MaCanuck: Canadian Perspective on all things Apple

Well, that sucks

2010-04-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

This showed up in my inbox today:

April 14, 2010

Apple Media Advisory

Apple today released the following statement:

Although we have delivered more than 500,000 iPads during its first week, demand is far higher than we predicted and will likely continue to exceed our supply over the next several weeks as more people see and touch an iPad™. We have also taken a large number of pre-orders for iPad 3G models for delivery by the end of April.

Faced with this surprisingly strong US demand, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the international launch of iPad by one month, until the end of May. We will announce international pricing and begin taking online pre-orders on Monday, May 10. We know that many international customers waiting to buy an iPad will be disappointed by this news, but we hope they will be pleased to learn the reason—the iPad is a runaway success in the US thus far.

Tethering to continue indefinitely, says Rogers

2010-04-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

Canadian iPhone users, rejoice. We may not get the iPad for a few more weeks, but free tethering continues...

Rogers offering Turn by Turn Navigation

2010-04-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hey all.

Yeah, I know. Been a while. iPad, blah blah. Still not in Canada.

But here's a new app from Rogers, offering turn by turn navigation.

The app is built on the same engine as the AT&T turn by turn navigator, built by the same company, and is basically the same app, except for the Rogers' Branding. Still, nice to see it come to Canada, at $4.99.

Sorry, did I say $4.99? I meant $4.99 a month. You know, if I lived somewhere with more than twenty roads, I might consider it. If I lived somewhere where Rogers worked, I might consider it. But I don't know that the benefits of turn by turn navigation outweigh the myriad of options (including the built in app) available. At least not $60/year worth of benefit.

As always, don't base your situation on mine. I live in a small town where I tend to navigate not by streets but by who lives at the corner.

It LIVES!!!

2009-10-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

For all the naysayers who said Apple TV was dead, Apple just put out Apple TV 3.0.

Okay, yeah, so it's not a new Apple TV unit with a 500 GB hard drive. Yes, it is just a software update. But it means they care. It means they're paying attention. It means...it means.....

Well, I'm not sure what all it means, but I'm sure it means something. And I'm sure there'll be lots of speculation elsewhere as to what it means.

Me? I'm just happy that the device is still a going concern.

So long and thanks for all the fish...

2009-10-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

So, while the rest of the world is reveling in the new Mac announcements, I am dealing with the email I got today from the editor over at Macworld Canada saying as of the end of this month, they will be closing up shop.

Wow. The site has only been around for a few months, and I've been writing for them for even fewer months, so it is sad to see the place get closed before it really had a chance to get going.

Even worse, I was going to use the fact that I was writing for Macworld to convince my wife I needed one of those new iMacs. Now? I guess I'm stuck with this slowly aging macbook....ah well, could be worse. I could be debating whether to upgrade to Windows 7 or stick with XP....

It's official

2009-10-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Unlike most Apple rumors, where there are months, and sometimes years worth of speculation, yesterday there was a rumour that Telus and Bell would be carrying the iPhone, and then the press release went out saying, yes, Telus is going to be carrying the iPhone (sorry Bell, but I'm not going to link to your press release).

So. Um, what does this mean? Well, it is pretty exciting for Apple fans, that's for sure, especially for those that aren't big fans of Rogers and have been looking for alternatives.

However, I suspect that most people who want iPhones have got iPhones already, because given the choice between an iPhone and crappy customer service or no iPhone, most people choose the former. And besides, the truth is, all cell phone companies have their strengths and their weaknesses, their good customer service reps and their bad ones. I was just talking to someone who said they would ditch Rogers for Telus as soon as they were able, and not half an hour later to someone else who said exactly the opposite. They want at least the appearance of choice.

And for us fringe constituents who lie outside of Rogers' coverage? I am not yet convinced this will change much, at least for a while. But we'll see. I've got a question in to Telus asking about it.

Could this iPhone I have before me work in a few months?

2009-10-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

It's not really a big secret that Bell and Telus are rolling out an HSPA network, which is the sequel to, and built upon, the GSM standard. Says the website GSM World: "HSPA is part of the GSM 3G network and is (predominately) a software upgrade of the network infrastructure."

But with the rumour (read: wild speculation) that Bell might be on track to start offering the service in November, the Twitters have gone wild with the speculation that hey, maybe Bell and Telus will be getting the iPhone.

