played from your browser, including movie trailers and other content normally locked away on the web.

According to MacRumors, Apple may have finally decided that the time is right for the Pro features of QuickTime to come without a price tag. That’s because users working with the latest Snow Leopard builds are reporting that all the features are enabled out of the box, so to speak. No more grayed-out menu items with little, teasing “Pro” icons next to them, trying to make you feel inferior.

This is a great move on Apple’s part, if it makes it through to Snow Leopard’s full release. Even though I argue above that most people don’t generally miss the Pro features, they are definitely very nice to have when and if you find yourself needing them. My favorite use is to save and replay later for others HD movie trailers and Apple ads, so really they’re only helping themselves and their partners by helping more people do that for free. Let’s hope they don’t go and lock it down again when Snow Leopard goes retail.

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With both shopping days and budgets running short, you may be wondering what to get your friends and family members who have either just purchased or will be receiving a new Mac.

With 1-8GB USB flash drives having a street price of ~$6-$15.00 and a plethora of highly useful free software for the Mac ripe for the picking, here is a guide to putting together a relatively inexpensive, yet most invaluable gift that will definitely keep on giving. If you have suggestions for items to include, post your ideas in the comments (it has to be free, remember!).

While TAB cannot distribute a pre-loaded DMG with these items (many have license “click throughs” before downloading and/or mounting), we can get you started building your present with this handy pre-built DMG file (ZIP), complete with custom disk image, background image and folder icons, all pre-layed out for you.

Core System Elements

• Growl + Hardware Growler – Great way to receive system and application notifications.
• iStat Menus – CPU, memory, enhanced date/time with calendar and more right in your menu bar.
• Perian – “The Swiss-Army knife for QuickTime” that lets you play more media formats than you will ever need.
• UnPlugged – Visual notification when your Mac becomes unplugged.
• Quicksilver – Put almost every aspect of your OS X system components and applications right at your fingertips.
• VirtualBox – Free virtualization tool for OS X which lets you run Windows, Linux or other operating systems side-by-side with OS X.

Must-have Utilities

• Audacity – For all your sound recording and editing needs.
• Fluid – Turn any web site into a desktop application.
• HandBrake – Preserve and convert video media and files.
• SuperDuper! – Don’t rely solely on Time Machine to preserve your data. SuperDuper! puts you back in control of your backups.
• TextWrangler – Let’s face it, TextEdit just does not cut it for power editing. This baby brother of BBEdit is a great free alternative, filled with options and support for many programming languages.
• Transmission – When you need a torrent, Transmission is the best way to get it.
• VLC – If there is a video or audio file that VLC cannot play, it won’t be long before support for it is added.
• Burn – Comprehensive audio, video and data media burning software.

Security

• ClamXav – Don’t join in the misconception that OS X is safe from the evils of the internets. ClamXav is a great, free anti-virus solution for OS X.
• TrueCrypt – Create cross-platform, virtual encrypted disks to keep your private data private.
• Wireshark – See what is really going in and out of your system/network. Great troubleshooting tool as well as a security-related app.
• nmap – One of the most comprehensive network scanners available. Find out who and what is running on your network.

Communication/Social Networking

• Adium – Centralize all your instant messaging, from .Mac to Facebook.
• Firefox – Despite growing compatibility with WebKit, there are times when Firefox is needed to view a problematic site.
• Last.fm - Personalized radio stations.
• NetNewsWire – NNW puts you back in command of your RSS feeds.
• Skype – Free or cheap voice, video and text calls to anywhere in the world.
• Twitterrific – The clean and classic way to tweet from your Mac.

Productivity/GTD

• Evernote – Store notes, web clips and more right from your browser or desktop.
• OpenOffice – Full office productivity suite offering compatibility with Microsoft’s comparable suite.
• Seashore – Powerful image editor based on GIMP.

Fitness

• TrailRunner – get into shape, track your cycling and train for that marathon.

Education

• Google Earth – Satellite imagery, maps, terrain, and more.
• Stellarium – Chart the heavens on your Mac.

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The iPhone no longer gets to have all the VoIP fun among Apple handhelds, thanks to the just released Truphone for iPod touch. The release comes hard on the heels of the official release of the new In-Ear premium headset compatible with the 2G iPod touch, and the timing is probably not coincidental.

Truphone Touch allows users with Truphone accounts to make VoIP calls to each other using either iPod/iPhone, Nokia, or Blackberry smartphones. Google Talk and other open VoIP networks are also supported. The app comes from an established pedigree, since the original Truphone app is one of the most downloaded and highest rated VoIP apps available.

The app is significant because it ushers in an entirely new level of functionality for iPod touch owners. Truphone turns Apple’s portable media player into a true communication device, although with the iPod touch version you’re limited to calling other VoIP users, and not able to dial out to actual numbers, as you can with the original iPhone app. It’s likely that the app could also support dialing out, but Apple might be preventing the company from offering this feature, as it could potentially affect iPhone sales. As it stands, the app could potentially replace home phones, many of which are barely used as more and more consumers move to cellular-only setups.

Truphone stands to gain the most from the app, so long as no other VoIP services receive iPod touch compatibility updates. Truphone-to-Truphone is, after all, the only way for iPod Touch users to call each other, so they’ll likely see a significant spike in subscribers. It probably won’t be too long before other VoIP clients follow suit, though, so expect Skype-capable iPod Touches just around the corner.

