MacNotables #831 [41:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It isn’t often that Andy Ihnatko lets his guard down and talks seriously about his methods, his mindset and his career. This is one of those rare times. Andy discusses “new media” and why it really isn’t that new, how the current political process is being affected by new media (or vice versa), and what being a journalist really means. How “Max Headroom” predicted the current state of journalism, why he feels teaching is part of his mission, and how the many new media options increase his reach are included in Andy’s comments, along with some advice for young people who are contemplating journalism as a career.

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 MacNotables #830 [41:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

After a few weeks of evaluations, Mac troubleshooting expert Ted Landau shares his conclusions on some of Apple’s latest offering. Ted provides his thoughts on MobileMe and what it delivers to both individuals and the enterprise market, covers the iPhone’s battery life, and discusses the iPhone 2.0 software’s stability. Just in case you think all the news isn’t good, Ted also tells us about some of his favorite things about the state of the iPhone, and how it stacks up against the compeition. (Hint: there is no competition.)
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 MacNotables #829 [35:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

When Mac troubleshooting legend Ted Landau got his new new iPhone 3G, one of the first things he did was to jailbreak it. Should you? Ted talks about the two reasons you might consider jailbreaking your iPhone, whether it is a new 3G or an original Edge model, and the two categories of software that still require a jailbroken phone. What you lose (or don’t) by jailbreaking, what Ted misses from the original first round of unsanctioned iPhone apps (that no longer work with the 2.0 software), and why the incentive just isn’t there to create those programs are all part of Ted’s analysis, along with why some highly coveted features are best left to Apple to implement.

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 MacNotables #828 [45:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus has spent some time with the new iPhone 3G in preparation for his new book, and shares his thoughts on Apple’s iPhone priorities, compatibility of older iPhone accessories, and a new, must-have one. Bob also picks some of his favorite iPhone apps so far and gives some surprising advice on what protection you should or shouldn’t buy for your iPhone.

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 MacNotables #826 [26:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Dennis Sellers comes out of hiding to discuss how his site, MacsimumNews, will serve as an alternative for readers of the now-offline MacMinute.com, due to the passing of Stan Flack, and why he decided to jump into the podcast fray and produce the Macsimum Podcast. Dennis also provides his thoughts on the WWDC announcements, including the future of the iPod, Snow Leopard and more.

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 MacNotables #825 [45:15m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Want to break into the world of Mac journalism? Tonya Engst and Ted Landau talk about how to get started, and why you might not want to quit your day job right away. As the Mac market grows, so does the competition. Tonya and Ted talk about the benefits (or not) of formal training, visibility, practice, networking and more. Think it is all sounds like a lot of work? Find out about different aspects of Mac coverage and why some simple, common-sense characteristics could be what sets you apart in your quest to become the next high-profile Mac journalist.

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 MacNotables #822 [41:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Jim Dalrymple joins us from safari, and shares his love of roller coasters before discussing his latest project: writing, recording and releasing his own album. Jim details how he got started with this and how he is documenting it on Macworld, the response he received from contacts in the recording industry and more. Few projects like this are truly a solo effort; Jim talks about some of the folks he’s working with, why he’s not limiting the software tools he’s using for the project and how GarageBand is taking center stage in the creative part of the process.

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 MacNotables #820 [53:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus is back to tell us what rock he’s been hiding under and the project that put him there. Bob talks about his latest book, Office 2008 for Mac For Dummies, and gives us his bottom-line assessment of the latest version of the Microsoft productivity suite, and how each of the applications compare to their iWork ‘08 counterparts. Bob also discusses his upcoming Mid-Atlantic Mac User Group Tour, and where you can come to see one of his many presentations if you’re in Pennsylvania, New Jersey or near Washington D.C. The session wraps up with a discussion of what Bob wants to see in the next generation iPhone, and Bob’s most recent product picks.

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 MacNotables #819 [46:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

TidBITS is celebrating 18 years of Mac journalistic excellence, and Adam Engst talks about some of the things that make their publication special and how their style helped set trends in tech journalism. Age and experience changes perspective, and Adam explains how those factors affect what you read in TidBITS, how things have changed, and how they’ve stayed the same. Adam also provides some analysis of Apple’s quarterly financial results, including a discussion of their cash reserves, what could be done with them, and how Apple apparently has moved into the lead in yet another retail statistic. Also, as part of the whole show, Adam and Chuck deliver a live performance review of the Blue Snowflake Compact microphone. Find out how it sounds and whether it suits what you do.
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 MacNotables #818 [41:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Andy Ihnatko shares his experiences from the Conference on World Affairs in Colorado, ranging from his panel appearances with James “The Amazing” Randi discussing “bizarre beliefs” to why this is a very different kind of conference from every angle. Andy also discusses the Eee PC, how it compares with the MacBook Air and iPhone, what it offers and why it may be a viable mobile computing alternative…if you have the right expectations. We wrap up with some thoughts on the newest round of iPhone knock-offs and why Andy doesn’t feel they are relevant, no matter how pretty they look.

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