I hope not. Cuz if Telus got the iPhone, I'd have to get the iPhone. And I can't really afford to get an iPhone right now (life of a freelance writer, yada, yada).

I actually do have an iPhone now, but I am currently using it merely as a camera. Oh, and it is a tester, so I have to send it back.

Hang on, did I just save money by waiting for a better version?

2009-09-19T16:17:00.001-07:00

As I've talked about in the past, the iPod Touch version 3.0 software wasn't really a compelling update for someone with a first gen iPod Touch. Yes, cut and paste is a great feature, but I found I didn't need it enough to bother.

Well, the iPod Touch version 3.1 software is out, and they're charging again (hello? I don't think Sarbanes Oxley applies to Canada...) for the software. But this time, only $4.95.

I can't be too sure (as I still haven't updated), but it looks like if I upgrade to 3.1, I get all those features in 3.0 tossed in for free.

Cool. I wonder what happens if I wait for 3.2?

Oh. Yeah. Right. Sorry.

2009-09-11T15:12:00.001-07:00

So, um. There was an iPod/iTunes announcement earlier this week.

And once again, the rumours were much more interesting than reality.

People, can we stop saying that Steve Jobs is going to announce the cure for cancer, or the discovery of a new alien race or whatnot, and just let Apple develop products on their own time? It's a bit like Star Wars Episode I. Yes, it sucked, but even if it had been pretty good, it still would have sucked, because there was no way it would have lived up to my expectations.

Then again, even if it hadn't been over rumoured ("camera in iPod Touch!, iPad! Wetwire interface!), it probably wouldn't have done much for me. Okay, the video camera in the Nano is cool. But if I'm getting a convergent device, I'm getting a Canon 7D. And some of the new iTunes features are pretty nice. But don't expect any new iPods at Casa Macanuck this year for Christmas.

But that 7D sure'd be nice....

Streaming CBC

2009-09-06T16:49:00.001-07:00

Back when I was in college, I joined a cross-Canada train trip to protest cutbacks to the CBC.

You'd think they'd repay my loyalty by playing nice with iTunes, but no, they've decided that their streaming feeds will be carried by Windows Media Player.

Eww.

And, to get their geek cred on, they provide an alternate, Ogg Vorbis stream, for the two people out there who use Ogg Vorbis.

Mac users with Flip4Mac can still listen to the stream, in a browser window, but sometimes you don't want to listen in a browser window, you know? Leave the browser for browsing.

Anyway. Today, Veekee had a great tip over at ehMac. (Update, this tip was published over at Spacebeast a few months ago, but I completely missed it...)

To quote her:

"You can stream CBC through itunes by hitting Advanced>Open Audio Stream in iTunes and then entering:

http://asx.abacast.com/cbc-r1nameofcity-96.pls

ie: http://asx.abacast.com/cbc-r1halifax-96.pls

Or, if you want to listen to the low-bandwidth stream, change 96 to 32.

Brilliant.

Update: So I went to check the Prince George Stream. Still streaming as an asx file. The Vancouver page has an update, telling users how they can listen to the MP3 stream.

However, this trick works for, say, Edmonton and Calgary, which haven't updated from the asx stream yet. It doesn't work for Prince George, though, as that stream apparently hasn't been converted.

Or it could just be that something is wrong with the Prince George feed in general, as when I try and listen to it in my browser with Flip For Mac, it doesn't seem to be working, either. I'll keep you posted on that one.

Do note that the definition of a high bandwidth feed has jumped from 32 kbps to 96, though if that is a function of better compression with MP3 or fatter interweb tubes all the way around I'm not sure.

Let the Speculation begin

2009-08-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

A BC Man died in a fire about six months ago.

This doesn't really sound like Apple news, but bear with me.

Today, the coroner said the cause of the fire was an overheated laptop, left on a couch.

The coroner refused to release the make and model of the laptop, but CBC quite gleefully has added a picture of an Apple Powerbook, mentioning that this is "one of several computers" that has had problems with overheating batteries.

So, let the speculation begin, but don't expect any answers. Still, I'm glad that I keep my Macbook safely (sic) on a desk with good ventilation....

