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Apple released the latest update to Tiger today. Version 10.4.8 includes a variety of fixes right across the board, most of them fairly minor issues in the first place.
So we get more reliable Apple USB Modems, especially when faxing in France or Belgium (wonder what that one was all about); RAW image decoding support for a few more cameras; and all the recent security updates just for good measure.
Play FLV Files in QuickTime [r00tshell]. Download and unzip the Perian component from the r00tshell page and then move it into ~/Library/QuickTime. Worked for me and so far no negative effects.
Download Aperture Updates [Apple]. You’ll need an Apple ID and your Aperture serial number. Aperture 1.5 requires OS X 10.4.8
As I’ve mentioned before, you can link directly to the FREE ON iTunes Page from your Web browser or find it on the front page of your Apple Store.
A reader asked, “What happened to my FREE ON section?” Simple. It’s hidden behind your Just For You section. Log in and then turn off Just For You to find it. Thanks to MacWorld for reminding me that I wanted to post about this. They’ve also posted a cute URL hack for it–drag the FREE ON iTunes title from the music store onto your desktop.
Microsoft released an update for Messenger for Mac. You can read the details and find the download at:
Microsoft Messenger 6.0 for Mac Download
The highlights they mention are:
Apologies if you’ve already seen this posted elsewhere. I thought it was funny, and actually reveals how repetitive Steve’s big announcements can be. I wonder if the makers of “Boom!” could make a follow up called “It’s amazing!”?
Buncha new software updates for iLife now available; mostly they seem to be about plugging iLife and iWork into Aperture 1.5 and vice versa. Some new calendar and card themes in iPhoto, though.
Microsoft is warning of possible damage by malicious Powerpoint files, which they say could affect Mac and Windows users.
What iTunes can learn from Aperture 1.5; some nice thoughts here. Why can’t your music library live on one machine, and your laptop have the right to take some music out on the road?
Chris Swain has relaunched the Macs in Chemistry web site, a collection of resources and links for chemists who use Macs. The site includes links to dozens of chemistry-related Mac apps, and information about ChemLab Notebook and iBabel.
Do you save bookmarks, or web archives. I tend to be a bookmarks man, myself.
After yesterday’s iTunes 7.0.1 update, I was surprised to find so many additional updates this afternoon: iWeb 1.1.2, iPhoto 6.0.5, iMovie HD 6.0.3, iDVD 6.0.3, GarageBand 3.0.4. They all appear to have to do with Aperture 1.5 compatibility. iPhoto also gets a bunch of new custom cards and postcard styles.
Check Apple Menu->Software Update to see what’s available for you.
This is the second cool thing happening to me since I started blogging for O’Reilly: Because my original post about My Dream App apparently got the most traffic to their site, I was invited to write comments on a couple of the ideas that are in round 2. It is interesting and kind of fun to read the comments of the other guest judges. It is also an interesting model to figure out customer demand for a new cool idea, although it is certainly more than a bit biased by the audience being from a certain demographic group. My favorite ideas are Blossom (a desktop plant that blossoms or withers according to your efforts of reaching a certain goal), iGTD (a different approach to todo lists that seems to suit my chaotic personality much better than exisiting models) and Destinations (which, although the specific idea of a travel planner does not resonate too much with me, sparks my imagination on how to create a travel log template engine…). It will be fun to see which idea makes it in the end. And it will also be interesting to see how it is going to be marketed.
According to today’s press releases, Microsoft’s new Zune media player will debut in stores on 14 November, retailing for $249.99. Walmart is now accepting pre-orders for the units in white, black and brown.
Individual songs will cost $0.99, paid for using Microsoft Points. (You buy the points and then pay for the songs with points, 79 points per track.) You can also subscribe for $14.99 a month to an unlimited Zune Pass, allowing access to “millions of songs”.
“On Nov. 14 we’re delivering not only a device, but a shared, social experience that will be shaped by the collective imagination of consumers,” said Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Zune. “We’re infusing the spirit of discovery and sharing into everything we do — from the experience we crafted around the device and service to pre-loading music and videos on every device to expose people to something new.”
iChat AV Testing [MacOSXLife]
MacOSXLife discovered Apple test servers to use with iChat video sessions: appleu3test01, appleu3test02 and appleu3test03. All three are AIM not .Mac accounts
iTunes 7.0.1 released [AppleInsider]
Bug fixes improve stability and fix key performance issues.
Why the iTV sneak peak? [Money.CNN]
Peter Lewis thinks he knows why–he suggests that Apple intends to dominate the movies download market.
First Free Movie? [MovieWeb]
MovieWeb announced that the indie film Rune may become the first iTunes Movie freebie, helping to promote the DVD release.
Apple has taken a lot of heat for its DRM policies. But the “Defective By Design” campaign will raise the temperature a bit. I think this is both right, and unfair. Right because DRM is a really, really bad idea. Unfair because Apple, though they use DRM, is one of the least evil of DRM practitioners.
If you’ve been lusting for some of the iLuv goodies like that gadget that records video directly to your iPod, I found a coupon code that might interest you. Until 31 October, use coupon code iLuv for 35% off your purchase. This brings down the price of the i180 recorder from $200 to about $130 and the price of the 7″ iPod-driven LCD from $230 to about $150. Still a little rich for my blood, but certainly more affordable.
US: In the Morning by Junior Boys
This track, which also happens to be the title of the Hamilton duo’s stunning new album, is a loping little slice of electro-romance. Despite the fact that founding member (and rhythmic kingpin) Johnny Dark left the group (replaced by Matthew Didemus), vocalist Jeremy Greenspeen is able to drop into a hypnotic state, backed by some solid, but gently percolating synths. Shall we call this Single of the Week? Yes, indeed.
US: Nothing to Prove by Niyorah
NiyoRah is a reggae artist in his twenties coming straight outta Dominica. He was raised on a steady diet of roots reggae greats, from Robert Nesta Marley to Burning Spear. His understanding of the rhythmic dynamics of roots reggae and the spiritual drive underneath it - is on fine display on this track, “Nothing to Prove,” our free Single of the Week.
US: Battlestar Galactica - The Story So Far (August 2006)
Before all new episodes of Battlestar Galactica arrive on October 6th, don’t miss the chance to relive the entire first and second seasons as Sci Fi turns over 30 action-packed hours into one 44-minute adventure. This exclusive special traces mankind’s fight for survival back to Battlestar Galactica’s rebirth as a ground-breaking miniseries, and follows the last of humanity as they struggle to outrun their relentless enemy. Narrated by Mary McDonnell, Battlestar Galactica: The Story So Far is an essential look inside the events and people that define life on the edge of extinction. Whether a series fan, or first-time viewer, this special will leave you up-to-date and prepared for the premiere of the third epic season of Battlestar Galactica, October 6th.
US: Million Hit Lowdown
Fans or first-timers, now is the time to catch up with television’s biggest hits. ABC is offering one million free downloads of last season’s finales of Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and Lost.
Australia: You Know by Tyrone Noonan
Single of the Week.
