Lecture Podcasts

I just recently found out that there are already quite a few American universities that offer their lectures and speeches as podcast or at the very least, in downloadable digital music formats. Though I've been listening to Stanford's Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders podcast, it was only last night that I saw a whole lot more podcasts from other schools.

I found out about these when I looked at The Unofficial Apple Website's entry about Harvard's podcasts. I've already subscribed to one lecture series about Understanding Computers and the Internet.

Stanford on iTunes, aside from the podcast series I mentioned before, also has podcasts on Music, Books, Sports, Faculty Lectures, and several others.

I am also subscribed to University of Hawaii's ICS101. Course description is that it "covers the fundamental concepts and terms of computer technology, application software for problem solving, computer technology trends and impact on individuals and society."

A Ludwig von Mises Institute blog post also discusses the increase in the number of schools offering podcasts for free. Aside from their own podcasts, Mises mentions those from MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, Tufts, Rice, and Utah State.

Last but definitely not the least, Productive Strategies lists some more academic lecture podcasts. This is where I found University of Hawaii's series on Tools for the Information Age.

WordService, XML Nanny

Mac OSX Services: There's a whole hidden side of text modification that is stashed away, yet right at your fingertips. If you go to the Application menu (if you're in Safari, click the menu 'Safari') -> Services, a whole list pops down. You've probably disregarded this in the past (if you've ever seen it) because most of the options are grayed out, or unclickable. All you need to do is highlight some text. Go back to the menu and there are so many to choose from! (Needs WordService.)

XML Nanny: The perfect tool for the web author who cares! Checking your XHTML document's validity either locally or remotely is a snap, and XML Nanny's detailed error messages let you know about those embarrassing validation errors so you can debug them immediately.

Two iMac reviews, a Mac mini review, and someone's favorite things

A Computerworld journalist reviews the latest iMac G5, marvelling at the fact that she unpacked, set up, and made it go, all by herself. She also loves the minimalist design and the silence, both putting to shame her old computer. She likes the mouse and dismisses the attempts of some to pooh-pooh over the iMac because of the dreaded one button mouse. This review is better than some out there since this is a point of view from a non-tech, non-geek user. This is just your everyday, average Jane who likely won't complain about the amount of frontside bus or the non-upgradable GPU or some other stuff that only OC Windows fantics would complain about. Speaking of which....

James Coates of the Chicago Tribune reviews the 20" iMac G5 and says that it's "the latest evolution in personal computing, and there is no doubt that (lower case) intelligent design was at work." Even though Coates crows about Front Row and says that you won't go wrong in picking the iMac over Windows PCs, he still gets some things wrong. Quite obvious that this guy is misinformed with statements such as "Apple owning only about 6 percent of the world market," and claims that there are no good softwares for the Mac. He also says that Mac owners are "short-changed by software companies." Another fallacious statement is that Safari works the same as Internet Explorer. Anybdy can see that IE can't do tabs. To Coates, having Google Earth not work on Macs is a tragedy. He may made a glowing review but he should have done more research.

Another review, this time for the Mac mini. A long time Linux user bought a Mac mini and list down his likes and gripes. He likes the Mac's GUI and general user experience but puts Linux first when it comes to networking and operating system.

Finally, not entirely Mac related but it the article has Mac OS 10.4 in it so I decided to include it. Andy Ihnatko lists down his favorite things. From the STM Sports Backpack to Flickr. From Mac OS 10.4 to the Palm LifeDrive (huh?).

iPod news: nano review; no nano for NZ; accessorize for the holidays; going 60; iPod Bar; iTunes on X86s

PC World gives the 2GB iPod nano 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. The iPod nano is tiny with a tiny scroll wheel to match. But the size is no impediment to functionality. The screen's resolution is high enough that it was readable but photos viewed in the near postage stamp sized screen were dark and difficult to look at. One more gripe is the placement of the headphone jack, perventing users to make it stand on a table while listening to it. I think this is an unnecessary critique considering how thin the nano is, it would be very difficult to make it keep standing. That and the fact that the earphone wire would weigh down the nano if you do manage to make it stand.

New Zealanders are having a blue Christmas. Well, for those who wants an iPod nano in their Christmas stockings, that is. Reseller News reports that even though the 30GB and 60GB fifth generation iPods are in ample supply, it's the nano that people want, and supplies are short. It is also reported that Apple sold three times as much iPods last quarter than on Christmas 2004. This shortage has benefited Apple's rival, Creative, since people are after digital music players this hoiday season that they'll grab anything that's available. The holiday season has made some analyst perky about Apple's chances for success. Apple's estimates have been raised several times for the past few weeks. But some caution about jumping the gun considering resellers are facing iPod nano supply shortages for the holiday season. If rumors are true that Apple is holding back iPod supplies from resellers then it's a very bad move since people will look to theit competitors to fill their need for a digital music player.

For those who already have their 5G iPods and iPod nanos, the holidays brings the chance of getting a gift for their iPod. Aside from the very hot iPod nano and 5G iPod for the holidays, accessories for these players are also on top of the list as gifts. This is one of the things other digital music players don't have: a blooming industry of accessories that rakes in as much as, if not more than, the iPods.

IPod Garage releases The Big Sixty: hands-on reviews of sixty iPod nano accessories you should know abou.

An iPod Bar opens in Japan. No alchohol. Just service.

With Tiger running unoffically on Intel machines, hackers has now made iTunes run on X86s.

Weekend insanity

Just came from night duty and there was no news aboard. I stumbled on Google Video of the Day or GVOD. This is a blog of funny or disturbing or funny and disturbing videos. Al Lowe's website has a whole lot more videos compiled. With categories like Beer Ads, Cola Ads, Car Ads, and Not Ads. If you're a bored, visit and download some of the videos for a laugh.

Last week has been slow, so was this weekend. Hopefully, this week, the news will start picking up again. Perhaps this is just a lull before January's storm.

InvisibleSHIELD et al

I'm quite impressed with InvisibleSHIELD especially after watching their video and this Flash movie. I decide to look for more stuff about the InvisibleSHIELD.

I've read that this skin is a chore to apply and from Rainy Day Magazine, are instructions on how to apply the film on an iPod nano. It took three attempts to get the desired results. There's also a 1 week update regarding the rainbow effect on the screen, surface texture, and screen clarity. Feld.com has also tried out the InvisibleSHIELD. Macsimum News has also posted an instruction for application of the shield.

The InvisibleSHIELD for the 5G iPod is expensive at $29.95 but there's a cheaper alternative. Some say Best Skins Ever is almost the same as InvisibleSHIELD and Rainy Day Magazine tested it to find out how resistant it is to puncture and tearing from stretching.

Best Skin Ever is very tempting with free worldwide shipping for 3 or more skins bought. If the Best Skin Ever is the same as InvisibleSHIELD, then the instructions for application is the same for both products.

Slow news week: cases and skins for my 5G

Nothing much is happening this week. Just stories about iTMS being the seventh largest retailer, and BenQ withdrew from the digital music player market in Taiwan, due to 'stiff competition.' They said they will focus on MP3 playing mobile phones. Then the news stopped coming because it's Thanksgiving in the U.S. and all they have to say is: it's Black Friday Sale! Jeez. Oh, yeah. There are a lot of new about software this and software that. I wish there's a site that just has news.

Since nothing much is happening this week, I just googled for stuff like the Crystal Jacket from Power Support (or Pawasapo). I'm hoping that they'll have one for the 5G soon. I'm looking for a case for my 5G and what I'm looking for is something that will offer the maximum amount of protection without adding bulk and weight, and something that could disply my iPod's good looks. I stayed away from fabrics, silicones, leather, and metal. So it's just about the plastics.

I used iPod Garage's The Big Fifty: hands-on reviews of fifty iPod nano accessories you should know about. Though next week, it might be called "The Big Sixty: hands-on reviews of sixty iPod nano accessories you should know about." The list keeps growing. This is all about iPod nano accessories but iPod Garage said they will do a 5G accessories review as soon as they start appearing.

The iPod nano accessories are a preview of what might available for the fifth-generation iPod. Like the See-Thru from Speck Products, iSee from Contour Design, and Shield 4 Nano from Agent 18. The iPod Garage's "The Big Fifty" is a good source for reviews on these plastic cases and more.