Here comes the next big cat

2009-08-24T10:21:00.001-07:00

Well, after a few episodes of overpromising and underdelivering, Apple is once again on track with meeting or beating their projected ship dates. Not that they announce many products ahead of time, but for Snow Leopard, the expected ship time was sometime in September, which usually means last day of. By beating that expected ship date, Apple is back on form.

Of course, we'll have to wait until then to see if the program is really all it's cracked up to be. The OS has gained a surprising amount of traction, considering the fact that Apple has promised no new user features, with all the performance gains under the hood. Well, that's not quite true, but the fact is there is no new iChat or Mail Program or anything big and flashy. Instead, the upgrade will improve usability, with better assistive technologies for people with disabilities, built in support for Microsoft Exchange Server, and faster wake-up and shut down speeds.

Whew! Now that's flashy stuff. But perhaps users are getting sick of feature bloat, and are really looking forward to a streamlined experience. I know I am. And the $29 price point doesn't hurt, either....

Of course, this update lays down core technologies, like Grand Central Dispatch and Open CL, which will allow developers to take advantage of the processing power of the Mac. And of course, when the sequel to Snow Leopard comes out, expect a number of flashy new features that they've now had a double development cycle to work on, too.

Whoah

2009-08-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

Wonder what Jason Calacanis makes of this? While it doesn't respond to every issue he raised in his rant last week, it should cover points three and five nicely.

Or maybe not. By seeking to maintain the high quality of user experience, Apple must maintain more control over the phone than most people want.

There's a few tidbits of information that come out in the letter, though nothing groundbreaking. I would have been interested to see the full answer to the question about which apps have been rejected (and remains so, as they have not been changed to meet app store policies).

Double Digits, here we are!

2009-08-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

According to IDC, Apple has 10% of the Canadian PC Market, it's highest rank since...well, ever probably.

The research article is available from the IDC website for the low, low price of $4500 (US, natch), so I'm only going by what I hear from Electronista, by way of EhMac.ca, everyone's favourite Canadian Mac Community.

Thanks, Max!

Oh, the irony

2009-08-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

So, the FTC says the investigation of Apple and Google will continue for possible Anti-Trust violations, meaning that because Schmidt was on the board, competition between the two companies is reduced, because his presence implies some form of collusion between the two.

At the same time, the FCC has sent a letter to Apple asking them to explain the rejection of the Google Voice App from the iTunes App store.

So on the one hand, Apple and Google are too friendly, and on the other, Apple isn't playing nice enough with Google? Only in America....

auf Wiedersehen, herr Schmidt

2009-08-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

Ever since the announcement of Google's Chrome OS, Mac media has been all a twitter over whether Dr. Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO should remain on the Apple Board of Directors.

Dr. Schmidt has been on the board for three years, but issues have been raised over potential conflict of interest between Chrome and OS X. It was fine when Google was a search giant and an advertising mogul, but now, it appears, that the two companies have too much overlap for Dr. Schmidt to comfortably remain on the board. For the last few months, he has been excusing himself from the meetings when discussions of the iPhone came up, due to the competing Android OS for mobile phones. If he would remain, he'd have to remove himself whenever discussions of the Mac OS came up. Which means basically he'd be around for discussion of Mac hardware and iPod hardware, and that's about it.

So, so long Dr. S, and good luck with that little company you look after.

Um. Ri-ight

2009-07-17T11:58:00.001-07:00

Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. From Apple Insider.

Truly a Canadian Mac Moment

2009-07-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

From Tod Maffin's Flickr Feed

Are you using Vista or XP?

2009-07-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

There's the question again from tech support for my ISP. About two months ago, Telus blew a line running into town and since then my internet has been up and down and down and up. A couple days ago while trying to trace some co-ax in my house, I thought I knocked something lose, as half the lights were out on my cable modem. When I got back from a wedding this weekend, though, it was back up and running. Or at least, it was up and running to the point of connecting to the ISP. But I couldn't get out onto the interweb.

So I called to tell them that their door was closed. Again. And of course, every time I do, they have to walk me through the typical tech support stuff: is it plugged in? Is there a router? Are you connected.

This time, after answering that I was on 10.5, and explaining that was, yes, Mac, I was still asked to open up my command prompt. You mean terminal, right? Yeah, right. Okay. Now type in ipconfig. Well, this is UNIX not DOS, so that doesn't really work. And no, it is not a virus.

