shownotes_20110430

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    Music is "Say Anything" by Manda and the Marbles
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News
  Apple finally responds to Locationgate
    Apple was collecting anonymous data to try and build up a location database for a potential future traffic service
    Collected even when location services was off. Apple says that was a bug.
    Cached a history up for up to a year
      Apple said that was a bug too
    What Apple is changing
      Shorten the cache to 7 days
        the cache was a subset of Apples aggregate data compiled based on locations you been in and apple had set a 2MB size limit for that file. That's why it had up to a year of data.
      will not be backed up and is deleted if you turn off Location services
      Apple will encrypt the cached data on the device.
    Schiller equated the data to similar data that gets tracked when you make purchases in retail stores.
    Why Apple cached the data
      GPS can take to 12 mins to acquire data
      With assisted data it can be seconds
    Apple and Google will testify at federal privacy hearings.
    I think I would want my iOS devices reporting their location for Find My iPhone. I think that actually happens via the Push of data from Mobile Me, since push needs to be active of that to work. If I opt out of location after the update will Find My iPhone no longer work?
  Apple spends 11B to shore up supply chain
    From Apple's 10-Q filing
    That's up from 7.9 billion spent in December quarter
    It's believed by analysts that at least some portion of the 11B spent is being used for long term commitments which block competitors and keep Apple in good supply.
    The 10-Q seems to indicate at least 2B is being used for long term commitments, but we also know Apple had a 3.9B billion strategic investment in components they made back in January.
    Apple has also had long term deals for Flash in play for a long time which is why I believe they are the only tablet with a 64GB model. Competitors could produce 64Gb models by combining smaller chips, but that would reduce the number of 16GB and 32GB models they could produce.
  Apple Updates
    Mac OS X v10.6.7 Snow Leopard Font Update
      Fixes for Mac OS X v10.6.7 that address issues displaying and printing OpenType fonts.
      Address an issue in which some OpenType fonts don't display correctly in certain applications
      Resolve issues printing from Preview
      Address an issue with PDF files not opening in third-party PDF viewing applications
      Resolve invalid font errors when printing to PostScript printers
    iPhone '11 updated
      iPhoto 9.1.2 update for iPhoto '11
      Addresses an issue that prevented the Zoom slider from being accessible in Magnify (1-Up) view
      Fixes an issue where Toolbars were not auto-hiding in Full Screen view
      Search field now correctly performs an “includes” search when searching by text string
      Fixes minor formatting issues with book, card and calendar themes
      Message Size of emails now correctly updates when changes are made using the Photo Size menu
      Addresses an issue that prevented some iPhoto 5 libraries from upgrading correctly
      Multiple book pages can now be drag-selected when in All Pages view
      Design tools in print project panels are now accessible via separate Layout and Options buttons
      Photo backgrounds applied to a book are now preserved when book type is changed
      Tab key can now be used to navigate through all text fields in a book project
    iMac Hard Drive Firmware Update 1.0
      Specifically for the new mid-2010 iMac models
      Fixes a hard drive issue that may prevent some iMac (21.5-inch and 27-inch, Mid 2010) systems from booting properly.
  New iMacs on May 3rd
    Rumors late in the week that Apple will release new versions of the iMac on Tuesday
    Updated to new "Sandy Bridge" core i5 and i7 processors
    Get Thunderbolt ports.
    Reports say the Apple retails store employees have been advised of a "visual night". Staying late and switching over displays, signage, etc.
    New iMacs would be on display the day of release.
  Apple developing iCloud
    Services beyond music storage locker
    Includes video and photos
    Also storage and sync of bookmarks, email, contacts and iCal
    Rumored to have purchased iCloud.com for 4.5 million according to gigaOM.
      From Sweden-based desktop-as-a-service company, Xcerion.
      Xcerion’s existing iCloud service was just rebranded to CloudMe
      Using it in internal builds of iOS 5 and OS X Lion
    Unclear if it will be made free.
      My guess it will be free basic features with add ons.
    Service would be shown at WWDC and probably release in the Fall with new iPhones and iOS 5
      Give developers time to integrate the service.
  Apple more profitable than Microsoft
    Apple posted profits of 5.99 billion in 2Q. Microsoft just reported net profit of 5.23 billion for it's last quarter
    Tech Crunch has an interesting timeline
      May 2010 Apple's market cap surpasses Microsoft's making apple the most valuable tech company
      October 2010 Apple beats Microsoft in quarterly revenue
      January 2011 Apple becomes 2nd most valuable US company behind Exxon.
      April 2011 Apple beats Microsoft in net quarterly income.
  White iPhone arrives, really
    Went on sale on Thursday
    Sold out in China
    Shipping times extended to 5 days in parts of Europe. 3-5 days in the US.
