MacCast 08.08.2009 - Show #274
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Media/Links
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Opening
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Opening Music
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Music is "Say Anything" by Manda and the Marbles
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Band's MySpace page
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Updated link, they did post a new demo last year.
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Sponsor
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Faronics
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PowerSave Mac
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Free trails available and checkout their other great products while your there.
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News
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Leopard 10.5.8 update
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The Apple notes state the update "includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac."
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Upgrades Safari to version 4.0.2.
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Improves the accuracy of full history search in Safari 4.
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Resolves an issue in which certain resolutions might not appear in the Display pane in System Preferences.
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Dragging an Aperture image into Automator now invokes an Aperture action instead of incorrectly invoking an iPhoto action.
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Resolves an issue that could prevent importing of large photo and movie files from digital cameras.
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Improves overall Bluetooth reliability with external devices, USB webcams and printers.
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Addresses an issue that could cause extended startup times.
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Improves iCal reliability with MobileMe Sync and CalDav.
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Addresses data reliability issues with iDisk and MobileMe.
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Improves overall reliability with AFP.
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Improves overall reliability with Managed Client.
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Improves compatibility and reliability for joining AirPort networks.
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Improves Sync Service reliability.
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Includes additional RAW image support for several third-party cameras.
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Improves compatibility with some external USB hard drives.
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Includes latest security fixes.
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Including, according to Ars Technica, four ImageIO fixes for maliciously crafted OpenEXR images, EXIF data, and PNG images.
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And the Dock now blocks someone with physical access to the machine from using four-finger multi-touch gestures while the computer is in locked screen saver mode.
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Snow Leopard available for pre-order
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Several listeners pointed out that Amazon.com is now taking pre-orders for Snow Leopard which is due out in September
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You can order it now to have it shipped to you as soon as it is released by Apple
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Upgrades are $29.00 (single) or $49(family), but will only work if you already have Leopard installed.
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If you own Tiger an ArsTechnica piece says you will need to buy the Mac Box Set version. That includes Snow Leopard, iLife '08 and iWork '08, but runs $169 (single) or $229 (family).
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Snow Leopard is Intel only.
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Bryan Chaffin of the Mac Observer noted that in the Amazon "Bestsellers list for Software" on Wednesday that Snow Leopard single user and family pack help the #1 and #2 spots, while Microsoft's Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade racked at #16.
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Apple doubles up Time Capsule
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Last Thursday Apple quietly updated the Time Capsule which now offers up to 2GB of storage.
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They have 2 models, a 1 GB for $299 and a 2GB for $499.
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Looks like all other specs stayed the same.
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Garageband 5.1 update
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Can now add GarageBand track effects and Audio Units to a guitar track
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Improved support for Apogee audio interfaces
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Access to audio monitoring settings
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Faster switching to full screen in Magic GarageBand
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Security update, prior to this update opening GarageBand would change Safari’s preferences to always accept cookies. The default preference is to accept cookies only for the sites being visited, not 3rd parties.
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Apple shakes off Shake
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Not long after updating it's Final Cut Studio suite last week, Apple quietly removed their Shake visual effects and compositing application from their site and online store.
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The Shake pages now re-direct to the Final Cut Studio page.
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Apple didn't comment on the removal, but Chris Foresman of ArsTechnica and others are speculating that Apple feels the recent 3D updates to Motion 4 are good enough replacements for Shake.
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We'll see if hollywood agrees. The Ars Technica piece says Shake was used for post-production in films like The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Dark Knight.
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There apparently have been rumors of Apple working on a Shake replacement code named "Phenomenon," but it now remains to be seen if that product will become a reality.
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Apple not at CES despite WSJ piece
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Ben Charny, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, poked at old wounds when he claimed Apple would be at CES 2010 and that Steve Jobs would keynote
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Remember that was one rumor floating around when Apple said 2009 would be their last appearance at Macworld.
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Charney claimed president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Gary Shapiro, gave him the scoop at an industry dinner in the Bay Area last week.
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Luckily Ryan Block of Engadget and other who were at the same dinner cried fowl and posted otherwise on their blogs, saying no such statements were made.
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A fact later confirmed in a statement by Jason Oxman, senior vice president of Industry Affairs for the CEA. "Apple is a member of the trade association, but they are not signed up as an exhibitor for CES".
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There will be a large 25,000 sq ft area at CES featuring Mac vendors and products called the iLounge Pravillion, but Apple is not going to have a presence there.
