Apple Updates

iTunes 7.4.2

Addresses an issue with creating ringtones using iTunes Plus song purchases and includes bug fixes to improve stability and performance.

Breaks free ringtones. iToner still works.

MainStage 1.0.1

Apple's newest addition to the Logic Studio Suite, it's a live performance audio rig application

Improved stability, addresses some minor usability issues, and adds options for saving parameter values when switching patches.

3G iPod Nano and IPod Classic Updates

Bug fixes.

Possible performance improvements especially on the Classic.

Side note, Apple products don't get old. They become Classic

Trend started with the Mac Classic and the Classic II

Now iPod Classic and even the OS with OS 9 running in "Classic" mode.

iPhones making their way to EU

UK November 9th on O2

Sold via the Carphone Warehouse

8GB model for £269 (inc VAT) (USD ~ $536)

£35 (USD ~$70) for 200 minutes, £45 (USD ~$90) for 600 minutes, and £55 (USD ~$110) for 1200 minutes.

All plans come with unlimited data, visual voicemail, and access to 7,500 wifi hotspots from The Cloud.

O2 is beefing up EDGE (30% coverage now) and no 3G

Jobs sites power as 3G hold-up

Germany November 9th on T-mobile

Sold through Telekom Shops of Deutsche Telekom

399 Euros (including V.A.T.) (USD ~$557)

EDGE networking and access to 8,600 T-Mobile HotSpots

CNN Money reports that a spokeswoman for France Telecom's Orange has confirmed they signed a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to France in November

No specifics on plans or pricing was in the report.

Also no official release date specified

Jobs spoke out against SIM unlocking saying, " "It's a cat-and-mouse game. We try to stay ahead. People will try to break in, and it's our job to stop them breaking in."

Earlier Greg Joswiak, Apple VP of Hardware Product Marketing, had said Apple was essentially neutral on hacking the iPhone (more in reference to 3rd party apps).

iPhone 1.1.1 Update feature breakdown

All the iPhones on demo at the UK launch had the new software version

Engadget took a bunch of photos and VOX blogger Travis Bowers did a deep analysis to speculate on the new features coming soon.

iPod control from any app (ala iPod Touch)

Option to go to the phone Favorites or iPod when double-tapping the home button

Closed caption display for videos

Support for video out (likely requires new $50 cable)

Multiple international keyboards

VPN support (was already there?)

Ability to disable EDGE while roaming

A Carrier menu (Support for using other Internation carrier SIMs while traveling?)

Apparently there on unlocked (hacked) iPhones Internationally

Some EU countries don't allow selling of locked phones? Is this true? Could we then import already unlocked phones?

Double-tap the space bar to insert a period and begin a new sentence while typing.

New Calculator icon

Ed Burns new Movie direct to iTunes

In a 411 Mania interview Actor and writer Ed Burns (The Brothers McMullen) says his new movie "Purple Violets" will be distributed exclusively via iTunes for 4 weeks.

He was disappointed by "theatrical" offers and Apple agreed to help promote the movie.

Interesting approach. Reminds me a bit of Steven Soderbergh’s “Bubble,” which hit theaters, cable and DVD on the same day. Let's hope this experiment does better.

Griffin and Woz at the Emmys

Likely a publicity stunt

Griffin talked about it on Larry King

Griffin on Larry King

No one knew who Woz was.

She confirmed he came to a show and didn't know who she was, but heard her on Larry King's podcast. Cool Woz listens to podcasts.

New iPod? Buy your games again.

Apple released new versions of Ms. Pac-Man, Sudoku, and Tetris games that work with iPod Nano, iPod Classic.

If you already owned them for your iPod Video, you need to buy them again. Lame!

Apple confirms iPod Touch Display issues

Reported by the Wall Street Journal

Some early iPod Touch units had defective screens. Images were too dark giving really dark scenes on effected units a "negative" or posterized effect

Apple says this problem affected a small number of units and is being remedied

Apple denies Danish iBook fault, but accepts ruling

Due to a recent ruling from the Danish Consumer Complaints Board Apple will be refunding Danish customers whose iBook G4 logicboards failed.

In the recent case, the Board discovered that a solder joint eventually wore loose after roughly one year, preventing the power button from making the link that would turn the system on.

Apple fought the complaint and denies that the issue was a consistent or repeatable flaw. Even so, Apple has accepted the boards decision and will be refunding Danish customers who had effected units.

In my case I broke the solder joint, but it is a delicate area. Too bad, Apple could have prevented all of this if they just applied some SuperGlue.

Jobs subpoenaed by SEC

According to a Reuters report

To testify in relation to a trail involving Nancy Heinan, Apple's former General Counsel

Jobs himself was never implicated

Apple Chief Financial Officer Fred Anderson of backdating more than $20 million in stock options in 2001 for Jobs, themselves and other executives.

Heinan choose to fight the charges, while Anderson settled claiming no-contest, paying 3.5 million in fines, plus giving up his profits

Slimmer, smaller MacBooks on the way?

