Strange and random iPod news

A teenager in Colorado is blaming is iPod for getting him struck by lightning while mowing a lawn.

The iPod has a hole in the back and the earbud cords melted to threads.

He has burns up to his ears along the iPod cord.

There is no scientific evidence that electronic devices like iPods attract lightning, but the current will travel over conductive materials like the wires in the earbuds.

We have discuss listeners getting static electricity shocks through earbuds.

National Semiconductor takes back employee iPods.

In June they gave 8,500 employees a 30GB fifth-generation iPod for having an exceptionally profitable year.

They recently laid-off 35 workers and asked them to give the iPods back or pay for them.

Many had sold or gave away the iPods as gifts.

10 new iPod Interface designs filled with the European trademark and design office.

Interfaces with keypads, gaming pad style interfaces, scroll wheel and touch-pad style controls among others.

I wouldn't read too much into it. Blocking patents are common these days.

Microsoft planning a wi-fi iPod "killer" for Christmas

Ability to buy music right on the device without a computer.

I would assume would use their new MTV Urge service.

Microsoft's upcoming digital media player software may also scan a user's iTunes library for purchased media and then automatically make those files available as free downloads from Microsoft's online music and video service.

They would eat the licensing costs, but it would probably be worth it.

Many feel Apples next iPod would offer wireless, not sure about direct iTunes purchases.

Apple sued for stock option grant irregularities

Derivative lawsuits have been filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and the Superior Court for Santa Clara County.

The suits make claims against current and former officers and directors with respect to the company's awarding of stock option grants.

Apple had proactively notified the SEC of the irregularities and has launched an independent investigation into the matter.

Apple has not yet responded to the lawsuit.

Apple announces new educational iMac

The eMac has been replaced with a new iMac.

Apple Education

Available to qualifying educational customers. 17" Intel iMac with 1.83GHz Core Duo, 521MB RAM, 80GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD Combo drive, iSight, Intel GMA 950 graphics. USD$899.00

Missing 120GB HD, SuperDrive and ATI Graphics, but adds optical input to line in port (not available on consumer model).

The 17" with the same specs as the retail version is EDU priced at USD$1,199.00

Apple no longer sells any systems or displays with a CRT.

Apple cancel plans for new Portland store

Apple had plans for a new store in the Northwest 23rd area of Portland, OR but has cancelled the plans after 2 designs were rejected by the areas Historic Landmarks Commission.

Had originally planned to demolish an existing building and construct a typical stainless and glass facade building. A second design not using that motif was also turned down.

Funny since I lived in that area and there is a Pottery Barn, California Pizza Kitchen and Restoration Hardware that I would say do not fit any kind of "historic" look.

Radio Station offers custom iTunes Music Store interface

A Chicago based radio station called The Loop (97.9) has a Flash enabled iTunes cobranded page with links to the iTunes Music store.

97.9 Loop iTMS

Link to songs and artists in the station lineup. Also have DJ "celebrity" playlists and iMixes

They use affiliate links and generate revenue from tracks sold via iTunes.

10.4.7. adds Dashboard "phone home" feature

A site called the Red Sweater Blog has noted the feature which is described in the Apple release notes as, "You can now verify whether or not a Dashboard widget you downloaded is the same version as a widget featured on (www.apple.com) before installing it."

Red Sweater Blog Post

The assumption is it is in place to protect you from malicious widgets disguised as legit ones.

Calls back to Apple several times per day using a new daemon called, "dashboardadvisoryd".

Seems to only request information from two services and does not appear to send any data back to Apple. Just running it at lease let Apple see how many people are running 10.4.7

Ellen Feiss to star in upcoming French short Film

Ellen Feiss whos Dad's PC ate her school paper, "and it was uh, like, a really good paper" in the Apple "Switch" ads is in a French short film called Bed and Breakfast, due out this summer.

Bed and Breakfast

She plays one half of an American couple visiting France who are drawn into a dangerous fantasy world.

