Well guess I’m batting 1,000 in the bad luck department. Just as I get my MacCast.com hosting issues resolved and finally push out a new show, Libsyn.com starts having issues. You see I actually have 2 hosting companies. GoDaddy.com hosts this site, but beacuse of the large amount of bandwidth required for my podcast the MP3 and AAC files for the show are served up by Libsyn. Just after I posted todays show the emails started. Some of you are reporting getting 404 errors and are unable to access the show. My first thought was, “Oh no, here we go again”, but in checking the new GoDaddy dedicated server everything seems to be humming along just fine. So then I chek the Libsyn support blogand see this message, “Sunday Update On Network OverloadIt looks like we are still experiencing overload on parts of our network. The connections are swamping the media nodes and this is causing the 404s you may be experiencing”. Well I guess Sunday has rolled into Monday and the issue is still not resolved. Wholy dung beetle Batman! Sorry for all the trouble folks. The errors appear to be pretty widespread, but some of will luck out an might actually get the show (I was able to downlaod both the MP3 and ACC editions right after I uploaded them). Please DO NOT harass Libsyn about this issue. They are well aware and working to fix it. They don’t need a bunch of email distracting them from the task at hand. Dave and the guys over there are good friends of the show and have always been outstanding. I will update you as soon as I have more info.

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A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 159. I’m Back! iTunes 7 offers a bad experience for some. Mac Pros are CPU upgradable. Next Apple event planned for Sept. 25th. iTunes generates $1 million for Disney in the first week. Apple unveils new store design. Apple releases security and Airport updates, was the MacBook WiFi hack legit? Is Apple trying to claim ownership of “podcast”? iTunes 7. Bugs, fixes and workarounds. View your pix from card or camera directly in iPhoto. The MacBook Random Shutdown Syndrome (RSS), the fix. How to get horizontal scrolling from a plain vertical only scroll-wheel mouse. Why there are no Blu-ray drives in Macs. iPod Texas Hold ‘Em lets you play the game listening to your own music. Correction on procedure for battery cycling. iPod can’t do all Canadian time zones. The “GoDaddy” report. Podcast Expo is this weekend.

New music, Set Me Free by Anthony Rankin

“There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese. “ — Teen Wolf (1985)

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GoDaddy responds
Well strangely several hours after re-directing MacCast.com to my other domain so I could at least get a message to you and let you know what was happening (read the original message here) , I received a personal email from GoDaddy’s VP of technology. I am not saying these two events are related, but the timing was uncanny. In his email he stated that my shared hosting for MacCast.com had been re-activated and I was free to point the DNS back. He was also clear to point out that they will be monitoring the server “closely”. He expressed interest in talking to me about the incident and left his personal number, so I phoned him back and left a message. I am glad to see this type of service, but have to wonder if everyone gets this type of personal attention. Not long after I called him back I got a received a call from GoDaddy’s Hosting Operations Manager. I was able to discuss with him my situation and express my frustration with how things were handled. He was very apologetic and said they are now investigating their internal procedures for handling these situations and will be attempting to improve the process in the future. It may be a PR move, but I have hope that my incident my improve things for others.

So where are we?
As for MacCast.com… In the short term we are back and GoDaddy will closely monitor the server and notify me in advance of any issues to avoid another shutdown. I asked GoDaddy if they could tell me what the source of this issue was and they really can’t seem to identify a single cause other than the growing popularity of MacCast.com. I have not added or changed any services on the site in the past two months. I run WordPress, Invision PowerBoard, Gallery and some other small PHP/MySQL applications. In speaking with GoDaddy and others who run web sites the consensus seems to be that under heavy traffic each of the applications will place a load on a server. So in short, MacCast is getting too big for it’s britches, or at least it’s hosting plan. I still plan on moving to a better hosting plan (probably dedicated) and at least for now we are back in business.

For the Future
As I mentioned in my Podcast message to you, the MacCast is growing and I hope to continue that growth. This “event” has obviously proved we crossed the threshold and have grown into something more ambitious than just a podcast. I am excited by the opportunity and at the same time a little frightened by what other unknowns may lie ahead. The good news is that I have you on this journey with me and I know you won’t let me screw it up. Thank you for you continued support and encouragement.

“We’ve done the impossible, and that makes us mighty.” — Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Firefly)

I’m still here and this is my domain
First off, the MacCast and myself are still here, but as you can see we are having MAJOR server and hosting issues. MacCast.com and the enhanced feed have been down for the last day and a half. You can still subscribe to the regular feed at http://feeds.feedburner.com/maccast, although I have not posted a new show since 9/13/2006 (I planned to release a show yesterday and then this happened). I want to say I am sorry for all the confusion and frustration my recent hosting issues have caused you. Second, please don’t be alarmed by the changed URL (http://maccast.terraform.com). This is a temporary measure which I will explain in a minute. Terraform.com is the domain for my new business and is still my domain.
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A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 158. Coverage of Apple’s “It’s ShowTime event”. The 5.5 Gen iPod. The new color iPod Nanos. New redesigned iPod Shuffle. New iTunes 7.0. Movies on the iTunes Music Store (Is it still the iTunes Music Store?). And one more thing… iTV! Apple responds to RSS (Random Shutdown Syndrome), kinda. Signs shows that Mac Pro is processor upgradable. You can burn multisession CDs, not DVDs. Has Apple retired Aqua and brushed metal? Single Framer 2.1, Stop-motion on a budget. LCDs and native resolution. Meet the MacCast blogging team. Come see me at the Podcast Expo.

