New Apple Store to open in Florida this weekend

Apple Store Coconut Point will is located at 23151 Fashion Drive in Estero (Florida)

Apple Store Coconut Point

Saturday, February 24th at 10:00 a.m.

Potential iPhone Touchscreen Lawsuit

MacNN is reporting that Apple may be facing an iPhone lawsuit from UK-based Quantum Research.

Quantum develops and markets capacitive sensor chips for touch screen applications based on its patented charge-transfer (QT) capacitive sensing technology.

It is their charge transfer technology patent that is dispute and they already negotiating with Apple to resolve a dispute over Apple's use of the technology in iPod Nano click-wheels.

Duncan Bryan, licensing director at Quantum Research (QR) said, "The description of the iPhone suggests it uses a rear-surface touch screen, and has proximity sensing which can tell if it is held to the ear. That's a QR capability,"

Apple and Cisco reach iPhone settlement

From a MacNN report. The actual terms of the agreement are confidential

Both companies may use the trademark , all leagl actions are dismissed, and they will look at ways to ensure the iPhone offers security and, consumer and enterprise operability with Cisco products.

Apple releases WWAN update for Mobile Networks

For Intel Macs only, the update adds support for a bunch of WWAN products from Novatel on the Cingular, Verizon, and Sprint networks. See Apple release notes for specific details.

WWAN Support Update 1.0

Reports on MacFixit that it can break support for some previously supported cards that were using 3rd party drivers. MacFixit has details for reverting the update.

Fix WWAN Update Issues

International users may want to very wary of this update. Listener Onno says that, "this breaks support for the hardware mentioned in the release notes when not using one of the US mobile networks. E.g. all international Mac users with a 3G card will have problems after they install the update."

More Apple updates, mostly DST

Final Cut Pro 5.1.3 provides several important bug fixes

WebObjects 5.3.3 (Daylight Savings Time)

Daylight Savings Time Updates

For OS 10.4.8 and 10.3.9

Java updates, also for Daylight Saving Time changes

Several countries and regions that will alter the dates on which they observe Daylight Saving Time

Security Update 2007-002 to fix several vulnerabilities affecting the Mac OS X Finder, iChat, and the UserNotificationCenter process.

Interesting new Apple Dock Patent

Published by the USPTO and titled, "Methods and apparatuses for docking a portable electronic device that has a planar like configuration and that operates in multiple orientation"

Apple Dock Patent

What that means?

A dock that can be used for a laptop, iPod, tablet, cell phone, PDA, etc that can be oriented in vertical or landscape (horizontal) mode.

Contact-less inductive charging and data transfer

Multiple docking schemes

Picture-frame, like setting on an easel

Cell phone clip-style, with contacts on the peg

Swing arm, a la the G4 "Pixar" iMac

Rotational base, think vertically mounted lazy susan

Also part of the patent is a "dock lock" for keeping the device securly mounted to the base when it is docked.

Apple may return to the sub-notebook market

Apple Insider is reporting that Apple is planning to release a sub-notebook reminiscent of the PowerBook 2400 and PowerBook Duo

PowerBook_2400

NAND Flash and no-optical drive

Many of you would like to see a sub-notebook from Apple.

Limiting factors for size, include the height of the optical drive and ports, like Firewire.

Proprietary "docking" connector?

LED Backlighting could result in thinner smaller LCDs

My biggest issue is you end up carrying around a bunch of extra cables and accessories. I had that issue with my Duo and seen it with Vaio owners.

Traveling you want to watch DVDs, Apple may solve that issue with movies on iTunes.

Apple also has a new job posting for a, ""Manager of Mobile Mac Architecture". Leading to speculation that Apple is working on a new line of mobile Macs?

Possible to hack 802.11n into a MacBook Core Duo

MacBidouille (makbidu) has discovered the 802.11n wireless module from a Mac Pro Xeon has the same connector and antenna configuration (the new MacBook Core 2 Duo uses 3 antenna, the Mac Book Core Duo and Mac Pro, have 2)

The inserted the module from the Mac Pro, used the Airport 802.11n enabler software from the new Airport Basestation and were up and running on N with a MacBook Core Duo.

Complete instructions on the MacBidouille site

MBCD 802.11n Upgrade

Challenges for the upgrade

Disassemble the MacBook to install. Void warranty.

Acquire a Mac Pro 802.11n WiFi module. Can be ordered by an Apple Authorized Repair Center

Follow-up on MBP C2D Airport issues

Tons of feedback on this.

One listener, Michael, reported that simply zapping the PRAM on his MacBook Pro cleared up his issues.

Play advise from another Michael

To downgrade the update

Download the most recent version of Mac OS X for Intel (10.4.8) but do not install it.

