nofilmschool » macbook

ProCutX, an iPad Control App for Final Cut Pro X, is Now Free for a Limited Time

Joe Marine — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:36:18 +0000

We’ve seen a few apps capable of controlling different programs on your computer with an iPad. A recent app that caught our eye, ProCutX, is capable of controlling Final Cut Pro X with your iPad, and replacing many of the functions normally done with a keyboard. For a limited time (possible only a few more hours), the full app, which is normally around $25, is now free on iTunes. Click through for a video walk-through of ProCutX. (more…)

Need a New Laptop? Apple Just Cut Prices and Increased Specs on Retina Macbook Pros

Joe Marine — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:23:40 +0000

If you’ve been waiting on a Retina Macbook Pro, now might be a better time than ever to take the plunge. Apple recently cut prices on their 13″ Retina Macbook Pro, and also updated its capabilities at the same time. They’ve also brought some spec upgrades to the 15″ Retina Macbook Pro for the same base price, and the Macbook Air saw a price slash of its own. Check out all of the new deals below. (more…)

Your iPad is Now a Controller for Apple Final Cut Pro X with Pixel Film Studios' ProCutX

Dave Kendricken — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:08:43 +0000

The keyboard can certainly be a powerful and efficient control surface for non-linear editing, especially with the mastery of hot-keys and short-cuts. Despite this, some editors desire a more visually intuitive way of interfacing with their NLE. There are those that prefer specialized color-coded editing keyboards or keyboard covers, while others swear by their tactile controllers. Those can go for around $80, but what about using an infinitely configurable iPad to take the place of one of these consoles? We’ve already seen one iOS app capable of controlling a wide range of video software, but with a new iPad app called ProCutX, Apple editors have yet another way to turn their tablet into a Final Cut Pro X console. Check out some images and details below. (more…)

Speaking of Apple's Prices... Why Are They So Damn High?

Dave Kendricken — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 07:54:26 +0000

More than anything, users appreciate the undeniable consistency (and therefore, customer confidence) that comes with any Apple machine or app. This applies to both consumers and professionals, though some of the latter may hesitate in days to come. Of course, achieving this consistency can be a double-edged sword — the very measures that guarantee the quality you’ve come to know and respect of Apple computing are the same tendencies that see them labeled as “notoriously controlling.” This too goes for the staunchly unwavering prices of Apple products across the marketplace — that double-edged sword extends all the way out to how such pricing is so firmly set. And, in terms of sword metaphors, this is more often the kind that cuts a hole in your pocket than the kind that “slashes prices.” (more…)

$250 Matrox DS1 is Your New (or First, At Least) Apple Thunderbolt to Multi-Peripheral Hub

Dave Kendricken — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:00:45 +0000

Apple is steadily abandoning its own FireWire standard, continuously simplifying the ports on its machines, and pushing for the growing acceptance of FireWire’s successor — the Thunderbolt protocol. Given all this, Mac users find themselves in a bizarre transitional phase. It may be frustrating, because while Apple surges forward, peripherals’ acceptance of Thunderbolt has been lackluster at best. Much to the relief of perennial Mac users finding themselves unable to blend their legacy gear with, say, their fresh iMac or MacBook Pro, Matrox has finally released it’s DS1 Thunderbolt docking station — the first solution of its kind — which looks to seamlessly marry almost everything you could want between the old and the new. (more…)

FireWire Finally Extinguished? Some Solutions and Work-Arounds for Apple Users

Dave Kendricken — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 02:21:28 +0000

It’s always a bit sad when tried-and-true tech or transfer protocols go the way of the Dodo Bird — to utterly date myself, I can remember thinking Zip Drives were the future — or maybe frustrating is more the word I’m looking for. According to Mac World, Apple’s announcement of 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pros and new iMacs all exhibit what very well could be the setting of a trend in Apple’s products — the absence of FireWire ports. Keep reading for how on earth we’re going to deal with this. (more…)

Adobe to Natively Support Apple Macbook Pro Retina Display with Software Updates

Joe Marine — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 21:32:28 +0000

In what will surely be welcome news for those who routinely use Photoshop and Premiere, Adobe is planning to natively support the higher resolution display of the new Macbook Pro (as well as any other HiDPI displays in the future). While there are certain creative applications that immediately supported the Retina resolution with software updates (namely Apple’s Final Cut Pro X and Motion), Adobe was not able to offer this support right away. For those who are loving the extra screen resolution, it’s disappointing to then have to open Adobe products only to see them not share the same crispness as the native apps. Not all Creative Cloud applications will receive support (at least at this time), but you can read the full list of programs that will get software updates below. (more…)

Apple's Redesigned MacBook Pro Quadruples Resolution and Adds USB3 and Thunderbolt, Ships Today

Ryan Koo — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 18:12:22 +0000

Today Apple refreshed their current line of MacBooks across the board, and also showed off a brand-new MacBook Pro, which quadruples the resolution of their previous laptop to 2880×1800. Among other things, this allows editors to set their viewing window to a full 1080p — while maintaining a full editing interface around it. Furthermore, one of the biggest arguments against 4K cameras is the lack of high-resolution displays in the home. If no one can see higher resolution imagery because we don’t have capable displays, then what’s the point (whether our eyeballs can see the difference is another argument entirely)? The redesigned 0.71-inch thin, 4.46lb laptop sports a next-gen featureset: USB3, Thunderbolt, nVidia Kepler graphics card, up to 768GB of SSD storage, quad-core processors, a 7-hour battery, and a ~~new lower-glare display~~. It starts shipping today, starting at $2199. (more…)

How to fix a noisy MacBook Pro fan

Ryan Koo — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:25:11 +0000

My three year-old MacBook Pro recently started emitting a constant racket from its left fan (which sounds something like this). Most people will tell you you need a new fan for $50, but I decided to try to fix it instead, and so far (it’s been two weeks nine months), the repair has worked great. As any google or youtube search for “noisy macbook pro fan” produces thousands of results, I hope this saves someone fifty of their hard-earned bucks.