MacCast 09.13.2006 - Show #158
Media/Links
V Opening
V Opening Music
* Music is Say Anything by Manda and the Marbles
* Mandaandthemarbles.com
www.mandaandthemarbles.com
V News
V The 5.5 Gen iPod
* 2 sizes, 30GB and 80 GB (Toshiba Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (PMR) drive)
* 60% brighter screen. New screens may have made their way into recent 5th Gen iPods too
* Longer battery life. Up to 75% more. 3.5 for 30GB (from 2.5) and 6.5 hours (up from 4.5) for 80 GB
* New headphones. Better fit?
* Gapless playback
* Searching (not 5th Gen) and letters while fast scrolling (5th Gen)
V Games, available on iTunes for USD $4.99
* Developed by Apple, EA and others
V Lower price. 30 GB USD $249.00 and 80GB USD $349.00
* Listener Neil informed me that Apple no longer offers educational discounts on these models. Lower prices for all!
V iPod Nano
* Aluminum case and thinner
* Colors. Silver, green, blue, pink and black
* 24 hour battery life (up from 11)
* 40% brighter display
* Voice recorder support
* 2GB Silver USD $149.00, 4GB Silver, green, blue and pink USD $199.00 and 8GB Black USD $249.00 (same $$ as 5.5 G)
* Steve made a big deal about 52% less packaging by volume. Did Greenpeace get to him?
* 40% smaller charger, works with all other iPods
V iPod Shuffle
* Totally re-designed, totally tiny
* Apple has sold 10 million Shuffles
* Aluminum case, about size of Apple FM tuner. Built-in clip.
* Comes with dock (USB2)
* 12 hour battery
* 1GB for USD $79.00
* Available in October
* No USB Port so older non-headphone accessories won't work.
V iTunes 7.0
* Apple has 88% of the market for legal music downloads
V Organized by sections
V Library
* Music, Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, etc
V Store
* iTunes Store, Shopping Cart, Purchases, Download Manager
V Devices
* iPod, CDs
* Interesting that is called "devices"?
* Playlists
* Can't seem to change the order of the sections
V Now has 3 views (List, Album and CoverFlow)
* Actually purchased CoverFlow
* Chapters for Podcasts now in menu (sucks)
V Album Art now can be automatically downloaded from iTunes
* Results may vary.
* Need an iTunes Account. Why?
V Videos are better quality
* 640 x 480 H.264
* Gapless playback
V iPod Manager (cool)
* Summary of iPod versions, software update and restore, cool bar graph showing what is using space on your iPod
* Preference tabs, all here. Simplifies the iTunes Preferences
V iPod Transfers
* Can move iTunes purchases via iPod from one iTunes library to another as long as both are authorized for your account.
V Download manager
* Works for all purchases, podcasts, etc
* Can pause, resume and re-order priority
* Built-in Backup to DVD or CD (In the File menu)
* QuickTime 7.1.3 update enables support for new iTunes features and fixes 6 security flaws in QT
* Listener Derick pointed out that docked iPods now show the "Do not disconnect" with a dimmed backlight, so you can see it better.
V Definitely some bugs
* Not being able to edit some track info and can others
* Podcast checkboxes.
* Apple messed up Podcasts, not sorting other than Date Released, no video "image" view in Videos section, harder to navigate and find Podcasts in iTMS (browse icon)
V Movies on iTunes
* Walt Disney, Pixar, Touchstone and Miramax (all Disney owned)
* 75 movies available now, with more being added every week
* New title will come out the same day as DVDs
* Pricing. New: USD$12.99 (new and pre-order) USD$14.99 after first week. Library: USD$9.99
* Near DVD Quality (640 x 480)
* Chapters accessed from the video controller.
V Download times, 30 mins at 5-6MBps? Who gets that? 2 Hour movie seems to be about 1.2-1.4GB
* Can watch while downloads
* Same DRM rules as YV shows, so no burning
* Dolby surround audio
* Added MPAA rating to parental controls in iTunes
* Plan to go International in 2007
* widescreen movies on iPod are about 0.75" high. Ha ha.