Um. Okay, we'll schedule a service technician to come and take a look.

But the problem is at YOUR END. Everything at this end is working fine. Why do I need someone here to trouble shoot YOUR PROBLEM. Grr.

But it appears to be working now. Sort of.

So, what are you trying to say here?

2009-06-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

The latest press release from Apple, touting Apple's 1 million iPhone weekend, featured a rather prominent quote from Steve Jobs.

Now, I'd have to go back and check the last few press releases, but I think this is the first release I've seen quoting Steve in months.

Which leads me to suspect that Jobs is back to work.

Update: Now Cult of Mac is saying that CNBC is reporting Steve might have come back today. Makes sense to me. So, when do we see that tablet announcement...?

Podiobooks: What a remarkable concept

2009-06-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

I was listening to This Week in Media a few days ago, and they had as a guest Scott Sigler, a well-known horror author. He mentioned that he had just written a Sci-fi book called The Rookie, and it was available for free on his website.

So I, being the geek that I am, went to check it out, and discovered that it was available as an audiobook via iTunes, and were being put out through a company called Podiobooks.

Wow. What a great idea. I have only started listening to The Rookie, and haven't checked out any other books, but just from a conceptual point of view, I'm sold already.

While Scott's a good reader, he isn't on par with the readers from audible, but that's okay, it's still a great idea.

I'll give you more feedback once I've explored a little more, but at first glance, I'm so all over this.

How Green was my Apple

2009-06-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

So, if you haven't noticed, Apple and Dell have been involved in a rather pointless pissing match. Dell's been accusing Apple of false advertising, going so far as to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

Well, yesterday the BBB agreed with Dell, saying that Apple's advertising might be a bit misleading. But Apple says that they offer the greenest "Family" of notebooks, and on that, the BBB agreed with Apple.

Sure there are greener notebook models out there than any one notebook Apple produces, but they have made a commitment to green for all their notebooks, not just one flagship green model, while making the rest of their notebooks with arsenic and sealskin.

Of course, Green is a relative concept and much maligned and abused to the point of meaninglessnesss (this is a green blog; no trees were harmed in the making of this post). So take all this chest thumping with a grain of salt.

Steve Jobs had a liver transplant. It must be true, it was in the WSJ

2009-06-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

So, the interweb is all abuzz with the rumour that Steve Jobs had a liver transplant.

Based on a story with no sources in the Wall Street Journal.

Okay, so it is the journal, that bastion of truth and all that's right with the media.

Still. They say Steve had a liver transplant, but offer no real sources to back it up. Which is a little odd. Knowing Steve Jobs, though, it could have been Steve himself who called the journal and told them to run the story, after insulting the reporter a few times for good measure, under the condition that no mention was made of the call, no references to a source, no nothing. Why? Cuz that's just the way Steve rolls.

The timing is perfect to have it be an deliberate plant by Apple. This sort of thing will get lost in the news cycle, buried by the iPhone launch. In a week, everyone'll say "oh, yeah, that's old news, but Steve's doing great and will be returning to Apple in a week or two."

The stock takes no hit, the investors are happy and everything is as it should be.

Or, it could just be complete and utter speculation. That's for Steve and his doctors to know and us to find out slowly and in sometimes contradictory pieces over the next few years.

Score! Rogers allows iPhone tethering at current rates...at least for now

2009-06-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true. While AT&T is dragging its heels and becoming the weakest link in the whole iPhone service chain, Rogers has done something surprisingly proactive and user friendly, by including tethering with their data plans.

This will last until at least the end of the year, at which point in time presumably they reserve the right to gouge you. Sorry, did I say that out loud. I mean to charge you a fair price for tethering.

Sorry, I think you added a one in there

2009-06-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

From Rogers' iPhone announcement:

16GB iPhone 3G: NOW $179 (while supplies last) with a 3-year voice plan greater then $30/month.
8GB iPhone 3G: $199 with a 3-year voice plan greater then $30/month.

Um.

Alright. That 8GB 3G for $199? That's the one that's selling down in the states for $99. And it is the same up-front price as a 16GB 3Gs. Either there's a typo there, or they're really trying to drive people to the 3Gs.

