R.I.P. iSight

There have been numerous reports of this, but it is starting to look official now that Apple has pulled it off their web site. The iSight is a great web cam with built-in microphone. The picture quality is great, even in low light. One of these days my brother and I will be able to use the iSights we have, even though we've had them for over a year and still haven't used them. It's a long story. But I'm not bitter.

Rumors abound that Apple will be releasing new monitors with built-in iSights which would more or less make the need for a standalone iSight moot.

How Apple Kept The iPhone Secret

Okay, everyone really knew that the iPhone was eventual, but the specifics were unknown. Sure the rumor sites had some of the bits, but no one put it all together.

CNN.com has an article talking about how Apple kept the details secret, going so far as to not even show their partners (Cingular, Yahoo! and Google) in it until weeks before the launch.

Fun With Sounds

Some of you out there may remember programs for OS 9 and before that would let you assign different sounds to different actions. I remember having one that would play Star Wars sounds. R2-D2 bleeping when inserting a floppy (what's a floppy) or Chewbacca growling when pressing the escape key.

Bring back that fun with Sounds4Fun. Available for download next week, you'll be able to assign sounds to over 60 different actions, such as inserting a CD, trashing a file, pressing various keys keys, typing a specific word, pulling the power, plus many more.

Now of course it was only fun for about an hour before it became very annoying. If you use Macs in the workplace, this would be a fun prank to play or at least a way to drive your co-workers nuts like my talking Darth Vader my brother gave me for Christmas.

iPhone & Phil

GooTube has a great video of Phil Schiller giving an up close overview of the uber-awesome iPhone.

Why?

What the hell is this? AOL and Haier build an MP3 player that looks like an industrial robot escaped the plant and made robot-worthy MP3 players for other robots. Did I mention that only robots would love this? What the hell am I talking about? Now I know how the pilgrims felt.

First AppleTV Accessories

Xtrememac has already started advertising Xtreme accessories for AppleTV - high quality cables and a 4 port switcher for multiple inputs. The cables offered include Audio, Component, HDMI-DVI, HDMI-HDMI and TOSLINK.

Best of 2007 Macworld

I could create one or several posts with a listing of all the awesome products launched at Macworld this year. But why go through all the effort if iLounge has already done it for me? It was awfully nice of them to do it. I should probably buy them something.

iPhone Questions & Answers

David Pogue's blog has a funny post with questions and answers about the new iPhone. I especially like the questions concerning which carriers the phone will work with. As a general rule, I hate people, and this is why.

Cisco v. Apple

Who didn't see this coming? Cisco is suing Apple for trademark infringement. Cisco obtained the trademark in 2000 when they bought Infogear, which filed for the mark in 1996. Linksys, a member of Cisco's family, markets and sells a line of iPhones. It seems the two companies have been negotiating a long time about use of the name, but talks broke down moments before Jobs hit the stage earlier this week. Apple's response to the suit?

"We believe that Cisco's U.S. trademark registration is tenuous at best," [Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris] said. "Apple's the first company to use the iPhone name for a cell phone. And if Cisco wants to challenge us on it, we're very confident we will prevail."

This one will be interesting. Apple undoubtedly will win this one on the marketing side, but they may have to pony up some cash to make Cisco go away.

iPhone Countdown

Here's a little countdown to the iPhone launch. For those of you like me that can't wait, you can also download (PDF) a papercraft version of the phone.

New Airport Extreme

In other news of note, A new Airport Extreme base station and new wireless standard was release. The new base station loses it's UFO-like body for a svelte Mac mini/AppleTV-esque one. It supports up to 50 users. 802.11n is the new standard and while not ratified yet, simple software updates will accommodate any changes. n is 5x faster than g networks. The new Airport Extreme also supports a/b and g networks. Parents will like the new station as they can control what web sites their kids can access.

Apple also confirmed that recently sold Macs already have the 802.11n capability built-in.

An Apple A Day Keeps The Computer Away

Another interesting tidbit from yesterday's Macworld was Steve's announcement that Apple Computer, Inc. is no more. They're now Apple, Inc. to recognize the fact that they are now more of a consumer electronics company than computer company.