Canada: Grand Champion by Les Trois Accords
Le groupe québéquois tant prisé a fait ses débuts en 2003 avec, à l’époque, Gros Mammouth Album, album qui avait remportait un gros succès grâce à des morceaux comme “Hawaïenne” et “Saskatchewan” (ce dernier avec le groupe déguisé en Ninjas !). Maintenant, ce groupe au rock mélodieux, s’engage dans un deuxième round avec un je-ne-sais-quoi en plus, en sortant Grand Champion International de Course. Le groupe a-t-il de nouveau réussi son pari ? Nous pensons que oui, mais à vous de juger grâce à notre Single gratuit de la semaine, “Grand champion”.
UK: The Edge (Featuring Niara) by Akala & Niara
Akala is tired of the commercial rap game and he’s about ready to see some new rules up on the board. The English MC has revolution on the brain and he’s got the ambition and skills to make some changes. “The Edge” features Akala’s lightning quick rhymes and inventive changes. The whole track is driven by a distorted blues riff, making for a great fusion of raw funk and hip-hop flow.
France: The Beauty Room by Soul Horizon
The Beauty Room constitue une collaboration entre Jinadu et Kirk Degiorgio. C’est ce dernier qui a créé les structures des chansons, en mettant l’accent sur une texture travaillée. Jinadu a ensuite imaginé les mélodies et les harmonies les mieux adaptées à ces structures. Bien que plus habitué à la musique électronique, le duo nous prouve que qu’il a plusieurs cordes à son arc avec ce superbe morceau folk. « Soul Horizons » est notre Single gratuit de la semaine.
Only one thing I’ll complain about, and that’s the price. In the US, it’s a very reasonable $299, which should be around £157 here in the UK. But the UK price is actually £219. Once again, UK customers have to pay an extra premium to enjoy using Apple products. This is nothing new, though, and frankly we’re used to it. That doesn’t mean we don’t find it annoying occasionally.
MacRumors reports sighting a Broadcom 802.11n Network Adapter in a Core 2 Duo 20″ iMac.
The Broadcom 802.11n adapter provides a draft version of the 802.11n wireless specification which is not yet finalized. The new protocol promises significantly faster transfer speeds than existing 802.11b and 802.11g wireless networks.
Based on all the e-mails that keep pouring into my mailbox, nearly everyone now realizes that Apple has massively reduced prices on their certified refurb iPods. You can pick up a 30GB 5G iPod video for $179 with free shipping and a one-year warranty. 60GB units cost $50 more. People who have been waiting for the right time and the right price are now jumping on their first iPod purchases. And then they ask: What else do I need? And where do I get it cheap?
I tend to buy downscale, often at stores like Computer Geeks and Fifth Unit and at my local dollar store. I own very few iPod accessories that carry the “made for iPod” stamp of approval. Here are the things I’ve bought that I consider my “base” iPod accessories.
Case with belt-clip. Although the iPod ships with a small bag to cover and protect your iPod, I prefer to use a holster-style case with a padded inside. The belt clip lets me hook the case to my gym shorts or to my belt, or I can shove the entire case into a pocket, knowing that my keys won’t gouge my extremely scratchable iPod. ($1 - $10)
Headphones. This is where I tell people not to skimp. Choose earphones that fit well and produce the listening experience you’ll enjoy. I have a nice, foldable set that I use on a day-to-day basis. This lets me store them easily in my purse along with my iPod. I also use a mid-range noise-cancelling set when traveling on airplanes. It helps cut through the engine whine and lets me listen at a lower volume than I would otherwise. (price varies)
Speaker. I own a tiny battery-operated speaker that I hook up to the iPod when I want to listen to music in the kitchen. Yes, it’s not the ideal audiophile solution, but it works well for me. ($5-$10)
Cheap-o Dock. I like using a cheap dock rather than the standard USB cable. It keeps my desk in order and looks nicer than the cable. ($4-$8)
Cassette Adapter. My car is of an age where it still has a cassette player. I use an adapter to hook the iPod into my sound system. Other adapters use FM signals and connect to your car radio. I listen to my iPod in the car a lot more often than I originally thought I would, especially now that I’ve found some podcasts that I like to listen to regularly. ($10-$15)
Booster Power. I built my own 9 volt battery-powered iPod booster, but you can certainly go out and buy one. There are several types: the ones you add batteries to and the ones that recharge themselves. If you go on long trips or spent extended periods of time away from your desk, you may find a power extender valuable. Note that with the new iPod firmware, you can extend the battery life of your iPod simply by reducing the LCD brightness using the new brightness settings. ($5-$40)
Power adapters. I use both a car adapter and a wall-jack A/C adapter for car trips and when at hotels. ($3-$10 each)
I sought a better portable podcasting setup, since my home equipment doesn’t travel well. I didn’t think I’d find the solution in the PlayStation 2 aisle.
It’s going to be rocking in Germany today. Adobe already announced the release of Lightroom Beta 4 at Photokina. Mac users should like this new version; it has lots of new features including a fantastic Develop module. You can download Beta 4 now.
Then, at 4:30 pm in Cologne, Apple will make their big photography announcement. Most folks think this will be an updated version of Aperture. Apple has been working very hard on new features and performance improvements, and I’d bet money that what we’ll see today will be impressive.
The upshot for Mac photographers is not one, but two new applications to play with. Both are outstanding.
Keep in mind however, Lightroom is still under development itself. And the team has been very candid about the fact that things will change between the betas and final release. So don’t get too married to features, and keep in mind that work you do in the beta version may not carry over to the final release — Beta 4 included. This is for testing and enjoyment only.
Aperture, on the other hand, is really starting to hit its stride. And by comparison, Apple’s product is much more mature and reliable. My approach now is to use Aperture for my daily work and test the new versions of Lightroom as they are available.
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Mac DevCenter
You don’t always need a table saw; sometimes a pocket knife will do. I just finished editing audio with Rogue Amoeba’s Fission, and it did exactly what I needed: no more, no less.
This just-released Universal Binary sound editor focuses on cutting audio. Sounds simple, and you probably already have a tool to handle that. But with Fission, I can open a MP3 file, snip out an offending segment, then save the edited file without recompressing it. Hmmm…. that is really handy.
Say that I have a podcast that’s ready to go. It’s been recorded, edited, includes wrappers, and is compressed down to MP3 or MP4. I’m ready to go when I hear a squeaky door opening in the background that I missed before. Do I want to go back to the master mix, edit, then recompress? Nope. I just want to get rid of the squeak and upload it. Fission lets me quickly remove the offending audio, save, and be done. Just like that.
Another handy scenario is adding a closing fade to an audio track for a QuickTime slideshow. Normally I have a few hoops to jump through to accomplish this. With Fission, I open the audio track, crop it to the time length I need (say 2:30), move the scrubber to the last 5 seconds of the track, and click “Fade Out.” Now all I have to do is use the Save Audio command, and I have an edited file waiting for me on my desktop that didn’t have to be recompressed, and is ready to add to my slideshow.
You can download Fission for free and try a fully functional demo version. If you like it, and I’m sure you will, you can buy it for $32. But, if you already own Audio Hijack Pro, you can get a coupon for Fission that saves you $14. That means you can buy a nifty audio editor for $18. Give it a try.
