shownotes_20090501

Opening
  Opening Music
    Music is Say Anything by Manda and the Marbles
    Mandaandthemarbles.com
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News
  iPhone and Verizon rumors continue
    The story started with a USA Today piece that claimed Apple and Verizon are in "high-level" talks about a deal for as early as 2010.
    AT&T 3G network uses HSDPA/UMTS technology (High Speed Downlink Packet Access/Universal Mobile Telephone System)
      A listener who is a Cellular Field Tech for AT&T clued me in that GSM and CDMA might be related.
      AT&T's 3G network uses a technology called W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), yes CDMA. Developed NTT DoCoMo in Japan.
      So while Tim Cook says Apple has no interest in a CDMA iPhone in a way they already have one.
      Verizon's 3G EVDO uses a technology called CDMA2000 Developed by Qualcomm
        CDMA2000 is incompatible with W-CDMA and UMTS, so you can't just use the two CDMA technologies interchangeably.
      Qualcomm created an experimental wideband CDMA system called CDMA2000 3x which unified the W-CDMA (3GPP) and CDMA2000 (3GPP2) network technologies.
        But W-CDMA became the standard
        Does prove the two technologies are not that divergent.
  Snow Leopard adds YouTube spots
    With each new release of the Snow Leopard betas we are seeing more Quicktime X features
    AppleInsider already reported on possible screen recording options and not requiting purchase to activate QuickTime Pro features.
    Now they are reporting that the new video player will add direct export to YouTube including support for the new YouTube HD format. Much like you can do with iMovie.
    Also has direct MobileMe export.
  Latest iPhone beta requires new iTunes
    iPhone OS 3.0 beta 4 was release to developers, but this time it came with a new version of iTunes. iTunes 8.2.
    According to iLounge there weren't many details as to what was in iTunes 8.2, but some legal copy mentions BluRay data from GraceNote leading to speculation of possible support for bluRay discs and playback.
  Mobile Me now offers 24/7 chat support
    Now that Mobile Me seems to have worked out most the kinks Apple has added online chat support for Mobile Me subscribers.
    At least the figured out how to plan for and manage support loads.
    The service is in English only at the moment and available from the Mobile Me section of the Apple support site
      Click one of the topic items on the left
      Select the specific issue and then if the answer isn't listed on the right the "Chat Now" button will appear below the top questions list.
  Apple goes on hiring spree
    Electronista reported that a change of on the Linked In page for AMD's Bob Drebin seems to indicate he is now an Apple employee
      Drebin was the CTO in ATI's graphics products group and seems to have been brought to Apple in a Senior Director role, but no other specifics were given
    Following the discovery of Apple's hiring Drebin it was also discovered that Apple hired Raja Koduri, another now former CTO of AMD's graphics products group.
    Both Drebin and Koduri worked in ATI's Imageon handheld graphics division, which AMD sold to Qualcomm earlier this year.
    Whatever Apple is up to it seems that most of the recent acquisition and personnel activity is focused on chip design
      Apple acquired system on a chip company PA Semi last year
      They nabbed former IBM exec Mark Papermaster back in November, although due to some IBM legal filibustering he just started at Apple on April 24th.
    Still as AppleInsider points out it may be some time before we see internally designed Apple chips in actual products
      They report that the Wall Street Journal did some Linked In digging of their own and found over 100 Apple employees listed with chip experience in their profiles.
      Apple and Jobs have already publicly state they intend to work on in-house chip designs for future Apple multi-touch devices.
    The UK site MCV claims Microsoft's senior Xbox strategy director Richard Teversham has left Microsoft to also join Apple
      He is said to be taking an education related position in the European Apple office according to Electonista.
  What's up next for Apple hardware?
    Could the Verizon iPhone's actually be entirely new devices? iPhone Lite and iMedia Pad (via MacRumors, Businessweek)
      iPhone Lite, smaller cheaper iPhone like device. Using system-on-a-chip design.
      iMedia Pad, Music, HD video, Photos, eBooks. Make calls over Wi-Fi.
      Remember there a supposedly hints of 2 new unnamed devices in the iPhone OS 3.0 betas.
      One of these devices as early as this summer?
    ArsTechnica reports sightings of a Macbook Mini reference in the Adium Chat client
      Adium tracks stats on computer types and did have a "MacBookAir" reference in the logs just before it's announcement
      Ars does also note however that the data could and is being spoofed.
