Author Archives: Jack Hickman

This is something that’s been around since Snow Leopard, but I just discovered it yesterday (I’m slow): Highlight a block of text in Mac OSX Snow Leopard/Lion, and easily have it sent to iTunes as a spoken track. To use this feature, first enable it in System Preferences » Keyboard …

(photo via Gizmodo) OK, toss out all your remote controllers, Griffin has you covered. This little box, called the Beacon, connects via Bluetooth to your iPhone, iPad or iPod, and combined with the Dijit Universal Remote Control App, lets you control your TV, DVD player, Home Theater, etc. I’ve played …

I’ve had a boatload of cases for my iPhone 4, as well as for all my other iPhones in the past, but the BookBook Case from TwelveSouth is the classiest of the bunch. The case, as you can see, resembles an old, worn book. Its hand-sewn leather exterior seems sturdy, …

Haven’t gotten a tracking number yet so you can see if your new toy is en route? Maybe you just want more methods to track your order. Here’s how you can do it with just your phone number: First, go to http://wwwapps.ups.com/WebTracking/track. Next, click the ‘Track by Reference’ link to …

Here’s a real demo of Siri in action. Note that it seems to be taking place in a pub or other public place, with plenty of background noise, and that there appears to be a choice for the types of voices you can use. So, what do you think of …

  Recently, I was going through the Speech settings on my iMac because I wanted to try out some different voices for text-to-speech (my kids get a kick out of it) when I discovered the magical word ‘Customize’. My curiosity led me to an area in the System Voice settings …