I'm also considering getting one of those film protectors doesn't really add much weight or bulk, but they don't have the same protection as the plastic cases offer. One is from Power Support again, the 5G Film Set and the Crystal Shield (or Skin) from iStyles.

But the one that I'm really interested in is InvisibleShield. They have videos of the InvisibleSHIELD resisting being punctured with a ballpoint pen, from being torn by stretching, and from being scratched by a key. Very impressive. I found this mentioned in Macworld.

As I was looking for these stuff, I stumbled upon iPoditude, another website that reviews accessories for the iPod. (I wonder when they will receive a notice from Apple about the name of their website?).

Not iPod related but I thought would be kind of fun is InterfaceLIFT. The site has free icons you can use to change the default icons you have on your Mac.

My 5G iPod and my cellphone

I heard from a podcast (I forget if it was Mac Cast, InsideMac, or TWIT) that some people were having problems with their iPods when placed near a cellphone. The podcast wasn't so specific but someone remarked, "I wouldn't put my iPod near a cellphone in the first place." I agreed to that remark but I got careless.

Today, as I was getting ready for my noon nap, I plugged myself into my iPod and got MacCast going. I set the timer to 15 minutes and laid down. I was expecting an SMS message and I unthinkingly placed my Sony Ericsson K700i about 8 centimeters from my iPod. I closed my eyes and as I was drfting off to sleep the volume of the podcast I was listening to went up and down. I thought, "Something must be wrong with the podcast." Then I heard the familiar sound a speaker makes when a cellphone is near it. I quickly looked at my iPod and the volume bar was going up and down like crazy. I yanked the cellphone away from the iPod and things went back to normal.

I googled for "iPod-cellphone-problem-interference" and found several hits that had the same problem that I just had. But there was one blog that said that his 5G iPod goes crazy everytime someone calls him on his cellphone. Everytime? I think that's too much. What did he do, glued his cellphone at the back of his iPod?

I guess I'm rather late in this news since many websites and blogs already have featured this problem.

Anyway, it's strange for people to be complaining about this "problem." The solution is really simple. Don't put your cellphone near your iPod or vice versa. I mean, there's no absolutely need for your iPod and cellphone to be so close together, is there?

How much do I love thee, iBook? Let me count the ways.

Berislav of NonStopMac counts the ways he loves his iBook. He loves the way it looks, the things it can do, and how much more productive he is with his iBook. He claims that he is at least 50% more productive on his iBook than on his Gericom Notebook or his Compaq Tablet PC. As a matter of fact, he has sold both of these machines in lieu of his 12" iBook.

He also loves the software that came with the iBook. Tiger is a breeze to use and Spotlight and Dashboard makes the computing experience less of a computing experience and more of just an experience. Hardware is no problem. He says that anything he plugs into his iBook gets recognize immediately. There are some things that Mac won't recognize but it's a rather short list as compared to how Windows will put your through hell just to make something work. If it does works.

At the end of the day, that 12 hours Berislav spends with his iBook isn't enough. He can't bear to watch the iBook sleep. He needs to use it. "I was never so happy with any hardware," he says. "The best thing about my iBook is that it is the perfect combination of good looks, powerful hardware, fantastic operating system - and the best of it, all that is stuffed in a beatiful 4.9 pounds white box."

10.4.3 hacked; Linux user: destroy Microsoft, OS X; Security's a non-issue; idiocy of the church, revealed!

Maxxuss has hacked 10.4.3 and made it run on an Intel. Apple keeps trying to come up with a scheme to disallow their current OS to run on unauthorized Intel machines, but hackers seem to break those limitations quite easily. What will Apple's next move? Ever heard of the "Harrell-Dvorak prophecy?"

While the Mac OS keeps getting hacked, a Linux user cries out to Apple to make OS X run in all Intel PCs and destory Microsoft in the process. Even though he is an advocate for Linux, Tom Adelstein says he sees the potential in the Mac OS, calling it a "stable and secure platform."

Security IT Hub says that the Mac OS X makes security a non-issue for its users. The switch to Intel will probably as boring (security-wise) as it is now.

The catholic church once again shows how manipulative (or stupid) it is. It has called on to parents (Catholic, of course) to shun the iPod since it will bring porn to their children. What??? How will the iPod bring porn to children? More importantly, why single out the iPod and you don't even need an iPod to get porn. This is just one way a group is using the popularity of something to get attention for itself. This issue was raised by Blogma at CNet.com.

Lame ass. Heh.; What music labels really want

A writer for Japan Today calls the efforts of Sony and other companies as "lame ass" in their attempts to get back what the iPod and iTMS has taken from them in a matter of a few months. I was surprised that a Japanese would actually use this kind of term. But it turns out that the writer is not even Japanese. Anyway, Terrie Lloyd writing for Japan Today says that Sony has slashed the prices of their songs available for download by 15% per cent, and they have released digital music players that will try to compete with the iPod, and matched the prices to boot. But, according to Lloyd, this is a lame ass effort as Sony's version of iTMS only has 200,000 songs in its catalogue (against iTMS's 1,000,000+) and that they iPod is much more sexier and cheaper.

I just read an interesting idea on why music labels want the fixed pricing in iTMS gone. According to Joel Spolsky, the multi-tiered pricing scheme will be used as a form of blackmail to be used against artists. He explains that a higher priced will mean "good" while the lower priced song will mean "crap." If a musician will become too needy or demanding, all the label will have to do is "threaten" the artist will a downgrade of the price for his songs. Sounds like an interesting conspiracy theory.

More bad news for Sony;

It's been found out that with all the trouble that Sony is in, it only takes a piece of tape to thwart their CD copy-protection scheme. A piece of opaque tape when applied to the outer edge of a Sony BMG copy-potected music CD will render the copy-protection useless. As qouted from Gartner:

"Sony BMG has created serious public-relations and legal issues for itself, and for no good reason."

But even this piece of news won't probably bring back the consumers into buying copy-protected music CDs. Retailers report that some consumers have become angry that the CDs they bought won't allow them to play it on a computer to copy the music onto to their iPods. Consumers are dropping the CDs with the label "copy-protected" or "copy-controlled" like hot potatoes.

But the bad news just keeps on piling on top of Sony. The state of Texas has filed a lawsuit against Sony for violating the state's anti-spyware law. Texas's General Attorney said that Sony has exposed consumers to spyware, viruses and possible identity theft, all the while, believing that they were just buying a music CD.

iPod News: 30 million shipped; NAND til 2010; iMovie for your iPod

The Register reports that Apple said 30 million iPods have been shipped since the iPods started shipping in November 2001. A Piper Jaffray analyst has set a target of 37 million iPods shipped by the end of 2005.

BusinessWeek delves into the repercussions of the deal that Apple struck with NAND flash suppliers. The deal seems to say that Hynix, Samsung, Toshiba, Intel, and Micron will provide Apple the supply of NAND until 2010.

There's more that one way to skin a cat. There's also more than one way to create or format video to play in your 5G iPod. One of the most popular is Handbrake, where formatting DVD movies for your iPod is a snap. It turns out that Mac users already have the tool for creating video for the fifth-generation iPod. The website iPod Garage gives instructions on creating movies using iMovie.

Settlement for the 3G iPod issues is delayed because of a notice to appeal.

The man behind the design

The Age and Telegraph interview Jonathan Ive, the man behind the designs of the iPods and iMacs. Inspired by drive to make the best product and the hatred for clutter, Ive and his team has come up with the designs for the iPod which resulted in the rise of the device into iconic status. Ive also designed the evolution of the iMac. The articles are a good read to at least know a little about the reticent designer from Apple, who down plays his role in the revolutionary design of the products and stresses teh contribution of the manufacturing, software, hardware and electronic teams in his charge.

Slow Sunday Bites

According to a Seattle Times writer, the latest iMacs and iPods will prompt some to upgrade. The potential selling points are the new iPod's bigger screen and video capabilities, and the iMac's Front Row and built-in iSight.