10.4.8 Combo Update (Intel)

Download and install the shareware application Pacifist

Pacifist

Full instructions on MacFixit.com

Rollback Airport Update 2007-001

Use extreme caution as mixing and matching kernel extensions is not advised and may produce undesired results. You also lose the benefits of the Airport security updates

Other reports that some issues can be resolved by disabling WEP or WPA encryption on the router.

Will severely reduce your Wi fi security and I don't recommend running without encryption

Turn off SSID broadcast and think about setting up MAC address filtering (can be spoofed)

Review of iFlash

Play review from Tom

iFlash

My experience replacing my iBook HD

Share my story.

Purchased Seagate 120GB 2.5" 5400RPM drive from OWC. USD $118.00

www.macsales.com

Cloned my internal iBook drive using NewerTech adapter (see below) and

Disassemble the entire iBook. Remove like 50 screws.

iFixit Guide and screw guide, plus additional advice from Matt Hoult were invaluable

iFixit Guides

Broke power button connector to motherboard. Super glued it back on.

Super Glue

Review Newertech USB 2.0 Universal Drive Adapter

"Dongle" with various connectors attach to the bare drive and provides a USB connection. 2.5" drives get bus power. Power adapter included for other drives.

Connects ATA/IDE Optical drives, ATA/IDE or SATA 3.5", and ATA or SATA 2.5" drives.

USB 2.0, no Firewire

USD$24.95, product page on NewerTech.com

USB2 Universal Drive Adapter

Drag and Drop not working in the Finder

Play question from MarBel

Only thing I can think of is to try creating a new user account and use that for a while to see if it is limited to just one account or a system wide issue.

Any other solutions send to me or post on forum in the follow-up section

forum.maccast.com

Changing Photo Metadata

Billy had some photos in iPhoto with incorrect dates and was wondering how to change a group of them in iPhoto

Use the 'Photos-->Batch Change..." option (Apple+Shift+B)

Select all the photos (place in album and select all).

Select batch change

You can now change the Title, Date or Comments for a group of photos.

Data is only iPhoto Library data and will not modify EXIF data (View using Get Info...)

Reveal is an open source app that can modify EXIF data.

Reveal

Can't change data directly in iPhoto.

Need to re-import photos into iPhoto after updating with Reveal

Powering USB Powered Portable Drives

Play comment from Bob

WD Passport Drive

Western Digital "Power Boost" cable.

Power Booster Cable

Creating a 2nd Mobile iTunes Library

Listener Hagen wants to put all of his iTunes Music on an external HD connected to his notebook and then have a second smaller library locally for when he is on the road

Migrating your internal Library to an external drive

In iTunes preferences go to the advanced tab and set 'Keep iTunes Folder Organized'

Choose Advanced-->Consolidate Library

Quit iTunes. In Finder Copy the Music --> iTunes --> iTunes Music folder to the external (leave the iTunes Library, iTunes Music Library.xml, etc)

Launch iTunes and in the Preferences --> Advanced --> General tab change the iTunes Music Folder location to point at the music folder now on the external drive.

The cool thing is now if the external drive is not connected iTunes will automatically default back to using the internal Music-->iTunes-->iTunes Music folder and switch back to the external when it is reconnected.

We are half way there. The problem now is when you are disconnected you will see a bunch of broken link icons in iTunes, little "i"s. This is because your iTunes Library now points to files that don't exists.

Solution is to create a second iTunes library which you can now do in iTunes 7

Launch iTunes while holding down the 'Option' key.

Choose "Create Library..." and give it a name, maybe iTunes Mobile.

Now iTunes will open up and you will see you have a blank Library.

Quit iTunes.

In the Finder go to your new Music-->iTunes Mobile folder and create a new iTunes Music folder

Now copy all the Music you want to have on your laptop when not connected to the external into this new iTunes Music folder.

Now disconnect the external drive and launch iTunes

Once it is open, drag the iTunes Music folder from the new iTunes Mobile Library into iTunes. this will update the 2nd Itunes Library will all the music that is now on the local drive.

Now when you launch iTunes the first time when you are disconnected hold down the option key and select the "iTunes Mobile" library. When you return back home remember to hold the option key again and select the "home" library.

There are obvious downsides to this solution

You are maintaining completely separate iTunes Libraries. One library doesn't know about the Music in the other. If you mix things up you can get broken links, etc.

Doesn't work well with Podcasts you subscribe to while mobile. Have to manually sync back any newly added music or purchases to the "home" library.

If you forget to re-connect to your "home" library when your external drive is connected then any new music will be added to the external drive and not be available when you go mobile again. Should be obvious as you would see a much smaller music library.

This could work better if Apple would store the preferences for music location with the Library.

Of course a much easier solution would be to get a portable USB external drive and use that for iTunes Music, then just take the drive on the road too.

Maccast Loop Pilot

On Talkshoe this Sunday at 1:00 PM EST/ 10:00 AM PST

www.talkshoe.com

Maccast Loop is being produced by Victor Cajiao from Typical Mac User Podcast

Typical Mac User Podcast