MacNotables #837 [52:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Ted Landau is back and describes his experiences traveling with the iPhone and MacBook Pro in Japan. Ted discusses the realities of the high price of phone calls, the higher prices of data usage (unless you play AT&T’s game), an amazing lack of WiFi access and more. Tech myths, cheap electronics, $100 cantelopes and more are all part of Ted’s tech adventures, along with some Apple Store experiences and Macworld Expo predictions. 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 #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.

Read the rest of this entry »

 

 MacNotables #824 [44:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Adam Engst, Dan Frakes, Andy Ihnatko and Chuck Joiner start out discussing the announcement of a Napster music store and end up debating the competence of the music industry. Along the way the MacNotables panel cover why all music stores other than Amazon are irrelevant at this point in time, why sound quality differentiates but doesn’t overwhelm, and why control seems to be trumping business sense.

Read the rest of this entry »

 

 MacNotables #823 [29:11m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Subnotebooks come in all shapes, sizes and flavors, starting with the MacBook Air and going down. Ted Landau has been working with one of the least expensive options, the XO laptop from the “One Laptop per Child” initiative, and discusses how it stacks up to the competition. Ted covers everything from the XO’s operating system to the included applications, comments on the laptop’s communications capabilities and helps you decide whether you should try to track down one of these little gems, or if you should spend more money for more capabilities.

Read the rest of this entry »

 

 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.
Read the rest of this entry »

 

 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.

Read the rest of this entry »

 

 MacNotables #817 [39:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tonya Engst discusses one of the most challenging computing processes one can experience: switching email programs. A long-time Eudora user, Tonya talks about the issues that led her to make the switch to Apple Mail, the process and software she used, and what she did wrong that you can avoid. Two weeks into the transition, Tonya shares the goods and the bads, talks about dealing with email overload and POP vs IMAP.
Read the rest of this entry »

 

 MacNotables #816 [41:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Mac troubleshooting guru Ted Landau discusses a wide variety of topics including his dislike of rebates, his views on the Comcast vs. BitTorrent saga in specific and net neutrality issues in general, and the factors that may be leading to the abandonment of the optical drive. Ted also explains the challenges of creating a bootable disc or flash drive under Leopard and why Apple isn’t much help, and provides his thoughts on the passing of Mac online news pioneer Stan Flack.
Read the rest of this entry »

 

 MacNotables #815 [38:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tonya Engst is the owner of an Amazon Kindle. Is she a proud owner? Find out as Tonya discusses why she felt this eBook reader was important enough to own, and why her Amazon shopping habit helped make the decision. The Kindle has received mixed reviews, and Tonya shares her perspectives on usability, readability and the superior buying experience awaiting new Kindle owners. She also covers what was left off of this first version of the unit, the ups and downs of putting your own documents on the Kindle, support for audio media, and the evolving mechanics of eBook ownership.

Read the rest of this entry »