LowEndMac recalls the history five years after the Mac was suppose to die. Many things have changed since 2000, from the prediction of extinction to being the most innovative computer company today. And people are speculating that 6 months from the day that hell froze over, Apple will be releasing the MacIntels. This is 5 months earlier that what Steve Jobs said. Rumor mills are churning rapidly, spewing out speculations and predictions that Mac minis will be the first MacIntels to be sold to consumers While some say it will be the iBooks, or the Powerbooks, or the iMacs. My bets would be on the consumer PCs, the iBooks and Mac minis. The iMac just had a recent upgrade. Powerbooks might need more work since Apple needs to revamp the old, old design. So I'm throwing in my predictions: MacIntels in the form of iBooks and Mac minis. Maybe a Mac PDA, too.

iTunes Music Store UK takes the number one spot. It has taken 54 per cent of the marketshare while the nearest competitor has only 10 per cent.

Read 'Just Say No to Microsoft.' Check out this website, too. Find out what's wrong with Microsoft.

30 cases of iPod nano; halo effect for real?; Rip not in NZ; counting down the seconds; get a life

Here are thirty more cases for your iPod nano from iPod Garage. There are cases made out of rubber, metal, silicone, neoprene or plastic. Short and concise pros and cons give you a bird's eye view of the product. There are other accessories such as speakers and armbands included in the list.

Roger Kay looks deeper on whether or not there actually is an "iPod Halo Effect." He uses history and graphs to chart how Apple's PC marketshare is during the 80's until the present. So is there a "halo effect?" His conclusion: Maybe. He cites an example that someone he knew who was a die-hard Windows user bought a Mac for his daughter. From a practical viewpoint, the dad bought a Mac so he doesn't have to tinker with anti-spyware, - malware, -virus programs anymore. But another reason why his daughter got a Mac was because she knew about the iPod and how cool it was. Halo effect, wot? Still, when looked at another perspective, Mac sales went down within the two years that the iPod was first introduced. Other things have also taken place that may have pushed up Apple's marketshare: opening of more retail stores and introduction of the Mac mini. Read the article and decide for yourself: is there a halo effect?

Perhaps most people are not aware that the iPod may actually be making people break laws. Well, in some countries that is, One such country may be New Zealand where it is illegal to rip music from a music CD and then copy it to a device like the iPod. Read more and find out how digital rights become digital wrongs in New Zealand. And what's going on there actually reflects that things that are going on throughout the world.

One writer looks at the bar that tells you who much time you have left. I'm talking about the counter in every digital media player has that tells you how much time is left in a song or video. Susan Tomes looks at the philosophical aspect of wanting to know when a song will end and another will begin.

B.J. Abernethy wants to know: when will he get a life? When will he get the 320x480 screen with a 60GB hard drive with a mini Mac OS X installed? Yep, he wants an Apple PDA to replace the Newton and he want's it to be called "iPod life." Like him, I, too, am waiting to get a life. Someone in Apple HQ is planning or making or already has a life. When will we get ours?

Rumors rumors rumors

This reminds me of the 80's song "I heard a rumor." Yep. I'm that old.

Forget about the MacIntel or MacTel Mac minis on January 2006 at MWSF, think about something smaller and more colourful. At least that's what Apple Insider sees for the shuffle. After reading yesterday about how the shuffle will be discontinued, Kasper Jade now reports that the shuffle just might become smaller and will come in different colours. Smaller? How much smaller? That'll be really hard to hold and control, unless thay can make it stick on your skin or something. Think Secret's sources tell them that if the MacIntels are indeed released on MWSF 2006 it would most likely be consumer-based products like the iBooks and Mac minis, rather that the high-end computers.

So there'll be something smaller and with more colours. Now, what about something cheaper? Think Secret says that the first MacIntel to be sold will be the iBook; a cheaper iBook. How much cheaper? Think Secret says about $200 cheaper. This is to lure new and current users away from Dell, Sony, or Toshiba.

5G photo gallery

It's just like last time. First the mini. Then the shuffle. Now the 5G iPod. I was so excited that I didn't even wait til I got home the next day. I just did it right at work. The pictures turned out ok.

I'll be posting the pictures of my fifth generation iPod soon. I've been busy lately and I can't find the time to crop the pics and load them up to Flickr.

Please keep posted.

Podcasting

A study shows that Apple's iTunes might help podcasting reach a critical mass by 2010.

While I must admit that podcasting is revolutionary, that it is taking content and music into the hands of listeners, I feel apprehensive about the commercialization of podcasting. But then again, podcasters do need to pay the bills and keep their shows going. I'd be lying if I say that I won't accept advertisers if I do ever come out with a podcast. It will give me a chance to earn money to improve and keep my podcasting going. Leo

Ipod Garage talks about Audible.com's new system that allows podcasters to track how many times their podcasts have been downloaded and forwarded, where it was downloaded from, and how far into a podcasts a listener has gone into before stopping. Though it is primarily aimed at podcasters, this system is probably more beneficial to some else: the advertisers.

The commercialization of podcasting have divided the podcasting community. Some welcome advertisers with open arms, as this will, as I have said, allow podcasters to earn will indulging in their passion. But some say that by getting advertisers on a podcast, you will feel obliged or indebted to them. A podcaster said that those who accepts advertisers will one day make the same mistake as traditional radio has, that is, they will push away their audience because they will get tired of items or services pushed into their ears.

It's all about iPod and iTunes

A market strategist says that the iPod should see a strong holiday demand and that some stores might run into shortages of the iPod nano. He also sees the iPod shuffle being discontinued and says that people are not that interested in getting a Mac. This somewhat echoes the question by a writer whether the iPod's 'halo effect' is real or not. Another analyst predicts that 14.1 million iPods will be sold this quarter. The figure doesn't seem farfetched considering the iPod and iTunes Music Store has gotten the top spot in Japan. It has also been said that Apple has taken 60 per cent of the market share in Japan, surpassing the 50 per cent mark in September.

The iPod shuffle, after being foretold of its doom, seems to be losing sales, too. Recommendations from sales people have shifted away from the shuffle and towards to the nano. This was discovered during a survey of which the iPod family gets 68% of the sales representatives' recommendations.

As the sibling rivalry goes on, Samsung has signed a 'long term, large scale NAND flash supply contract with Apple. Aside from this, Apple is also courting Hyrix, the third company to sign up with Apple to provide NAND flash if they strike a deal.

An audio test rates the quality of the iPod nano's audio as "very good.' Great site for your iPod audio needs. Check out the MP3 vs ACC vs OGG page.

'Lost' is said to be the number one show in iTMS but this has made ABC worry since ratings have declined since they made the show available on iTMS.

The app iTunes Cool will retrieve album art from Amazon based on the track information of the album. I prefer to use the website where you can download the album art that comes directly from iTMS.

Speaking of cool apps, want to play doom in your iPod nano? Well, you have to first break your warranty and then install the penguin into your iPod nano.

From apps to hardware; Macworld's Dan Frakes gives the latest Gear Guide for iPod music fans.

Here's more sibling rivalry, this time between the nano and the 5G iPod, as both tries to grab the most ear times from an iPod Garage writer.

All about DRM and respect

Is DRM just a ploy for companies to become a monopoly? Are these companies just using piracy as a scare tactic to force people to see their point of view and buy their products?

Mike Evangelist has had enough and he will stop buying stuff from companies like Sony BMG. He says that he will "patronize only those companies that treat their customers with some respect." Check out the reactions that he gets by posting his rant.

Apple is clearly getting some flak for their iPods and iTunes music service. A columnist for Newsweek calls Apple as "self-serving perpetrators of toxic incompatibilities," in his "This Won't Work With That" award. The Register questions why can't consumers in one country buy music from another country? The writer quips that this method of dividing up territories is like the 1990's where a CD can't be imported into another country without breaking any laws.

Finally, one company will try to take a swing at iTMS and will reverse engineer Apple's Fairplay , while recording companies are getting scared that selling singles are making them lose money. In other words, they're just being greedy. But what else is new?

All about Macs

Rumors: New are hot that come January 2006 at MacWorld San Francisco, MacIntels are sure to come out. An article goes out to say that the new MacIntels are going to be Mac minis while some say it will be Powerbooks that will have the new processor.

But if you simply can't wait to get a Mac running in an Intel machine, then just build it yourself. ExtremeTech list in detail the components you need in buidling your own MacIntel now. If you have nothing else better to do or you simply want to hack, then check the tutorial out. I'd like to try it myself but I simple don't have the time to do it. Unless...

Computerworld guarantees that you'll love the Power Mac Quad G5 and that you should place your orders now.

