MacCast 09.19.2009 - Show #279
Media/Links
V Opening
V Opening Music
* Music is "Say Anything" by Manda and the Marbles
* Band's MySpace page
V Sponsor
V Circus Ponies
* Notebook
* Snow Leopard compatible
V Something that if you have in your app arsenal you'll find you use more and more.
* Beyond notes and outlines
* Flow charts and digrams, organizing PDF content and research, Lists and to do's
* Free trial available
V News
V Snow Leopard update, smooth for most.
V NPD Group numbers show strong sales
* 2x that of Leopard and 4 times higher than Tiger in their respective initial launches
* 1st week to 2nd week sales only dropped 25% which is good (I guess), since Leopard and Tiger both apparently dropped 60% in week 2.
V Seems to be reports from both sides of the spectrum. Either you upgraded and everything is going great, or you upgraded and your iLife went to heck
V Crashes on save in Photoshop, weird app crashes ( I have had some myself).
* The Adobe problem is with the "Menlo" font
* The open/Save crash issues don't seem to be isolated to Adobe products.
V Font issues seem to plague a number of apps
V Fellow MacRoundtable founder and The Mac Attack host Steve Stanger has issues with Ariel
* Your Snow Leopard install may of installed the updated Arial font with out removing the old outdated Arial font. When you use Font Book check within the Arial listing to see if some styles (regular, bold, italic, etc.) are duplicate. Select one of the dups and press "command i" for info. You want to keep the current Arial fonts and styles (version 5.00.x) and remove the old.
* Also an issue for Louis in Microsoft Office 2004. Microsoft font's seem to be a culprit.
V Font Book will show fonts with issue with a "caution" symbol.
* Can use Font Book to "disable" or remove the older versions
* Using "Resolve Duplicates" will disable the "not active" versions, but that might be the newer version that you want.
* Frustration seems to be that it was a "stability" and improvement release and for some it's not stable.
V 10.6.1 Update released
* Build was reported given to a small group of developers on September 1st.
V Update includes
* compatibility with some Sierra Wireless 3G modems
* an issue that might cause DVD playback to stop unexpectedly
* some printer compatibility drivers not appearing properly in the add printer browser
* an issue that might make it difficult to remove an item from the Dock
* instances where automatic account setup in Mail might not work
* an issue where pressing cmd-opt-t in Mail brings up the special characters menu instead of moving a message
* Motion 4 becoming unresponsive
V Updates Adobe Flash to 10.0.32.18
V Snow Leopard originally downgrades Flash
* To a version (v10.0.23.1) with security issues
* Need to manually upgrade to, 10.0.32.18
* Fixes a CS3 CS4 issue where pressing the mouse button in Photoshop make the cursor disappear.
* Security update 2009-005 for Leopard and Tiger.
* Don't upgrade production machines right away (this should go for ANY OS update).
V Downgrading to Leopard
* Best if you have a Leopard clone backup
* Otherwise your looking at a manual re-build I think.
V Video playback issues on some Macs
* Play interview with Ara
* Seems to maybe be isolated to FrontRow?
V Quicktime X missing features from Quicktime 7 Pro
* Advanced export options and effects
* Interactivity?
* No play all!!! in the menus. Luckily Command+Enter still works.
* Feels like iMovie '08 all over again.
V 32-bit vs. 64-bit stuff
* System preferences asks to quit and re-open with some 3rd party panes
V Plug-ins need to run in same app mode as host. You may have 32-bit Safari plug-ins
* Do Get Info on the app and check the "Open in 32-bit mode" option in the General settings
* In 32-bit mode you don't get the Safari plug-in "sandbox".
V Jobs on nanos, cameras, and touches
* Cult of Mac pulled some interesting quotes of a David Pouge NY Times interview with Steve Jobs.
V When asked about the lack of a camera in the iPod Touch
* Said customers told them it was a gaming machine and Apple wanted to hit a sub $200 price.
V The quote I was more interested in, "is it’s the lowest-cost way to the App Store, and that’s the big draw"
* Lot's of apps take advantage of the camera. Whole photography category.
* innovative games too. Face Fighter
* No still camera in the nano is about small auto focus cameras
V Cult of Mac theorizes they can do both, so do I but for different reasons
* They say the limitations are about product differentiation
V I say buy the technical issues/limitations story
* iPod Touch is about adding features to sell apps
* Nano is the workout iPod. Camera for taking video and snaps of the kids is handy too.
V MMS Rolling out early for some
* AT&T seems to be playing favorites (Ok i'm jealous) and activating MMS early for some.
* According to Apple Insider, it seems to be random and unrelated software version, carrier bundle version, your service or texting plan, or your geographic location
* Can tell if it is activated by going into iPhone Settings-->General-->Network. If you see a setting for Cellular Data Network, then you are activated.
V Apple TV. More bang, less buck
* According to iLounge over the weekend Apple discontinued selling the 40Gb Apple TV and dropped the price on the 160GB model down to $229.00 USD
* Also note that iTunes LP Content seems designed for HD displays.
V Tablet Rumors Back, did you miss 'em?
* Mac Rumors reports that the Taiwan Economic News is stirring the pot.
* Mac table in february 2010 with a $799.00 to $999.00 USD price
* Based on orders placed for of Taiwanese suppliers of PC parts and components.