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Mac DevCenter
I’ve been attending the MCE Macintosh Computer Expo for years, and have been teaching there for the last four. The free Expo combines sessions and exhibitors covering all sorts of interesting stuff from RSS to iPhoto to Boot Camp. The speaker lineup is terrific (and not just because I participate). Notables include Bert Monroy, Jim Heid, and Joe Kissell.
The setting is pure Northern California. Santa Rosa Junior College hosts the event. It’s a beautiful campus with huge Oak trees and red brick buildings. Autumn is a great time to visit the North Coast. The shoreline is temperate, the wineries are in full swing, and there are lots of places to dine, shop, bike, and hike.
Bert Monroy and I are also leading workshops the day after MCE. Bert’s Painting with Photoshop and my Digital Photography Made Amazing are in depth half day courses coordinated by Santa Rosa Junior College. Both Bert and I are pulling out all the stops for these.
If you’re in Northern California on Oct. 7 & 8, please stop by the Expo. And if you need an excuse for a weekend get-away, I can’t think of a better one.
Last week, I paid up my $4.99 to download a copy of the new iPod Electronic Arts Mini Golf game. It was my first iPod games purchase. And, despite the limited iPod UI possibilities, the EA designers did a terrific port.
Visually, the game shines. The graphics are clear and vibrant. After each hole, the game “moves” you to the next hole. This between-holes animation is smooth, clever and fun to watch.
The audio quality sounded fine, although I found it superfluous. It’s much easier to play games without wearing headphones.
The game play itself was enjoyable. I found the level of difficulty to be modest, but my kids were entranced. It’s a good match for their interest and abilities.
The weakest part of any iPod game is going to be the physical user interface. On normal computers and gaming machines, a variety of user controls provide all the fine motor interactions you need to execute game commands. On the iPod, you’re limited to the scroll wheel. This means that game designers need to develop games that users can play with restricted interaction.
Here’s how things work in MiniGolf. You scroll to set the golf ball’s starting position and then click. You scroll to adjust the angle of your shot and then click. Finally, in the least-intuitive part of the interface, you wait as the swing strength oscillates between weak and strong and then click to set the power of the shot. It works, but it does feel more than a little clunky.
Was EA Mini Golf worth my $4.99? Yes. We’ve had hours of fun so far without the game growing stale. I wish there were more than three courses, but there’s only so much you can expect for a five buck purchase.
I’m curious to see what other games will debut for the iPod. Right now, there are 9 commercial titles available. I suspect that driving games may prove a good match. Penn & Teller’s evil Desert Bus is just crying out for a port.
The latest Parallels Desktop for Mac build eliminates kernel panics and substantially improves the performance of virtual machines running on Mac Pros and 64-bit iMacs and lets Windows Vista RC-1 run as a guest OS (Parallels previously only worked with Beta-2).
You can find my review of the 1.0 release from way back in the summer :-) at:
Isn’t it funny how topics seem to cluster? Just as I was about to write this post, Chris’ post came in through the RSS feed…
Indeed it seems that Cocoa developers are suddenly in demand. And not only in the US. There are a couple of well known Mac developers based in Munich, Germany (of Oktoberfest fame) in need of developers: Equinux (winners of the Apple Design Award 2006) and my company Boinx Software.
Of course I can’t speak for the others, but if you ever wanted to move to beautiful bavaria and are an experienced cocoa developer, this might be your chance.
UPDATE: I removed Elgato from the list above. Although they may look for someone I only have the information second hand.
Joel Spolsky complains that his new MacBook Pro needs a reboot every two hours or so. Joel, that’s not evidence against the “Macs never crash” reputation, that’s a very broken computer.
Merlin’s been asking people how they like to map their minds with OS X apps. Personally, when I need to map something out with blobs and arrows, I prefer a sheet of paper and a chunky pencil.
If you’re one of the many people who doesn’t like the changes to the iTunes interface with the release of version 7, here’s at least one tip that might cheer you up: MacOSXHints shows how to remove the capitalizations from the sources list.
AguaT, takes things further. It grabs iTunes 7 by the throat, wrestles it to the ground and rips out all the interface changes, leaving it looking just like it used to in the good old version 6 days.
Notable new releases include Fission and SubEthaEdit 2.5.1, both of which I intend to download, play with and write about in the coming days.
US: Barely Listening by Pilot Speed (SOTW)
Already on their way into the stratosphere back home in Canada, Pilot Speed are hoping that the same trajectory is in store for them in the US. The quartet step up to the challenge with “Barely Listening,” a propulsive bit of epic pop which might remind a few folks of Snow Patrol with its underlying mourning quality and feeling of dislocation. We feel it’s the perfect tune to be called our Single of the Week.
US:Jeans & Flip Flops by Josh Heffron (DD)
This one-time radio sidekick for Danny Bonaduce has proven himself to be a comedic genius in-the-making with his several late night television appearances and acting gigs. Here, in comedian mode, he takes on the the fashion do’s and don’t (well, mostly the latter) of men in their ’20s.
US: Mr. Meaty (Buffalo Burrito, Episode 1)
During season 1 of Mr. Meaty, something’s always cooking. And not necessarily on the grill! If you crave laughs, you’ve come to the right place. Watch Josh unleash the spirit of Wedgelor, the evil lord of wedgies…Parker turn into a girl from eating one too many Miss Meaty burgers…and Josh discover Parker about to be sacrificed and eaten by a vicious soy cult! Every episode of Mr. Meaty is a recipe for hilarity. Order up!
US: ABC’s Million Hit Lowdown
Season finales and behind-the-scenes featurettes for Lost, Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy are still available.
Australia: Setting Sun by Howling Bells
Darkly clad and exuding the right amount of style and scruffiness that surrounds all of your favourite cult bands, Howling Bells have are ready for your adoration. Fronted by Juanita Stein, who adds the perfect mix of PJ Harvey-meets-Blondie toughness, the group charge through their own lonely blues and ragged, beautiful pop. “Setting Sun” is our free Single of the Week.
Canada: How Do I Get It Right by Sass Jordan
Canadian Idol may be over (we love you Eva!) but Sass Jordan is just kicking things off. The judge everyone loves is back with her seventh album and first since 2003. Before her role critiquing those vying for the crown of all that is Idol, Sass was a big name in the World of Rock, especially in the early ’90s when her chartbusting [i]Racine[/i] was a favourite with rockers such as Joe Cocker, Aerosmith, Whitesnake, Gene Simmons, and more. Get What You Give is out today on MapleMusic and we have the first single, “How Do I Get It Right” as our Single of the Week.
UK: If I by Piers Faccini
English singer Piers Faccini started his career as a visual artist, but quickly moved on to more traditional singer/songwriter fare. His background as a painter might explain his uncanny ability to navigate through light and dark matters so carefully and successfully. His music draws not only from the usual icons of tender Western guitar pop (everyone from Nick Drake to Coldplay), but his vocal inflections and rhythmic changes show a hint of West African influence. “If I” is our free Single of the Week.
