Are iTunes sales slumping or not?

According to a recent survey by research group Forrester, they claim iTunes revenue is down 65% from January to June of this year. The report is based on a decline of 58% in the number of monthly iTunes transactions coupled with a 17% decline in the average size per purchase on the store.

Apple denies the report and other analysts agree

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster that said the number of songs sold per week on iTunes had risen 78 percent in the first nine months of 2006 compared with the same period in 2005.

Digital media research firm comScore Networks on Wednesday released a report showing that revenue from Apple’s iTunes Store rose 84 percent in the first three quarters of 2006 versus the same period a year ago.

A CNBC Holiday Central survey estimates that Apple will sell 17 million iPods this holiday, that adds up to $2.7 billion in sales. What are people going to put on those iPods?

Apple may be carrier for iPhone service

UBS analyst John Hodulik believes Apple may serve as their own carrier for the rumored iPhone.

Apple would become a MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), purchasing wholesale capacity from Cingular Wireless.

Disney operates as an MVNO with their Disney Mobile Service.

Brian Lam an editor for Gizmodo and former assistant editor for Wired magazine "guarantees" an iPhone will be released on Monday. Gizmodo has not had a good track record at making Apple predictions and Lam has been tricky with Apple fans before alluding to releasing a major gadget review on the eve on an Apple product announcement. The gadget... TiVo Series 3. Note Lams says an iPhone, but not an Apple iPhone, is there any other?

Citing unnamed sources, Morgan Stanley analyst Rebecca Runkle said she has "high conviction" that the iPhone will launch in the first half of 2007. The specs:

$599 for 4GB and $649 for 8GB

Wider than the iPod nano, but thinner than the iPod Video approximately 4/10ths of an inch thick.

Full screen 3.5 inch LCD and will include a virtual click-wheel

Made of Metal and available in multiple colors, but at least including black, white, and silver

Cingular Wireless is likely carrier in the U.S.

This pricing is much higher than what was reported by Kevin Rose who has been accurate with predications before.

Three new iPods for 2007?

First the full screen video iPod.

Jobs is not committed to marketing the device until he gauges interest in iTunes Movies and iTV.

No details on what the other two new iPod products would be. iPhone?

Adobe to release Universal CS3 BETA on Friday

Adobe will release a beta of Photoshop CS3 on Friday, December 15.

The free beta can be downloaded at Adobe’s Web site and used without restriction by any user with a valid Creative Suite 2 or Photoshop CS2 serial number. Anyone can tryout the Beta for 2 days with or without a serial number.

A MacWorld report claims Adobe has seen a 40 percent speed increase on an Intel MacBook Pro. This is over and above the 30 percent increase seen under Rosetta with the 10.4.8 update.

Recommended system requirements for Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta are Mac OSX 10.4.8 or 10.5, a 1GHz PowerPC G4 or G5 processor or an Intel based Mac.

According to Adobe, the beta will expire soon after the launch of Photoshop CS3 in spring 2007.

According to Adobe, the beta will expire soon after the launch of Photoshop CS3 in spring 2007

The National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) also released a comprehensive CS3 Learning Center offering 12 online video tutorials. The site also offers a free 7-day online CS3 training course.

NAPP CS3 Learning Center

Correction on the show number

This is actually show 170.

Exporting a disk catalog list from the Finder

A listener looking for a way to export a disk catalog data to a Excel file or database.

Listeners Jeremy and Dave reminded me that many of the Disk Cataloging apps have a save or export to text feature. He likes and uses FileBuddy.

FileBuddy

Many other pointed out Terminal tricks using commands like 'ls' combined with pipes, grep, etc. There are also Shell script solutions offered. I have a link to a forum thread with these solutions.

Catalog exports with Terminal

Explaining the different "types" of memory in OS X

Listener Rob was having a look at the activity monitors memory usage and wondering about the different types of memory there.

Wired memory

This information can't be cached to disk, so it must stay in RAM. The amount depends on what applications you are using.

Active memory

This information is currently in RAM and actively being used.

Inactive memory

This information is no longer being used and has been cached to disk, but it will remain in RAM until another application needs the space. Leaving this information in RAM is to your advantage if you (or a client of your computer) come back to it later.

Free memory

This memory is not being used.

One more type... Virtual Memory, represented by "VM Size". Basically equal to the amount of free space on your HD since VM uses your hard drive as RAM

Slow

"Page ins/outs" refers to the number of times Mac OS X has moved information between RAM and disk space. If you are doing a lot of page outs, then it may be time for more RAM or to run less apps concurrently.

A "page" is a memory in uniform units of a minimum size (usually 4K). Pagein is anytime a memory unit is moved "swapped" into RAM (say when a application is lunched and loads into RAM), page out is when RAM is "swapped" out to disk.

