Patrick Warburton has made a career out of playing the smug and clueless jerk everyone loves to laugh at on shows like Seinfeld, Less than Perfect and Rules of Engagement. I guess that's why Apple thought he'd be the perfect guy to play a "top of the line" PC in the latest Mac ad:
I love these simple and amusing Get a Mac ads, but this is probably one of my favorites of the bunch. I never imagined this before, but now I can see the hammy Warburton maybe playing a self-important '60s commercial actor on Mad Men, or at least starring in an SNL-style Mad Men parody.
Mac-related stories
Patrick Warburton is a 'top of the line' PC in the latest Mac ad
Continue reading Patrick Warburton is a 'top of the line' PC in the latest Mac ad
Get ready to jingle your Christmas bells with the gang from It's Always Sunny
Here's something I never saw coming: a straight to DVD release of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's very own Christmas special. Frankly, I can't think of anything more inappropriate. I love it.
According to TVShowsOnDVD.com, the 60 min. special is set to be released on November 17th, exactly two months after the comedy's season five premiere on Thursday, September 17th on FX.
So what's it all about? Read on for the description from the official press release ...
Continue reading Get ready to jingle your Christmas bells with the gang from It's Always Sunny
Everybody hates the new Microsoft commercials
How about you?These new ads are trying to say you shouldn't pay a lot for a computer, especially those damn Macs that, well, everyone who uses them really loves. (Disclaimer: yes, I'm typing this on a Mac.)
Continue reading Everybody hates the new Microsoft commercials
CNBC anchor wonders if Steve Jobs has PMS - VIDEO
As MacWorld opens today in San Francisco, people are talking about the statement released by Apple CEO Steve Jobs yesterday concerning rumors about his health. Jobs has gone through a rather obvious loss of weight and people have speculated that he had a serious health problem, perhaps related to the cancer scare he had a while back. But in the statement, Jobs says that the weight loss was caused by a hormonal imbalance and that he is undergoing treatment to solve the problem. Also, he doesn't have PMS.
That's the little joke that CNBC anchor Dennis Kneale made on the network yesterday, in a report about Jobs' statement and the price of Apple's stock. While throwing to another reporter, Kneale asked if "all of this was about PMS, something like that?" Kneale apologized for the remark (which he called "word play") after the report. I don't think Jobs should be offended, though I bet some women will be.
It seems like something weird happens on CNBC every day now.
Continue reading CNBC anchor wonders if Steve Jobs has PMS - VIDEO
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Nightman Cometh (season finale) - VIDEOS
(S04E13) "Can I do it naked?" - Frank
Continue reading It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Nightman Cometh (season finale) - VIDEOS
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season four - An early look
You'd have thought that after 32 episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (premieres on FX, next Thursday, 9/18 at 10PM) that Mac, Dennis, Dee, Charlie, and Frank would have tackled just about anything you can think of that's offensive. They've hit on underage drinking, Nazis, sex offenders, dumpster babies, religion, retardation, homosexuality, and homeless people. Well I'm here to tell you that it's far from over. There's still plenty of off-color material for these five fools to rape (considering the context... I think that is the right word) and it isn't stopping with this season, which will run for 13 episodes. FX president John Landgraf has confirmed that 39 more episodes will follow. But I'm getting ahead of myself. My thoughts on the season four premiere are after jump.
Continue reading It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season four - An early look
AVerMedia to make TV tuners for Mac
The upcoming USB TV tuner will be compatible with the Apple iRemote and comes bundled with software for playing and recording programs. It will support analog and DVB-T standards.
There's no word on how much the AVerMedia tuner wll cost, but it should be available during Q3 of 2008. It's likely that the company will try to keep the price low, since AVerMedia is known for making low-cost TV tuners for computers running Windows.
[via Electronista]
Roxio issues Toast updates, fixes TiVo sync issues
Roxio has released updated versions of its Toast Titanium 8 and 9 disc burning software for Mac OS X. Version 9.02 and 8.04 are available as free updates for existing users, while new customers can purchase Toast Titanium 9 for $80 after a $20 mail-in rebate.Toast is more than just a CD/DVD burning utility. The application also supports HD-DVD and Blu-Ray discs, and includes TiVoToGo software for OS X, which lets users transfer recordings from a TiVo to a computer. But Toast TiVoToGo users had reported that the audio and video were out of sync after transfer to a Mac. The update should fix that problem.
Version 9.02 also fixes some problems related to high definition video playback, and a problem that prevented Blu-Ray discs from playing properly on a PS3. Toast Titanium 8.02 also resolves a problem that prevented EyeTV recordings from showing up in the Media Browser.
