MacCast 12.28.2009 - Show #287
Media/Links
V Opening
V Opening Music
* Music is "Say Anything" by Manda and the Marbles
* Band's MySpace page
V Sponsor
V Smile on My Mac
* Disc Label
* Great for end of the year archiving.
* Supports direct to disc and lightscribe
* Free 30-day trial
V News
V iPhone moves up as a top phone in 2009
V October numbers from comScore show iPhone passing Windows mobile phones with 8.97 million users in the US.
* Numbers supposedly represent actual ownership and use of devices, rather than sales
* 14.96 million Blackberry users
V According to Electronista a recent Impress report shows iPhone leading sales in Japan with the iPhone accounting for about 46% of smartphone sales
* 24.6 percent for the iPhone 3G and 21.5 for the iPhone 3GS
V International iPhone competition heating up
V IPhone will launch on Vodafone in the UK on January 14th
* Fees will start at £30 per month under a two-year contract
Phones will cost between £59 for an 8GB iPhone 3G and £239 for a 32GB iPhone 3GS.
V France sees price drops
* Orange is now selling the 16GB iPhone 3GS for €59, a reduction from €149; the 32GB model is priced at €179, while the 8GB iPhone 3G costs just €19. With a minimum contract of €41 per month.
* SFR is offer phones ranging from €29 for the 3G, to €99 for the 16GB 3GS and €199 for the 32GB model
* Rogers Wireless and Fido have extended their free tethering offer through May 3, 2010.
V Rumors of next iPhone spinning up
V Rumors of WWDC in late June early July
* AppleInsider reports a "corporate event" scheduled for June 28th to July 2nd. A title Apple has used in the past.
* Booked in June and July by other companies according to TUAW
* June 29th is the anniversary of the launch of the original iPhone.
V Some expecting Apple to launch on Verizion
* Most believe the exclusivity with AT&T ends in June of 2010
V Electronista says DigiTimes is reporting that Apple is ordering upgraded sensors from OmniVision, the iPhone camera sensor supplier.
* A 5-megpixel sensor, focused on image quality, low-light performance, and better 1080p video, not pixel count.
* Possibly the OV5650 model which was announced last June.
* Reports of iPhone OS 4.0 showing up in iPhone app developers analytics.
V Apple Store set to open in Philly
* I can't believe they didn't have a store yet
* The Apple Core blog reports Apple is hiring Geniuses for a future store at 1607 Walnut street.
V Apple updates 27" iMac firmware
V 27-inch iMac Graphics Firmware Update 1.0
* Fixes issues with the ATI Radeon HD 4670 and 4850 graphics cards
* Reports of flickering, tearing, and graphics corruption.
* Requires 10.6.2
V 2010 Apple Rumors all about the Tablet
V Trademarks
* Earlier it was reported that Apple bought the MacTablet trademark from Axiotron in November of last year.
V AppleInsider reports that Slate Computing, LLC owns the iSlate trademark and could be a shell company for Apple
* Trademark was issued in November of 2006 and signed by Regina Porter, Apple's Lead Trademark Specialist
* Slate Computing also filed for EU trademark using the same law firm they have used for EU trademarks in the past.
* Slate computing also owns the "Magic Slate" trademark. "Magic mouse" --> Magic slate?
* Apple owns the iSlate domain name.
V Boy Genius Report says 7" tablet is 100%
V An AppleInsider report says DigiTimes is reporting that Foxconn's panel-making subsidiary Innolux has been selected as the primary supplier of 10-inch panels for the tablet.
* Issues with strengthening the glass has caused delays pushing the launch to Q1 of 2010.
* Foxconn subsidiary G-Tech Optoelectronics has reported developed a glass strengthening solution for the displays.
V AppleInsider reports Apple filed for a tactile multi-touch keyboard patent last year
* Using an "articulating frame," to create physical bumps when in use.
V New York Times piece has a quote from a "senior" Apple employee saying that Steve is extremely happy with the new tablet.
* Many reports that a tablet has been in the works for a while, but was "reset" years ago.
* Supposedly some of the tech innovations of the tablet has trickled into the iPhone and iPod Touch designs.
V Apps, media content, and web will be a focus of the device.
* Kevin Rose and Robert Scoble cite there sources in a recent TWiT episode saying there will be a big text focus as Apple woes print publishers
* We has seen a number of publishing companies showing off video concepts of tablets. Wired, Sport illustrated, etc.