USA Today's Edward Baig talks about Front Row and how it turns the latest iMac as a digital hub for the home and the remote control that let's you control up to 30 feet away. He recommends the iMac even only for Front Row but he was disappointed on why there is no TV tuner included. When you look at it though, you don't need a TV tuner considering you can watch Lost and Desperate Housewives on the iMac after downloading it from iTMS. I'd buy an iMac if I had the money. Front Row would be a hoot. The only thing I'd miss would be watching Fairly Oddparents and The Simpsons. Other than that, I don't watch TV much anymore and the iMac 17" or 20" would be great. By the way, Baig gives the new iMac 3 1/2 stars out of 5 (and just because it doesn't have a TV tuner).

Popular Science puts the spotligh on Spotlight as one of the Best of What's New in Computing for 2005.

Apple Matters asks you: how much is style worth? How much cheaper should a Mac be before you will consider it over a Windows PC?

Here's a tutorial on Mac OS X's Preference on MacFixit.com.

Last but not the least, get the story behind 1984.

Free but good Mac softwares

Who says there aren't any softwares for the Mac? You can get quality software for the Mac, and get this, they're free, too. At Open Source Mac you get good programs that does a lot of things other paid for softwares can. You have Firefox, Adium, VLC, Handbrake, and many more. Be sure to check them out. Stop being a pirate.

Alternatively, Apple Matters publishes the need-to-have applications for the newbie Mac user. Softwares include Microsoft Office, iLife, Photoshop, and Quicken.

Here are two ways to look at Mac: the free way and the-pay-as-you-need-them way. Either way works. It all just depends on what you are going to need from your PC.

More of Sony's idiocy

A Wired News writer calls for a boycott on Sony. He says that even though Sony has temporarily stop making the controversial CDs but Dan Goodin that it's not enough. " This kind of behavior can never be tolerated," he writes. He adds, "...Boycott Sony. Boycott them until they come clean and recall all the infected CDs. Boycott them until they distribute a removal program. Boycott them until they promise never do anything like this again."

The backlash doesn't only come from concerned technologists or writers, even Microsoft and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) have opposed the copyright protection scheme that Sony has implemented. Microsoft said that they will add a component in their Windows AntiSpyware to detect the rootkit from Sony. In the meantime, the EFF has published an open letter that calls for the removal of all infective CDs from store shelves, to stop saying in their website that their software is not malicious and does not compromise security, and to publicly say that their software does indeed cause a security concern. This and other measures are in EFF's website.

Groups of security and privacy experts are set to release their findings on 'XCP' and the potential for big legal troubles are imminent.

On the plus side, a writer notes that this show of stupidty by Sony BMG could be good for consumers as this will expose the inherent imbalance between DRM and consumer rights.

Update:
Sony BMG as recalled all the music CDs with XCP. They also have instituted an exchange program from those CDs already sold. However, their recall only is aimed at Windows users but not the Mac users. Even though Sony BMG seems to have made it before the EFF's deadline, I feel there are still many things that Sony BMG is not doing or is hiding.

More update:
MDN continues the boycott. Yay.

My 5G iPod review

I received my fifth-generation or "video-enabled" iPod on November 11, 2005 and I have made a review. I'm going to post the pictures I've taken soon. Without further ado, here's my review.

Brief history of the iPod

Apple introduced the first-generation iPod on October 2001 and started selling it a month after. But it did not sell very well since this was right after September 11, 2001, and people had other things on their minds then. It was not until the release of the third-generation iPod on May 2003 that Apple started selling iPods by the millions. One of the things that probably made the third-generation iPod become a top-seller was that it was the first iPod that worked on both Macs and Windows. Back then the iPods had monochrome screens.

On 2004, Apple released the iPod mini on January, the fourth-generation (4G) iPod on July, and the iPod U2 and iPod photo on October. At around this time, 6 million iPods have been sold since it was first introduced, and Apple controlled around 80% of the harddisk drive music player market. Apple then decided to take on the flash-based player market. So on January 2005, the iPod shuffle was introduced, and by May 2005, Apple had 58% of the flash player market. The 4G iPod with the black and white screen was soon discontinued and is replaced by the iPod photo which later becomes the coloured 4G iPod.

Then on September 2005, Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple, announced that the "most popular iPod", the iPod mini, was going to be discontinued. He then whips out the smallest iPod with a coloured screen, the iPod nano. It is sold in 2GB and 4GB capacities and came in white and black. The black 4GB iPod nano proved to popular choice. Black became the new white, and the nano were soon in short supply. The supply could barely keep up with the demand.

The iPod nano, as the name implies, is small. It is thinner than a number 2 pencil. Pictures of the nano do not do it justice. Looking at it won't help either. You have to hold it in your hand to appreciate how small and how light it is.

In just about five weeks after the release of the nano, Steve Jobs again had another special event entitled "One More Thing," a reference to Jobs' popular phrase for a special announcement at the end of his keynote speeches. He announced that 17 days after the iPod nano was shipped, one million units have been sold. Steve Jobs' "one more thing" turned out to be the fifth-generation (5G) iPod.

Preview of the 5G iPod

The fifth-generation, or 5G, iPod comes in two capacities: 30 gigabytes (GB) and 60GB, and like the iPod nano, the 5G iPod comes in white and black. The 30GB version measures 10.4 x 6.1 x 1.1 centimeters and weighs 36 grams. To help imagine how thick the 30GB 5G iPod is, stack six one peso coins on top of each other. The height of that stack is the thickness of the 30GB 5G iPod. The 60GB version has the same dimensions except it is thicker by 0.3 cm and heavier by 20 grams. But compared to the first-generation iPod, the 30GB 5G is 45% smaller, and the 60GB version is 10% smaller as compared to the 4G 20GB iPod. But the 5G iPod boasts more improvements other than being thinner and lighter. Even at first glance, there's something definitely different when compared to previous iPod models: it has a bigger screen.

The screen size measures 2.5 inches diagonally, displays up 65,536 colors, and has a 320 x 240 pixel resolution. And what did Apple have in mind for an iPod with a bigger screen? To play videos, of course. Now, some people are calling the new iPod as the 'video iPod' or 'viPod.' But Apple calls it as the 'video-enabled iPod.' It may not seem much but it is a very important distinction. The 5G iPod is not a digital video playing device but rather, Apple still markets it as a portable digital music player but one that can play videos.

Another improvement is battery life. The 30GB version can play music for up to 14 hours, and the 60GB, 20 hours. But when used to play videos, Apple says that the 30GB can play for up to 2 hours, while the 60GB can play up to 3 hours. Rather dismal but you have to remember that this iPod was not meant for watching full length movies. You're really going to get an eye-strain and a big headache to match if you do this. Rather, the latest iPod is to play short videos like music videos, short films, and TV shows. I'll go more into that later.

I own an iPod mini and an iPod shuffle but I have never owned or used the original iPod before. In a way, this will be a new users review for the 5G iPod.

My review

The box is as aesthetically pleasing to look at as the iPod itself. It has a matte black finish with a picture of the black iPod on both the front and back. The color of the iPods on the box is the same as the one inside the package. On the screens of the pictures of the iPod are U2's Bono is on one side and the Gorillaz on the other. The size of the iPod boxes have shrunk since Apple decided not to include a charger and a Firewire cable in the package. The size of the box is about one-third the size of the box of the first-generation iPod mini.

Inside, aside from the 5G iPod, the box includes earphones, an USB 2.0 cable to be used for charging and syncing, a dock connector, a neoprene case (I'll get to this later on why Apple are including these with the iPod), a set of manuals, and an installation CD. You have to install the iTunes software from the CD before using the iPod.

It is advisable to initally charge the iPod for 4 hours on first use. You charge the iPod by plugging it into an USB 2.0 port of your computer. I am not sure if the iPod will charge when plugged into a USB 1.1 port but it will not charge when plugged into a USB hub. You can buy an iPod USB Power Adapter if you want to be able to charge without a PC.

The top of the iPod shows the headphone jack and the hold switch. The dock connector is at the bottom, used for syncing and charging, and in connecting to peripherals. At the front are the bigger 2.5-inch screen and the Apple Click Wheel.

The 5G iPod has the same, easy-to-use menu system that all the other iPods with screens use. You can customize the main menu to display whichever short cut you want to be shown. Since I've only used the iPod mini, I'm used to just seeing just the 'Music' menu among other choices on the main menu. But with this one, the choices include 'Photos' and 'Videos'. These, of course, can be removed from the main menu if you wish.