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FCC investigate Google Voice takedowns
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Apple has final done an app rejection that has drawn the attention of the United States government. Congratulations.
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They sent Apple a letter asking questions about why the apps were removed and rejected, hat other apps have been removed, and if AT&T had any part in the removals.
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MacNN reports that AT&T officially claimed they had nothing to do with the rejections.
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In the meantime, according to iPodNN, Google plans to work around the block by creating a web app, just like they did for Google Latitude.
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Rumors of a wild Mac tablet prototype.
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AppleInsider cited a Barron's Online piece where author Tiernan Ray claims an analyst has seen a prototype of rumored upcoming Mac tablet.
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In the Barrons article the author also says the device could debut within the next 6 weeks.
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Other details are that it is media and game focused, with a price between $700-$800.
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Electronista and ArsTechnica note that the latest iPhone 3.0.1 firmware has a plist reference to a "device" called iProd 1,1. In version 3.0 the reference was to iProd 0,1. Speculation is that the move from 0 to 1 could indicate the unknown iProd product may have transitioned from a prototype, to a production product.
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Unrelated but still a rumor, MaGeniuscRumors has Boy Genius Report claiming they have information and images of an internal memo that indicate Rogers Wireless in Canada may be getting ready to sell an 8GB version of the iPhone 3GS
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Schmidt resigns from Apple board
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Electronista reported Monday that Google CEO Eric Schmidt resigned his position on the Apple Board due to a conflict of interest now that Google has announce their Chrome OS.
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Steve Jobs expressed that the move was necessary since Schmidt would have to recuse himself from many meeting where Apple discussed OS strategy.
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Seems to me and many other I am reading that the conflicts existed long before this latest round. Android? Hello?
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Apple attempts to extinguish iPod fire claims
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iPodNN has news of an 11-year old UK iPod Touch owner and her father who claim the kids iPod Touch exploded.
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The also say when an Apple exec wrote and offered a full refund it came with gag order string attached.
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A TV station in Seattle recently used the freedom of information act to obtain 800 pages of Apple documents about incidents of iPod fires in the US.
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Reality check is those 800 pages re-count 15 incidents which occurred over a 4 year period.
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iTunes launches in Mexico
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In the "What the heck took you so long" department...
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Apple iTunes Mexico opened this week with music from all the major and independent labels.
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Just like in other iTunes store music is 256kbps DRM-free AAC format, and mostly priced at 12 pesos ($0.92) per track and 120 pesos ($9.20) per album.
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Invisible iPhone photos
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iLounge has reports of people on Apple's discussion boards saying they have photos that were sync'd to their iPhone's but that aren't visible in the Photo app on the device
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The issue effect iPhone's running iPhone OS 3.0 and appears to be a bug related to the file names.
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photos with the name IMG_10000 or higher don't show up when browsing, but are still on the device and can be syc'd
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This issue is different than a bug where photo taken on the device are reported as missing and can't sync back to iPhoto.
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Feedback, Comments and Commentary
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Keyboard shortcut for shutdown
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Catalin points out that you can just use the Keyboard & Mouse's Keyboard Shortcut tab to make your own.
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Click the + sign in the lower left and there you select All Applications or the Finder from the drop down.
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In the dialog type the exact menu command that appears under the Apple menu item which is 'Shut Down…". Including the 3 "dots", (ellipsis). You can type ... or option+semi-colon.
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Assign the shortcut. Something not used by other apps or shortcuts. Command+Option+Control+Shift+S
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Click 'Add...', close System Preferences, and your done.
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Open apps with unsaved changes should ask you to save.
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Andreas found an app to do it, called "Close all open Applications"
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Reactions on "unlocked" iPhones
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General consensus is you pay more up front, but save in the long run.
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Pay per use on minutes and data plans
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Data plans seem to be in the $10 to $30/mo range with caps ranging from 200MB to 5GB.
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Glenn from Belgium, says laws there have forbidden carriers from selling IPhones with contracts, but it has backfired a bit.
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Apple partnered with just one carrier there to be the exclusive reseller of the iPhone. They are unlocked for service, but only one carrier sells the iPhone.
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If you try to buy from that carrier, they will try to sell you service as well. If you say you don't want the service, they are suddenly "out of stock" of iPhones.
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Now there are proposals in Belgium for an "iPhone-law" to allow for locked iPhone sales.
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Chris in Australia (which has 5 iPhone carriers) confirms the difficulty in getting a carrier to sell you a phone without a contract. Luckily there they have a few Apple stores.