      Black iPhone still 24 hours
    Design changes
      Proximity sensor 'slot'
      Thicker. 0.2 mm
    Sounds like the reason fro the delay was color issues over time and possibly issues with the sensor
      Jobs told D all things Digital, "It's not as simple as making something white. There's a lot more that goes into both the material science of it - how it holds up over time... but also in how it all works with the sensors."
      Apple reportedly added a UV coating to avoid discoloration over time. Something they have had issue with on other products like the white Macbook (reaction with skin oils?).
  OS X Lion preparing to pounce
    We expect to see a lot about Lion at WWDC and hope to get a release date. Summer is likely, but could be Fall
    Apple seeded a third beta build os Lion Developer Preview 2 to developers.
    There were no release notes and only minor UI tweaks being reported.
    Changes to the 'tab' buttons in preference panes. Darker more 'sunken' look.
      Prior vision had a "slider" way of highlighting tabs that was confusing when you only had 2 tabs.
    Signs of a 'Find My Mac' feature according to 9 to 5 Mac
      An icon and something call 'Find my Mac messenger' and FindMyMac framework.
    Macrumors reports a 'Reading List' feature has been discovered in Safari in Lion.
      Allows you to add links to a list for viewing later
      Not active, but seems similar to Instapaper or ReadItLater
      Could be sync'd between devices via Mobile me.
Feedback, Comments and Commentary
  Host iWeb on Dropbox
    Play comment from Tim
    Basically you publish to a folder in the Public folder on your Dropbox (~/Dropbox/Public)
    The right-click the index.html file in the published iWeb folder and share that link
    You can even go further and use your own domain with a domain forward with masking to get your own URL.
    Trouble will be that for free Dropbox accounts there is a daily 10GB data transfer limit. 250GB for Pro accounts
    How to share iWeb sites file between 2 Macs via DropBox
      Quit iWeb
      Move the 'Domain.sites2' file found in '~/Library/Application Support/iWeb/' to a folder on the Dropbox that is shared with all the Macs you wish to be able to access that file
      Re-launch iWeb and you should be prompted to create a new domain or locate an existing one. Select the moved 'Domain.sites2' file.
      A word of warning… Accessing the 'Domain.sites2' file from 2 Macs in iWeb at the same time will likely corrupt the entire file, so be careful. Remember to wait for Dropbox to complete it's sync too.
  Saving iOS files to Flash Drive
    Ric asked if you could use the Camera Connection Kit to save files directly to a Flash or USb drive from the iPad
    Short answer is no.
    There are some interesting things you can play around with
      The Camera App will see some files in a DCIM folder at the root of a FAT32 formatted drive.
      Use Disk Utility to format a USB stick in FAT 32
      Create a folder names DCIM at the root of the disk
      Connect the USB Stick or SD card via the Camera Connection kit.
      Any iOS supported image or movie files will be seen by the Camera app and you can import them
    Camera connection kit reportedly also works with some USb multi-card readers
    Writing to a connected drive is not possible without 3rd party hardware
      Most of this is kludgy at best
      HyperMac HyperDrive (read only?)
        $99.95 (case only), also with drives.
        Connects to iPad via USB and Camera connection Kit
        Creates on the fly 32GB image folders that the iPad can see in the Camera app
        Only supports image and movie formats supported by the iPad
      AirStash
        $99.99 USB SD adapter with WebDAV support
        Put a SD card into it and it will create a webDAV share
        Can use iOS apps that support webDAV transfers, like Pages, Numbers, Keynote, GoodReader.
        I would use GoodReader and the Open in... feature as a conduit to other apps.
      ZoomMediaPlus, ZoomIt
        Proprietary SD adapter. $40.00 USD on Amazon
        They have their own free iOS app for transferring files
        Mixed reviews, most negative related to watching video off the card.
        Will let you write files and supports 'Open In…'
      Bottom line is most of the options are "hack arounds", AirStash seems like the most reliable.
    Web based services like DropBox and DropDAV are probably a better bet.
      For the record I don't use DropDAV personally, but know those who do and swear by it.
  Review: CalDigit USB 3.0 AVDrive
    External dual interface hard drive. 2 FW800 and USB 3.0
    Solid aluminum housing with ambient temperature-controlled smart fan.
    Software and hardware to support USB 3.0 on the Mac
      Express/34 or PCI card
      Drivers software
      Also, Carbon Copy Cloner, RAID Tools, etc.
    One hiccup was I have a DOA Express Card with the review unit they sent me. A replacement fixed the issue.
    Speed tests
      Tried both timed copies and AJA System Test tools
      On AJA transferred a 1GB file
        Macbook Pro Internal (5400 RPM)

          19.5 MB/sec write
          16.0 MB/sec read

        FW 400 - Seagate Free Agent Pro (7200 RPM)
          30 MB/sec write
          32 MB/sec read
        FW 800 - OWC Elite AL Pro (5400 RPM)
          57.7 MB/sec write
          68.8 MB/sec read
        FW 800 - CalDigit AVDrive (7200 RPM)
          58.5 MB/sec write
          71.9 MB/sec read
          They claim a 30% better FW performance than other FW 800 drives. confirmed in my read tests.
