2007 July

Apple wants your iPod to stop charging for thieves

Hey, it’s no shocker that Apple’s iPod is a coveted item even for those who acquire their wares in less than legal manners, but a recent patent application from Apple shows that someone at Cupertino cares about you rightful owners out there. Essentially, the technology would invoke a ‘guardian’ recharge circuit, which would disable any further charging if the computer (or ‘other recharger’) it was paired with was of the unauthorized variety. According to Apple, this type of limitation would ’serve as a deterrent to theft,’ and while we can only assume that it would be applied first to the iPhone and iPod, the application does insinuate that other handheld, rechargeable devices could eventually benefit from the invention.

[Via Slashdot]

Liger 1.6 - Shapeshifter Leopard theme for Tiger. (Free)

Liger 1.6 - Shapeshifter Leopard theme for Tiger. (Free): “Liger - Leopard theme for Tiger.

Version 1.6 (released 29/07/07).

Made to mimic Leopard.

Check out installation video Pfj_45aq9nM at youtube.

Installation method:
1. Use ClearDock to hide the Dock background and set indicator colour white.
2. Open ‘Liger.guiKit’.
3. Apply ‘Liger’ them, icon set, and desktop picture.
4. Open ‘Liger.pkg’ and follow instructions.

NOTE: If updating from previous version, please open ‘Uninstall.app’ first.

Changes:
- LigerDock
- Uses Quarts for fast graphics
- can auto-hide
- LigerMenubar image improved
- Added variants
- Opaque Menubar
- Metal
- Metal + Opaque Menubar
- Added brown folder icon set
- Added some app icons
- Xcode
- Interface Builder
- Terminal
- System Preferences

Features:
- FLAWLESS TRANSPARENCY for ANY menu extras and any app!
- Nice looking menu-extras - App skins for Safari and Mail! (More to come)
- Grass wallpaper!
- Icons!
- Dock (check the preview screenshot)

Known issues (working list):
- Safari v3 Beta doesn’t like themes :S
- LigerDock
- Animation jumpy
- Only supports bottom position
- LigerMenubar
- Transparency can’t be changed
- Menubar and Dock both don’t like fullscreen apps (eg. DVD Player) [you can auto-hide the Dock to fix part of the problem]

Thanks:
- Nordoc for the name (my imagination alluded me on this one)
- Zach for transparency ideas
- Lentife for killer video guides
- Bladziak for a better menu-bar image
- Everyone for their support (and donations)!

(Via MacUpdate - Mac OS X.)