MacNotables #832 [40:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Macworld Senior Editor Christopher Breen tantalizes us with what he thinks we will and won’t see at Apple’s September 9 “Let’s Rock” special event in the way of iPods. A new widescreen iPod nano? An enhanced iPod Classic? New features for the iPod touch? Chris talks about the viability of all of these, why more features dictate performance compromises, and his thoughts on what should happen to iTunes to make it a bit more approachable. Not just an iPod guy, Chris also talks about his newest title from lynda.com that covers MacOS X 10.5 Leopard “Beyond the Basics,” and some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of producing a top-notch training video. On a more personal note, Chris also shares some news about personal acquisitions, and why we may soon introduce him as a banjo hero (yes, *banjo* hero).
Read the rest of this entry »

 

 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.

Read the rest of this entry »

 

 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.

Read the rest of this entry »

 

 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.

Read the rest of this entry »

 

 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.

Read the rest of this entry »

 

 MacNotables #814 [28:11m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Adam Engst and Chuck Joiner continue their review of the iPhone SDK. Adam explains why he believes the iPhone is more useful in urban areas, Chuck brings up Apple’s 30% cut of gross sales in the upcoming iPhone Apps Store and the two discuss the enterprise aspects of the announcement. Adam provides perspective from the teenage tech user (via a friend) of an important factor that hardware and service providers need to understand, and <gasp> admits he may soon be in the market for an iPhone. Is the iPhone poised to become a platform in its own right? Find out in this second in a two-part conversation.

 

 MacNotables #813 [26:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Adam Engst and Chuck Joiner address a listener question and provide two differing perspectives on migrating from a G4 Mac to a new Intel Mac, then dig into the iPhone SDK announcements. Adam analyzes on the level of control that Apple is exercising over iPhone development and software, and whether it is a good idea. Chuck comments on the positive response from the developer community, and the two review some of the unanswered questions and the future of the jailbreaking community in the first of a two-part session on the subject.

 

 MacNotables #810 [24:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In the second of a two-part conversation about the Apple TV, Macworld Senior Editor Christopher Breen talks about why he decided to connect his Apple TV to his home network via Ethernet, what you need to turn an older Mac into a media server, why playlists are more important than ever, why you still need a DVD player if you’re into Blu-Ray, and the tools and techniques to rip your existing DVDs to the Apple TV for the best audio and video quality.

Read the rest of this entry »

 

 MacNotables #809 [26:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

In the first of a two-part conversation, Macworld Senior Editor Christopher Breen talks about why he doesn’t think of himself as an Apple TV champion, just a really big fan. Chris discusses why this happened, how the first version of Apple’s set-top box distinguished itself from many of the other products that cross his desk and how “take two” makes it even better. Other aspects of the Apple TV covered include praise for the unit’s streaming capabilities and why you don’t need a bigger hard drive to store your media.

Read the rest of this entry »

 

 MacNotables #808 [27:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The three-part series of conversations with Adam Engst, Andy Ihnatko and Chuck Joiner concludes with more of their discussion on how creative tools and our expectations of their results sometimes collide. Have things really gotten easier, or is the gap between what we want and how challenging it is to create it about the same? Adam, Andy and Chuck defend their positions by comparing technology then and now, lament their shared lack of artistic expertise, and talk about the tools and workflows for their latest projects.

Read the rest of this entry »