Regardless, it's amazing what a company can do when they focus on the customer, the usability of products, and control the entire experience. It's ultimately what we as consumers want and why so many people are drawn to Macs. You can argue the finer points - Macs still have some problems, they're not perfect - but no one else focuses on the experience like Apple, Inc.

Speaking of Tablet PC's

OWC is selling a new Mac tablet PC. How you ask? How can that be when Apple doesn't license their software or hardware? Well, it's all in the name. They take a MacBOOK and MODify it with a touchscreen and other accutrements and wha-la; a ModBook. Prices range from $2199 through $2699 depending on configuration.

iPhone Is A Failed Tablet PC

There's a great article in Time about the genesis of the iPhone. The entire thing came about while investigating tablet PCs. The article is an excellent read.

AppleTV

I don't see too much point in talking about the iPhone, since that will be everywhere. Yes, innovative. Yes, awesome. Yes, lives up to expectations and beyond. Yes, I will be getting one. Yes, I will probably blog about it later after watching the keynote.

The red-headed step child of the day was AppleTV (formerly iTV). Apple TV puts your iTunes library — movies, TV shows, music, and podcasts plus iPhotos — on your TV. And it all appears in high definition (720p) so you can put on quite a show. Sporting the latest HDMI output along with component out, this baby will hook up to all modern TV's as well as some of the older ones like my 5 year old Sony Wega old-school "tube" TV. It syncs wirelessly to your iTunes library via 802.11 b, g & n, but wireless streaming requires g or n. It has a 40 GB hard drive for storing programming locally so you're not always hogging your home network bandwidth. You can also wire it up via 10/100BASE-T Ethernet.

At $299, it's a pretty good deal to be able to get all that content from your downstairs iMac to your upstairs TV. And in high-definition. It will begin shipping sometime in February.

MacAddict is now Mac|Life

Macsimumnews has an interview with the new editor-in-chief of Mac|Life, Leslie Ayers. Mac|Life takes up where MacAddict left off. I personally subscribe to Mac|Life and have read through the first issue. It has a physically better feel with thicker paper. The look is good and the writing seems to be more sophisticated. There's a ton more advertising than MacAddict, but that's not too suprising in this over-marketed world. There are more how-to type articles than product reviews. Magazine publishing cycles are just too long to provide useful reviews.

iPod Video Projector

ViewSonic has now added an iPod projector to the LCD monitor with iPod dock. It has a 1024 x 768 XGA resolution, 2,000 ANSI lumens brightness, and a 2,000:1 contrast ratio. Other inputs are single s-video, composite, and VGA ports. Look for it within the next three months for $999.

So Many Posts

If you're wondering why there have been so many posts, it's CES time where electronics companies all over the world announce their new products. And just wait until tomorrow - MACWORLD! Yeah, baby!

Altec Lansing iPod Video Dock

Here's a different kind of dock - a video one. Altec Lansing launched their new iMV712 video dock for iPod. It sports a 8.5 high-res LCD screen, good speakers and required remote.

(Via Engadget)

Timex iPod Alarm Clock

While Timex isn't known for its stellar audio quality, it nonetheless has cranked out an alarm clock with an iPod dock. It also has an input for other devices. It's an alarm clock, so you know, it does stuff like tell time and alert you to a specific time. Complicated, techno-savvy stuff.

Creative's Wireless iPod Dock

You may remember that Apple and Creative settled their differences a few months back with part of the deal Creative becoming an authorized iPod accessory maker. Well, I think this is the first fruit from that relationship - the Xdock. Dock your iPod and transmit its sound to your stereo.

SanDisk Launches New MP3 & Video Players

SanDisk expanded it's popular Sansa MP3 & video players line this week. The Sansa Connect is the first Wi-Fi based MP3 player. Play music, view photos, listen to Internet Radio wirelessly, connect to any open Wi-Fi network, get your music subscription library on the go, recommend songs to your friends and it even has an internal speaker. The good folks at Engadget have a great hands-on review of the player.

The Sansa View Pocket Video Player In addition to a DVD-quality viewing experience, the Sansa View plays photos, music and comes equipped with a flash memory expansion slot for easy playback of SD and SDHC cards. It even comes pre-loaded with full-length movies, short films, videos clips, photos and music. Of course Engadget has a hands-on review of the new device.