V Apple TV Subscriptions
* CBS and Disney are reportedly considering signing a deal (Electronista)
* Apple reported offering the Studios a higher per subscriber rates vs. cable to entice them to Apple's service.
* Apple is supposedly targeting a $30/mo subscription. 15-30 channels. Would be great if you could hand pick.
V January event planned at Yurba Buena Center in San Francisco
* January 26th, 2010
* Announcement to keep FCC from leaking tablet.
V Silicon Alley Insider reports that Apple has told select developers to have their apps ready for a demo in January and if they support full screen rather than a 320x480 display they should be OK.
V One report I read pointed out an interesting thing about iPhone apps running on a tablet. Not all apps would need to run full screen.
* Imagine some apps running almost like widgets in t 320 x 480 window.
* Things like calculators, monitors, etc. might not need full screen real estate
V Gene Munster, Piper Jaffray, says 50% that it's the tablet
* More likely new iPod Touches, video, camera?
* Possibly new Apple TV with subscription service
* Almost everyone else thinks it's a preview of the Tablet.
V Most rumors seem to be pointing to a late Winter release, end of March 2010
* One contradiction to this timeline comes from the Taiwan's Economic Daily which is reporting Cheng Uei Precision is supplying connectors for an Apple Tablet but won't be shipping the components until the 3rd quarter.
V What would a tablet bring to Apple
* Munster told investors if it launches in March it could add 2% to revenue and Apple could sell as many as 1.4 million units in 2010.
* Based on price of $600. Pricing has rumored from "shockingly low" to over $2000 USD.
V Sponsor
V Cocoatech
* Pathfinder 5
V A file browser that can be as advanced as you want it to be
* Dual pane
* Drop Stack
* Tabbed windows
* Integrated Terminal pane
* Free 30-day trial
V Feedback, Comments and Commentary
V Correcting an error on the Maccast anniversary
* On the 12/2/2009 episode I said the first Maccast posted on December 13th 2005, I should have said 2004.
V More Flash stopping Software
* Randy sent me a link to BashFlash
* Only works on 64-bit Macs running Snow Leopard
* Menubar item that turns from grey to black to red as Flash starts eating up processor cycles.
* Only 64-bit because 64-bit Safari can run flash in it's own process which FlashBash can shutdown.
* Flash starts back up on reload, but you can kill it again.
* FlashBash is an App, not a plug-in
V More on Apple growth outside the US
* Play comments from André
* It's interesting to think that the "halo" effect can push through perceived stigmas like that. Not only that, but I guess it's helping push past the price premium issues as well maybe?
V Time Machine Tips
* Will backup up internal and external drives unless you exclude them.
V First time you enable it it will do a full backup which will take time. More if you are backup up over a network.
* Can attach to a machine and then move after initial backup.
* Change the location in the Time Machine System preferences. 'Select Disk…' option
V Put Time Machine in a convenient place to launch
* Dock
* Finder Toolbar
V From menu item, 'Enter Time Machine' (never thought how funny that command sounds) from the Menubar item.
* System Preferences --> Time Machine. Check the 'Show Time Machine status in the menubar' checkbox.
* Activate in Time Machine aware apps: Finder, Mail, Address Book, iPhoto '08 or newer and GarageBand '08
* Spotlight and Quick Look work in Time Machine
V Exclude items
* System Preferences --> Time Machine.
V Click the 'Options…'
* Click [+] and then add the items you want to exclude
* Select the item from the list and click [-] to remove it from the exclusion list
V First in, first out policy
V You can choose to be notified when Time Machine deletes old backups
* System Preferences --> Time Machine.
* Click 'Options…'.
* Check the 'Notify after old backups are deleted' option.
V You can delete items from Time Machine to make space
* In Time Machine
V Delete an item from backup
* Find the item you wish to delete from backup
* Control + Click the time and choose the "Delete all backups of 'filename'" option
* You will be prompted to confirm your choice and then asked to enter your admin credentials.
V Delete an entire hour, day, week, etc.
* Enter Time Machine
* Navigate to that instance of the backup. I use the grey timeline on the right.
* Control + Click any time in the backup and choose 'Delete Backup…'
* After you confirm your choice and enter the admin credentials that backup instance will be deleted.
V You can keep other items on your Time Machine drives
* Don't need to partition
* Apple doesn't recommend it because these items won't be backed up up by Time Machine and it uses up available space available for Time Machine.