You can choose to whether upload all your music collection into the iPod or manually select the ones the you like. You can create a playlist of your favorite songs in iTunes and it gets uploaded to your iPod automatically. You can make also make an "On the go" playlist on the iPod. Just choose a song or album, press the center button for about 3 seconds and your choice gets added to the "On the go" playlist. With regards to audio quality, I am not an audiophile but the sound coming from the iPod are pretty good. There's an equilizer with presets like "Acoustic," "Bass Booster," "Dance," and "Rock." You can also shuffle your collection so it will randomly select through your collection as it is playing. The iPod can also play podcasts and audiobooks.

Other extra features include games, a stopwatch, multiple customizable world clocks, and screen lock that prevents unauthorized access. Games include There's also a fun feature that shows lyrics to a song while its playing, letting you sing along to your favorite tunes.

Video and photos

The bigger screen allows the user to view more information and see bigger album arts. I'm used to looking into small LCD screens such as the ones on digital cameras or on mobile phones, and the quality or the details on these screens aren't that good. So I expected the quality of the screen on the 5G iPod to be better. I was blown away. The quality is much, much better. I was pleasantly surprised on how clear and crisp the pictures and photos were, and how much detail I can see. It is so much fun looking at the album art of my songs for the first time on an iPod. I downloaded a music video from iTunes Music Store and was again blown away with how good the video looked. But the quality of the video would depend on the source of the video.

But how do you get video on your iPod? The internet has lots of tutorials and tips. Apple is pushing their Quicktime Pro software to be used for converting video to a format compatible with the 5G iPod. But you have to shell out $29.95 for the software. There are several applications, for Macs and Windows, that are free that will pretty much do the same thing as Quicktime Pro. Not as fast or easy but it still will get you there. People have been converting their DVDs into an iPod-compatible format and loading them up.

Another way to fill up your iPod with videos is to buy them from the iTunes Music Store or iTMS. The iTMS now has over 2,000 music videos, six short clips from Pixar, two shows from Disney, and the top two rated shows in the US,'Desperate Housewives' and 'Lost.' The new TV show, 'Nightstalker,' is also available. Last but not the least, you can always opt to download video podcasts from the net, such as Tiki Bar TV, Photoshop TV, and commandN, to name a few.

You can also view photos on the 5G iPod. Thumbnails are used to help you navigate through your collection, and the 2.5-inch screens lets you view 30 thumbnails at a time. You can view a slideshow of your photos by using 11 transition effects.

Issues

An issue has cropped up with the new design Apple has implemented on the 5G iPod and iPod nano. Some are saying that the plastic covering the front of these devices are more prone to scratches than that previous iPods. Apple has been quick to dismiss this and said that it uses the same plastic on the new iPods as they have used on the older ones. Apple has, however, included a neoprene case with every 5G iPod, and just last week, they have started bundling a neoprene case for the iPod nano, too. I suggest that you buy a silicon case or a clear film as additional protection for your iPod.

Recommendation

Some internet reviews are reluctant to recommend the iPod to those who already own the fourth-generation iPod or the iPod photo. They think that the video playing capability is not enough of a draw for existing iPod color owners to get the 5G iPod. But for those who have never owned an iPod or any other digital music playing device before, the latest fifth-generation iPod is highly recommended.

Slow Sunday lowdowns: iPod thumbs; Sleep safe; Powerbook review; Jobs superstar; Home of the music revolution

Better watch out for iPod thumb, says some sore losers. Some medical experts thinks it's time to send out a warning of the potential for repetitive stress injury by iPod users who uses the scroll wheel often. Lawsuits due to iPod thumb, anyone?

How to safe sleep your Mac.

PC Mag gives the latest 17" Powerbook a 4 out of 5 stars. The review marvels at the software the comes with the Powerbook and most notably, Dashboard. Security and multimedia capabilities also receive high marks.

Steve Jobs is touted to have had made a big impact with the release of iTunes Music Store with video and might just change the television industry. Just like any other company, the television company should start spending a little more time thinking about the consumer.

Is the internet the new home for a music revolution?

Digital consumer rights; hit predictor

Euro consumers are demanding a definition of their digital consumer rights, and to make companies stop treating people who share files on the internet as criminals.

A software can predict whether a song will be a hit or not before they are released. Two Massachusetts Institute of Technology PhD grads created a software program that listens to a song and can forecast how it will perform in the charts.

Switch!; MWSF 2006; *gasp!* Windows!

Switchers and switching
A Needham & Co. financial analyst said that a considerable number of Windows users have switched over to Macs. The 'halo effect' might have something to do with it, but there's also the perception by switchers that Mac PCs suffer "less from the daily irritants of viruses, spyware, and worms." "Less?" Why not try "none?"

With the increase in switchers, it's no wonder that Apple Stores are packed with people for their holiday splurge, while Windows PCs retailers, as big as their marketshare may be, experiences a slow bleed in their number of sales. Perhaps it is this show of strong sales that some people think that Apple might just outlast other American companies.

Are you thinking of getting a Mac? Walt Mossberg answers some
questions about switching (I don't know how many times he's done this already). How's the quality of Macs compared to other PCs? Do Macs run Windows and Windows apps? Are Macs more secure?

More MacIntel rumors
You know that 2006 is right around the corner when Apple product rumors start flying around. A JupiterResearch analyst says he won't be surprised if Intel-based Macs will debut as early as January 2006, at Macworld San Francsisco (MWSF). Macrumors says that it'll be iMacs and Powerbooks instead of the Mac minis, as some have speculated, that will be the first to get the new Intel processor.

Microsoft
Windows after delaying Longhorn, has announced they will delay Windows Vista Beta 2. Well, it's only for two to three months.

Gartner analysts say that companies should delay upgrading to Vista until 2008. Why even bother to upgrade?

I'm tired of this Microsoft bit, so read about the very disruptive changes from competitors and can Microsoft ever compete without breaking the law?

A case and 20 cases for the iPod nano; cases and anime for the 5G; i(put name here) Killer; get the most out of podcast; iPhone (ho-hum)

About a month and a half ago, problems began to surface about how easy it was to scratch the iPod nano's plastic. Walt Mossberg said that Apple should include a case with every nano. He was right. Apple has has quietly started shipping neoprene cases with the latest iPod nanos. These 'worthless cases' are suppposed to indemnify Apple from future lawsuits. But what about those who didn't get cases with their nanos? Is there another lawsuit brewing? Aside from the cases, Apple has posted a disclaimer that states, "To protect your iPod nano and prevent scratches from keys, coins and other objects, use a protective case." So, I guess there indeed is a problem with the plastic. Good thing I had a silicone case over my 5G iPod on day one (that's two days ago).

Speaking of cases for the 5G iPod, there are now new cases from Griffin and Speck Products. Another case, one made of silicone from Brando (the one I think I have right now), earns a good review from iPod Garage.

Speaking of iPod Garage, they review twenty iPod nano accessories. Silicone, rubber, neoprene, fabric, metal, and leather cases, as well as docks, speakers, and armbands, are given a short pros and cons review. Nice and short. Quick to the point. Not for those who prefer extensive and long reviews.

How are cases made? A real-life hilarious story of how one guy decided to design a case of the iPod shuffle is featured on Bull5hit. The write up is funny but at the same time, very informative. A must read, in my opinion.

After losing Rio, Creative, and Olympus in the race for first place in the "iPod killer" category. The media has gotten bored with waiting for the "iPod killer," so they are looking for the "iTunes video killer instead, and no less than CNN is happy to feature it.

While you're waiting for the iTunes video killer, why not enjoy a bit of anime on your iPod? The website, offers free trailers, as well as full downloads of some of your favorite animes.

With 15,000 podcasts in iTunes to date, podcasting is all the rage now and I have my favorites. The Daily Source Code, TWIT, Inside Mac, MacCast, and Infidel guy (too bad this doesn't get updated often). Macworld has a feature about getting the most out of your favorite podcasts and iTunes.

An analyst predicts an iPhone and a terabyte iPod within the next 5 years.

Sony bites; boycott Sony

With all the bad publicity they have getting for their copyrighted CDs cum malware provider, Sony said they will "temporarily suspend" the production of the CDs that contained a copyrighting software, XCP, that makes the PC vulnerable to hacking. It turns out that some Sony BMG CDs can install a pair of extensions into the Mac microkernel.