Get Truphone for iPod touch free in the App Store.

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DisplayPort does have several advantages over older standards such as DVI, based on more open protocols and reducing the need for control circuits built in to displays. It’s easier to use as a plug (not requiring thumbscrews), offers the possibility of connecting multiple monitors and also works well in computers where space is an important factor (the slimline MacBook Air for instance).

As with FireWire, Apple is one of the first companies to heavily push the new standard by integrating it into their lineup. FireWire suffered from a lack of development at the outset due to expensive licensing fees, allowing USB to take off as the most common connectivity standard. This move suggests that Apple is learning from past errors, attempting to push the new technology and reduce the cost to developers.

Gaining the support of hardware developers for the new standard is an important move for Apple, as it could help to provide connectivity in areas which Apple hasn’t yet ventured into. The possibility of connecting your Mac to a HDTV, for instance, is a widely demanded feature by new adopters. If you are a developer interested in the new standard, it is worth reading Apple’s announcement.

With recent laptop releases lacking FireWire 400, Apple has essentially marked an end to the format they originally pioneered. Hopefully the same won’t be true in another few years with DisplayPort.

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The giveaway is the result of the Bush administration actually achieving one of Codeweaver CEO Jeremy White’s “Lame Duck” goals, according to TUAW, who made the announcement earlier today. Specifically, the goal achieved was a price in gas of $2.79, which was actually precipitated by global economic conditions and not specific action from the White House. Still, White is making good on his promise.

CrossOver is a user friendly GUI for the Wine open source code, which allows Windows applications to be run on either OS X or Linux platforms without actually purchasing or installing a Windows license. The version available for download today will apparently be CrossOver for Mac professional, which includes CrossOver Games and 12 months support.

Let’s just hope the Codeweavers servers hold out! Check the official press release here for more information on how to get your free download, and see the remaining items on the “Lame Duck” list.

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Avery recently unveiled the final version of DesignPro for Mac. You’ll find over 1300 predesigned layouts to that you can use for labels, stationery designing, and printing.

“DesignPro offers Mac users one software program that has the flexibility and creativity to design and print the broad range of Avery products,” said Peta-Gaye Latibeaudiere, Senior Product Manager for Avery Dennison. “We are confident that DesignPro will meet the high quality expectations of Mac users.”

DesignPro is a hefty download weighing in at 262 MB. I have used Avery label software in the past. I was happy to see that many of my favorite features were included in the Mac version. Greeting cards & postcards was some of my favorites, and I was customizing in no time. I’m still able to import personal photos. DesignPro let’s me do this by using iPhoto. Although I’m an Aperture 2.0 user I can easily export my photos to iPhoto and from their import them to Avery DesignPro. If designing your own creations is not your style that’s not a problem you have over 2000 clip art to choose from.

DesignPro also gives you the option to merge data from Address Book or Mail effortlessly so you can address your labels without any problems. You also have the option to import playlists and albums from iTunes. Although this is, a free software application Avery DesignPro didn’t skip on the features. There are many things you can do in DesignPro such as; create business cards, dividers, binder inserts, along with a variety of variety of specialty products like iron on transfers for t-shirts.

Log onto Avery’s website and download your free copy of Avery DesignPro. Avery DesignPro is compatible with Mac OS X Tiger and Leopard.

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I would assume that this is a pilot to see if it is feasible to transfer their TV shows from flash on HULU.com to the QuickTime format that the iPhone and iPod Touch require. It sure would be nice if Apple allowed Flash on the iPhone.

The quality is pretty bad. While watching it, my wife said, “It looks like my contacts are all fogged over!” So, if you have nothing else to do, and you are somewhere around a wifi hotspot, it might be worth it to watch some super-low quality TV shows.

[via Alley Insider]

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From there, you can define which folder or folders you want to sync. These folder pairs are called “libraries.” Each library has a 10,000 file limit and you can have up to ten libraries. FolderShare runs in your tray if you use Windows or places an icon in your menu bar on your Mac. I have used the program for my Mac running Leopard (and previously Tiger) with a Windows XP machine. Everything runs smoothly as long as firewalls are set up properly.

The web interface is rather sparse, but everything is laid out simply. The start page shows you your libraries and gives you the option of syncing your folders, accessing your fies and sharing with friends. You can invite other people to have access to your files and decide permissions for your invitees. The permissions options are Reader (can only download and open files, cannot alter files), Contributor (can add new files), Editor (can edit and delete files), Senior Editor (can invite other users to this library). The person you invite must then download the FolderShare software.

One of the more interesting features is access to your files through a browser. Files are not stored online for online access – FolderShare is a peer-to-peer system. This means that if you turn off your other machine or shut down the application, remote access to your files disappears. That being said, the files you can access online are not limited to those you chose to share. You can access your entire hard drive through the web interface and download whatever you would like. Running the application in the background did not seem to have any noticeable impact on the performance of any of my computers.

The main feature of FolderShare is syncing two folders over the internet and FolderShare does that very well. The fact that it can turn any computer into a file server accessible through a web browser is a very cool feature that effectively expands your local network over the internet. The best thing about FolderShare is that it is free. And yes, a Microsoft product is not bad (as long as they keep Mac support).

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Via DaringFireball

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