        USB 3.0 - CalDigit AVDrive (7200 RPM)
          105.0 MB/sec write
          123.0 MB/sec read
      Real world data transfer on CalDigit
        6.75GB to Mac --> 6:25.2
        to CalDigit AVDrive --> 08:27.5
      Real world on OWC Elite AL Pro (5400 RPM)
        6.75GB to Mac USB 2 --> 6:50.7
        to OWC Elite AL Pro (5400 RPM) --> 7:03.4
    So here's the rub (and this till be true for ANY drive). The speed is determined by the slowest player.
      Theoretical Maximums
      USB 2.0 480 Mbps
      eSATA 1.5Gbps or 3Gbps
      USB 3.0 5Gbps
      Thunderbolt 10Gbps (bi-directional)
    If you are going directly to or from the CalDigit Drive you can expect the best throughput. Or if you had 2 CalDigit Drives.
    You're Macs internal SATA maxes out at 1.5Gbit or 3Gbit
    The CalDigit is a really nice external drive and if you have a specific need for the fastest performance on an older Mac with an Express Card slot or a Mac Pro it's well worth checking out.
    Only current solution I am aware for for USB 3 on a Mac (not supported natively yet, nor is there any indication it will be).
      CalDigit only official supports their drive on USB 3.0, but other devices MAY work. I didn't have any to test.
    Pricing
      $258.00 1TB drive, $358.00 2TB, $448.00 3TB with PC card
      $268.00 1TB, $368.00 2TB, $458.00 3TB drive with laptop card
      About $100 more than an external FW 800 drive
    Only has a 1 year warranty which is a bit low in my opinion.
  Error -1407 in Finder
    During testing I was moving a lot of file around between external volumes.
    When I tried to copy and/or delete a file from one of my externals I got a -1407 error.
    It wouldn't let me move files from that drive.
    Fix was to run Disk Utility verify on the drive. Found no errors, but after I could use it again.
    I think because it unmounted and remounted the drive it may have fixed it. A reboot may have done the same thing.
  Measuring Apple's success
    A lot of people, my self included, like to look at stats and numbers and try and use them to measure how successful Apple is, was or will be.
    There is also a fair amount of comparing going on. Recently to figure our who's bigger Apple or Android (Google)
      For example
        Latest Nielsen US smartphone share numbers: 27% iOS, 37% Android, 22% Blackberry
        ComScore recently looked at numbers for ALL mobile phones and connected devices (i.e. tablets, iPods) and found:
          iOS with 16.2% share and Android with 10.2%
          iPads extend beyond iPhone owners
            Only about 10% of iOS users use iOS on more than 1 device
            27% of iPhone owners have an iPad
            17% of Blackberry owners own an iPad
            14% of Samsung owners own an iPad
            12% of LG owners
          not quite the "fanboy" overlap that many predicted.
      A app store analytics provider Distimo forecasts Android apps reaching iOS numbers by mid this year
        Odd since iOS apps top 350,000 and current counts put Android at around 150,000 according to Google
        Android is growing much faster than iOS
        Saturation and Apple is more restrictive
        About 63% of apps on Android are free, about a third of iOS apps are free.
        Evernote CEO, notes that iOS customers are more likely to buy, so worth developers pursuing first.
    The funny thing is for all our 'analysis' I get the distinct feeling at the end of the day a lot people at Apple including Steve Jobs really don't care.
    Not that they don't care about success, or profit margins or growth, they obviously do.
    But I think more importantly they want to just make really great products
      Experience drive the technology and innovation and the profits (obviously) follow.
    Copy & Paste on the iOS is a likely example where an experience decision won out over a technical one.
    The white iPhone is another example
    It's always seemed to me that Jobs has wanted to be able to look back and say " I made really cool stuff that people loved to use and made a lasting impact on the world". More than look how much Apple is worth.
  Airplay to Mac with BananaTunes
    I love Apple's new Airplay Technology.
    Typically you go from a Mac or an iOS device to an Apple TV 2, AirPort Express, or other AirPlay compatible device, like speakers.
    Erica Sudun has been fascinated with the technology too and now has allowed us to reverse the process back to the Mac.
    BananaTunes is a beta app that basically does for audio what her AirPlayer did for video.
    You need to install libao dynamic audio library
      Requires admin privileges
      In Finder choose 'Go-->Go To Folder…' Then type, '/usr/local/'. If you see a 'lib' folder your good, otherwise create it (you'll be prompted for a password)
      Copy the ao folder and the libao.4 dynamic library into /usr/local/lib
    There is a package installer available from a 3rd party. (Untrusted, so use at your own risk)
    Then you can launch the BananaTues app. There is really no UI, but when you play a song or your iOS device or another Mac and access the AirPlay list you should see the Mac running BananaTunes listed.
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