A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 239. As the App Store Turns. Apple updates Java. iTunes rocks unsigned artists. Would Apple shutter iTunes with royalty hikes? Macbook and Macbook Pro rumors linger. New iPhone software on the horizon. Apple stock takes a dive and rebounds. Immutable flag prevents changes. External hard drive and freeing up space at Home. Some simple Mac security. Is it time to finally move to Intel? Eject before disconnect? Living dangerously.

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New music, Fire Away by Kill the Alarm

EOL: Lego Mac Pro

I like toast. Its the muffins that must be stopped. — Duckman (1994)

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A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 238. Apple’s stock options backdating black eye healed? Maybe. Strong rumors of new Macbooks soon. Secrets found inside 2nd gen Touch. iPhone 2.1 seems to be delivering. Mac OS 10.5.5 update. Apple claims more home notebook share. Bill and Jerry break up the act. Quicktime exploit and iPhone trojan found. Apple recalls iPhone 3G wall adapters. Customize Address Book fields. Backing up your Keychain to the cloud. Cycle through windows within an application. Use iTunes outside your own country? Apple’s watching you. 2nd Gen iPod Touch review. Does new iPhone software reduce GSM noise? Some iTunes 8 extra features. Software and ideas for maintaining your Mac.

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New music, London Calling by Radio Nowhere

EOL: Buttons aren’t toys, their cake! (Link)

Solitude’s always better with somebody else around, ya know? — House (1986)

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The import and burning options have actually been moved to other locations. In case you find yourself searching for these options, like I have been over the past few days, here is a quick overview of the process for setting these options in the latest version of iTunes.

Importing Settings

To set the import settings do the following:

1. In iTunes 8, choose ‘Preferences’ from the ‘iTunes’ menu (Command + , ).
2. In the ‘General’ tab, press the ‘Import Settings…’ button.
3. In the dialog box set up your desired import format, bit rate, etc. and click ‘OK’ when finished.

CD Burning

To burn a CD do the following:

1. In iTunes 8 create a playlist. If you want to burn a whole album you can drag the album from the new ‘grid’ view over to the playlist section in the left sidebar. This will create a new “playlist” for that album. Now select the playlist you want to burn.
2. In the lower right corner of the main iTunes window click the ‘Burn Disc’ button.
3. Now in the dialog box set up your desired disc burning options. You can choose the burning device and speed, select the disc format, set the gap between tracks, etc. Then insert a blank disc and click ‘Burn’.

I am not sure why Apple chooses to move major functionality between versions like this. I personally find it annoying, but at least now you know what has changed this time around.

A quick video unboxing the new iPod nano.

A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 237. Wrap-up of Apple’s “Ready to Rock” event. New iPod Classic. New iPod Nanos. New earbuds. New iPod Touch. New iPod Shuffle colors. iTunes 8. iPhone/iPod Touch 2.1 software update. iPhone Security Flaw Confirmed. Fix coming. First Vista Seinfeld ad airs. Apple finally acknowledges father of the media player. Can Pystar win against Apple? Non-apple iPhone apps don’t launch, what’s up? The 9:41 vs. 9:42 iPhone discrepancy. Use Mail “Stationary” to spruce up emails. Reset iPod warnings Review: Koi Pond for iPhone/iPod Touch. Mac making unusual chimes at start up. Speeds on the Macs USB buses. External drives, bus powered or not?

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New music, You Don’t Need and iPod by Uncle Seth

EOL: Mac Vader Pro

There’s always work at the post office. — Hollywood Shuffle (1987)

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server: irc.efnet.net
room: #maccast

Join us for Live Maccast chat open right now and going through the end of Apple’s live “Let’s Rock” event today (9/9). The Apple event begins at 10:00 AM PST.

Join us on iChat/AIM in the room: maccast.

To access it using iChat:
1) Launch iChat
2) Go to: File–>Go to Chat… and enter “maccast” as the chat name.

or Click this link to join now (AOL Instant Messenger or iChat account required)

A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 236. New iPhone ads spotlight App Store. MacBook Air Software Update 1.0 released. Apple looking to post a strong quarter. What is wrong with 3G? Rumors brew, possible Sept 9th iPod event? Psystar sues back. Bloomberg glitch kills Steve Jobs. Feedback to App Store and Apple comments from last show. Your Mac is smart, use it. Smart folders, playlists, and more. Phishing scams targeting more Mac owners. MobileMe not for all Me’s Review: Recorder for iPhone. iPhone Apps like rabbits in iTunes, cleaning up the dupes. Time Machine warnings can be confusing. iPhone lore: 9:42 AM. Keyboard navigation for Open Save dialogs.

EOL: Wings Over Wallstreet

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New music, Walk Right Over Me by The Gathering

Never lower your eyes to an enemy. — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

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Jonathan Coulton “Code Monkey” at New Media Expo 2008 (Live)
from Adam Christianson on Vimeo.

As promised here is the video of Jonathan Coulton (jonathancoulton.com) performing Code Monkey during the Coverville 500 event in Las Vegas, Nevada during the 2008 New Media Expo.