Info is in her Wikipedia entry and the image on the movie site doesn't really look like her to me, so take it as it is.

Ellen Feiss - Wikipedia

Apple adding spreadsheets to iWork '07 with "Charts"

ThinkSecret claims to have exclusive inside info of the project

Should support importing and exporting from Excel and AppleWorks, but not meant to be an Excel competitor

Designed to meet the needs of home and small business users and will offer integration with iWork and iLife suite

Expected to be due out in January.

10.4.7 OpenGL update from Blizzard

Got an email from Rob Barris- team lead, Mac software group, Blizzard Entertainment. He explained the 10.4.7 Open GL stuff missing from the original Intel Mac delta updater.

10.4.7 includes new OpenGL drivers and framework, which provide new functionality, that can be beneficial for improving performance of 3D software.

Apple ships updaters in 2 forms, Delta and Combo.

The combo usually includes all changes rolled up,going back to 10.4.0 in this case - so you can apply it to any 10.4.x system and get completely current

The delta updater is more compact because it only includes what changed in the most recent release, and is appropriate if updating from (say) 10.4.6 to 10.4.7

The 10.4.7 delta updater as initially shipped (which is what Software Update pushes out to most users) had a flaw in mastering, and did not include the new OpenGL bits.

One of the first beneficiaries of the new API support is World of Warcraft. Installing 10.4.7 on an Intel will yield an immediate, noticeable improvement in smoothness and frame rate when playing WoW, due to the streamlining effect of using the new API.

Best thing to do to get up to date is download the combo updater from apple.com/support. Click on downloads and get the 10.4.7 Intel Combo Updater.

Review: PocketMac for Blackberry

Play Review from Will of the MyTriviaPodcast

PocketMac for BlackBerry

Managing Mail "Previous Recipients"

Listener James did a reinstall of his system and wanted to know about those names that auto drop down in Mails address field. Specifically he lost some for contacts not in his AddressBook

It appears you will lose this data even on an archive and install. Apple calls it "temporary data"

You can actually view and manage it in OS X Mail app.

Windows --> Previous Recipients

Can see and search the records

Remove Records

Address Book icon to left of records already in your AddressBook. You can select and choose "Add to AddressBook" to preserve records.

Should you turn your Mac off or leave it on?

Listener Warren brought up this classic debate

He was told conflicting things. Turn off so the Mac rebuilds memory. Leave on because turning off and on will eventually damage the machine.

Apple torture tests their systems. They have a lab and will do worse things to it then you will ever do.

Clean out VM swap, yes. Kill off errant processes yes.

It's really personal choice.

You can set up a schedule in System Preferences --> Energy Saver. Click the Schedule... button.

Place folders or files anywhere in the Dock

Tip from Barry after my Application Launcher tip.

Just add .app to the end of the folder or file name. The icon will change to the generic Application icon.

Now place anywhere in the Dock you would like.

Go back and remove the .app. It will ask you to confirm.

Now click the icon in the Dock and the icon will update back to the original icon

More Thoughts on CrossOver for Mac

Listener Matthew worries developers would stop developing Mac native applications

I don't think so

Right now limited list of Applications supported and not all run very well

NEAR native performance, not native performance.

True Mac Developer are Mac users. Even within Adobe and Microsoft (Mac Business Unit).

Users will demand native Mac apps.

Why do I say "holy grail". Bring more users to OS X and more users means more developer for OS X, not less.

What is Apple's definition of owning music?

Listener Bruce points to a discussion thread on Apples boards that points out that you need an account to authorize music. If you delete that account then you can no longer authorize music and will no longer have access to it.

iTunes Agreements

I am not even sure how you delete your account, but I will assume you can.

Should probably make sure to burn all your purchased music to audio CDs before you terminate your account.

Backup your purchased Music, .Mac Backup will do it.

De-Authorize your computers. Before reinstalling OS X, selling your computer, etc.

Can go into your account in the iTunes Music Store (click on your Account: email) and reset all computer authorizations, but only 1 time per year.