9 to 5 Mac and Apple Insider are reporting

Silver and Black Aluminum, smaller footprint, and considerably slimmer

New keyboard, similar to new Bluetooth one.

Were possibly delayed with the launch of Leopard. So announcement around Leopard with product available in November maybe?

Ultra portable rumors (13" LED LCD, NAND Flash, no optical drive), are also still strong and these two rumors may be one and the same.

Audible

New subscribers who sign up for an Audible Listener Gold trial account at Audible.com/maccast will get a free credit for an audiobook

www.audible.com

Listener Martha must be a detective, mystery, suspense fan. She recommends...

Lisa Scottoline, The Vendetta Defense, Devil's Corner, Dirty Blonde

Sue Grafton, alphabet murder mystery series, like "A is for Alibi", "B is for Burglar".

Also "The Broker" by John Grisham

Something for everyone in their huge selection of over 35,000 titles.

Maccast 200 One Minute Tip

Play tip

More at One Minute Tip.com

www.oneminutetip.com

Also don't forget File-->Print then Save as PDF. May not save CSS, needs to have print CSS set-up.

Better yet, use SnapWeb from BrainTickling USD$17.90

SnapWeb

What is NBC thinking?

Comment on NBC leaving iTunes

Hulu.com and their new free download service.

Ad subsidized content at lower prices?

From a MacRumors piece

Apple has partnered with a small San Francisco-based video advertising startup named Podaddies

Reports that Apple has been exploring the possibility of in-line video advertising that could be inserted in Quicktime content.

Stopping iPhone Gmail email bug

You get a copy of every email you send out via GMail. I think because of how GMail threads replies, etc.

Listener Brian points out an Apple support article that says this behavior can be stopped by turning off the "Use Recent Mode" in the Advanced menu of the Gmail account in the iPhone settings.

Stop iPhone Gmail Dups

Turning this off will also allow you to access Gmail messages that are more than 30 days old.

DID NOT work for me as it seems to then check email backwards 50 at a time (my setting), then reloaded delete emails, and created duplicates. A mess.

TIP: Use "strikethrough" finger gesture motion on an email in the inbox list view to bring up the delete button and delete it. The other way is hit the "edit" button and get the delete circle icons.

OS X and Exchange Servers

Listener David wants to use his Mac and iPod/iPhone with companies Exchange Server

Don't know why this is so difficult, but it is.

Entourage, Apple Mail (Requires IMAP), Outlook Web Mail

iPhone needs to have IMAP enabled on Exchange server

RIM Blackberry style approach, Mobile Gateway from Syncronica (email only)

www.synchronica.com

Groupcal and Address X from Snerdware

www.snerdware.com

Integrate Exchange calendar with iCal and Contacts with Address Book

No need to change exchange server, but requires Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or 2003
...with recent service packs, and WebDAV (Outlook Web Access). Also, ...with contact aliases enabled.

Best bet to put pressure on Microsoft and IT departments to support and embrace open standards like IMAP and CalDAV

VPN support

L2TP or PPTP protocols on both OS X and iPhone

Cisco OS X Client (get from IT department)

Review: Balmuda X-Base

When I first heard about the Balmuda I thought who would pay this much for a laptop stand?

balmuda.net

USD$365.00 for 15" and $375.00 for 17" model

Same people who would pay $600 for a cel phone.

Those who appreciate innovative design and quality craftsmanship

Proof is if the product meets the marketing claims

Design

Base carved from a single piece of metal

Very cool design.

Cable Organizer

Does the job, but doesn't do a whole lot to hide the cables.

Not a dock

Noise and vibration reduction

Tilt

2-8 degrees, some might want more

Need to use included tool to adjust

Sliders

Notch in front to list front end and side on desk

Heat reduction

Here is where it excelled. Independent cooling plate.

Informal tests with iStat Pro showed a reduction in processor temp of between 3 to 10 degrees C.

Reduced heat can mean better performance and possibly longer life

Heavy, so not portable

Free size upgrades.

So who's it for? Not for me, but plenty of executives and high-end users.

NullRiver makes cool Software

NullRiver

I have used PSPWare for years and is ideal for syncing content to your PSP. Video, photos, music. Integrates with iPhoto and iTunes

They are also responsible for Installer.app (AppTapp) for iPhone

A simple installer to easily "jailbreak" your iPhone and allow you to install 3rd party apps via a package installer right on the phone

Connect360 is great to use your XBox 360 as a media hub with your Mac

Play review from Jeremy

Replicating Menubar on multiple monitors

Play question from Scott

Can use the System Preferences-->Displays control panel then in the orientation view drag the menubar to move it between screens.

Dejá Menu give you a contextual menu view of the current menubar when you hit a key combo. Maybe even better, since you have it right where your mouse is at that given moment.

DejaMenu

Couldn't find a method to mirror the menubar.

Another Dock Tip

Play tip from Joe

TinkerTool