France: If I by Piers Faccini
Le chanteur anglais Piers Faccini a commencé sa carrière dans les arts de la parole, mais est rapidement passé à un parcours plus traditionnel de chanteur-compositeur. Son expérience de peintre peut expliquer sa troublante capacité à naviguer avec autant de bonheur et de délicatesse entre l’ombre et la lumière. Sa musique s’apparente à celle des figures emblématiques traditionnelles de la guitare pop occidentale (de Nick Drake à Coldplay), mais ses inflexions vocales et ses variations de rythme montrent une légère influence ouest-africaine. « If I » est notre Single gratuit de la semaine.
A funny thing happened today. A recruiter called me, looking not for a Java developer, but for a Cocoa developer.
One of the surprising things about the multi-processor era is how poorly some applications handle it.
Reverse Engineering iPod Games [iPod Linux]
The iPod Linux people have started a wiki centered on figuring out how those iPod Games work. You may want to pop over and lend a hand if this sort of thing interests you.
Fetching iTunes 7 Artwork [Jesper Nøhr]
Blogger Jesper Nøhr wrote a perl library to fetch the new iTunes 7 artwork from the command line.
Warner Music Group to license its music for YouTube videos [TechCrunch]
If this goes through, user-created videos will be allowed to use licensed Warner Music soundtracks–although Warner may retain veto-power over the video content. It’s unclear who will pay the licensing fees–YouTube or individual users.
Google and Apple: Teaming up? [Newsweek]
Newsweek reports that Google and Apple are in talks, possibly to stream Google Video content to the upcoming iTV.
Myvu: iPod viewing glasses [PlaylistMag]
Yet another generation of TV-watching glasses, although I give them credit for making them nice looking and minimal. I remember trying out early generations of these kind of things, where they weighed a ton. Now “made for iPod”.
iBrella [Make]
An umbrella interface for your iPod. Hee!
Sounds like some developers’ phones started ringing on Tuesday night. Not because of iTunes 7, but because of QuickTime 7.1.3 and some surprise breakage.
TV freebies have been few and far between the last two weeks. Finally they’ve started coming back–and we can only guess with the new upcoming season that this trend will only accelerate.
US: The Replacements Episode 101
Disney’s The Replacements is an animated comedy about tween siblings Riley and Todd who can replace any adult in their life by making a simple call to the Fleemco company. With the help of their good friends at Fleemco, they sent away for two parents and got Dick Daring, famous American stuntman, and Agent K, British super spy, and a talking car nicknamed C.A.R. The four of them live in a typical two-story house in a typical town called Pleasant Hills…but this family is far from typical! Cinder Riley: Riley is looking forward to her first school dance Skate Gate: everyone starts taking over the skating spots that Todd and his friends once called their own.
US: Million Hit Lowdown Summary Playlist
Fans or first-timers, now is the time to catch up on television’s biggest hits! ABC is offering one million free downloads of last season’s finales of Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and Lost.
US: Desperate Housewives “Remember”
A series of flashbacks take us back to moving-in day on Wisteria lane for Bree, Susan, Gaby and Lynette, and to how Mary Alice Young brought them all together. Meanwhile Bree gets some frightening news, Susan moves into a trailer, Lynette faces a crisis in her marriage and Gaby and Carlos learn more about Xiao-Mei.
US: Desperate Housewives “Time to Come Clean”
Desperate Housewives: Time to Come Clean is a half-hour special that takes a revealing look back, and an exclusive look forward at the lives of the world’s most famous housewives. “Housewives” Creator Marc Cherry, his staff, and the experts at “People Magazine” give us the inside scoop on where the show’s been and where its going plus special access to sneak previews from the upcoming season including a behind-the-scenes look at Wisteria Lane’s upcoming Wedding of the Year. It’s everything you need to know about the show that’s back with more compelling surprises than ever. Desperate Housewives returns for season three on Sunday, September 24th at 9/8c on ABC.
US: Grey’s Anatomy “Deterioration of the Flight or Flight Response”
Izzie and George attend to Denny as the pressure increases to find him a new heart, Cristina suddenly finds herself in charge of an ER, and Derek grapples with the realization that the life of a friend is in his hands. In the second hour, Richard goes into interrogation mode about a patient’s condition, Callie confronts George about his feelings for her, and Meredith and Derek meet about Doc.
US: Grey’s Anatomy “Getting into Grey’s Anatomy
Getting Into Grey’s Anatomy is your guide to everything you need to know about the enormously popular ABC medical drama that’s on the move to Thursday nights. The experts at Entertainment Weekly join in with insight and predictions on the characters and relationships at Seattle Grace Hospital, all in anticipation of the exciting season premiere on Thursday, September 21, 9/8c on ABC. It also includes a “spotlight” on Dr. Miranda Bailey, the Entertainment Weekly “Must List” - five things you must know about Grey’s Anatomy, these sexy surgeons’ favorite hangouts, and memorable medical cases - including Jimmy Kimmel’s first-hand experience with Seattle Grace.
US: Lost “Live Together, Die Alone”
After discovering something odd just offshore, Jack and Sayid come up with a plan to confront ”The Others” and hopefully get Walt back. Meanwhile, Eko and Locke come to blows as Locke makes a potentially cataclysmic decision regarding the “button” and the hatch, on the season finale.
US: Lost “The Lost Survival Guide”
The LOST Survival Guide is an absolute must-see if you’re feeling a little…well, lost…when it comes to one of the hottest shows on television. The LOST authorities at Entertainment Weekly, along with LOST creators Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, get audiences up to speed on this extraordinary show just in time for the season three premiere Wednesday, October 4th at 9/8c on ABC. Our Survival Guide begins by introducing our experts and underscoring the phenomenon that has fans around the world in a tailspin over LOST. We look at the basic premise behind LOST and then delve deeper into the backstories of our key survivors. And LOST superfan Jimmy Kimmel stops by with his helpful LOST Glossary. Are Damon & Carlton giving up the goods on what’s in store for season three? Watch and see on The LOST Survival Guide!
After some time keeping my various notes and jottings in different places, I finally saw sense this week and made a permanent switch to Yojimbo as a personal information database, aka external brain.
What prompted this was Merlin Mann’s post about Scattered notes - I was in exactly the same position as Merlin’s correspondent and found myself having the same problems. Was such-and-such a snippet in Notational Velocity, or did it live as a text file in my /notes directory? Had I stored a reference to it in my Gmail account, or stuck a file in one of my reference folders?
What follows is a survey of some good and bad guesses made by the iTunes Store’s new “get missing cover art” feature.
Like half the internet, I’ve been enjoying/dissecting iTunes 7. But I just stumbled on something odd I thought was worth re-posting here.
iTunes has been able to store and display cover art for a long time. At core, that’s not new. But what struck me in iTunes 7 is how quickly it suddenly seemed able to write image data into an entire album’s worth of tracks. I know Apple didn’t make my disk faster, so something else must be going on. Then it occurred to me to have a look in ~/Music/iTunes/ . Sure enough, there’s a new “Album Artwork” folder. And inside, a hierarchy of folders containing untyped .itc (I Tunes Cover?) files.