Finally, the SanDisk Sansa Express is the world’s first cable-less, Flash-based MP3 player with microSD expansion slot. Not bad for a miniscule footprint.

If there was a MP3/Video player that I would buy other than the iPod, it would be the Sansa's. Nice looking and decent usability. However, they only work with Windoze, so I wouldn't be able to actually use it.

Stream iTunes To Your Mobile Phone

Some of you may remember the first couple versions of iTunes where you could stream music across your network or even the internet. Then Apple made nice with the record companies to bring you the iTunes Music Store and did away with it. It now returns courtesy of Avvenu Music Player. The player will stream music from your home computer to your Mobile phone, another PC, another Mac, etc.

You can download a free beta version of the software. Requires Windoze XP. If you plan to stream to your mobile phone, you'll need a Windoze Mobile Smartphone.

The Year To Be

Macworld asked a panel of experts what Apple will do in 2007 and when. Widescreen iPod? "...if at all." It's a good read.

Touchscreen Media PC Announced

Microsoft announced a new touchscreen PC by HP today. Sports a 19-inch touchscreen, AMD Turion 64 X2 dual core TL-52 processor, 2GB SDRAM, 320GB drive, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600, WiFi, Bluetooth, integrated 1.3 megapixel camera, integrated FM and ATSC HDTV tuners, a DVD±RW / DVD-RAM burner with LightScribe, Pocket Media Drive bay, wireless keyboard, mouse, stylus, front media reader, and a ton of ports.

Looks ugly as hell compared to the iMac, but it certainly has some kick-ass specs. I like the touchscreen potential.

iPod Docking Monitor

Here is an innovative computer monitor. With the ViewSonic ViewDock you can just dock your iPod and watch your movies, photo slideshow, whatever. It has all the typical outputs that monitors do but sets new standards with an 8-in-1 card reader, USB connection, integrated microphone and headphone jack. It comes in 19 and 22 inches.

Review: My iPod Shuffle

I don't think I ever mentioned that I bought a Shuffle with a gift certificate I got at work. I've been hitting the Y lately, and this is perfect. I was concerned I would miss the screen, but I don't. The built-in clip is awesome. Just clip it to your shirt, coat, pocket, shorts, jeans, ear or nose and go. So easy. I really love it. I even took it on my last trip - a whirlwind tour of Rockford, IL. The Shuffle was awesome. A definitely recommend for a portable iPod. The sound is great, the portability is unmatched and it even looks cool. I wouldn't give up my full-sized iPod of course, but the Shuffle is damn cool.

Free Printer

This is an oldie but goodie. Buy any Mac and get $100 towards any printer. There's a few decent printers out there for $100 - definitely more than adequate for domestic duties. Don't need a printer? Pick one up anyway - it's free afterall - and sell on eBay. When I got my two MacBooks, I got free printers and sold them both for about $40 or so. That's $80 back on your purchase (if you count it that way as I do).

Sony Launches Mac mini

Sony's new Vaio VGXTP1 looks an awful like an uglied-up Mac mini. It does sport some non-mini features such as HDMI output and memory card slot. The price is also a very non-mini $1600 USD.

New Look

Just in case you haven't noticed, iPod & Mac Mania has a new look courtesy of Blogger's new functionality. In addition to the refreshed look, there is now an index of every article by label, enhanced archive and more advertising. Enjoy. :-)

Jewelcase

If you're like me and rarely if ever buy CD's anymore, this iTunes plug-in might interest you. It puts the cover art of the song you're listening to inside a virtual jewelcase.

I couldn't get it to work on my MacBook which leads me to believe it doesn't work on Intel-based Macs. I'll try it on my iMac G5 and let you know how it is.

Ford Syncs

Ford has announced their new Sync system. It offers integration with Bluetooth-enabled phones and music players including our ubiquitous iPod. Also included is the ability to have text messages read aloud, voice recognition for control of both phone and music functions, and phonebook transfer. The system is also upgradeable for future players/phones. Look for the Sync in twelve model year 2008 Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles with availability starting later this year. The only downside to the whole thing is it's powered by Microsoft.

