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FaceTime for Mac out of beta

Mac owners can now download FaceTime for video chats with friends.

Apple said today that FaceTime for Mac is available in its Mac App Store for 99 cents. With the help of the app, those using Mac OS X Snow Leopard can engage in video chats with people using the FaceTime app on the iPhone 4, the latest iPod Touch, and other Macs.

Apple first announced FaceTime for Mac back in October. At the time, the software was in beta. As of today, it is officially out of beta.

FaceTime for Mac lets people see video in standard definition or … Read more

MacFixIt Answers

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which we answer questions e-mailed from our readers. This week we have questions on the OS X keychain not saving passwords, internal speakers no longer working on a MacBook Pro, an external optical drive not reading some discs, and Apple's FaceTime application not running. We continually answer e-mail questions, and though we present a few here, we certainly welcome alternative approaches and views from readers and encourage you to post your suggestions in the comments.

Question: OS X Keychain not saving passwords

MacFixIt reader "Raul" asks:

My OS X Keychain does … Read more

Do iOS icons confirm iPad 2 front-facing cam?

It's almost considered certain among fanboys that Apple's next iPad--which so far we're imaginatively calling the iPad 2--will come out in the next couple of months. It might be as early as April, as it was April of last year that saw the launch of the original iPad, which now has 87 percent of tablet market share.

Because the supposed unveiling is so close--some say within the next few weeks--the gossip mongers are in overdrive trying to find out what it will and won't have. And the latest rumor, which we spotted on Mac Rumors, … Read more

Rumor: Apple's iPad 2 ships from Foxconn in 100 days

According to sources in Taiwan talking to DigiTimes, Apple's initial shipments of the much-anticipated iPad 2 are 100 days away with expected stock levels to be between 400,000 and 600,000.

The end of February could be the target ship time for the iPad 2, according to this report.

"Apple originally planned to start mass production in January, but because the device's firmware is currently still in testing, Apple has been postponing the schedule. Since Foxconn's new plants in Chengdu are still in pilot production, iPad 2 will be mainly supplied by its Shenzhen plants, … Read more

FaceTime not authenticating after hardware changes

If you choose to upgrade the hard drive on your system either for a faster drive or for one with more space, you may find Apple's new FaceTime videoconferencing application will no longer authenticate. When launched, the program will give an error stating "The server encountered an error processing registration. Please try again later."

This has been shown to happen when people have upgraded from magnetic hard drives to SSD drives, but may also happen with other hardware changes as well. The problem is because Apple uses a certificate system for authenticating your system with FaceTime, and … Read more

Rumor: iPad 2 camera lens supplier leaked

DigiTimes reports that Taiwanese camera lens manufacturer Largan Precision will supply lenses for Apple's forthcoming iPad 2, widely expected to support at least a front-facing camera for use with applications like FaceTime.

With FaceTime available on every iPhone 4 and new iPod Touch, as well as on the Mac, there is little doubt a front-facing camera will be included on the second-generation iPad.

Largan Precision declined to comment when asked about market rumors that pegs them as the sole supplier of lenses for the iPad 2 update, most likely to be released in the first quarter of 2011. These … Read more

Angry Birds fly to your game console

Links from Friday's episode of Loaded:

Acer unveils a dual touchscreen laptop called the Iconia

Angry Birds, the popular mobile phone game, will come to a game console near you sometime next year

The U.S. military launches its own version of YouTube called MilTube

Microsoft revamps Bing Movies

Microsoft and Southwest Airlines are bringing Santa to an airport gate near you for picture time

A new social network for readers called Copia launched this week

Facebook is close to scoring a trademark for the word "face"

Programming note: There will be no episode of Loaded on … Read more

Things iOS 4.2 still can't do on the iPad (but we wish it did)

I had been looking forward to multitasking on the iPad for a long, long time.

Back when iOS 4 was first detailed, the potential for iPad users was clear. However, while iPhone and iPod Touch owners got to flaunt multitasking, the delay until the final release of iOS 4.2 on the iPad was agonizing. Now the day has come and gone, and for an iPad owner such as myself, the rewards of the iOS update have been somewhat worth the wait.

Having folders to organize the endless grids of apps is a long overdue welcome addition. Background streaming of Internet radio on an iPad is a great add for anyone, and I've found it great for simultaneous radio news and newspaper browsing. AirPlay is intriguing, although you'd need an Apple TV to take advantage of its potential. Threaded, unified mail inboxes are, needless to say, time-saving.

And yet, there's a lot I wish the iPad version of iOS still had.

For one, the whole OS feels entirely too similar to the iPhone edition. The multitasking bar, folder system, and functionality are nearly identical. Most features translate well, but for anyone hoping an iPad can transform into something a little more like a computer, most of these features don't cut it.

My wish list from months ago has only been halfway met. Here's what I'd like to see...in iOS 5.… Read more

Face shield could head off trauma in military

Soldiers may soon be able to avoid an all too common injury associated with modern warfare, if a new helmet and visor design make it to the field.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, the most common military injury is known as "blast-induced traumatic brain injury." Some 130,000 U.S. service members deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) as a result of explosions, according to the Department of Defense, which can result in concussions, long-term brain damage, and death. (And that number could be even higher.)

So a team of researchers at MIT have … Read more