Latest Posts in Macworld Video

A closer look at the iPhone 3G S

Summer's almost here and you know what that means -- time for new iPhones! For the third straight year, Apple's release of a new iPhone model has caused otherwise sane people to wait in long lines, often overnight, just to get their hands on the latest and greatest.

Today's iPhone release is the iPhone 3G S, and I got mine this morning at the Apple Store on Stockton Street near San Francisco's Union Square. Now I've put together this report chronicling my first hour or two with the device.

In this video you'll see sample video shot with the iPhone 3G S. You'll see a mysterious brown bag that may or may not have contained my lunch. You'll see demonstrations of the iPhone 3G S's speed, its compass, its Voice Control functionality, what makes it different from the iPhone 3G, and much more.

You will also witness, for the first time, the sight of what it's like for an iPhone 3G S to be unboxed -- from its perspective. And you will marvel at what happens when you peel the plastic coating off of the iPhone 3G S for the first time. (Hint: It makes things a lot clearer.)

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WWDC keynote in review

Monday saw the annual Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) kick off with a keynote address by various Apple executives. In this edition of Macworld Video, Roman Loyola looks back at some of the highlights from the opening day.

The star of the keynote may very well have been the brand-new iPhone 3G S—boasting higher speeds and added features such as voice control, video capture and a compass. But several other products had their moment in the spotlight as well.

Download Macworld Video #112

• Format: MPEG-4/H.264
• Resolution: 480 x 272 (iPhone & iPod compatible)
• Size: 11.6MB
• Length: 8 minutes

Some of the other products mentioned in the keynote address include:

• A revamped family of laptops. Apple updated almost its entire laptop line, promoting its 13-inch Aluminum unibody Macbooks into the MacBook Pro line, upgrading the existing 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros, and slashing MacBook Air prices while boosting speeds.
• iPhone 3.0 coming soon. The new iPhone 3.0 OS will be released on June 17, 2009. iPhone 3.0 will be a free release for all iPhone customers—both original iPhone users and iPhone 3G users will be able to download it at no charge once it’s released.
• Snow Leopard slated for release. The next major update to OS X will be available in September. However, OS X 10.6 will only work on Intel-based Macs, leaving the owners of aging PowerPC-based hardware without the ability to upgrade.
• Plus you can read more about the iPhone 3G S in our detailed report.

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Manage e-mail on multiple Macs

In this week's video, I discuss e-mail. More specifically, I discuss e-mail protocols, and how you might optimize your setup if you receive e-mail on multiple Macs and/or phones. I also delve briefly into the world of spam, and how you can minimize how much of the stuff makes it to all of your Macs and/or devices.

Download Macworld Video #111

• Format: MPEG-4/H.264
• Resolution: 480 x 272 (iPhone & iPod compatible)
• Size: 13MB
• Length: 8 minutes

During the video, I touch on a few different things relative to e-mail, including a brief overview of the POP and IMAP e-mail protocols. Note that, in the interest of keeping things brief and not overly technical, I glossed over many of the details on how IMAP works (i.e. deleted messages aren't really deleted immediately, but instead flagged as deleted). If such things interest you, the above link to IMAP's Wikipedia entry is a great place to start.

I also talk, generically, about converting your setup from POP to IMAP. Please note that there's simply no way to cover all the details involved with such a task during this brief video. If you're interested in converting, I strongly recommend that you have good backups in place first, and that you do further research regarding IMAP with your particular internet provider. Google searching may also prove helpful. The process is generally simple, but it's never good to lose e-mail messages you need to keep.

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Digitize VHS video tapes

If you’ve been an adult since the time of the Clinton Administration, it’s likely you have a box full of VHS tapes. In addition to ancient episodes of The Larry Sanders Show, The X-Files, and Twin Peaks, it’s possible that some of these tapes include beloved/embarrassing scenes from your past.

In case you’re not aware of it, here’s a hint: Those tapes aren’t improving with age.

And because they aren’t, it may be time to convert them to a format you can play on your Mac, burn to DVD, and upload to the Web. In this week’s video I look at two products—Elgato’s $100 Video Capture and Roxio’s $80 Easy VHS to DVD—that help you do just that.