* 9.6" touch screen, 3G wireless (HSDPA), P.A. Semi designed processor.
V Music publishers want more from Apple
* According to CNET, ASCAP and BMI are mounting a lobbying campaign to get performance fees on downloads of music, tv shows and movies, and even the 30 sec previews from online resellers like Apple
V They already get licensing fees on the download itself, but in "the real world", when a song is inserted in a TV show or movie they get a fee (synchronization), then when the show airs they get a fee (performance).
* With downloads they don't get the performance fee.
* They argue it impacts background music producers who waive their "sync" fee in hopes of making up it up in performance fees.
* Apple already has licensing for the :30 sec previews, but they don't pay royalties for them.
V They make just 9.1 cents off the download of a song. A rate that the record label got imposed by Register of Copyright. Prior to Oct 2007 the rate was 10%, so still about $0.09 for iTunes tracks, but say $0.30 for a $2.99 ringtone.
* The limits have cut into revenue for writers and publishers so you can see what they want new revenue streams.
* I sympathize, but seems to me like the system is broken.
V Google claims rejection, Apple still says no
* ArsTechnica reports that due to a "freedom of information" act filing Google has released it's Google waived its confidentiality and allowed access to the redacted parts of it's response to the FCC
* Basically it says the Apple VP Phil Shiller contacted Google VPs directly to let them know about the apps rejection.
* was due to it's duplication of Apple's built in dialer functionality.
* Despite Google's claims in it's response, an Apple spokesman told Ars that they are still discussing the app with Google and have not rejected it.
V Feedback, Comments and Commentary
V Extra options on Snow Leopard menu items
* I already knew about this tip for Airport, but Macworld highlighted t's expansion to other menu items in Snow Leopard
V Airport
* Hardware (MAC) address
* Channel is in use
* Signal strength (RSSI)
* Data transmission rate
* Mode (802.11n, 802.11g)
* Security protocol (WPA2 Personal, etc.)
* MCS Index
V Sound
* Switch input and output device settings
V Battery
* Condition: Normal, Replace Soon, Replace Now, or Service Battery
* Click the Condition entry to see the Mac help pages with meanings of the different levels.
V Sync
* Details of when each sync items was last synchronized
* Includes 3rd party apps, like TextExpander and Transmit, etc.
V Bluetooth
* Version
* Open Bluetooth Explorer...
* Open Bluetooth Packet Logger...
V View hidden files in Snow Leopard Open/Save dialogs
* Say this on Rob Giffith's Macworld Video
* He offered 6 tips, but I will definitely use this one
* In a Snow Leopard Open/Save dialog if you press Command+Shift+. you can toggle the visibility of hidden files.
* Particularly useful if you are a web developer, like me.
V 64-bit for the layperson
* Try to explain the advantages or disadvantages of 64-bit.
V Multilingual spell check in Snow Leopard
* Mix multiple languages in a single document
V Set up in the new 'Language and Text' System Preferences under the 'text' tab
* Under 'spelling' you can select the language or choose 'Automatic by Language'
* Select 'Setup...' to set the order when in 'Automatic by Language'
* To add additional dictionary files (.aiff and .dic) you can add them to your ~/Library/Spelling folder.
V How I record Skype
* Play question from Dave
* Wish it were some kinda voo doo magic, but it's not.
V Audio Hijack Pro does all the work
* Has a Skype preset, so just launch AHP and then click Skype and Hijack and then record
* Add Monomizer effect to make mono
* Pipe finished product through Levelator after editing the raw track.
* Drop that AIFF into my podcast.
V If you need to pipe system audio into Skype so that others can hear it
* Soundflower
* Wiretap Anywhere
V iPhone 3GS glass repair
* Just wanted to share this great experience from George.
V Quicklook needs to be "everywhere"
* In Snow Leopard it's expanded to the Open/Save dialogs. yeah.
* I don't know if it was there before, but can also Quicklook an attachment in Mail.
V Can't Quicklook from Stacks, but other cool tricks
* Control+F3 will activate keyboard control of the dock (need to turn on full KB access Control+F1)
V Use arrows to navigate to the stack.
* Up arrow or enter (return) to open stack
* Enter or Command+Down arrow to open an item (drill down in a folder). Command+Up arrow to return to parent stack.
* Holding option while opening an item will cause it to open in the background leaving the stack open.
* Command+enter on an item will reveal it in the Finder.
V 2-step Quicklook from Stack
* 1) Select item in Stack and press Command+enter or Command+Click to select it in the Finder
* 2) Hit spacebar to activate Quicklook
V Closing
V Podcast Marketplace
V Thanks to my sponsors
* Circus Ponies
* Smile on my Mac
* Faronics, Deep Freeze
V Guest Appearances
* The MacJury, with Chuck Joiner and Crew
* The iPhone Alley Podcast
* Typical Mac User, with Victor and Ken Ray
V Keep emails coming. Audio comments.
V 281-622-4269 or 281-Mac-I-Am-9
* PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
* MacCast Forum
* Follow me on Twitter
V "Ice Cream Day" by Sputnik
* Podsafe music from Music Alley on Mevio
* Buy it
V EOL: iPhone Origami
* Fold paper to create a simple and zen-like iPhone stand. (via Cult of Mac)