People have called for a boycott on all Sony products because of Sony advocating the use of malware to advance a company's interest.

The Great Lemming has predicted that this controversy will mean bankruptcy for Sony.

Another one bites the dust; Surviving without a laptop;

After Rio, came Creative. Now, it's Olympus's turn. The company decided to throw the towel in on the digital music player market, saying they couldn't compete with companies like Sony and Apple. They will also shift away from the compact digital camera business and focus on high-end models. Another one bites the dust.

Walt Mossberg survives a vacation with just his iPod and Blackberry. Yup. No laptop. See this incredible feat narrated on Personal Technology.

24/7 Real Media expert's gives its Top Ten Online Advertising Predictions for 2006; which includes resurrgence of online advertising and advertisers tapping podcasters.

On the lighter side, a company actually took a parody seriously and officially denies the what parody said.

par·o·dy:
a. A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule. See Synonyms at caricature.
The genre of literature comprising such works.

From Dictionary.com

Products and reviews

Time calls the new iMac G5 as its Gadget of the Week. The author says that Apple is "following someone else" with its Front Row (pertaining to who else?) MDN quickly calls the guy as "an idiot."

PC Authority reviews the inMotion iM7, from the "respectable American company," Altec Lansing, and says that the iM7 will fill a room with quality sound and video for a decent price. I don't understand why they said "respectable American company?" Is there an "unrespectable American company," or a "respectable non-American company?" Why even bother to make a distinction. Are Australians this racist? I'll try to look into this.

Lastly, after the debut of the RAZR phone with iTunes, Forbes reports that Motorola will also be shipping the SLVR phone with iTunes.

Hacks and how-to's

Learn how to access your files on your Mac anywhere, and then learn how to make a Google Map overlay on a Mac.

Karma's a bitch

I mentioned that with the rootkit-installing-copy-protection-CDs debacle, Sony-BMG is just asking for a lawsuit. Well, Here you go. Three lawsuits are already in the offing; one from California, one from New York, and lastly, from the EFF. One of the cases filed is to stop Sony BMG from distributing the software with their CDs and seek damages. The news of Sony BMG's idiocy has started to show up in mainstream media like the BBC. A list of the CDs from Sony BMG with the XCP copy-protection software has been listed by Deep Links. I don't believe that this is the whole list. There's got to be more.

A computer security firm said that they have found the first virus that uses Sony BMG's copy-protection software. The virus known as "Stinx," install a malware and then tearsdown a PCs firewall to make it vulnerable to hacking. The malware is invisible under Sony BMG's software.

Another company is asking for a lawsuit, this time from Apple. ZDNet UK sanctions and knowingly publishes a test of the Mac operating system on a Toshiba laptop despite the fact that this is against EULA that Apple has on the operating system. I really don't know what these people are trying to prove. That their stupider than most? I'll give Apple about 2 weeks to respond to this.

The podcasting revolution

The iPod started out as a digital music player during a time when the world was thrown into shambles. It took two years before sales started to indicate that the iPod is more than a music player. It took a little more time before it become an icon.

The iPod is now recognized to have started a revolution. A revolution that started with a few people who had something or nothing to say. A revolution that quickly caught the imaginations of thousands to this day, who saw the potential of this new medium to reach out to people and tell them what they had in mind. And even though he cannot take all the credit, Adam Curry is recognized as igniting a spark that has caused a tinder to burn and now rages, spreading like wildfire. Adam Curry is the Podfather, and podcasting is the revolution.

Podcasting has been called the new radio. But this is far better than radio, that calling it as the 'new radio' just doesn't fit. It simply doesn't sound right.

What podcasting does is allow you to listen to the things that [b]you[/b] want, when [b]you[/b] want to. You pick the station, and you listen to it when you want to. Podcasting is therefore all about the user. It is by the user, of the user, and for the user.

Now, Adam Curry and some other podcaster has gone further to free the listeners from the shackles of influences that we do not even want. Podsafe music is all about music that can be played on podcasts without fear of reprisal from some big, greedy company. Perhaps there will come a time when big artists will wake up and realize that they are taking part in the efforts by companies to lock down the ears of the listeners. Perhaps one day pigs will fly. These artists are perhaps too busy counting their money to know what's going.

But from what I've heard, there are already a growing number of people who can go up against these big label artists, and they are all over.

The revolution is on and it's spreading fast. It is not only about getting your voice be heard by people all over. The movement has grown. It's now about giving people the right to choose, a right the we rightfully own.

On October 2001, a white-coloured handheld device, was introduced to the world by a man in a black turtleneck sweater. Four years later, a revolution is going on, sparked and fueled by the successors of that device. From the promise of 1,250 songs in your pocket to the promise of emancipation, the iPod is more than just a fad. It has elevated blogging to audio and then to video.

Those are my thoughts. Read "The revolution is being podcast, in iPod Garage.

New DRM, new ROKR, and something about Ballmer

Apple and Microsoft are collaborating to make an anti-p2p strategy. This involves making a new anti-file sharing DRM that will guarantee a level of copyright protection like no other. One such protection is when a track that is not sanctioned by the organized group is played on a digital music player like the iPod, a high-pitched scream at 250 decibes will emit from the earphones. Read more and learn about this new and exciting breakthrough against piracy.

After the flop called ROKR, Motorola tries again. This time they put iTunes in the upgraded version of the RAZR phone, the RAZR V3i. Aside from iTunes, the new RAZR boasts of a 1.23 megapixel camera and an expansion slot for the MicroSD memory card format. Will this new phone let Motorola sing a different tune? We'll just have to wait and see. Personally, if they didn't do anything to the number of SMS that can be stored, then forget it.

"Apple has been through the valley of the shadow of death." So says Steve Ballmer in an interview with CNet News. Nothing much going on here. Move along, monkey boy.

Double the switchers in a decade; 125,000 shorts in a month

What's this? More Mac users? That's according to CNN/Money and Sam Gustin of the New York Post. According to CNN/Money, more people are jumping over the Mac side of the fence because of the popularity of the iPod. In the meantime, Sam Gustin predicts that Mac's marketshare could double within a decade. I would like to be more optimistic. I'd say six to seven years. Then again, that's basically within the decade.

Care for some more good news? Alrighty then. Steve Jobs in a conference call said that Pixar sold 125,000 copies of short films in iTunes Music Store in under a month. Other things talked about during the conference call includes strengthening ties with Disney and that a new deal will be announced by the end of the year; there will be three new films from Pixar; and that the Blu-ray vs HD-DVD fight isn't over yet.

Hardcore iBook upgrade; Speed up your superdrive; check your rootkit; Powerbook spills its guts

HardMac gives a guide on making a "turbo" 12-inch iBook. Required materials include: 8x superdrice from Matshita, an 80GB Hitachi HD, 1GB of SODIMM RAM, and etc. I think this is for hardcore users only. Unless someone can actually make this into a permanent service.

Another hack from HardMac is how to speed up your existing DVD writer. You'll need a Windows emulator and enough cash to buy a new PC in case you ruin the one you are tweaking on.

O'Reilly's MacDevCenter shows Mac users how they can identify changes to the file system. This is after the show of stupidity that Sony-BMG has displayed for the past week.

Lastly, after seeing an iBook dismembered, it's time to see it done to a Powerbook as well.

Miscellanews

The Mac Skeptic tries out the new iMac G5. She could at least have smiled when she used Photo Booth. On the same website, 2006 will said to bring the new hardware and new software from Apple. Also, 2006 might herald the rival OSes living in one computer.

Apple Theme Song. They say it's just plain terrible. Heh.

From the horrible to the interesting. Here is MacRumor's guide to Apple mockups and fake products.

I don't know what the "Digital Munich is entirely all about, but I think it's a good read. It has something to do on who should control the internet.

30 years of the Homebrew Computer Club

Videos are available on how Steve Wozniak and other techies came up with the idea of the first personal computer. Get them while their hot!

Freebies!

"You can use MPEG Streamclip to: open most movie formats including MPEG files or transport streams; play them at full screen; edit them with Cut, Copy, Paste, and Trim; set In/Out points and convert them into muxed or demuxed files, or export them to QuickTime, AVI, DV and MPEG-4 files with more than professional quality, so you can easily import them in Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Toast 6 or 7, and used with many other applications or devices."