    9 to 5 Mac seems to think we will see some updates from WWDC
      Macbook updates in the form of a speed bump
      Major update to Apple's Pro apps including Final Cut Pro, Aperture, Logic, and Shake.
    Lower priced consumer Macs
      Rumblings have begun from AppleInsider and MacNN that Apple plans new lower priced versions of the iMac and Macbooks
      Details on what exactly the changes to the models would be were non-existent but predictions were that we may the revamped Macbook line up and pricing as early as the end of this month.
  WWDC is sold out, again.
    For the second year in a row Apple's World Wide Developer Conference has sold out
    WWDC will run from June 8-12 at Moscone West in San Francisco, CA.
    Apple will offer videos of the event sessions for sale for those who waited too long to see the live show.
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Feedback, Comments and Commentary
  Don't forget Automator
    Play comment from Morgan
    Setting up an action to launch web pages on startup
      Open Automator and create a new Custom project
      In the 'Actions' Library select the 'Internet' category
      Add the Safari 'Get Specified URLs' item (Drag it from the left into the workflow build area).
      Add the URLs for the pages you wish to open. (You can always click the "Description" option under an action to see what it does and it's expected inputs and results).
      Add the 'Display Webpages' item by dragging it under the 'Get Specified URLs' item
      Press Run to test the Workflow.
      Once you are satisfied, choose File-->Save and choose 'Application' as the file format. Save the "app" in a logical place (like the Applications folder).
      In system Preferences-->Accounts, choose your account and under 'Login Items' add your new Automator app. You may need to click the lock icon and authenticate first.
  Snitch on Mac connections
    In the wake of some of the Mac Trojans that have surfaced Little Snitch might be a helpful tool.
    Will alert you on all outgoing connections showing you the ports, protocols, and where the connections are being made to
    You can add rules to allow and not be alerted again. Permenant or just while apps are running.
    Also has a network monitor that will pop up and display all network traffic.
  Converting audio in iTunes
    Rafael wanted an easy way to burn an MP3 CD from his iTunes AAC files.
    In iTunes 8 with non-Fairplay or DRM Free tracks
      1) Put the tracks you want to burn into a playlist
      2) Control+Click the playlist and choose Burn Playlist to Disk
      3) In the settings choose the MP3 CD option.
      4) Burn the disk.
    Convert to other formats in iTunes 8
      1) iTunes-->Preferences. Click the "Import Settings..." button in the "General" pane.
      2) Select your file encoder, bitrate, and other preferences for the format you want to convert to.
      3) Go back to the iTunes Library and select the track you want to convert and choose "Advanced-->Create [file format] Version" from the menu.
      Using this method you will end up with 2 versions of the same track in iTunes with different formats
        You can find duplicates by using the 'File-->Show Duplicates' option, then turn on the 'Kind' column to see the format.
    Options for converting Fairplay DRM tracks
      Burn a standard audio CD in iTune sand re-rip the tracks back into iTunes
      Use the iTunes Store's 'Upgrade to iTunes Plus' option and pay $0.30 USD per track to get the DRM free versions. They won't have all songs as DRM free.
  Keeping Macs in Sync
    Had a couple people ask this week about keeping 2 Macs in Sync. Play comment from Tobin.
    Mobile Me does offer Family accounts
      Sync address book, bookmarks, etc, but not really files.
    I have used ChronoSync in the past. Can do a whole system sync or just specific files or folders.
      Offers scheduling
      Home to Home sync
    Several people recommended the service Dropbox
      2GB of free cloud storage
      Sets up a special "dropbox" folder on your Mac and any items dropped into that folder are uploaded to Dropbox and synced to other systems.
      Uses a web interface to manage the dropdox folder
      Offers revisions of a file and you can restore them
      Shared folders & Public folder
Closing
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  Fox News Gadgets & Games Appearance
    I had a chance to be on Clayton Morris' new web tech show on Fox News Friday's.
    You can view the stream on-line or subscribe in iTunes
  Keep emails coming. Audio comments.
    maccast@gmail.com
    281-622-4269 or 281-Mac-I-Am-9
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    MacCast Forum
  "HeavensaLie" by Lacuna Coil
    From the Podsafe Music Network
    Artist's site
    Buy on iTunes
  EOL: Lego Luxo Jr. iMac G4
    Bjarne Tveskov used a 7" digital photo frame and LEGO to create this mini version of the classic "Luxo Lamp" G4 iMac (via Cult of Mac)