Sexy iPod nano Competitor

Samsung is launching their K3. It competes directly with the nano on size, capacity, and sex appeal. It has a 1.8-inch OLED display, touchscreen controls, an FM tuner, support for MP3, WMA, and PlaysForSure. Comes in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB. Pricing details to come, but expect them to be nano-esque.

I really like the sleek design, sexy black cover and smooth controls. My guess is the interface sucks compared to the iPod, but I like the form factor for sure.

Update: Engadget has a great video of the new K3. It looks even better than I thought! A serious competitor to the nano for sure.

New Shure Headphones

I haven't tried any Shure headphones let alone any in-ear headphones, but they are supposed to be the bomb. Now they have new headphones for your listening pleasure. Anything has to be better than the earbuds that come with the iPod. Although these will certainly set you back a few clams. The least expensive pair is $150 USD.

Amplifi Your iPod

Griffin has announced a new competitor to the iPod Hi-Fi called Amplifi. It sports an all-wood, acoustically tuned enclosure, iPod charging dock (fits all iPod generations) and more. It also features Griffen's iconic PowerMate knob. Can't wait to hear it. So far, I think the best-sounding speaker systems are the Bose SoundDock and iPod Hi-Fi.

(via Engadget)

Um, yeah, okay...

Being a guy, I just can't get too excited about this, but I have to admit they are clever. If you're bored with your earbuds, cute them up with these "emotibuds" that easily clip to your earbuds. Get 4 different sets for a mere $16.

(via BoingBoing)

Amazon Has A Sense Of Humor

See Here

iPod Kid Carrier

Here's a must-have for all you new parents out there. Stroller, carrier, diaper bag are all iPod-enabled.

Floating iPod Speaker System

Take your iPod to the pool with this innovative iPod speaker system from Atlantic. Waterproof and shatterproof, this speaker system will float. Fits iPod 4thGen/photo 20GB/30GB/40GB/60GB, iPod mini 4GB/6GB, iPod nano 1st Gen & 2nd Gen 1GB/2GB/4GB/8GB, iPod 5th Gen/video 30GB/60GB/80GB. Pretty cool.

(via Engadget)

The Waiting

Contrary to most everybody's expectations, Apple may not launch the iTV (or whatever it will be called) next week. AppleInsider reports that Apple is working diligently to make sure the device is bug-free, which means it likely won't be ready for another few weeks. But honestly, who knows for sure? This is typical a week before MacWorld. The rumors run rampant and everybody's source knows everything. Apple will have surprises for us, no doubt.

Welcome To 2007

Apple has an updated home page to welcome in 2007 as well as acknowledge their 30th Anniversary:

The First 30 Years Were Just The Beginning
Welcome To 2007

MacRumors.com reminds us the last time they did something like this was 2002 when the flat panel iMac, iPhoto and the 14" iBook was announced. Does this mean big things for MacWorld next week?

Let's hope so!

Star Wars iPod Covers

Not sure how I missed this being a huge Star Wars fan and all, but StarWars.com has iPod Covers. The nano edition is limited and currently 32% off the normal price.

TIP: What To Do If Your iPod Falls Into The Toilet (WTF?)

I had no idea that this was such a huge problem. However, I feel it my duty to pass along this extremely valuable information.

Happy New Year!!

Happy 2007!!

MacWorld is just around the corner!!

08 January - 12 January - MacWorld
09 January - Steve Jobs Keynote (True Video iPod? iPhone?)

More Trouble for Apple

Apple disclosed that it is facing several significant lawsuits. One alleges that the link between the iPod and iTunes software is a monopoly, not unlike the link between Windows and Internet Explorer that has caused Microsoft tons of problems for many years. Another suit alleges a patent infringement for the Nike+iPod product. Finally, some are alleging that the logic board on the iBook G4 fails at a high rate. This all in addition to the securities and service problems from the past few weeks. The price of success.

Zune Off

Popular Science suggests new uses for the word that names our favorite failure of the year, Zune. My favorite:

2. I think I just zuned in my mouth a little bit.

Finally, what we've all been waiting for...

Need I say more?

Apple Is Being Probed

Uh oh?

Christmas Nearly Melts Apple

Millions of new iPod and gift certificate owners swamped iTunes over the last couple of days causing site slowdowns, interrupted downloads and a variety of other problems.