Download Macworld Video #110

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First look: Sanyo VPC-WH1 waterproof HD camcorder

Summer is almost here, and you know what that means—fun in the sun and a camcorder to record those memories. And with high definition video now mainstream, it’s time to consider investing in a new HD camcorder.

In this video, I take a first look at Sanyo’s new VPC-WH1 HD camcorder. This waterproof device shoots 720p video at 30 frames per second. You can take it underwater up to 10 feet deep. I’ll look at the the construction of the VPC-WH1, and then show some video shot with the camcorder.

Download Macworld Video #109

• Format: MPEG-4/H.264
• Resolution: 480 x 272 (iPhone & iPod compatible)
• Size: 8.6MB
• Length: 2 minutes, 33 seconds

Or you can look below for the full-quality video embedded from YouTube. (Please note our videos are now available in HD on YouTube as well!)

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Window-management utilities for the Mac

As much as I like Mac OS X, I often wish it offered more options for moving and resizing onscreen windows. I hear similar comments from other Mac users—including those who’ve switched to the Mac from Windows and are used to The Other Way of working with windows.

Two utilities—both Mac Gems—that enhance OS X’s window-management features are MondoMouse and MercuryMover. In this week’s video, I show you the best features of each and why they’ve become part of my everyday workflow.

Download Macworld Video #108

• Format: MPEG-4/H.264
• Resolution: 432 x 320 (iPhone & iPod compatible)
• Size: 10.7MB
• Length: 5 minutes, 30 seconds

For more on Atomic Bird’s MondoMouse, read my original Gems review of the utility, as well as my article from February about how MondoMouse helps work around some of the drawbacks to Safari 4’s new interface.

MercuryMover is available from Helium Foot; I also reviewed MercuryMover last year.

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You can also see a complete archive of all our videos on Macworld’s YouTube channel. Subscribe to that channels and you will be notified whenever we post a new video.

Or just point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader to: https://rss.macworld.com/macworld/weblogs/mwvodcast

Favorite iPhone Twitter clients

I'm a big user of Twitter, especially on the iPhone. Twitter and the iPhone are a perfect match of service and device. The Iconfactory's Twitterrific 2.0 for iPhone has been approved by Apple and will likely be released on the App Store Friday. It will be a free upgrade for all existing users. New users can download a free version, which includes ads, or pay an introductory price of $4 for the ad-free premium edition. I’ve been testing this version for a few weeks; here’s a hands-on first look in video form. Don't miss my complete Twitterrific 2 first look article as well.

In addition, I've covered two other Twitter clients that I think are of interest. Tweetie, from Atebits, and Twittelator Pro, from Big Stone Phone.

Download Macworld Video #107

• Format: MPEG-4/H.264
• Resolution: 480 x 272 (iPhone & iPod compatible)
• Size: 33.7MB
• Length: 8 minutes, 40 seconds

Or you can look below for the full-quality video embedded from YouTube. (Please note our videos are now available in HD on YouTube as well!)

To subscribe to the Macworld Video Podcast using iTunes 5 or later, click here.

You can also see a complete archive of all our videos on Macworld’s YouTube channel. Subscribe to that channels and you will be notified whenever we post a new video.

Or just point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader to: https://feeds.macworld.com/macworld/video/

A look at GeekTool

In this week’s video, I look at GeekTool, a free system utility that lets you display images, text files, and the output of Unix commands on your desktop (or floating above other windows).

Download Macworld Video #106

• Format: MPEG-4/H.264

• Resolution: 480 x 272 (iPhone & iPod compatible)

• Size: 13.3MB

• Length: 7 minutes

In the course of the video, I reference a collection of sites where you can find more powerful examples of what you can do with GeekTool. These include:

• GeekTool
• Hints that mention GeekTool on macosxhints.com.
• Ultimate GeekTool Setup on Keynote 2 Keynote.
• GeekTool and bash one liners on Mac Geekery.
• Geek to Live: Monitor your Mac and more with GeekTool on Lifehacker.
• Mega Roundup of GeekTool Scripts on Francesco Mugnai's blog (which contains links to many other sites).
• In the video, I show one GeekTool entry that displays my external IP address, which can be useful if you're trying to debug a network connectivity problem. The Unix source for that entry can be found buried in this hint on Mac OS X Hints. To save you the digging, though, here's the command: curl --silent https://checkip.dyndns.org | awk '{print $6}' | cut -f 1 -d "<". Just enter that as the Unix command, and you should see your external IP address in GeekTool.