Well, that explains why writing cover data has gotten so fast, since audio files no longer need altering. All iTunes has to do is create a small data file once and reference it from the library for each file in the album. This is nice for speed and nice for not swelling audio collection file sizes, but sucks for portability between machines/platforms. Why isn’t this a preference? Or an optional mechanism to “permanently store art inside music files” or similar?
Personally, I’d prefer to spend the disk space and the time to have cover art written into my files, not stored alongside them. From my perspective, iTunes just took away my ability to handle this aspect of my music collection correctly.
While we’re on the topic, caveat tunezor: Reports are floating around on mailing lists of undesirable things happening when you select your entire library and ask iTunes to download cover art for every track. When matches are found, existing cover art you’ve spent years gathering may be replaced with art Apple thinks you should have, “including that from Music Store previous purchases.” Original covers may be replaced with covers from compilations. I haven’t experienced these problems myself, but would be interested in hearing from others who have. For now, I’m only downloading album artwork selectively, and only for albums for which I don’t already have cover art.
I’ve just published a gallery of images from Tuesday’s Apple Media Event. The first series was captured outside the Yerba Buena Theater in San Francisco. Included is a shot of Steve Wozniak arriving on his Segway. Also included is the image featured here of the Apple employee being stomped by the iPod dancer.
Once inside the theater, I have shots of the new products with their basic features. Lots of Steve stuff, and a picture of John Legend performing. Good fun. You can visit the gallery here.
I’ve included the technical metadata for each image for those of you who like that stuff. Also, the web gallery was generated in Aperture and uploaded from Aperture to my .Mac account.
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Okay, everyone knows I’m a fan of Apple. I love all the stuff that they do, and was waiting with bated breath for yesterday’s announcements from the “Showtime” event. And even though the supposed live QuickTime feed kept 404-ing, I was able to get my fix from Engadget’s live updates. (To quote Elvis, “Thank you. Thankyouverymuch!”
I’m down with all the new iPods, especially the super mini iPod Shuffle. Great stuff; love it. iTunes 7…wicked f-ing cool! But the iTV? Really, seriously…the Reality Distortion Field extends only so far, man.
So, the main reason why I won’t buy an iTV (or whatever Apple decides to call it later) is simple: It doesn’t record. Will someone please tell me why I should get jazzed about this device, because maybe the lobotomy didn’t work the first time around. I need an iTV like I need another hole in my head. If it doesn’t record television, it’s a useless interface to me.
And you know why it won’t record? Well, you see the model Apple’s going after, don’t you? Don’t you?! Right. Good. They want you to purchase TV shows from the iTunes Store. It’s where they plan to make money. It’s how they can make money. It’s where they are making money. And while I can’t fault them for making money — hell, every company should be as happy to have such a successful turnaround — but the last time I checked, wasn’t Apple about the user? Apparently, that is no more.
For the iTV thingy to be useful for me, it should act as a DVR, but it doesn’t so I won’t buy one. It’s that simple. And I won’t buy an iPod Video either, because I’m already going blind from working on a computer 18-20 hours a day, why should I strain my eyes even more to squint and watch a movie on a teeny-tiny small screen?
All that Apple touches is not Gold. But I still love you, Mac.
Ha, that got your attention…
Cool stuff from Apple again. The movie thing bugs me a bit, though. It is quite expensive, don’t you think?
Since you can’t just burn a DVD, you need this iTV thing to watch the movies on your TV. So, compare the costs of watching movies in addition to your TV set:
DVD:
DVD-Player: $50
DVD: $15
Convenience Level: High (just pop in your DVD)
iTunes:
Mac (or PC): $1300
High Speed Internet: (enter your cost here)
AirPort Express: $129
iTV: $300
Movie: $15
Convenience Level: Medium (Wait for download, know how to set up stuff, keep backups, buy more harddisks to store additional movies…)
Even if you assume that you already have the infrastructure in place, it still is a substancially larger investment and a whole lot more “work”.
Compare that to the economics of songs from the iTunes Store. If you have a PC, the album is $9.99 plus about $1 for a CD-R. Downloading songs is relatively quick even with medium bandwidth and burning to CD is a breeze. Once on CD, you can take it anywhere and you have a built-in backup. The cost/value proposition seems to be all right, even if you compare it to buying a physical product at Virgin.
If you store your movies on an iPod, it is about $3 per movie of storage. But if you loose your iPod or if it dies, you have no backup. So you need additional means of backing up.
I am sure that I can manage the technicalities of using the iTunes Store to get movies but I know more people who will be out of their depths.
So this can only be a first step targeted at early adopters. Movie companies will need to offer more to make downloads a long term success with happy customers.
Another thing to note: CoverFlow was actually aquired from a small developer, so Apple did the right thing this time. And it shows why Core Animation is such a big deal.
I’m not sure iTunes movies are for me. I can buy DVDs with lots of extras for a few dollars more. Maybe I’ll change my mind when iTV (Mac nano media center?) arrives next year. In the meantime, head over to the iPod games area of iTunes Store and check out the first bunch of nine casual games available for video-able iPods. After studying the choices carefully, I chose to spend my hard earned $4.95 to purchase Zuma. After playing with it for a few minutes on my iPod, I know I am in trouble. It is an incredibly addictive game for the casual gamer like me who wants something that can be played in 5 to 20 minute periods. And, I’m pretty sure I’ll look at it (play the game) a lot more hours than I would view a $14.95 2 hour movie :-)
Zuma game for the iPod video
Option-launch iTunes. (Hold down the alt/option key while it launches).
I’m moving this from the comment thread from the Announcements post because I thought it deserved its own post.
Anonymous asked: Will independent developers be able to program iPod games and submit them to the iTunes Store for sale?
To the best of my googling, there is yet no public iPod software development package. The games are stored, by the way, in the iPod Games folder of your main iTunes folder. They have an .ipg extension.
These .ipg files are actually zipped up. Copy one over to a spare directory, rename it to foo.gz and then unzip it, e.g. unzip foo.gz. (Yeah, I tried gunzipping first but there were multiple entities.)
The actual executable is a “.bin” file. There are iTunesArtwork and iTunesMetaData files in there along with language locatizations, sound files, and a Manifest which lists the files and their sizes and a p7b Manifest that handles Fairplay.
Giles, I’m going to respectfully disagree with your thesis about iTV and rumors. I think Jobs showed a product that should have been ready for today’s launch and may have gotten delayed. I don’t think Apple has suddenly changed gears about nondisclosure–and here’s why.
Many of us have speculated about what the big win of a $14.99 price point would be for the new iTunes Movies store. It’s nearly the cost of a DVD. It doesn’t come with an actual physical product. Simply introducing the new movies and leaving it at that would have a lot of us walking away from the store saying that we could do better. At Walmart. At Netflix. Where-ever.
I think the iTMS (or the iTS if that is what it is now called) needs iTV. It had to have a way for you to watch those movies on your TV. In your living room. While sitting in your most comfortable chair.
Sure, you can hook up your iPod to the TV. But it’s a pain. And at over a gigabyte per movie, there are a limit to how many movies you’ll want to sync down to your iPod.