MacRumors is reporting that Amazon.com's best selling laptops, desktops, and MP3 players this holiday season were all made by Apple Computer.

And MacsimumNews reports traffic to iTunes was up 413% over last year.

Looks like Apple had a good Christmas, as did millions of new iPod, MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Pro and Mac Mini owners.

iPod Skyscraper

Check out Dubai's iPod Building. I'd like to live in that!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from all of us at iPod/Mac Mania!

$2000 iPod Dock

So you thought $30 was too much for the Apple iPod dock? Check this one out. The iLink iPod Dock boasts true digital output for the true audiophile.

Why is this important? Well, the iPod converts the digital file to an analog signal in all other outputs - headphones, other docking stations, speaker systems, etc. The iLink extracts the pure digital source and outputs it to a variety of digital sources (Toslink optical, coaxial or balanced AES/EBU) for true-to-CD sound.

The Zune Is A Decoy

Bob Cringely, Apple employee number 12, thinks the Zune is a decoy to distract Apple and others from their real strategy, which is your living room through the Xbox. Read that and more insights to what Apple might be up to.

Apple iPhone Won't Be Called iPhone

Cisco released their iPhone VOIP phones this week ending years of speculation that an Apple-branded mobile phone would be called "iPhone". "Applephone" seems to be the new nickname the blogosphere has assigned for now.

Hershey Squirts

Microsoft continues perfecting it's astonishing track record at copying everything Apple does but at a significantly reduced quality. The latest abomination is a very lame "I'm a Mac" ad parody that demonstrates just how easy it is to get a song on Zune compared to an iPod. It even ends with a self-deprecating poke at the Zune's shit-brown style. Horrific.

Breen's Zune Diary

If you're seriously considering a Zune (what?) or if you're just curious, head on over to Christopher Breen's Zune Diary for the lowdown on his impressions.

For the anti-iPodders out there, I can understand you, believe me, but don't throw money down the toilet on one of these things. It supports the record companies' insanity and is downright clugly (clunky/ugly). If you won't buy an iPod, pick up something from Creative or Sony or a SanDisk Sansa.

Stop Downloading

The popularity of iTunes as well as Xbox Live has caused a surge in broadband utilization over the last few weeks. With the release of Gears of War, Xbox traffic is up 80%. With movie downloads, iTunes 7 traffic is up 140%. So stop downloading or you'll cause the entire meltdown of the interwebs.

Wireless Multi-Room iPod Speakers

Here's an attractive and versitile wireless speaker system for your iPod. The main system will cost you a mere $299.00 USD with additional speaker sets at $129.00 USD. Speakers can be placed up to 150 feet apart. Surprisingly, it doesn't come with a remote, but otherwise looks like a good system. Look for it in March 2007.

Age of Empires III Now Available for Mac

I'm a HUGE fan of the original Age of Empires. My friend Matt and I would play networked games for hours. Age of Empires II was good, had fantastic graphics and gameplay, but more complex. Age of Empires III continues the trend. Play one of 8 conquering nations for control of the new world. If you're looking for a Christmas present for me, hint hint.

Age of Empires III costs US$49.95 and requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later with a 64MB or better video card. It is an Universal application and works with PowerPC and Intel-based Macs.

iPod Power Adapters Outsell Zune

iPod power adapters are more popular than Zunes. :-)

Nike Releases iPod Controlling C.O.R.E. Backpack

I really just don't care enough to comment on the new Nike C.O.R.E. Backpack. If you must know, head on over to Engadget.

via Engadget via iLounge

Beatles Coming To iTunes?

Fortune is claiming to have learned that Apple may be close to an exclusive deal to bring the Beatles to iTunes, at least for a limited time before the other music services do. As previously reported, Apple Records has been in the process of readying the Beatles recordings for the digital age.

"About as Pleasant as Having an Airbag Deploy in Your Face"

Chicago Sun-Times Columnist Andy Ihnatko hate - HATES - the new Microsoft Zune, and he makes some excellent and amusing points:

• Am I really about to manually create and install a .dll file?
• Zune is incompatible with Windows Media Player.
• And why (for the love of God) doesn't it support podcasts?
• The Zune is a complete, humiliating failure.
• Result: The Zune will be dead and gone within six months. Good riddance.