V Backing up over the network
* Time Capsule
* Airport Extreme Basestation that supports AirDisk
* Shared drive using Apple File Protocol (AFP) file sharing and both Macs running 10.5.6 or later.
* Multiple Macs can backup to one Time Machine drive.
V Adjusting the Time Machine schedule
* I don't recommend this, but there are some tools to let you tweak the default schedule
* By default it does every hour for 24 hours, daily for a month, weekly until it is out of space.
V Time Machine Scheduler
* Found via Lifehacker
* Hasn't been updated since September '08
V Time Machine Editor
* Says it's Snow Leopard compatible
* Does not modify existing system files.
* Handles its own scheduling to trigger Time Machine backups, so you actually turn off TM in System Preferences and use this instead.
V Migrate old Time Machine backups to a new drive
* Get new volume and make sure it is GUID partitioned and is formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
* Select the new drive's icon on the desktop and choose Get Info from the File menu. Make sure "Ignore ownership on this volume" is not enabled.
* Turn off Time Machine. System Preferences --> Time Machine.
* In the Finder locate the "Backups.backupd" file on the current Time Machine backup drive and copy it to the new volume. You will be prompted to enter your admin credentials. It can take a while to copy.
* Once it completes, go to Time Machine system preferences and choose "Select Disk…" and choose the new volume, and click "Use for Backup."
V Browse 'other time machine disks'
* If you have an old drive with Time Machine backups, say after adding a new larger drive
* Option + Click the menubar icon and choose 'Browse other Time Machine Disks'
* A dialog will come up showing other volumes with Time Machine data.
* I don't think this will work with drives from other Macs.
V iPhoto image location, corruption, permissions, oh my.
V Dean on the forum was attempting to Edit some images in iPhoto '09 and saw an outline with an exclamation point instead of his image in preview mode.
* Will sometimes see just a black page and inactive controls in edit mode.
V This is typical because iPhoto can't find the original image
* When you add images iPhoto creates Thumbnails so you still browse them
* Image may have also become corrupt, in this case you need to restore the original.
V You can actually not have iPhoto manage your image locations by changing a setting in the 'Advanced' preferences.
* Uncheck the 'Copy items to iPhoto Library' option
* If you move the originals you will need to find them and re-add them in iPhoto
V Finding files
* Control + Click and choose 'Show File...' or 'Show Original File...'
* Search using Spotlight. The 'Filename' is often the 'Title' View-->Titles or you can look in 'Photos' --> ' Show Extended Photo Info…'
* Use Time Machine to Restore
V Permissions issues can also prevent editing
* Use Disk Utility
* Find the file in the Finder, choose Get Info... and check the 'Sharing & Permissions' to make sure your account has Read & Write access
V iMovie HD no longer an option, moving on.
* Chandlier has been trying to make the switch to iMovie '09, but is struggling with the transition.
* Apple used to make iMovie HD available along with '08, but no longer
V It took me a while, but now with things like precision editing, etc. I find iMovie '09 methods to be faster for putting things together vs. a traditional timeline
* I still miss the 3rd party plugins and addons.
* Apple has a great set of tutorials available on their site
V Lock your Mac from the menubar
* Scott passed along this tip
* Many use the screensaver + lock Mac + hot corner technique
V Using Keychain Access (Applications --> Utilities --> Keychain Access)
* Under Preferences in the General tab check "show status in menu bar".
* Places a small "lock" icon in the menubar at on the top left.
* Click the lock icon and the first option is 'Lock Screen'.
V Bonus tip:
* Hold down the Command key and click+drag any Apple menubar item (not 3rd party) and you can change it's order in the menubar. Dragging it off the bar will remove it. (Adding it back requires finding the preference to add it back, so be careful).
V Closing
V Podcast Marketplace
V Thanks to my sponsors
* Circus Ponies
* Smile on my Mac
* Faronics, Deep Freeze
* Cocoatech, Pathfinder 5
V Keep emails coming. Audio comments.
V 281-622-4269 or 281-Mac-I-Am-9
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V "Thaw You Out" by Derek Clegg
* Artist's website
* From his new album, KJC which you can get for free, but buy it on Amazon MP3 anyway.
* Buy on iTunes
V EOL: 25 Years of Apple Mice
* Flickr user raneko has posted a bunch of great images showcasing the past 25 years of Apple mice (via Cult of Mac)