But with iTV? Suddenly all your paid iTunes content becomes part of your living room. You’re not shelling out fifteen bucks to huddle around your personal computer. (*kof* Amazon *kof*). You’re using your media the way you want to use your media and where you want to use your media: at home with iTV, or with your iPod on the road.
Apple never talks about unreleased products. It’s company policy not to do that, that’s what the press guys say every time you phone up and ask about some random rumor you saw floating around online. “We don’t discuss unreleased or future products.” That’s been the rule for a long time.
Following up to my iTMShacks post, I found a few changes to the iTMS protocol with the release of iTunes 7.
For example, the commands machineAuthorizationInfo and accountSummary replace AuthorizationInfo and modifyAccount. iPodRegistration replaces newIpodUserStoreFront.
New items include a check on the download queue, setting the auto download, an m5 Mismatch, updating an asset and, of course, downloading cover art (CoverArt and CoverArtMatch).
There are also several new ministore commands, which is strange given that the ministore seems DOA.
There’s really not enough new items to matter much, and the cover art thing is pretty much taken care of in-program. So bottom line? Nothing much new to report.
For anyone who was hoping to see signs of greater consistency in the OS X interface, iTunes 7 only brings disappointment.
The scrollbars are flatter, dark, not at all the “lickable” Aqua that we’ve grown accustomed to.
Is this just a one-off for iTunes, or something we’ll be seeing more of in the run-up to, and release of, Leopard?
US: Yours to Keep by Teddybears
Although the members of Stockholm’s Teddybears will tell you that the group takes their name from a group formerly under the reign of Phil Spector, you can’t discount that there couldn’t be a more disparate name for the group. Replace “cuddly” with “dangerous” and “fuzzy” with “electro-punk” and you’ve got the right idea. Neneh Cherry guests on this track, our free Single of the Week.
US: In the Dark Pine-Wood by Susanne Abbuehl
This track from Susanne Abbuehl’s eclectic and ambitious new album, Compass. Our free Discovery Download this week, “In the Dark Pine Wood”, is more than just a warm exaltation of romance, it’s one of a handful of tracks on Abbuel’s latest that give James Joyce a co-writing credit. Abbuehl adapted this smokey tune from one of the legendary writer’s early 20th century works.
Australia: Martin Place by Modular Lounge
Up-and-coming Sydney band Modular Lounge are a four-piece with sisters Sophie and Greer Turner sharing guitars and vocals, while Joel Werner and Joe Isaacs hold down the bass and drums, respectively. With a sound ranging from punky pop to indie rock, the standout element is the siblings’ harmonising, which dramatically contrasts with the outfit’s crunching interweaving guitars. Here’s the band in full effect on “Martin Place,” our free Single of the Week.
France: Mournin' Light by Pop Levi
Bravo si vous comprenez exactement ce qui se passe dans la musique de Pop Levi. À notre humble avis, il nous produit un son à mi-chemin entre ceux de T. Rex et de Prince, mais avec le poli d’une production new wave et des riffs bizarrement heavy qui s’immiscent au plus profond de votre cerveau. Mais nous n’en sommes pas vraiment sûrs. Écoutez notre Single de la semaine gratuit, « Mournin’ Light » et essayez de comprendre pourquoi la pop extravagante de ce one man show nous glue aux enceintes.
Canada: Our Hell by Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton
Hopefully you already know Emily Haines from her work with Metric. With them, she leads all fans of electro-punk-pop into complete bliss. On this track from her solo effort, Knives Don’t Have Your Back, Haines works the luscious, baroque, indie pop angle, with her voice taking the center stage (however dimly lit). Our free Single of the Week, “Our Hell” doesn’t seem like such a bad place to be.
UK: State of Mind by Raúl Midón
Despite all of the production tools for a successful pop tune available in the the modern musician’s bag ‘o tricks, Raul Midón manages to dazzle with his simplicity. The title track of Midón’s recent release (also our free Single of the Week) features just him and a guitar, and yet it’s just as energetic and soulful as any club hit. Taking his cues from soul icons like Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, Midón’s gift for songwriting and delivery comes shining through.
Subject says it all. You’ll find it here. (Note: The link is not yet working as the iTunes store gets updated. You can find the FREE ON iTunes link on the main iTunes store page.) Update: link should now be fixed.
The new iTMS movies and games section are running live now with a completely redesigned interface. I’m not sure if the interface with all its iDVD/iMovie-style transitions isn’t too cute for words, but it’s working.
Just downloaded and installed my iTunes 7 upgrade. It looks absolutely beautiful. I love the reorganized table of contents window and how the update offered to find my missing album art. Right now, it’s working on adding gapless playback information to my library. Cool.
The new separate libraries for Music, Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts (with a nice RSS-style number-of-new-unlistened-to indicator), Audiobooks and Radio really make things look cleaner and more organized. I love the way the TV shows are grouped.
The iPod “device” screens are just awesome. Very well done.
I’m still working on moving my audio books over to the right category without much success. Ideas?
It looks like the miniStore is gone for now and reader Bemopolis suggests that my audiobook problem may be due to their AAC file types (rather than m4b).
So that was Showtime, kids. What have we got? Is it what people were hyping themselves up to expect? Not by a long shot.
Here are some straight-from-the-newswires notes; further analysis will be posted later.
Color iPods, color iPod nanos, tiny little iPod shuffles. Lower prices, higher drive capacities. But - no radical all-screen iPod. Not even close.
The first change in iTunes is a radical shake-up of the sources list, with separate sections for each device and media type. Cover art is being given away for free, although the makers of CoverFlow might be interested in iTunes’ new cover art view, one of three new views of your library on offer thanks to Apple’s purchase and inclusion here of CoverFlow.
Resolution for iPod videos is now upped to 640×480, four times what it was before. iPod software updates are also being handled from within iTunes. There’s a nice new interface for searching.
Your iPod can now act as a “sneakernet”-style sync device, syncing data between several Macs for you (as long as they are all set up with the same iTunes Store account).
As of today, iTunes Music Store users have 75 films for sale from Disney, Pixar, Touchstone and Mirimax to choose from. These studios are all owned by Disney, reminding one of how the iTMS started with only ABC TV shows and grew from there. Jobs promises more to come every week and month. Movies are for sale at $9.99 for backlist titles and $12.99 pre-orders/first week of release. Normal pricing for new releases will be $14.99.
The movies store will work in a simlar fashion to the TV store. Pick the movie or movies you want to download, add them to your cart and purchase them. You can watch the movies as they download. The new 640×480 resolution applies to all movies, which is much higher than the resolution of standard TV and near-DVD quality for HDTV. Expect a movie to take about a half hour to download on a 5Mb/s broadband connection. (Note that 640×480 movies are four times the resolution of the existing 320×240 TV shows and twice or more the length.) Standard movie feature will include Dolby surround audio, Parental controls, and MPAA ratings. As an example of movie lengths, Grosse Pointe Blank at 107 minutes occupes 1.12 gigabytes.