U.S. Copyright Office Provides New Exemptions Under The DMCA

The U.S. Copyright Office made some surprising exemptions to the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act). Cellphone users can break software locks in order to use the phone on competing carriers. For example, carriers "lock" cellphones in a way that makes them only work on their networks. This new exemption will allow you to break the lock and use your phone with whomever you damn well please.

Other exemptions include academic uses, persons with disabilities, etc.

The most disappointing news is that the long-awaited exemption for making copies of DVDs was not made. I bet you didn't even know that making copies for your personal use (any other use would be piracy) of DVDs that you purchased was illegal. That includes copying DVDs to your iPod with video. This is of course unlike CDs, cassettes or records where you can make copies, mixes and otherwise use the music in any way you want (for your personal use).

Shocker: Zune Not Impacting iPod Sales (yet)

Ah, hype is a funny thing. While the Zune has been on store shelves for only a week or so, the media is of course making as much of a big deal as possible about the Zune vs. iPod competition. MacsimumNews.com is reporting that Zune sales are not impacting iPod sales.

Geez people, it's been a whole week. Give it a rest.

I finally had a brief moment to check out the Zune today at my local Target. It's not as big, dumb and clunky as it looks in pictures and video. I like the bigger screen. I'm not sure about the interface tho. It could be that I'm just so used to the simple, easy iPod interface, but there's an awful lot going on in the Zune interface. Everything seems to take an extra click or two to get to than the iPod.

Black Friday

Thinking about an Apple product? New MacBook or MacBook Pro? Mac Pro? iMac? iPod? You might want to wait until 23 November, also known as Black Friday - the official start of the Christmas frenzy buying season.

Last year Apple.com and Apple Retail Stores offered discounts on a wide variety of products, including computers. As you probably know, Apple doesn't discount their computers very often.

Demand for Shuffle Exceeds Supply

AppleInsider is reporting that demand for the new iPod Shuffle is exceeding supply. If you plan on getting one of these things as a gift this year, get it now!.

As of Friday Amazon.com was out of stock and one of its resellers was charging a $30 premium. Other retailers are out of stock and can't get more. Apple.com has up to a 5 day wait depending on where you are in the world (other iPods ship within 24 hours).

Guess Who Praises The iPod; Zune a "Modest" Competitor

Bill Gates recently mused about the "phenomenal, unbelievable, fantastic" iPod and calls his own company's foray into MP3 devices "more modest" at Stanford University.

Tip - Smart Playlists

David Gagne has some excellent tips for creating useful smart playlists.

Update Those Genres

Rate Those Songs

Separate The Slow Stuff

Cycle Your Songs

The Hidden Secret: Groupings

via DavidGagne.net

Zune vs. iPod Round 1.0

Peter Lewis over at Fortune Magazine has a great blow-by-blow comparison of the iPod and Zune. Zune was launched today of course to what appears to be a not surprising lukewarm reception.

Some things I hadn't really realized that the article points out: The Zune Marketplace apparently shows songs and artists it doesn't actually sell; it only plays music from the marketplace - not the "plays for sure" scheme Microsoft try to con everyone (including their partners) into; the 3/3 sharing of music is not universal - some artists and songs have a different limit or do not allow sharing at all; while that screen looks huge on the Zune, it's only 1/2 an inch larger than that on the iPod.

In-Air iPod Connectivity

Apple announced today deals with 4 major airlines to provide iPod power and seatback LCD screen connectivity for travelers' iPods. Delta, United, Continental and Emirate airlines will begin providing seat connections in mid-2007.

This is actually pretty cool. One of the rare places I use my iPod outside of my car is on flights. It would be very cool to charge my iPod and watch movies in-flight on the larger seatback LCD screen.

EFI Firmware Update Now Available

Intel-based iMac, MacBook, Mac mini, MacBook Pro and Mac Pro users should run Software Update to get the latest EFI firmware upgrade. This fixes issues with Boot Camp, start up and wake-up-from-sleep issues.

BTW - the previous MacBook Firmware upgrade and/or 10.4.8 really cools the machine down. It was extremely warm (that's just below "hot" on the thermometer) before, but now it's just "warm".