BurnX Free makes it very easy to burn CD's with multiple sessions in an hybrid format for compatibility with other platforms.

Intel mini?; Apple retailer map; simplicity by itself; sue Sony instead

UBS predicts that come January 2006, Apple will have more video content and probably will release the first of its Intel based Macs in the form of the Mac mini, much earlier than the June 2006 schedule that Steve Jobs have set. This is not surprising anymore since Jobs likes to pull off things like this. Come to think of it, there's nothing else that Jobs could release on January next year. The most logical surprise would be Intel-based Macs. Besides, iPods and iTMS are beginning to bore me. New Macs would definitely keep things interesting. This prediction is a little more specific than what AppleInsider has said.

Google Map has all the Apple retail stores in the US.

Rob Pegoraro of the Washington Post lauds the simplicity of Front Row and the remote that controls it. That while the rest of the computer industry strives to put 'more' into their products, Apple lives by putting in 'less'. But 'less' doesn't mean useless. Instead, Apple strives to come up with how less can become more, and this perhaps entails more work and effort. Pegoraro does mention a shortcoming of Front Row; that it runs only in the new iMac G5.

A research firm predicts Apple will sell 10 million iPods this holiday season. The research firm also says that there is a growing industry in selling second-hand iPods. The 10 million iPods is sweet music to the growing number of idiots, we call as lawyers, who now are seeking to expand the nano lawsuit to include people in other countries. I wonder how come these idiots aren't suing Sony for installing malware into millions of computers worldwide. Not only that, Sony is advocating the use of a software that will allow viruses or malicious software to become 'invisible' to users. Sony's nefarious acts is quickly spreading.

Creative gives up; Dell dives; 1,000,000 switched; It is your problem; Stopped being a zombie

Creative would like to give up the race for second place, instead they now want to bejust profitable. They've given up on the war for second.

Dell. Their stocks fell hard. Profit's not what they expect. Sales are weakening. Slowed down for seven quarters straight. Who's Dell again?.

Now, for the good news. It was estimated that there wasone million switchers from Windows to Mac during the first three quarters of 2005. This beat an analysts' estimate of 500,000. They said they didn't count on the 'halo effect.'

A Seattle Times recounts that hardly a week goes that someone he knows goes to him with a Windows related problem. It was a year ago that he made the switch and he is not shy about telling people that they're better off with a Mac. To all Windows users: "It's not your fault. But it is your problem."

Al Fasoldt reports that spammers have been hijacking PCs all over the world to do their dirty jobs. Zombie hijacking, as he calls it. One PC tried to send out 18 million spams in a year. But this doesn't happen on just any PC; it all happens in Windows. What did you expect? He gives five tips on how to prevent a PC from becoming a zombie. His last tip? Get a Mac.

Rumors for 2006

It's less than a quarter before 2006 comes a-knockin' and rumors are once again in the air. This time it's different because 2006 is the year that Apple releases their Macs with Intel chips or Macintels as some people would call them (other terms include Mactels or Apptels). Jobs said that the Macintels will debut in WWDC 2006 to be held in June.

But.

But.

But.

People are now saying that the Mactels are going to be available much sooner. Rumors have it that a 13" widescreen iBook with Intel inside will be released on April 2006. However, Intel-based Powerbooks with iSight built-in might be introduced much earlier than the iBooks. Perhaps, Steve Jobs would like these to be released before June 2006 so he can gloat about them come WWDC. Then, after the gloating he will then release the new Intel based Mac minis, iMacs, and PowerMacs, and maybe a product to replace the eMac, something midway between the mini and the iMac. Perhaps a desktop iBook. But I don't think so. That would eat up the mini's sales but it would be nice. A $550 version of the iMac, but in a different design.

Reactions are mixed to the announced early release and new designs for the iBook and Powerbook.

This is definitely something to look forward to in 2006. I better start saving. Heh.

What is podcasting?

I've been hoping to make a primer on podcasting for a long time now but I guess it's futile since there are a whole lot more websites who can explain things a whole lot better than I can. I source is iPod garage with their "So you wanna start podcasting" series.

Podcasting started grassroots, but it pioneers are now hedging towards getting advertisements for their shows. There are even some podcasters who are charging a subscription fee of $25.

It would seem money and greed are permeating the world of podcasting. But for the rest of the thousands of podcasters, money isn't the object. It's the desire to create their content for their friends and families, and perhaps, be heard by the rest of the world.

Will I ever do a podcast?

Maybe.

Soon.

30 is better than 60; Mac in your box?; back row, waaaay back

Early sales seem to indicate that the 30GB 5G iPod is outselling its bigger brother, irregardless of what the color is. I've finally decided to get the 30GB black 5G iPod. Have to tell Benedict.

Is Apple moving away from computers? No, says David Chartier of The Unofficial Apple Webog. "...please stop asking this question every time Apple introduces an iPod or a product that simply isn't a Mac," Chartier rants.

With this in mind, it would seem that the Mac might soon start eating huge chunks out of MS's behind. Rumor and speculations are once again in the air on whether Apple will license out Mac OS X to third party PC makers. From a Mac purist standpoint, I hate the idea. It will ruin the user experience of using and staring at a beautiful machine at the same time. But from Apple's perspective, this would propel them to a better position in kicking the chair under MS.

Windows users doing it again: copy from an excellent idea from Apple. This time they trained their sights on Front Row and some guy with 'nuts debuts his "back row."

More bad news: Live died; Sprint stumbles

Previouly on "Bad news", I mentioned Sony and Napster's woes. Well it's Microsoft's turn to get a bad press (this week). During the demo of Microsoft Live and Office Live, the died halfway through. the presentation. But I hope Microsoft doesn't give up, I mean they already had a good track record with flops and booboos as taken from Apple Matters:

• The South Korea "Incident" - MS threatens to make S. Korea virus free
• Xbox due out before PS3 - See, it’s not all bad news
• IE patent appeal lost - Time to get out the check book to the tune of $500 million
• Patch creation process flawed leaving system still vulnerable - Earth still round, water still wet
• Windows Media Center upgraded - User interface goes from "raped in city jail" to "tortured in Vietnamese POW camp"
• In USA Internet Explorer is down to 80% market share - Get Ballmer another chair 'cause it's time to panic

Cellular service providers have been wanting to take a piece of the pie that Apple curently holds, but it would seem that at $2.50 per song, Sprint customers are reluctant to take a bite.

iMac reviews

MacWorld and PC World gives the new iMac 4 and 41/2 stars out of 5 stars, respectively. MacWorld mentions a slow Front Row and lack of spanning option as a few bumps to the otherwise excellent computer for home and business use.

PC World complains about having no TV tuner, problems with wall mounting, and graphics that you can't upgrade yourself. It also mentioned difficulty in moving DVD or TV content from iMac to iPod. Which computer ever made that step real easy out of the box? PC World likes the built-in iSight, new multimedia capabilites, standard dual-layer DVD writer and wireless configurations, and new DDR2 and PCIe based hardware. It calls it a great desktop to go beyond web-browsing and emailing.

Recording on your iPod; 10 nano accessories; another iPod movie loader

A PC World columnist shares his experience with using an iPod as a voice recorder. This is a timely article since I'm looking for a way to record on the go for podcasting.

The top ten accessories for the nano, as according to iPodgarage. It just covers cases and armbands. I was hoping for more. What a letdown.

Another software for converting your videos into one that is compatible with your 5G iPod. Video2Pod offers a choice between MPEG-4 or H.264 format. The downloaded version only converts the first 10 seconds of a movie. Bummer. I still prefer MoviesForMyPod. It's free.

iPod news

AppleInsider reports that the new iPods might be outselling the iPod nano. An analysts think that the 5G iPod is more attractive to those who are more keen in getting more storage for the buck and video capabilities, while the nano is more attractive to mainstream digital music players.

Here's another lawsuit.

More switchers

I managed to make someone switch to a Mac again but for some strange reason she said she hasn't used it yet since she didn't know how to. Weird.

On the same note, a BusinessWeek writer has decided to switch to a Mac and is asking his readers for advice on which one to get: an iBook or a Powerbook? Look at all the reponses he got at the bottom of the article. Perhaps, it is timely that MacWorld has published its review of the latest Powerbooks. Someone point him to MacWorld, please.

