shownotes_20060913

Opening
  Opening Music
    Music is Say Anything by Manda and the Marbles
    Mandaandthemarbles.com
News
  The 5.5 Gen iPod
    2 sizes, 30GB and 80 GB (Toshiba Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR) drive)
    60% brighter screen. New screens may have made their way into recent 5th Gen iPods too
    Longer battery life. Up to 75% more. 3.5 for 30GB (from 2.5) and 6.5 hours (up from 4.5) for 80 GB
    New headphones. Better fit?
    Gapless playback
    Searching (not 5th Gen) and letters while fast scrolling (5th Gen)
    Games, available on iTunes for USD $4.99
      Developed by Apple, EA and others
    Lower price. 30 GB USD $249.00 and 80GB USD $349.00
      Listener Neil informed me that Apple no longer offers educational discounts on these models. Lower prices for all!
  iPod Nano
    Aluminum case and thinner
    Colors. Silver, green, blue, pink and black
    24 hour battery life (up from 11)
    40% brighter display
    Voice recorder support
    2GB Silver USD $149.00, 4GB Silver, green, blue and pink USD $199.00 and 8GB Black USD $249.00 (same $$ as 5.5 G)
    Steve made a big deal about 52% less packaging by volume. Did Greenpeace get to him?
    40% smaller charger, works with all other iPods
  iPod Shuffle
    Totally re-designed, totally tiny
    Apple has sold 10 million Shuffles
    Aluminum case, about size of Apple FM tuner. Built-in clip.
    Comes with dock (USB2)
    12 hour battery
    1GB for USD $79.00
    Available in October
    No USB Port so older non-headphone accessories won't work.
  iTunes 7.0
    Apple has 88% of the market for legal music downloads
    Organized by sections
      Library
        Music, Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, etc
      Store
        iTunes Store, Shopping Cart, Purchases, Download Manager
      Devices
        iPod, CDs
        Interesting that is called "devices"?
      Playlists
      Can't seem to change the order of the sections
    Now has 3 views (List, Album and CoverFlow)
      Actually purchased CoverFlow
      Chapters for Podcasts now in menu (sucks)
    Album Art now can be automatically downloaded from iTunes
      Results may vary.
      Need an iTunes Account. Why?
    Videos are better quality
      640 x 480 H.264
    Gapless playback
    iPod Manager (cool)
      Summary of iPod versions, software update and restore, cool bar graph showing what is using space on your iPod
      Preference tabs, all here. Simplifies the iTunes Preferences
    iPod Transfers
      Can move iTunes purchases via iPod from one iTunes library to another as long as both are authorized for your account.
    Download manager
      Works for all purchases, podcasts, etc
      Can pause, resume and re-order priority
    Built-in Backup to DVD or CD (In the File menu)
    QuickTime 7.1.3 update enables support for new iTunes features and fixes 6 security flaws in QT
    Listener Derick pointed out that docked iPods now show the "Do not disconnect" with a dimmed backlight, so you can see it better.
    Definitely some bugs
      Not being able to edit some track info and can others
      Podcast checkboxes.
      Apple messed up Podcasts, not sorting other than Date Released, no video "image" view in Videos section, harder to navigate and find Podcasts in iTMS (browse icon)
  Movies on iTunes
    Walt Disney, Pixar, Touchstone and Miramax (all Disney owned)
    75 movies available now, with more being added every week
    New title will come out the same day as DVDs
    Pricing. New: USD$12.99 (new and pre-order) USD$14.99 after first week. Library: USD$9.99
    Near DVD Quality (640 x 480)
    Chapters accessed from the video controller.
    Download times, 30 mins at 5-6MBps? Who gets that? 2 Hour movie seems to be about 1.2-1.4GB
      Can watch while downloads
    Same DRM rules as YV shows, so no burning
    Dolby surround audio
    Added MPAA rating to parental controls in iTunes
    Plan to go International in 2007
    widescreen movies on iPod are about 0.75" high. Ha ha.
  And one more thing... iTV
    An actual "sneak peek" at an Apple product
    Will be available in 1st quarter of 2007
    Set top box for Mac or PC, well TV really and works with iTunes.
    Looks like a squished and flattened out Mac Mini
    No power brick
    Ports: USB2? (not mentioned), 802.11 WiFI, Ethernet, HDMI and component video (no RCA Video), optical and RCA audio.
    Remote and on-screen menus
      Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, Music
      Movie trailers from Apple (purchases?)
    USD$299.00. Seems a little costly to me with other iPod dock solutions for USD$99 - USD$149.00
    Completes the package and I need it now. ;)
    Webcast is available on Apple.com
      Steve Jobs was not wearing a black mock-turtleneck
  Apple responds to RSS (Random Shutdown Syndrome), kinda...
    Apple has posted a single-sentence note regarding MacBook shutdowns: "If your MacBook is shutting down intermittently, please contact AppleCare for service."
    Some reports claim that random shutdowns also occur when the MagSafe Power Adaptor is suddenly removed from the Mac
  Signs shows that Mac Pro is processor upgradable
    Anandtech has an article saying they successfully placed engineering samples of Intel's new quad core Clovertown chips inside the Mac Pro
    The Mac Pro has two standard LGA-771 sockets, not sure how easy they are to access.
    Octo-core Mac. Anadtech said they were not allowed to disclose performance number yet.
    Can do it, but doesn't mean Apple will support it.
Feedback, Comments and Commentary
  Multisession CDs, not DVDs
    Listener Alan points out that Disk Utility cannot burn Multi-session DVDs, only CDs
    There is no standard for multi-session DVDs so most software will not do it. Toast won't do it. Nero on the PC and possible Dragon Burn (Multi-Session (DVD+RW only))
  Has Apple retired Aqua and brushed metal?
    New "flat grey" look of iTunes has many wondering if this is a sign of things to come.
    Note also that the icon returned to blue? With all the media now in iTunes does the name and icon still make sense?
  Stop-motion on a budget
    As a free alternative to iStopmotion, listener Rory recommends SingleFramer which is available as Freeware
  LCDs and native resolution
    Listener Chuck points out that the 24" iMac has the same resolution as the 23" Cinema display (1920 x 1200) yet is 1" bigger in physical size (viewable). Does not mean more is visible on the screen.
    Important to understand that LCD have a native resolution. Basically a grid of pixels.
    Physical size of the pixels or dot pitch distance between pixel (screen door)
    Non-native resolutions are interpolated. Blurry or "distorted".
Closing
  We have our blogging team
    Thanks to all who said they would help. I will keep name if a need additional support in the future. See new Staff page, in progress.
    Will also be having "guest" posts.
    Make sure to visit MacCast.com often. Post on buying a used Mac and EVDO, more on the way.
  Podcast Expo is Coming
    Will be at the PME in Ontario California from September 28th through September 30th
    Will be on the show floor in the Orange County Podcasters Booth on Friday and Saturday
  Visit the website
    Show notes.
  Keep emails coming. Audio comments.
    maccast@gmail.com
    206-222-2788 (20-MACCAST-8)
      PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
    MacCast Forum
  "Prodigal Son" by JMS
    Listener from UK near Manchester. Records on a 350MHz iMac G3 running Logic
    Tracks are available as free downloads
    Artists web site
  Promo
    The Self Defense Show Promo
    Cryptic Universe Podcast