Tip - Set Unique Headphone Volume

If you have a new Intel Mac there's a little-known tip for setting a unique volume preference for headphones. Previous Macs would not enable you to store a volume preference for headphones, but the Intel Macs can. Just plug in your headphones, pop on over to the sound control panel and set your preference. Easy.

Credit for Singles

MacRumors is reporting a possible credit system in iTunes to help incentivize album sales. If you buy a single and then later decide to buy the album, you're double-paying for that song. This scheme would somehow credit you back for all or a portion of the single purchase.

Zune Unboxed

The good people at Engadget have unboxed their new Zune a day ahead of the official launch (14 November 2006). Very anti-Microsoft packaging - clean, simple, very Apple-esque. Right down to the Zune window decal a-la Apple.

While it will be a cold day in hell when they pry my iPod out of my cold, dead hands; I'm still very intriqued by what they've come up with.

Update: Just as I was going back to Engadget to continue reading today's stories, they just updated with their experience installing the Zune. Well, the packaging may be very Apple-esque, the installation is all Microsoft.

Japanese Get A Mac Ads

Check out Apple's Get A Mac ads in Japan. Funny. Because they're talking in Japanese. And it's funny to hear Japanese.

Great Idea, Way Overpriced

Here's what I think is a great idea, but it's just a bit overpriced.

I primarily use my iPod in the car. And yes, when I go into a store, restaurant or whatever, I generally leave my iPod in plain view. Or if I do put it in the console, it's still pretty apparent I have an iPod with the cassette adapter, charger, etc.

iDisguise offers disguises for your iPod in the form of candy tins. For a mere $11 you can have one too, sans mints. Or for a mere $2, you can have mints and when you're done, a place to put your iPod.

They are at least being smart - they will change the design of the tins every so often so thieves don't get too familiar with a particular design.

I just think the price should be around $6. And include free mints.

New Mac Guy?

RadarOnline is reporting that Justin Long, the Mac in Apple's "Get a Mac" campaign is being replaced. I liked the interplay of him and John Hodges, but I would admit that Hodges' portrayal of a PC was actually more fun than the Mac.

*Update: According to Macsimum News, Justin Long is still the Mac guy despite the above report.

xMovies

No, not adult movies (who would want to watch single-x anyway?). Microsoft has launched a movie download service via their XBox Live. It should be an interesting race to see who captures the most downloaded movies. I think the concept of downloading movies is quite different from music. Apple really ought to consider the rental model for movies. While people do want to own some movies, they typically rent far more than buy.

MacBook Upgrade

Apple announced today that the MacBook now sports a Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 25% speed bump compared to the previous model.

I've got two MacBooks and I LOVE them. Best laptops Apple has made so far for the consumer market. Go buy yours today.

Let's Get Naked

Repair that Cracked iPod LCD Screen

If you crack your iPod's LCD screen all is not lost. For a mere $40 (nano) or $50 (video), you can replace it yourself. FastMac will send you a new LCD screen and do-it-yourself tools & instructions.

Not handy? For an extra $40 they'll do it for you.

You can even get a new higher-capacity battery installed.

Which iPod is Right for YOU?

There's a myriad of choices if you're looking for an iPod. I think the simplest way to think about it is prioritizing size, storage, usage and price.

Size
If you're looking for the smallest and lightest iPod, the new 2nd generation iPod Shuffle is your choice. This thing is tiny. And the most wearable with its innovative built-in clip.

But there is a price to pay if smallest and lightest is a high priority. The iPod Shuffle lacks a display. Your choices are to play music sequencially or shuffle. And forget about video or photos of course. Your color choices are silver and silver.

If size is important, but a display and flexibility is essential, there's the iPod nano. Choose one of 6 colors - blue, silver, green, red, black and pink. Its 1.5 inch color display lets you choose your music by artist, playlist, album, podcast, etc. Also display photos on it. But no video. It also doesn't play any games. The nano is larger than the Shuffle, but it's thin and extremely light.