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Hamidos is also from the Netherlands and has an unlocked iPhone (got it in Belgium) and loves it. He uses it on T-Mobile.
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He is also a Jailbreaker and says his experience with it is positive for him.
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Does admit it can sometimes be slow, and can crash, but likes the freedom to customize, etc.
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I should have been clearer about saying, "it's a hassle to jailbreak".
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A few people pointed out "legally unlocked" iPhones for sale in the US on Buy.com for just under $1000.00. The resellers are actually DB Electronics and Popular Electronics.
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Want iPhone OS 3.0 for your Touch for free, just ask.
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After mentioning on the last show that iPod Touches purchased after the 3.0 update don't come with the new OS I had several listeners tell me about this tip.
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If you buy at Apple retail locations and complain about the lack of 3.0 being included they will often discount you 10 bucks.
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And no, 3.0 is not missing because it's old 2.0 pre-installed stock they haven't sold through yet.
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Review: Griffin Navigate
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Navigate
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A little oval shaped controller about the size of a matchbook
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OLED screen for 2-lines of text
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FM tuner with 4 presets. Displays radio RDS track info.
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Works with most dock connector iPods and controls iPod
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Play, pause, forward, back, scan controls
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Navigate tracks, playlists, artists, genre, albums, EQ settings, etc.
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Displays track data on screen when playing
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Plug it into the dock connector and your headphones or line out into it.
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Minor complaints
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OLED screen is washed out in bright sunlight, can use controls without the screen once you learn the layout, although since the shape and buttons are symmetrical orientation plays an issue. Button lock switch on the top edge can help with that.
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Uses dock connector for power to the controller, so you can't charge and use the Navigate at the same time.
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Can use with the iFM Radio browser app (free) on iTunes. Will tune Navigate from the iPhone when connected. The app gives you details data on the current song on that radio station.
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Navigate doesn't control the display or data in the iFM app
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iFM is not an FM radio player, like AOL Radio or Pandora.
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$59.99 USD
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Pesky Airport Connection
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Brian in a band and traveling. Staying at hotels in the same chain and they have the same SSID (wireless name) at different hotels. Bandmate was unable to connect and they had to give him a Ethernet to Wi-fi bridge, but his Airport works.
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Tried turning on and off the Airport, but no luck.
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Thinks it might be caching or remember old location of the same name,
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Try clearing out the "remembered" networks
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In the System Preferences-->Network, Select Airport from the list and click the Advanced... button.
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In the 'Airport' tab you will see a list of the "preferred" networks. You can add, delete, or reorder them in the list.
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Remove the one that has the same name and you may want to uncheck the "Remember any network this computer has joined" option.
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Other things to try
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If you have access to the base station router you are attempting to connect to, power it off and on.
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Double check the encryption type. These days usually WPA2, but for older devices may be WPA, or WEP.
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Reset the PMU (PPC) or SMC/SMU (Intel) for your Mac
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Zap the PRAM. Hold down Apple+Option+P+R while you restart your Mac, Keep held until it goes through 3-4 restart cycles.
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Anti-virus on the Mac, needed?
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LEX a listener who uses the forum said they were "beating up" on him because he had purchased Norton Anti-virus for his Mac.
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I'm not sure that is 100% fair.
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There have been many more security alerts and "proof of concept" exploits targeting the Mac, even if nothing is "in the wild"
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The recent Black Hat conference uncovered even more and showed hackers are really starting to take notice of the Mac and iPhone OSes.
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Trouble is the anti-virus apps will likely not protect you from a zero-day exploit.
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Also Norton has not had the best reputation in recent years.
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I usually recommend, Intego Virus Barrier or Clam X AV (free), if you want something.
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Closing
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Podcast Marketplace
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Thanks to my sponsors
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Circus Ponies
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Smile on my Mac
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Faronics, Deep Freeze
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Keep emails coming. Audio comments.
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281-622-4269 or 281-Mac-I-Am-9
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PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
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MacCast Forum
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Stuart asked me to thank forum member UK Graham for helping him with his iTunes/Permissions/AppleTV tech question. Couldn't get an answer on Google, Mac Fixit, or other sites and turned to the Maccast community for help and they answered.
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Follow me on Twitter
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"Inside my Room" by Roly Skender
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From the Podsafe Music Network, now MusicAlley from Mevio
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Artist's web site
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EOL: Sometimes it just ends
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Yes, it really does.
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