Cody Fink

1547 posts on MacStories since January 2010

Former MacStories contributor.

[email protected]

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V-MODA Vibrato Noise-Isolating Headphones

It’s tough being a music affectionado isn’t it? There’s so many headphones on the market right now, but I bet you a solid dime you wouldn’t be disappointed with V-MODA’s Vibrato noise-isolating headphones. Let’s face it: you’re probably looking at a pair of Apple’s In-Ear headphones. Apple certainly makes a nice pair of plugs, but who goes so far as to wrap your headphones cables in Kevlar, or create a truly eccentric earbud made out of Zinc Alloy? Four pairs of earbuds, sport hooks, and leather carrying case are included with your purchase for the perfect balance preferred comfort and style, and it doesn’t stop there. On top of a two-year warranty, V-MODA offers a sweet *Replay Replacement Program. If you finally wear out your headset from those endurance sprints of heavy metal thrashing, you can replace your next pair for 50% off the purchase price. You’re not just buying a pair of great headphones: you’re also getting V-MODA’s complimentary customer service which exists to save you a few buckaroos. If you’re ready to step up from the standard white, visit the Apple Store and check out the Vibratos for the new black. They’re $129.95, built to last, and they just plain look badass. (Did I mention you could take calls on these things too?)

*As one of our readers points out, the Replay Replacement Program is for US customers only. “As of today, this incredible program is only available to US customers.”

MacStories Product Giveaway: The AViiQ Portable Laptop Stand

Nothing should be more flexible or more comfortable than your mobile lifestyle. That’s why AViiQ created the Portable Laptop Stand which I had the pleasure of reviewing. It’s designed to be portable, light, yet strong enough to withstand the stress of everyday computing. The AViiQ Portable Laptop Stand compromises on none of these things: imagine slipping a curious fine sheet of aluminum into your laptop bag, only for it to unfold on the table as something uniquely striking. The thin, brushed style of the stand, combined with its sharp looks, simply disappears underneath your MacBook. Inverted or upright, folded opened or closed, we’re giving away a truly fine product from the folks at AViiQ so you too can enjoy the comfort and mobility of the world’s thinnest laptop stand.

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Ignition: iTunes, MobileMe Services To Launch In NC Data Center This Spring

Folks, we have blast off! During yesterday’s annual shareholders meeting, Apple revealed that iTunes and MobileMe services are ready for takeoff in Apple’s North Carolina data center. It’s been suspected that Apple would be utilizing their half million square foot facility to support a growing number of users on MobileMe, for iTunes cloud services, or both. Apple has all but confirmed their data center could very well be the backbone for Apple’s most notable digital programs. AppleInsider reports:

Talk of Apple’s potential future cloud services has picked up steam again recently, with a new rumor that the company plans to enhance its MobileMe service with a digital online “locker” that would store users’ personal files, such as music, photos and videos. It was also said that Apple has considered making MobileMe, which currently costs $99 per year, a free service.

We don’t know enough yet about future additions to OS X such as an encrypted locker or music streaming services to further speculate on what Apple’s data center could be used for in the long haul, but it’s purported that Apple will build a second facility at the same location, in parallel with the first data center.

Now for a fun thought: If Apple’s Headquarters at Cupertino is lovingly referred to as, “The Mothership,” can we call this NC data center, “The Brain?” Or should we shoot for some Lost references?

[via AppleInsider]

TaskAgent Syncs ToDos Over Dropbox As Editable Text Files

Why think about adding tasks, managing lists, and getting drowned in contexts and tags when you could just have a Dropbox enabled whiteboard for everything you need to get done? TaskAgent is the minimal to-do manager that you’ll want if you’d like the ability to easily share tasks in a readable format via text files (it’s that simple), and you’ll never be outta sync across your iOS devices or Mac.

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Duplifinder Gets Update, Highlights Duplicates & Better iPhoto Deletion

Duplifinder is growing up fast! We checked out the iPhoto duplicate remover last week, and the developer has already launched a big update. Not only are duplicates now highlighted with the grew squares you see above, but you can double click a photo to immediately reveal it in iPhoto, and pressing the delete key will now delete those duplicates from iPhoto effortlessly. As you can see, our product review pictures get duplicated quite a bit between camera imports, and it’s become an essential tool to help clean out my Mac after an afternoon of product shoots. Ready to jump on board with Duplifinder 2? Download it here!

SyncMate 3 Syncs Androids To Mac Over WiFi, Bluetooth, & USB

Why are we talking about Androids? Let’s just say our little green friends need some love too, and there’s nothing like a quick trip down syncing lane to remind us that manually inserting tunes onto your SDCard is definitely a lot more painful than iTunes. Without bloated music software, how can you manage your Droid or Nexus One? Eltima Software has the answer with their launch of SyncMate 3, which is a well rounded information manager I reviewed not too long ago. If you sport the latest in Google technology, SyncMate’s latest update can mount your Android phone wirelessly or by cable, and sync contact information like music, images, and video straight to the device.

One of my complaints was SyncMate was its interface, but the latest rendition is much improved to fit our sometimes picky standards. Plus, I quite like having a portrait of Andy giving me a quick link to my Motorola Droid when it’s time to load a podcast or two. If you’re still syncing with those Windows PCs, SyncMate also gives you more control over which accounts you want to pull information from.

If you have Android phone and use a Mac (don’t forget SyncMate is on the PC too), you’ll want to check out the latest update at Eltima Software. SyncMate Expert includes all the features described above (including the ability to manage SMS which is neat), and costs only $39.95 for a personal license (good for two Macs).

Wunderlist HD For iPad Goes Live

Last night, Wunderlist HD launched on the iTunes App Store with thunderous applause (I figured that fit the theme for this morning). And I’m not exaggerating: the Wunderlist HD update was well received on the local Twitter channels, and team deserves a fine pat on the back for bringing their desktop task-manager into the frame of the iPad.

You’ll notice that Wunderlist HD keeps its charm in this latest iteration, despite the disorienting placement of the sidebar on the right-hand side (on the desktop it’s on the left). Connecting to your Wunderlist account, Wunderlist HD delivers all the same collaboration features and still free note syncing that makes the service so valuable to many. Using the filter controls at the bottom of the sidebar, you can view all of your tasks, starred tasks, tasks due now, overdue tasks, and you can bring up other filters that allow you to prioritize for the future. Lists can be created with a tap of the add button at the top, and as always you have your choice of beautiful backgrounds.

Download it free right now from the iTunes App Store.

Will Apple Finally Drop The White MacBook? 16GB SSDs In MacBook Pros?

I’ve hedged bets with Federico that Apple would drop the white MacBook this time around, and I might be up $100 in the betting pool thanks to MacGeneration, who speculates Apple will replace the plastic model with the 13” MacBook Air. It only makes sense - I can’t help think of a more sensible pricing tier from little MacBook to big MacBook.

MacGeneration via AppleInsider reports that the 13” MacBook would see an upgrade to Intel’s core i3 processor, as well seeing a display bump to a new 1440x900 pixel resolution and the addition of a third USB port.

The fifteen inch MacBook Pro would see the option to replace superdrive replaced for an SSD, and the 17” model may come standard with 8 GB of RAM.

Each of the MacBooks are expected to debut Intel’s new LightPeak technology, and are also reported to be introducing a new formfactor that should result in lighter, more powerful models with Intel’s Sandy Bridge inside. A 16 GB SSD could supplement a hard disk drive for faster booting and system performance.

[MacGeneration via AppleInsider]