One opinion doesn't want to contribute the rise in Mac sales wholly to the 'halo effect' from the iPod. He agrees that iPod sales probably did have an influence on people switching to the Mac platform, but he would also like to attribute it to the near complete transition from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X from those old users who bought their Macs 5 years or so ago.

While some are elated with Apple's success and rise, one writer cautions that lightning may strike twice. In this case, the lightning might be one of dismal failures. The writer recounts the success that Apple enjoyed during the 80's only to take a sudden plunge because of design flaws in thir products. The writer calls Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple, as "an egomaniac prone to believing there is only one possible solution: his." He recalls doomed products such as the Lisa, the Newton and the PowerPC G4 cube. So, will the lightning of failure strike Apple twice? Apple fanatics (and stockholders) hope not. Perhaps age and wisdom will bring a better future for the company.

Your brain in your iPod

The first time I encountered a medical application for the iPod was when it was used to sync with Ositrix to load up pictures from CT or MRI scans so that they can be viewd anywhere using the video iPod. Now, with the release of the 5G iPod, things are about to get more interesting for Osirix users.

Another program that I encountered for the iPod to be used in medicine is from Sylvius. Sylvius VG (virtual glossary) iPod edition, "is a visual glossary of the human brain and spinal cord containing information on more than 400 neuroanatomical structures and terms." There's a free trial download that includes 29 structures. The program sells for $19.99 but has an introductory price of $9.99. I might just get one of these, when I get my 5G 30G iPod.

Bad news.

Sony-BMG caves in after people found out that their music CDs install a sort of trojan, a rootkit, when music CDs are inserted into PCs. This is happens without the owner of the CD's permission or knowledge. The software has the ability to corrupt a system if removed without special permission from Sony. This is truly dishonest. Sony is just like some porn website, sneaking in unwanted software to benefit themselves. Now, this is a company begging for a lawsuit.

Napster posts a $13.6 million loss for the second quarter of 2005. But this is better than last year's $15.3 million net loss.

Anti-virus a must for Windows, not for Macs; online music download levelling off?; 37 million shipped... or is it?

A writer states that if you are a Windows you need to have anti-virus instaled, as well as, anti-spyware. But if you are a Mac user, then you don't even have to think about it. The writer does state that Macs are "mostly immune from spyware and pop-up issues," which is sort of true, considering there is an option in Safari to block pop-ups. But regarding spywares, I really haven't encountered any problems with those.

Record labels are celebrating that online music sales have plateued since this gives them a chance to rub in it Steve Jobs's nose. But are they going to use this data to justify the need to raise prices in iTMS? I don't know, but that sounds really stupid to me.

Forbes.com reports that Apple could ship more than 37 million iPods in 2005. Sounds like a very optimistic prediction since one report states thatdemands for the iPods are greater than the supply.

All the hubbub with music and who owns it?

I have very little knowledge of the law, especially the one concerning Intellectual Property (IP) or copyright issues. I am also near ignorant of the workings of the music or recording industry. I am just a consumer.

Adrian Carter in his piece, "Whose Music Is It Anyway?" look at the two models of online music distribution; one from Apple and the other, from Apple's 'competitors'. Apple sells singles or albums through their iTunes Music Store of which you can get songs for $0.99 and albums from $9.99 to up to $19.99, as far as I know. The other way to get music is through what they call subscription model, where for a monthly fee you can download all the music that you want. But once you stop paying the monthly fee, all the music that you have downloaded are gone. In a way, you are just borrowing the song. Comparing the two, iTMS is like a bookstore where you can choose from a huge selection, buy the book and get to own it and keep it, while the other companies is just like a library where you only are borrowing the book and when it gets past your due, you are fined. In this case, the book deletes itself.

The idea of downloading all the songs that you want is very enticing. But the idea of losing those songs when you can't pay anymore doesn't sit well with me. I prefer to own the things that I spent on. I don't like the idea of 'borrowing' things. There's no permanence to it.

Of course, there are some issues regarding getting songs from iTMS. What if the computer that you downloaded your songs in is stolen or gets damaged in some way wherein all your data are lost? Will you be able to re-download all the songs the you previously had? After all, you paid for them before. Apple says, "No, you can't." It has something to do with licensing. That's a bit unfair, don't you think? Perhaps. But think of it this way, if you have a CD collection and that collection gets either stolen or is damaged in a fire, do you expect the record labels to send you a whole new batch to replace those that you lost? I don't think so. In a way, this is what iTMS is all about. Its like buying a CD off a music store sans the CD and the CD case, and the paper that goes along with it. Apple does, after all, suggest that you keep a backup of the songs that you downloaded to a CD or DVD.

Another problem with getting music from iTMS is that all their songs are encoded in 128 kbps bitrate. Some music purists or audiophiles are howling that this bitrate is too low, that the quality is not good enough. Perhaps not for them, but for those who downloaded from iTMS it seems good enough. Good enough to reach 600 million downloads to date. So for those who wants higher bitrates, all they have to do is buy a CD and rip it to 192 and up.

The Evolution of Online Distribution
Tim O'Reilly (yes, THE Tim O'Reilly) wrote a piece entitled "Piracy is Progressive Taxation, and Other Thoughts on the Evolution of Online Distribution" way back in 2002, and the piece harkens the difficulty faced by online distribution of works by people in print, audio, and video. O'Reilly's experience is with the printed word, on paper or in electronic form, but what he says about the media he works in rings true for both audio and video. He makes several points: one, piracy is not the greatest threat a writer (or an artist or musician) faces, but rather obscurity. With thousands of media being churned out every year, chances are works of some lesser known, but very talented, people are never read, heard, or seen by others.

Two, piracy is a progressive taxation. By definition, progressive taxation is "a tax that is larger as a percentage of income for those with larger incomes." In this instance, O'Reilly says piracy benefits the creative, and again, lesser known artists, and actually does less harm to the more known individuals. How does this work? P2P offers people a way to sample music they haven't had much time to listen to on radio or whatever 'popular' media distribution that are ruled by big networks and conglomerates. And contrary to what these bigwigs say, most people who gets music from P2P networks actually buy the CDs of the artists they like listening to.

Three, consumers will do the right thing if given the chance. The big corporations are cynical and thinks that their customers are all thieves and will steal every chance they get. But Apple's iTMS proves that if given the choice, people will get stuff legally, at a fair price. This is where the fight between Jobs and record labels revolve around: the pricing of the songs in iTMS. Record labels insists that a fixed pricing scheme is bad for business, they it is not a sound business strategy. But Steve Jobs countered by calling them greedy. Jobs knows that $0.99 is the sweet spot (as with the 1,000 songs sweet spot of the iPod mini). Record labels explain that not all songs are created equal; that a current hit should cost more than an 80's song. I can see the logic behind that but why not lower the price on the 80's song? Can't they even lower the prices considering the expenses that goes with getting a CD out is virtually eliminated? I just can't help but agree with Jobs on this one. The labels are just greedy, and are refusing to change because they fear losing control of their empire to Jobs.

Four, piracy is not as big as a problem as compared to shoplifting. O'Reilly recalls that many times he went into a bookstore and asked why isn't there a copy of the book on the shelf. But the person behind the counter would insists that there is because the computer says so. Were they dumb enough not to realize that the book has just been shoplifted? In a way, shoplifting affects not only the bookstore, but the author as well, since a bookstore will not re-order the book because the computer tells them that there are still more on the shelves when as a matter of fact, it was shoplifted a long time ago.

(I didn't realize that this article is really long. There are 7 lessons of which I will tackle the last three next time. Still, O'reilly's essay or article rings true on 2002 and still rings true today. Piracy is not being propagated by people. It is the big corporations that are feeding the monster with their cynical attitude and disdain towards their consumers. Perhaps it is the fear of losing the power they think that they have, unbeknowst to them, that power is slowly transferring to the consumers, and that's where it should be in the first place.

I got to read O'Reilly's piece thanks to an article by Graeme Philipson. On "Tim O'Reilly fires a broadside against 'piracy', Philipson talks a bit about the article and then goes into the current issue of publishers going against Google's plans to digitse the contents of some books of which they call it as a breach of copright. Philipson calls it as a "stupid reaction" from the publishers and writers. The reason why O'Reilly's 2002 article was mentioned, is that even though the piece was written 3 years ago, it is an appropriate response to the idiocy that some writers and publishers have shown today.

'Nuff sed. Til next time.)