Expect movies to be releasedthe same day as DVDs. Digital rights management are identical to those of the TV shows. And while video content remains US only now, Jobs hints that international video content may debut in 2007…maybe.
iTV
Apple will release a $299 wireless, set-top home entertainment unit in Q1 2007 named iTV–although the name is not final. Features include USB, Ethernet, 802.11 video, optical audio and HDMI ports, RCA stereo audio–not to mention iTunes integration. You can play back your iTunes movies on your TV. It will work with the Apple Remote (and the next generation of Front Row) and be about half the size of the Mac Mini. Expect fast, near-DVD quality video on your TV and when using video projectors. The software promises a usable interface with high-resolution scrolling menus and 3D artwork. The iTV (or whatever it gets called) works with both Mac and Windows.
[via Gizmodo.com]
Jobs: “Apple is in your den now. Apple is in your living room. Apple is in your car. Apple is in your pocket. Apple is in your refrigerator. Apple is in your basement. Apple is in tinfoil. You’re watching Apple. Apple is watching you.” [Well, maybe not…]
Building on the success of recent iPod hardware sales (for example, 450,000 Nike/iPod sports kit have sold in just 90 days), Apple is introducing several new iPod units with many enhancements.
The standard video iPod will have a 60% brighter display (with brightness control). 3.5 hour video playback (or up to 6.5 hours with the super battery), new headphones, games and advanced searching. (Quick scrolling feature uses letters of the alphabet–yay!). New pricing: 30GB is $249. 80GB is $349. On sale now. (Is it me or did Educational pricing seem to have disappeared?)
The new 2nd Generation Nano is thinner and looks like a small iPod mini. Available styles include green, silver, pink, black, blue, and aluminum. Expect a 24 hour battery life and updated software features (like the standard iPod). 2GB, $149 (aluminum only), 4GB $199 (all colors), 8GB $249 (black only). With a new charger, armband, and lanyard headphones. On sale now. (And yes, it should work with the Nike/iPod sports kit.)
The new 2nd Generation iPod Shuffle debuts in October with a completely new look (it’s smaller, squarer and clip-on), a 12 hour battery life, brushed metal coloring, and a white click wheel. 10 million shuffles have already been sold. 1GB - $79.
Games are for sale starting to day at the music store: $4.99 each (5G iPods and up). Bejeweled, Cubis2, Mahjong, miniGolf, PacMan, Tetris, etc.
iTunes 7 debuts with separate libraries for music, movies, TV shows, podcasts and radio for both your computer and your iPod. I hope there are library folders too, but that might be too much to hope for to separate my spoken audio from my music.
Cover art is now FREE! iTunes will supply you with your missing cover art. Two new iTunes features take advantage of album cover art. First, you can “flip” through your albums to find your music. Second, new “album view” shows the cover and the tracks by album.
Finally, iTunes 7 has gapless playback (as does the new iPod software update).
The big TV show news is that video resolution is up from 320×240 up to 640×480. The new 2006-2007 NFL season will be available at the store.
iTunes 7 introduces better syncronization options, without having to use preferences. Engadget notes that you can sync the 10 most recent unwatched eps of your TV shows. iLounge mentions that you can sync between multiple computers using the same iPod, so long as both computers are authorized on the same account.
[Sources: iLounge, Engadget, MacRumorsLive, MacWorld]
Yes!
Update: Interestingly enough, https://phobos.apple.com/secureBag.xml redirects to https://phobos.apple.com/showtime/showtime.html:
During high school, I spent nearly every waking hour in the company of the Klitzman twins. We took biology together, English, physics, chemistry, social studies, lunch and band. I’d walk from class to class to class and they’d always be there. After school, we’d carpool together to after-school activities. I believe I spent more time with the twins than their parents did.
We had little in common. I was a computer geek, into science fiction and programming. They were athletic. They played tennis and were well liked. The band-twin was excellent at her instrument. I just played along and tried not to hit too many sour notes. Socially, we lived in very separate worlds and I never got to know them. We co-existed rather than interacted. I am the poorer for that.
They both became adults of great accomplishment. They went, I believe, to Princeton. From what I have googled, Karen did graduate work at Columbia and became the vice president of research for the New York Mercantile Exchange. Donna attended medical school and now practices medicine in New Jersey. It sounds like they were amazing people.
Five years ago today, a plane flew into the office of Cantor Fitzgerald and vaporized Karen. From what I can tell, her body was never found. Along with her at the World Trade Center died Edward Fergus and Thomas Collns and Christopher Panatier, who attended High School East at the same time we were at West and Martin Lizzul who graduated West a few years after we did. I don’t think I ever met or knew them, but they were from home.
The minutes of the board of the Half Hollow Hills school districts lists parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends. A couple of teachers at West Hollow lost nearly a dozen friends all at once. Friends and acquaintances spent months going to memorial service after memorial service.
Today, all the cable channels will be replaying memories of that time. And tomorrow, Apple is going to introduce some new iPods and iMacs and life will go back to normal.
Life is short and unpredictable. We all have many missed opportunities and people of value that we never got to really know. Rather than focus on the obsessive hatred and corrosive philosophy that motivated the events of 9/11/2001, today I’m going to take a moment to appreciate and better get to know the people in my life.
We are surrounded by good people. Sometimes we forget about that.
Of all the fake 6G iPod photoshops, weblogger Mike McHargue certainly produced one of my faves. I’d buy one of these!
For your Friday entertainment, here’s a little Mac trivia quiz, brought to you in high-definition JavaScript.
Free $1.99 Video? Yay! Windows only? Boooooooo!!!
As Giles blogged earlier today, Amazon Unbox just launched. New users are offered a free $1.99 video instant rebate. But you need Amazon Unbox Video Software to watch your videos–and it’s WinXP and above only. How disappointing.
There’s an interesting mix of films and TV shows on offer. Older films cost $9.99. TV shows are $1.99. A lot of the content overlaps with the offerings at the iTMS.
Amazon’s video download service, Unbox is live. And it’s Windows only.
The Unbox System Requirements say: “The Amazon Unbox video player is not compatible with Apple/Macintosh operating systems.”
Perceptive Automation, makers of the Mac home automation program Indigo, have released a public beta of the forthcoming Indigo 2.0.
There are a lot of interesting changes, but two have really caught my eye. The first is the Client-Server architecture, which introduces a number of interesting benefits, not the least of which is you can now run the application as a GUI-less process and control it from another computer. Just the thing for the Mac Mini you’ve got next to your TV and stereo.
The next eye-catching feature is the built-in Web server and email support. It’s long been possible to control your Mac-based home automation in this fashion, but Indigo 2.0 appears to raise the bar quite a bit. The live demos that are featured on the page I linked to above are quite tasty.
There’s a lot more, including RSS feeds and new triggers and actions, so drop by the website and download the beta. Don’t forget to sign up for a 60 day trial license (normally 30 days, but extended during the public beta) and get busy. I’d love to hear what you think.
HDTV. About a year and a half ago, it was new and exotic stuff. I wrote a MacDevCenter article about watching HDTV on your Macintosh. I discussed buying an HDTV tuner card, installing it on your Mac and watching free-to-air ATSC HDTV broadcasts. Recently I had a chance to revisit HDTV by testing a Miglia/El Gato “TV Mini HD” receiver, an ATSC-tuning USB 2.0 unit with plug-and-play HDTV reception.