New music, Prodigal Son by JMS

Promos: The Self Defense Show and Cryptic Universe

Goddamn foreign TV. I told ya we should’ve got a Zenith. — Gremlins (1984)

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A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 157. Apple release new Intel Core 2 Duo iMacs and revs Mac Minis. Apple planning special “Showtime” event September 12th. Apple settles iTunes patent lawsuit. The future of the iSight. Adobe may preview Universal apps next week? 2 New US Apple Stores, 1 Canadian set to open this weekend. NickStarr uncovers the Giselle “Get a Mac Ad”. Let the Airline notebook banning begin. Possible cure for MacBook Random Shutdown Syndrome (RSS). Question on how to burn a data DVD. iPod on a Plane follow-up. How to keep iTunes in Sync with an external library. More on my call for Bloggers. Podcast Expo is coming. Supporting the show.

Get Up by The Rigbees

Goonies never say die! — The Goonies (1985)

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A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 156. Bluetooth iPods without a new model? A device commonly known as an “iPod”. Three new Apple “Get a Mac” Ads posted. Intel shipping “Merom” Core 2 Duo chips. Greenpeace gives Apple low marks for environmental responsibility. Apple opens new Canadian retail store. VIsta may run on new Boot Camp 1.1. Apple drops price of ATI X1900 on BTO Macs. Apple adds Google CEO to it’s Board of Directors. The 64-bit question? Dashboard widget hacking. Troubleshooting help from the Console log. Parallels not yet working on the Mac Pro. An easy way to share video Podcasts, DVD. Getting lyrics on older iPods. MacCast needs you for blogging.

New music, I Don’t Have a Job by The Majestic Twelve

Don’t mess with me, man, I’m a lawyer. — Hook (1991)

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A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 155. Apple invites press to “special event” in September. Apple release results of their iPod factory probe. MacBook, hacked or not hacked? New firmware cools MacBook and exorcizes demon cow. Dublin man successfully “shames” Apple. Apple store employees fired for downloading Leopard. Lions Gate films reveals iTunes movie deal. MacBook delays. Apple settles lawsuits with Creative. Listener explains Apple stock options troubles. Answers to your Mac Pro questions on graphics cards and memory. The usefulness of Activity Monitor in troubleshooting Mac issues. Listener explains how to automatically get lyrics and artwork in iTunes. Browse iTunes library visually with CoverFlow. Another tip for improving QuickTime streaming performance.

New music, The Punk by Beep

I want my two dollars! — Better Off Dead… (1985)

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Well this is a bit strange…. I just received an email from a listener who purchased a new Mac Pro (the 266GHz base configuration) and found something unexpected inside its beautiful designed enclosure. His new system arrived and while gleefully extracting it from the box he noticed an unusual, but familiar, “rattling” sound. This listener, who was a recent switcher, had built his own PCs so he could tell immediately that there may be a loose screw or two rolling around inside his new high octane Mac. He was obviously concerned and sure enough after removing the side door and carefully rocking the case, four (yes four) screws came plopping out (see the picts). These screws were each approximately 1 1/8″ long with 1/8″ thread at the end. After completing the screw extraction, he further inspected the inside of the case and fortunately could not see any empty holes where the screws may have originally resided. He went ahead and set up the new Mac and has been using the machine which appears to be working fine. After reading his email I encouraged him to contact Apple, which he did, and they seem to feel the screws must have “fell” into the case during manufacturing. They did advise him to bring the Mac in so they could do a thorough inspection, just in case.
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A podcast about all things Macintosh. For Mac geeks, by Mac geeks. Show 154. Apple says Steve is healthy, stop worrying. Seagate promises 120GB “iPod ready” drives by the end of the year. Mac Pro RAM confusion causing issues. Apple secretly updating MacBook Pro logic boards? Apple claiming ownership of all things “POD”. Latest Apple rumor round-up. Apple updates Boot Camp to 1.1, adds new features. OS X Intel kernel released as Open Source. MacCast One Minute Tip #20 – System Preferences. Update on D-Link DSM-G600 NAS Mac compatibility. My thoughts and impressions on seeing the MacPro. Fixes issues with loss of sound in some multimedia files. How to change the default application for a file. A discussion of the different Intel processors and Macs. What are all these extra “dot” files on my non-Mac volumes? Fixing issues with Quicktime streaming playback.

New music, Love Games by Superphones.

Strange things are afoot at the Circle-K — Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

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