Clip used with permission from Jonathan Coulton and Brian Ibbott

A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. A special episode of the Maccast recorded live from the show floor of the New Media Expo 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This show features special guests Victor Cajiao (Typical Mac User) and Ken Ray (Mac OS Ken).

Links
typicalmacuser.com
macosken.com
coverville.com
jonathancoulton.com

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New music, Code Monkey by Jonathan Coulton, performed live during the Coverville 500 event

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A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 235. Winners of Smile on My Mac contest announced. iPhone 3g shows strong results. Rumors of iPhone Nano are back. More apps disappearing from the App Store. iPhone phone home, iPhone phone home? NPD Group says Macs cost twice as much as PCs. Rumors of new Macbooks strengthen. Apple finally prepping new displays. To shutdown or not shutdown that is the question. Installing apps outside the Applications folder. iDisk, what is it good for? Open and Save dialog box trick. Has Apple spread itself too thin? Get more WiFi details from Airport menu bar item

New music, North Wind by The Pharaohs Of Rhythm

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Not to be rude or anything, but this isn’t a great time for me to have a house elf in my bedroom. — Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

EOL: Meet the iPhone Nano
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Those of you who are old enough will maybe remember the 80’s hit Jenny by Tommy Tutone. The song repeated over and over again 8675309, the supposed phone number of a fictitious girl named Jenny. Back then the song drove anyone across the nation with that phone number nuts as they were overwhelmed by annoying random phone calls.

Today, most movies, TV shows, songs, commercials, etc. use a “555″ number to avoid this type of issue. So imagine how strange it was for me last night when I saw one of Apple’s latest iPhone 3G ads prominently featuring what looked like a legitimate phone number. In the new Work Friendly ad for the iPhone 3G there is a point when they display a contact entry for Scott Frankel and right there in the middle of the screen is an actual (408) phone number. Two actually, because there is also a bad edit in the middle where the screen magically changes mid-shot and adds a second “office” number. After my initial shock wore off I began to wonder. Why would Apple use a “real” number in an iPhone ad? Was this simply a mistake by the ad agency? A clever marketing campaign? I could see by the zip code it was a Cupertino number, so was this a secret hotline into Apple’s headquarters? Well, any Mac geek can probably guess what I did next. Of course. I grabbed my own iPhone and started dialing.

The first number, Scott’s “mobile”, simply had a call failure each time I tried it. The second “work” number went straight into a generic voicemail box. Now, I didn’t leave a message, but I have to wonder what would happen if you did. What is the point of all this? Is there a point? In the back of my mind I was kind of hoping this was a great viral marking scheme and the start of some cool iPhone/Apple treasure hunt like the kind of campaigns the folks over at Mac Heist have crafted in the past. But alas, it doesn’t appear to be so. Seems like a missed opportunity. Truth is, it’s probably just a prank on some poor unsuspecting intern who works at Apple. This guy is now wondering why he gets like 3,000 voice mails a day and why the folks in marketing snicker at him as he shuffles out of his cubicle each day to go have lunch. Maybe he should give Jenny a call and see if she’s available to join him?

A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 234. Next iPhone OS Update gets to developers. iPhone 3G starting to crack under pressure? Apple makes it easier to get your iPhone 3G. Mobile Me is finally fixed, maybe? AirPort Extreme Update 2008-002. Rumors of new Macbooks, chipsets, etc. iPhone ripples generating smartphone tsunami. iTunes 7.7.1 update. Leopard 10.5.5 shows up for developers. Apple finally patches DNS flaw, kind of. iPhone security using Wi-Fi. Finding and removing hidden files. Nullriver NetShare iPhone App. Removing 3rd party apps from sync list. Adjusting podcast auto delete settings. Flagging Mail.app email for follow-up. How-to disable iPhone backups.

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New music, FCC by Bullethead

EOL: John Mayer Apple Genius

Don’t touch it! It could get infected… — Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

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A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 233. iPhone 3G is cheaper, has complaints, and is in short supply. iPhone 2.0 feeling a little more like public beta for some. Update for older iPod Touches. iPhone 3G unlocks and jailbreaks released. Apple apologizes for Mobile Me, offers penance. Apple’s second quarter growth takes it to #3 in the US. Apple 3rd Quarter earnings call. New Macbooks soon? Quad core of iLife updates. 3 New iPhone ads posted. Microsoft and Ubuntu look for more Mac like experiences. Why isn’t TimeMachine talked about more? Fixing Time Capsule backup kernel panics. iPhone 3G calendar color fix. Auto open disk images on mount. Dusting off your Mac. Hack your way to .Me almost push. Should we give our Mac preventative medicine? Be careful with App Store purchases. iPhone 2.0 screenshots built-in.