The Mini is the product of an interesting merger between Elgato, known for its EyeTV hardware/software offerings, and Miglia, which I previously only knew from its Analog-to-Digital converter boxes (along the same lines as the Canopus A/D converters). The “mini” name is apt. The shiny metal box is smaller than an index card and only about an inch thick and will set you back approximately $249.
When Bare Bones Software announced the latest version of BBEdit, I was, quite literally singing its praise in my head. Now, it is no secret I am a big Bare Bones fan (and an unpaid one, I fully assure you) but even that may seem a bit extreme, eh? You see, I had just been asked by a client to alter 151 pages of XHTML code on a site of theirs, namely perform typographic operations ranging from basic quote curling to the updating of a product naming scheme. I do cooler stuff but hey, it pays for the backlit keyboards. Thanks to SFTP browsers, grep searching and a couple of Unix filters — including good old SmartyPants –, I was able to do all that without leaving BBEdit itself — or keeping an anxious client waiting.
OK, I’ve been messing around with the new release for a little while now, and here are some first impressions.
Check spelling as you type has been added, and BBEdit-using journalists and writers out there will be jumping for joy. Honestly, this was one of the main things that used to annoy me about the previous versions, and made me flirt with rivals like TextMate. Talking of which…
TextMate’s influence is clear. Renaming the Glossary as “Clippings” is the most obvious evidence of this.
Exciting news for text freaks today, with the release of BBEdit 8.5, described by Bare Bones as a major upgrade.
Primary new features include a revised toolbar interface, new preferences window, code folding (at last!), replacing the old Glossary with a Clippings function, and a new icon.
I’m downloading the update as I type these words, and I’ll post some more detail later on when I’ve had the chance to explore the new stuff a little bit.
I don’t normally post about Apple rumors here; on the whole, I’d rather wait until there are facts to report instead of speculation.
But today’s announcement of the new 24-inch iMac made me twitch a little. By releasing that little gem, and rather suddenly at that, Apple is sending a clear message: next Tuesday’s “Showtime” event is much more interesting that a new iMac.
Which in turn makes me more inclined to think that some of the rumors and “sources tell us” reporting we’re seeing are true.
Movies to download? More than likely, although I sincerely hope that Variety is wrong when it says that the service will only offer Disney films to start with. Just Disney? Wouldn’t that somehow take the wind from the sails of such a big new idea? Especially if, as Variety reports, Amazon is lining up a rival downloads service with a lot more choice.
Then there’s the mythical Apple cell phone. It’s now a prototype, not a concept, reports Apple Insider. And analysts say that even grabbing just 1% of the market could be a significant money spinner for Apple.
Just 1%? I can see the grin on Steve Jobs’ face from here.
Apple just announced upgrades to iMac (Intel Core 2 Duo and 24″ screen) and the Mac mini (1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo). Why? Because it’s that time of year for new products and because Apple didn’t want to detract from their “big” (as in really big show) announcements on Sept. 12.
Good strategy. I like their focus. Oh, and BTW, the new iMac looks great!
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US: Los Angeles by SUGARCULT
The city of angels, lights, and lip implants gets a new homage thanks to the glossy, but still moody punk of Sugarcult. Our free Single of the Week recognizes the greed and need of those who inhabit those hills, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any truth involved to the myth. The tune is most telling when you hear the lines, “this city is killing me/I want everything.”
Australia: All Hail the Serpent Queen, Pt. 1 of 3 (Trilogy) by Goodnight Nurse
Something from across the Tasman this week. Goodnight Nurse have managed to crawl their way up and into the hearts of the New Zealand people. Their debut album Always and Never hits hard with its mix of operatic metal and pop punk. Goodnight Nurse now look set to unleash their music on these shores, starting with a tour that’s set to last until September. They crash onto iTunes this week with our free download, “All Hail The Serpent Queen.”
Canada: So This Is Goodbye by Junior Boys
This track, which also happens to be the title of the Hamilton duo’s stunning new album, is a loping little slice of electro-romance. Despite the fact that founding member (and rhythmic kingpin) Johnny Dark left the group (replaced by Matthew Didemus), vocalist Jeremy Greenspeen is able to drop into a hypnotic state, backed by some solid, but gently percolating synths. Shall we call this Single of the Week? Yes, indeed.
UK: Come Here by Cass Fox
This track from Cass Fox has a big, bold soul style that falls somewhere between Joss Stone and Dusty Springfield — and that’s just the vocals. The epic, flowing backbeat is a mix of warmly recorded strings and slippery electronics. Another top tune for our free Single of the Week.
Germany
Nothing this week. Maybe last week was a fluke?
France: What Is Your Name Again? by Fancy
Fancy a free song? Sévissant sur scène depuis de nombreuses années, ce quatuor parisien aux influences multiples propose un jouissif et puissant cocktail énergétique de rock façon années 70 imprégné de funk. « What Is Your Name Again? » est notre Single de la semaine, extrait de leur premier album éponyme.
Members of the media received email invitations this morning for a special event on Sept. 12 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco. As many have speculated, Apple is focusing its announcements for appropriate venues. Some were disappointed that the WWDC keynote didn’t contain more product sizzle. But Steve covered what made sense for a developer conference. The upcoming special event will draw lots of coverage and should be the perfect venue for more consumer-related announcements. I’ll be attending and will keep you posted.
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Guardian writer Charles Arthur wrote up a list of the features he loves most in Mac OS X, and pointed out that very few of them are the kind of thing that Steve Jobs shows off in his keynote speeches.
Among his favorite features are simple things like system stability, searching PDFs in Preview, Applescript, parental controls, and Bluetooth synchronization.
I find a lot I agree with in this list. Like Charles, I prefer Camino over Safari; like him, I have little use for Dashboard (I still think a browser is just as good, and more convenient, than most widgets I might want to use), although I do make occasional use of Expose, Spotlight and Automator.
When I stop to think about it, I use OS X because, in my view, it offers the simplest way of doing general-purpose computing. I like keeping things simple, and my experiences with other operating systems have taught me that generally speaking, they don’t manage to make my life in front of a keyboard as simple as OS X does.
sudo diskutil resizeVolume disk0s2 72842723328B \ "MS-DOS FAT32" Data 5368709120B \ "MS-DOS FAT32" Windows 21474836480B
diskutil list /dev/disk0 to be sure you are operating on the right partition first or you may wipe out important data!!!):
sudo newfs_msdos /dev/disk0s3
I noticed Apple promoting their iTunes Music Store Allowance feature that lets you fund your child’s iTunes habit without providing him or her a credit card (or at least the information from one). It got me wondering what other electronic/virtual allowance methods other parents provide: Second Life Linden Dollars? PayPal credit? Is the presumed mini-lesson in budgeting and economics lost when allowance is given in something other than traditioanl legacy cold hard cash? How’s virtual allowances working out in your home? I haven’t tested it out in mine yet.
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