To subscribe to the Macworld Video Podcast using iTunes 5 or later, click here.

You can also see a complete archive of all our videos on Macworld’s YouTube channel. Subscribe to that channels and you will be notified whenever we post a new video.

Or just point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader to: https://feeds.macworld.com/macworld/video/

Setting up a Mac mini media center

If you’ve kept an eye on Macworld.com this week you know that I’ve been on a tear in regard to the Mac mini as a media server. In this week’s Macworld Video I cap off that coverage with a video overview of what you can do to make your Mac mini a welcome member of the family AV center.

Download Macworld Video #105

• Format: MPEG-4/H.264
• Resolution: 480 x 272 (iPhone & iPod compatible)
• Size: 18.2
• Length: 6 minutes and 41 seconds

Show Notes

This video just scratches the surface of what a Mac mini can do in the media world. For more details, read the series, which includes, Part 1: Revisiting the Mac mini Media Center, Part 2: Configuring Front Row, Part 3: Get Content, Part 4: Control Everything Remotely, and Part 5: Is it Worth It?

But wait, there’s more. Macworld editorial director Jason Snell provides a helpful glimpse at what’s worth watching from Netflix’s Watch Instantly service. And in this week’s Macworld Podcast, Macworld senior editor Dan Frakes and I discuss upgrading the Mac mini. Later in that same podcast I speak with a gathering of international Macs about the Mac mini as media server.

In the course of the video I mention several sites and products. They include:

• Other World Computing Mac mini upgrade videos.
• iFixIt Mac mini upgrade pages.
• XtremeMac 2-meter Toslink cable.
• Apple Remote iPhone/iPod touch remote application.
• Air Mouse Pro iPhone/iPod touch remote application.
• Rowmote iPhone/iPod touch remote application.
• Boxee media center application.
• Plex media center application.

To subscribe to the Macworld Video Podcast using iTunes 5 or later, click here.

You can also see a complete archive of all our videos on Macworld’s YouTube channel. Subscribe to that channels and you will be notified whenever we post a new video.

Or just point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader to: https://feeds.macworld.com/macworld/video/

[Senior editor Christopher Breen blogs regularly about iPods, Apple TVs, and other accoutrements of the digital lifestyle at Macworld’s Playlist blog.]

How to buy a camcorder

Whether you want footage of your new baby, your European vacation, or you want to be the next Stanley Kubrick, there’s a digital camcorder out there for you. But not all camcorders are created equal. Not only do they differ in price, but also they have a variety of features that can be confusing if you don’t know what to look for when you’re shopping.

This video from our sister publication, PC World, is a general overview of what to look for in a new camcorder. Learn about the different camcorders available, features to keep in mind, and the different technologies used.

Download Macworld Video #104

• Format: MPEG-4/H.264
• Resolution: 480 x 320 (iPhone & iPod compatible)
• Size: 10.1MB
• Length: 4 minutes, 17 seconds

Show notes

The video is a general overview of camcorders. However, high definition camcorders are all the rage. If you want more information on HD camcorders, check out the articles below.

• HD camcorders: Buyer's guide
• What to look for when shopping for an HD camcorder
• HD camcorders: The perfect camcorder
• HD camcorders: Capturing video into iMovie
• HD camcorders: Sharing HD videos

For more news, reviews, and tips, visit our camcorder product center.

To subscribe to the Macworld Video Podcast using iTunes 5 or later, click here.

You can also see a complete archive of all our videos on Macworld's YouTube channel. Subscribe to that channels and you will be notified whenever we post a new video.

Or just point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader to: https://rss.macworld.com/macworld/weblogs/mwvodcast

[Amber Bouman is the consumer affairs correspondent for PC World.]