V And one more thing... iTV
* An actual "sneak peek" at an Apple product
* Will be available in 1st quarter of 2007
* Set top box for Mac or PC, well TV really and works with iTunes.
* Looks like a squished and flattened out Mac Mini
* No power brick
* Ports: USB2? (not mentioned), 802.11 WiFI, Ethernet, HDMI and component video (no RCA Video), optical and RCA audio.
V Remote and on-screen menus
* Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, Music
* Movie trailers from Apple (purchases?)
* USD$299.00. Seems a little costly to me with other iPod dock solutions for USD$99 - USD$149.00
* Completes the package and I need it now. ;)
V Webcast is available on Apple.com
www.apple.com
* Steve Jobs was not wearing a black mock-turtleneck
V Apple responds to RSS (Random Shutdown Syndrome), kinda...
* Apple has posted a single-sentence note regarding MacBook shutdowns: "If your MacBook is shutting down intermittently, please contact AppleCare for service."
* Some reports claim that random shutdowns also occur when the MagSafe Power Adaptor is suddenly removed from the Mac
V Signs shows that Mac Pro is processor upgradable
* Anandtech has an article saying they successfully placed engineering samples of Intel's new quad core Clovertown chips inside the Mac Pro
Anandtech: Octo Mac Pro
* The Mac Pro has two standard LGA-771 sockets, not sure how easy they are to access.
* Octo-core Mac. Anadtech said they were not allowed to disclose performance number yet.
* Can do it, but doesn't mean Apple will support it.
V Feedback, Comments and Commentary
V Multisession CDs, not DVDs
* Listener Alan points out that Disk Utility cannot burn Multi-session DVDs, only CDs
* There is no standard for multi-session DVDs so most software will not do it. Toast won't do it. Nero on the PC and possible Dragon Burn (Multi-Session (DVD+RW only))
Dragon Burn
V Has Apple retired Aqua and brushed metal?
* New "flat grey" look of iTunes has many wondering if this is a sign of things to come.
* Note also that the icon returned to blue? With all the media now in iTunes does the name and icon still make sense?
V Stop-motion on a budget
* As a free alternative to iStopmotion, listener Rory recommends SingleFramer which is available as Freeware
SingleFramer 2.1
V LCDs and native resolution
* Listener Chuck points out that the 24" iMac has the same resolution as the 23" Cinema display (1920 x 1200) yet is 1" bigger in physical size (viewable). Does not mean more is visible on the screen.
* Important to understand that LCD have a native resolution. Basically a grid of pixels.
* Physical size of the pixels or dot pitch distance between pixel (screen door)
* Non-native resolutions are interpolated. Blurry or "distorted".
V Closing
V We have our blogging team
* Thanks to all who said they would help. I will keep name if a need additional support in the future. See new Staff page, in progress.
www.maccast.com—staff
* Will also be having "guest" posts.
* Make sure to visit MacCast.com often. Post on buying a used Mac and EVDO, more on the way.
www.maccast.com
V Podcast Expo is Coming
* Will be at the PME in Ontario California from September 28th through September 30th
www.podcastexpo.com
* Will be on the show floor in the Orange County Podcasters Booth on Friday and Saturday
www.ocpodcasters.com
V Visit the website
* Show notes.
V Keep emails coming. Audio comments.
* maccast@gmail.com
V 206-222-2788 (20-MACCAST-8)
* PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
* MacCast Forum
forum.maccast.com
V "Prodigal Son" by JMS
* Listener from UK near Manchester. Records on a 350MHz iMac G3 running Logic
* Tracks are available as free downloads
* Artists web site
JMS: Calling
V Promo
* The Self Defense Show Promo
The Self Defense Show
* Cryptic Universe Podcast
Cryptic Universe Podcast