Storage
How many songs do you have? Need to have ALL of them on your iPod?
iPod Shuffle: up to 240 songs
iPod nano: 2GB - 500 songs; 4GB - 1,000 songs; 8GB - 2,000 songs
iPod with video: 30GB - 7,500 songs/10,000 photos/40 hours of video; 80GB - 20,000 songs/25,000 photos/100 hours of video or a combination of all three.


Usage
How and where will you use your iPod? If you do a lot of travel, and choice is essential, the iPod nano or iPod with video is probably your best bet. Do you want to watch movies or tv shows? The iPod with video is your only choice (in black or white). Want to kill time with games? Only the iPod with video can do that. Not so with the nano (small screen) or Shuffle (no screen). Will you be using the iPod for exercise? The small size of the Shuffle or nano is probably best. Any iPod will work in the car, but if you want to use an FM transmitter, the iPod nano or iPod with video is the only option.


Price
Least expensive: iPod Shuffle at $79 (silver only)
Most expensive: iPod with video 80GB at $349 (black or white)
Least expensive with a screen: iPod nano 4GB at $149 (silver is the only color option at this price)
Least expensive with video: iPod with video 30GB at $249 (black or white)
Color choices: Silver - iPod Shuffle or iPod nano 2GB; Blue/Green/Pink- iPod nano 4GB; Black - iPod nano 8GB, iPod with video 30GB/80GB; Red - iPod nano 4GB or 5GB; White - iPod with video 30GB/80GB

If price is a huge consideration (when isn't it?) consider a refurbished iPod. You might be able to afford the iPod you really want without breaking the bank. Get up to 70% off the original price.


Nuances
The RED iPod nano is only available at Apple retail stores or Apple.com.

When will the next version of the iPod come out? Any day now. If you wait for the latest & greatest, you'll never buy anything. Will Apple release a new version of the iPod right after you buy yours? Probably. That's the price of innovation and staying on the bleeding edge. Get your iPod today. I mean it. You won't regret it, and you'll rediscover music.

8GB iPod nano RED Available Today

In addition to the new 2nd generation iPod Shuffle Apple also released a new 8GB version of the iPod nano RED today.

Previously the 8GB iPod nano was only available in black. If you want my personal opinion, and if you're reading my blog you might, I think the RED is the best color maybe next to black. The others are just too intense for my tastes.

The 8GB iPod nano RED is at the same cost as the black, $249 USD.

Yet Another FM Transmitter - But with a Boost

XtremeMac has announced the AirPlay Boost. Now there are a lot of FM transmitters out there. And for the most part, they all suck. Why? Reception. They just don't transmit far or strong enough.

What makes the AirPlay Boost different is that it has an external antenna. It's very slim and doesn't look like it would get in the way. In addition, it has a pass-through dock for charging, on-screen display, stereo/mono mode, etc.

All I know is that my next car will have a direct iPod connection. I don't want to fool around with FM transmitters or tape adapters anymore.

Zune Walkthrough

Engadget has a great video of the upcoming Zune interface.

I have to say I like the larger screen and appreciate the interface opportunities the screen real estates affords. The integration of the album art is really nice. The interface looks a little busy to me, but it could just be that I'm so used to the simple elegance of the iPod.

The much-talked about wireless connectivity is certainly interesting. Steve Jobs said recently that "it takes too long". I don't think so at all - it took about 10 seconds or so for a song to transfer over. Now of course the two Zunes were 1 inch away from each other and in a controlled environment so real-world scenarios might be different. The fact that you can only listen to the song no more than 3 times or for no more than 3 days (whichever comes first) is still pretty lame.

I can't wait to see what the desktop software for the Zune looks like.

The device itself still looks really clunky and does not have a "cool" or "wow" factor at all. I think Microsoft is counting on their community strategy to overcome that. We'll have to wait and see.

Apple Crack

Here's an interesting all-Apple workaround for Apple's DRM using iMovie if you're so inclined. Of course, if you commit to Apple's excellent products and avoid legally-dubious activities, you don't really need this, but I suppose that's what it comes down to.

MacBook Firmware Update Addresses Random Shutdown Syndrome (RSS)

MacBook owners should upgrade to MacBook SMC Firmware 1.1 at their earliest convenience. Apple improved internal monitoring systems and claims to have fixed the random shutdowns occuring in some MacBooks.