[via Gizmo Lovers and The Mac Observer]
Roxio releases Toast 9 disc authoring/TiVoToGo software for Mac
There's also a section of the Toast 9 web site which mentions the option to convert video files to formats for playing on a variety of devices including cellphones, video game consoles, iPods, and the Apple TV. Although the web page mentions TiVo, I can't seem to find a TiVo option in the screenshot above.
Probably the biggest update in Toast 9 is the ability to create HD-DVD and Blu-Ray high definition video discs, if that's something you're inclined to do. Toast 9 will set you back $100 for a full license, and the HD-DVD/Blu-Ray plugin will set you back another $20, but you can get it for free if you purchase the software by April 13th. If you've got an earlier version of Toast you can upgrade for $80.
XBMC 0.1 released for OS X
XBMC 0.1 for OS X is still an early release, as the name would suggest. But it already presents a full featured alternative to Front Row for anyone who wants to enjoy their movies, music, and image libraries while sitting more than two feet away from their computer.
[via TUAW]
Equinox launches USB TV tuner for Mac
This $129 tuner can handle NTSC, ATSC, and ClearQAM signals. In layman's terms, that means you can plug in an analog cable, a digital antenna for over the air HDTV, or user the tuner to decode unencrypted HD cable channels.
The TubeStick hybrid comes with a portable antenna for watching over the air programs on the go, but we'd recommend spending a few bucks on a higher quality antenna if you plan to use this tuner at home. The tuner is also compatible with Windows.
[via Engadget]
Elgato adds ClearQAM support to TV tuners
Elgato apparently had a bit more up its sleeve this week than we thought. The company announced the launch of EyeTV 3 at Macworld the other day. But Elgato also upgraded its line of EyeTV hardware to add ClearQAM support for viewing and recording unencrypted HD programming.The EyeTV Hybrid and the EyeTV 250 Plus TV are both getting the upgrade treatment. The prices haven't changed. The Hybrid still sells for $150, while the 250 Plus TV, which includes a hardware encoder to reduce your video file size, goes for $200.
Unfortunately the update is not available to existing users via a software update.
[via EngadgetHD]
Elgato releases EyeTV 3 PVR software for Mac
As expected, Elgato has release an updated version of the company's popular PVR software for OS X. EyeTV 3 includes a vastly improved electronic program guide, with support for tasks like scheduling "Season Pass" style recordings. I was actually kind of surprised to find out that there previously was no good way to set a recording for an entire season of a television program, so it's good to see that EyeTV for Mac includes a feature that most Windows and Linux PVR programs have offered for ages.
There have also been improvements to EyeTV's 10-foot interface, as you can see in the video above, from our friends at TUAW. Here are just a few of the other goodies packed into EyeTV 3:
- Improvements in the Program Window make it easier to find and manage your media
- Full-text search of the program guide
- Save your guide search criteria
- Create Smart Playlists
- Share recorded programs over the home network
- Improved on-screen menus
- Stream videos over WiFi to your iPhone, iPod Touch, or other computer on the home network
Xbox Media Center coming to Mac OS X?
Last year, a group of XBMC developers started working on a Linux port. And now one XBMC community member has begun creating a Mac port as a replacement for Apple's Front Row software. The software's not exactly stable just yet, and there's a good chance that if you try running it nothing will happen. But if you've got some programming chops, you could pitch in and help develop the Mac port. If not, you might just want to keep an eye on the project so you can try it out when a workable version is released.
[via tuaw]
XHub Media Center 2.3 for Mac now works with Leopard
Earlier this month SNARB.TK released an updated version of XHub Media Center for OS X. It boasted enhanced photo and TV modules, better remote controls ,and new animations. But it was missing one crucial update that you would have thought would be kind of important for any Mac software released this month: Leopard support.Now XHub 2.3 is out, and it includes support for Mac OS X 10.5. Otherwise, XHub 2.3 looks an awful lot like XHub 2.2. Not that this is a bad thing. The $25 software package does a great job of turning your Mac into a full fledged media center, something you can't really say for Front Row or even Elgato's EyeTV software.
XHub includes support for EyeTV for watching and recording TV programs. There are also modules for listening to music, watching DVDs and other movies, and accessing online media like RSS feeds, and radio streams.
XHub Media Center 2.3 is a free upgrade for existing users.
Andy Richter: The TV Squad Interview
Have any questions for Vik Sahay of Chuck? Ask them here!
Mike Henry and Daryl Hall on a Cleveland Show Thanksgiving