Note the numbers in activity monitor are for pageins and outs since the Mac was last restarted so high numbers don't indicate a need for RAM. The Pageins number should be significantly higher than the pageouts, if not you may need more RAM.

A better test is to run 'top' from the terminal

Launch Terminal, located in the Applications > Utilities folder.

At the prompt, type top and press Return.

Examine the output generated by top.

In the VM: line (6 lines down) note the pageins and pageouts in the last or VM (virtual memory) line. Specifically the number in the (), these indicate the number of pageins or pageouts performed in the last one second. If that number when you are running typical applications — especially pageouts — is consistently in the range of 25 to 50 or more, then the system is thrashing and it may be time for more RAM

Type Control+C in the terminal to exit the 'top' program

Apple explanation and fix for "blue tint" issue

Listener Martin pointed out this article on Apple's support site

Blue Tint Fix

" After installing the Mac OS X 10.4.8 update, some MacBook computers will have a new color profile that is more consistent with other MacBook and MacBook Pro computers but may appear to have a blue tint when compared to the previous profile."

You can determine which profile you're using by opening the folder /Library/ColorSync/Profiles/Displays/. If you see a file named "Color LCD-4271780.icc" then you have the newer profile.

Solutions are to re-load the old profile. Instructions and a download of the profile is in the support article or you can also create a custom profile by clicking the Calibrate button in the Color tab of the Displays preference pane.

Re-download old iTunes Podcasts without re-subscribing

This comes from listener Henry from a tip he found on 99ShadesOfGrey blog

Missing Podcast Trick

If a podcast download fails, goes bad or you accidentally delete a podcast and want to re-download it you can use this trick rather than unsubscribing and re-subscribing.

How down the [Option] key on the Mac or [Shift] key on a PC while
clicking the expand/collapse triangle expander next to the list of podcasts. After the list opens, release the key and the missing episode(s) should appear. Click the respective [Get] button to download the episode.

iPod Shuffles losing their authorizations?

Listener Mark is having this issue where his iPod Shuffle suddenly won't play purchased music. Pointed me to some threads. Also had a listener with a 5th Gen iPod that did the same thing?

There is an Apple TIL that addresses this and offers solutions. Update your software, Deauthorize and reauthorize your account in iTunes, restore the iPod, Recreate the iTunes Library.

Shuffle won't play purchased music

None of these worked and emails to iTunes Store support are slow and unresponsive.

Apple is currently offering live chat support to current Shuffle owners, http://www.apple.com/support/chat/

Apple Chat Support

Update: Mark called AppleCare and checked the Product ID under high speed USB in System profiler. The ID there listed for the iPod (0x1300) which indicated that something was wrong and Apple is replacing the Shuffle free of charge.

The rep didn't indicate what the bad ID indicated. I don't actually think that was it. My guess is it had more to do with the iPod serial number being in a know bad batch.

Comprehensive list of Keyboard shortcuts

Listener Dan pointed out this web site which has a great list of OS X keyboard shortcuts.

www.danrodney.com

One example... Hit Apple+Space to quick do a Spotlight search. Press Apple+Enter to open the top result. Works well as a quick application launcher.

Can't curl up in bed with a good 17" MacBook Pro

Listener 'zeus' from the forum reports on an issue with the 17" MacBook Pro hinge that is confirmed by many sources, including some Mac technicians I know.

The hinge tension is not strong enough to hold the lid closed when it is at about 135° angle. Problem when you have it at a 90° angle in bed laying down and then lift your knees the lid will snap shut.

Apple says it is normal and the issue doesn't exist on the 15" model. Weight of the larger display may be to blame, but I have not seen reports of the same issue on the 17" PowerBook

There is no way to adjust the spring/hinge tension.

Review of Disco

Play question from James

Play review from Andrew

Checkout Andrew's review on MacCast.com

Disco Review

MacCast at Macworld

Still working on a Mac podcaster meetup. Leo Laporte is in and will try to bring some other friends from the MacBreak crew. Also confirmed is Ken Ray from Mac OS Ken, Bill Palmer from iProng and Shelly Brisbin from Shelly's Podcast. More to come hopefully.

Looks like the meetup will start Thursday night at 6:00 PM at the SF Apple Store with a panel discussion of the coolest new products and announcements from MacWorld. Since it is Thursday give you a chance to go back and hit any booths you may have missed.

After that we will all convene to a local bar or lounge where you will have an opportunity to mingle with the Podcasters. It should be a lot of fun.

Need a RSVP Count. Send email with 'MacWorld Meetup' as the subject.

Play 2nd Anniversary comment

A well wish from Kevin Crossman

We are at show 170, so 200 is around the corner.

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