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New music, With My Freeze Ray by Dr. Horrible

I have a PhD in horribleness — Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (2008)

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Dialing on the road:
In NJ and other states now it is a primary offense to use your phone without a hands free headset. iPhone includes nifty headphones that have a mic and answer button built on. Great stuff. But how about voice dialing? Or even haptic feedback with varying degrees of sensitivity and response for different numbers. You just don’t get that. Even a Razr has voice dialing, it cannot be that hard for Apple to design the phone so that when you hold the mic button down for 3 seconds, you can speak the name and have it dial when you let go.

The Plastic Back:
At first I was opposed, but after a few days use there is no way you can disagree with the route Apple took. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it grips your hand a lot better. Anyone who ever walks down the streets of a city with drains and gutters every five feet will appreciate this. It doesn’t scratch very noticeably at all either in black or white. The only issue worth noting is the curved back. I miss having it not wobble when I typed on a flat surface, but that’s just a matter of me not pounding the keys like a lumberjack.

The Screen:
Perhaps it’s only in my head, but the glass over the screen just isn’t the same. It’s more wide and unlike my old iPhone I had for almost a year, it got scratched in the first day. I was surprised, I take remarkably good care of my stuff, OCD good care, so how it even got anything near something that could have scratched it is baffling to me. It’s being reported that the screen is warmer, I noticed nothing outside of a subtle change. My feelings on the screen size, I believe, may be confirmed by issues placing screen cover’s on it. There are massive, unattractive gaps of unprotected screen.

Lastly I leave you with some screenshots of the current apps I am using. So far they’ve been pretty useful or just fun (see PhoneSaber). If you have any suggestions for new apps or alternatives to the ones I use post them in the comments. Next week I’ll be covering Apple’s approved apps vs Jailbroken Apps.

A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. A special episode of the Maccast. Interviews and thoughts from the launch of the iPhone 3G.

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A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 232. Line forms at NYC Apple Store. No iPhones at Apple Stores outside the US. Preparing for the iPhone 3G launch. Early iPhone 3G reviews are in. Segway exec scoots over to Apple. 10,000 new switchers in Europe. Mobile Me makes it’s appearance. Macbook Pro case redesign rumor. 3G iPhone, what we aren’t talking about. 1 iPhoto Library multiple user caveats. Don’t disconnect Super Duper drive in middle of backing up. A little protection (power-wise) goes a long way. Firmware, it’s not just for Macs. Review: NewerTech NuPower Replacement iPod Battery. Lost iTunes files in Media Library. Change the mouse cursor in OS X

New music, Free as Air by Reel [ iTunes ]

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Let’s turn on the juice and see what shakes loose. — Beetle Juice (1988)

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A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 231. iTunes hits 5 billion mark. Canadian iPhones won’t have unlimited data. Japanese iPhone pricing also announced. O2 offers pay as you go 3G iPhone plans. Orange will launch 3G July 17th. Apple also expands iPhone 3G channels in other countries. What about the iPod Touch?. Apple still making “bank” from At&T iPhone sales. Remote Desktop Trojan surfaces. Snow Leopard to bring ZFS, finally? Apple adds TV to iTunes Australia. iPhone 2.0 update, SDK beta8, and iTunes 7.7 pre-release sent to developers Application for batch MP3 tagging and renaming. Emailing attachments trick. Thoughts about how Apple defines new market segments. Clearing out Mail recent recipients. Review of mouse gesture app launcher Sapiens. Bluetooth keyboard knocking out Wi-fi. Creating your own Audiobooks. Share iPhoto Library amound multiple user accounts.

EOL: Obamapod, What’s on Obama’s iPod

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New music, A Little Sign by Derek Clegg [ Buy on iTunes ]

But I’m not good at anything, mom. Face it, I’m just an egghead. — The Sandlot (1993)

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A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 230. iPhone 3G speed debate. It’s mostly about the iPhone, well the news any way. Macs sales are doing well too. Snow Leopard to be Intel only? Mobile Me’s secret sauce revealed. Return of the iSight in HD? Apple thunder down under. Corrections on GPS. Push vs. IMAP vs. POP. How to get started Podcasting on the Mac. Scripting in iTunes is a good thing. History of appearance themes on the Mac. Attach a PDF to an email from any Cocoa app. iPhone Alley Podcast and 3G iPhone contest.

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New music: Follow Me Up to Carlow by Young Dubliners [Buy on iTunes]

I’m a short, fat, slut. — Overboard (1987)

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A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 229. WWDC Keynote Wrap-up. Other details and tidbits. iPhone 2.0 Software. .Mac rebranded to Mobile Me. Snow Leopard is next big (small) cat. Apple updates Quicktime to 7.5. P.A. Semi to design iPhone, iPod chips. iMovie 7.1.2 and iDVD 7.0.2 updates. Follow-up on “Architecture not supported”. Mail photo attachments as attachments. Mac Maintenance tips and tools. se your iPhone or iPod Touch as a disk. Sync iTunes files between computers. What are .DS_Store files? Remap keys from a Windows keyboard.Mac retains state without battery.

EOL: iPhone 3G Ad: Hallway

New music, Number One Rival by Tango Alpha Tango

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Do you want to live forever. Hawkmen… DIIIIIIVVE! — Flash Gordon (1980)

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