On our last episode I showed and example of nesting multiple clips on multiple video tracks to animate them as a group. This second part of the show discusses nesting multiple clips on a single track. When sending videos out to be screened by reviewers or to have music scored or other post production work performed it is often necessary to add a watermark (for piracy prevention, see figure 1),

or timecode (for reference, see figure 2). This can be done the hard way: adding the watermark or timecode filter to each clip individually and adjusting each clip’s settings. Or it can be done the easy way: nest all the clips into a single sequence and add the watermark or timecode filter one time.
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Publisher: Bitcartel
Price: $24.95 | Free Demo

Bitcartel, creators of RadioLover, iRecordMusic, and the Radiotastic dashboard widget, recently released an update to their digital comic book reader/organizer, ComicBookLover 1.2. ComicBookLover is to comic books what the iTunes app is to music.

I didn’t realize it, but comic books are being distributed digitally and online. You can buy 40 years of the X-Men comic books archived in PDF format and saved on a DVD for $39 ($39 for 485 issues, unless I’m missing something, that’s $0.08 a pop). Yes, there are some collections that are distributed via BitTorrent are privately scanned and are likely infringing—but there are also many independent authors and publishers who are selling their wares online for very reasonable prices.
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Mac Rumors is reporting that Apple has created Japanese versions of it’s popular ‘Get a Mac’ Ads. The ads seem to be almost exact recreations of the ads played in the US but with the Mac and PC being replaced by Japanese actors. It’s pretty cool because even though I can’t understand what they are saying I know what the ad is about having seen the US version. The ads can be seen at http://www.apple.com/jp/getamac/ads/

A couple shows back I told you about the Apple Digital Store in Manchester, UK which opened just this past weekend. Well, listener Peter was kind enough to checkout the UK’s newest independent Apple store and sent in his thoughts and the photos below (check ’em out on Flickr). As you can see the store is small but, as Peter points out, very well designed. It is situated right in the heart of Manchester and has all the Apple products any Mac Geek could want. Plus, the staff seems to fit the Apple hipster bill too. Peter says he found the staff extremely knowledgeable and helpful and notes they plan to distinguish themselves from the Apple Retail Stores by offering cheaper upgrades and great financing options. If you happen to be in the area this store looks like it definitely warrants a visit.

The Apple Digital Store, http://www.digitalstoremanchester.co.uk/

iLike is a free service that integrates with iTunes that not only helps you discover new music based on your personal tastes, but also can put you in touch with others with similar tastes.

iLike is a service by the folks who brought you Garageband (the website, not the Apple iLife application), a site for indy bands, musicians, and their fans. iLike helps you, the listener, find other like-minded listeners and similar-sounding bands based on your current music library and song plays. I know Adam’s talked about iLike and you’ve written in and provided other examples for similar services, but I thought it would be worth taking a closer look at on the MacCast blog.
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On Friday, November 10th, Twisted Ninja Software announced that Tubular would be available for pre-order. Tubular is a YouTube client for Mac OS X.

Tubular allows users to search, browse and view YouTube videos. Users can also convert the videos to a fifth-generation iPod with the click of one button.

You can pre-order Tubular for USD$12.99 until it is released sometime before the end of 2006. The price will increase after it is released.

For more information about Tubular visit the prerelease website (http://www.tubularapp.com).

Bare Bones Software today released version 1.3 of Yojimbo, the reliable, effortless information organizer, which we previously reviewed here.

Yojimbo 1.3 now supports tagging for powerful grouping and retrieval of items stored in Yojimbo. The new version also brings several more significant refinements and addresses reported issues. The update is free for all registered Yojimbo customers.

Brainwave is offering pzizz to students at a discounted price of USD$9.95 per module. pzizz is software that offers over 100 billion nap combinations. There are two pzizz modules available: an energizer module and a sleep module. The naps can be exported to an iPod or other MP3 player for later use.

The power napping and sleep software helps reduce stress levels. The software will mix a new soundtrack whenever the user plays or exports a nap. If you tire of listening to the same relaxation CD, pzizz may be the solution for you.

You can visit the pzizz website (http://www.pzizz.com) to purchase pzizz or download software demos. The pzizz energizer module can be purchased for USD$29.95. The pzizz sleep module can be purchased for the same low price of the energizer module. If you purchase both modules together the price is USD$49.95.

pzizz hardware is also available and priced at USD$147.00. You do not need additional software if you purchase the hardware.

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A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 165. Core 2 Duo MacBooks released. Sundance Channel documentaries available on iTunes. Nvidia to acquire Portal Player. Apple offers PowerMac G5 power supply repair. Justin Long is no longer a “Mac”. Follow-up to OS X remote access solutions. iTunes CD ripping fails? Be patient. Apple is not the best choice for non-warranty service. Apple won’t cover “cosmetic” issues. Corrupt MIME mail attachments from PC users. Solutions for long term storage of large files and data. You have heard of speed reading, try speed listening.

New music, Going to the Party by Mobius Donut

Would you just stop rubbing your body up against mine, because I can’t concentrate when you do that. — Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

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As previously speculated at Appleinsider.com, Apple announced brand new Core2Duo MacBooks on November 8th, an update to its immensely popular best-selling notebook series.

In an overview, the new notebooks sport Core 2 Duo processors, in the same speed categories as the original MacBooks (1.83GHz, 2.0GHz) with the 2.0Ghz models seeing a bump in 4MB shared L2 cache from 2MB on the 1.83GHz and former models.

Other changes to the hardware include 1 gigabyte of RAM standard on both 2.0 GHz models. The White 2.0GHz series also features an 80 gigabyte 5,400rpm drive with the Black 2.0 GHz model now sporting a significantly increased 120 gigabyte 5,400rpm drive. All models can be custom configured wth up to 2 gigabytes of ram and up to a 200-gigabyte 4200rpm hard drive.

The new MacBooks retail for the sames prices as the former models, at $1,099 for the 1.83GHz White, $1299 for the 2.0GHz White, and $1499 for the 2.0GHz Black model respectively.

Additionally, the new 2.0GHz MacBooks sport 6x DL-supported super-drives, a welcomed addition to the line which had a modest 4x super-drive originally.

According to Apple’s press release, the new MacBooks “are up to 25% faster than the previous generation”.

It’s not clear whether there has been many changes ‘under the hood’ yet, as the new Core 2 Duo MacBooks are designed identically to the previous models on the exterior. Some Apple fans and would-be MacBook owners have speculated in forums already that Apple has made revisions to the internal layout of the MacBooks to avoid continuing issues with shutdowns and heat, as well as other anomalies.

The new MacBooks are available for sale immediately on Apple.com. New MacBook featuring Intel Core 2 Duo!