The whole point of keeping the 3G around at a lower price point is to open up a whole new market. People who were unwilling to buy a $200 phone will have no such trouble with a $99 phone. If the price on the 3G is EXACTLY THE SAME as for a 3Gs... well, it's not opening up the market. It's not bringing in new customers. It's not really helping sales.

iPod Touch Update: Is it worth it

2009-06-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

While everyone is going off about the new iPhone software, it should be noted that the new software is available for the iPod Touch, too. But unlike the iPhone, which has subscription fees to cover updates, us Touch users have to fork over $9.99

I've got a first gen iPod Touch, and a lot of the updates don't work for it. So, is it worth it to upgrade? Let's look.

Buy Movies, TV Shows and Audiobooks via WiFi.

Internet speeds here are lucky to hit 512 kb. It takes the better part of a day to download a movie. Thanks, but I'll stick to using my computer.

Bluetooth Stereo Headphones

Only 2nd Gen

Peer to Peer Gaming

Only Second Gen

Cut/Copy/Paste

I might be the only one, but I never noticed the lack of cut and paste. Sorry.

Landscape Keyboard

Okay, this is a big one for me. The extra real estate would be pretty cool. But I'm waiting for a keyboard dongle. Now that is a killer device for me.

Spotlight Search

Um. Hmm. Nope. Can't say that I've ever needed to search my iPod. Not enough productivity apps, I suppose.

Shake to shuffle

Cool, but not worth an investment

New Languages

I barely sprechen my mother tongue.

Push Notification

Cool, but again, not something I need.

Parental Controls

Um, in a few years, maybe

Automatic Wi-Fi Log-in

Doesn't it do this already? I've never had any touble

iTunes Store Account Creation

Already have one, thanks.

Wow. I was pretty stoked about the update, but so much of what happened is for the Phone or the second gen touch. I dig the landscape keyboard, but is it enough to upgrade over?

I'll sit and agonize over this for a few days. I'll let you know what I decide to do.

Wherefore art thou, ZFS?

2009-06-09T23:43:00.001-07:00

After years of teasing us with the dream of ZFS, Sun's better than thou File system, ZFS is once again notably absent from Snow Leopard. In fact, as pointed out over at Slashdot, Apple has struck all but two references to ZFS from their website.
Alas, it held so much promise, but proved to be so problematic. Why? I have no idea. This is, after all, Apple we're talking about. Maybe the technological hurdles were too high, but it seems to me that if you can write face recognition features into your entry level photo app, you'd be able to figure out how to get from one file system to the other without completely borking everyone's system.

Passcode?

2009-06-09T18:34:00.001-07:00

Interesting.

I just went to sync my iPod for the first time since updating to iTunes 8.2, and it told me that I couldn't because the iPod had a passcode. Is this new? Is this just a first-time with the new iTunes issue, or is this going to be doing this from here on in? I hope it's just a first-time with new iTunes thing, because that could get annoying kinda fast.

Has this been there before and I just never noticed it?

Yes, but can you find my iPod Touch?

2009-06-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

I don't think so. Fail. Well, win for everyone else in the world, fail for me. Stupid backwater CDMA-loving hick town....

Sixteen BEEL-ion Dollars!

2009-06-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

Want some new RAM for your new computer? How much? How about 16 Billion GB. Yes, Snow Leopard will allow you to install four BILLION TIMES more RAM than the previous version.

Crucial.com, here I come....

iTunes gets American TV shows. And there was some rejoicing.

2009-05-28T16:15:00.002-07:00

I've often cast a skeptical eye over at the Canadian iTunes TV section, wondering who in their right mind would want to download Dragon's Den or FutureWeapons.

Slowly there have been some interesting shows added to the store, but today, the floodgates opened. Battlestar Galactica. The recently canceled and much lamented Sarah Conner Chronicles. Lost. 24.

Of course, there are some notable exceptions. Dollhouse, for instance, is not in the Canadian store, the store doesn't have the same depth of back catalogue as the US store does, and it'd be nice if the Canadian store were to offer some BBC/UK programming (Dr. Who, anyone?), but this is the breakthrough that Canadians have been wanting for a while. (Boy, have I just revealed myself to be the geek that I am with that list? Dollhouse? Dr. Who? BSG? Total geek.)

Now the question is, how will this affect cable and satellite? I don't know if we'll be dumping our satellite, at least not until we run some numbers, or at the very least until Dollhouse is on iTunes, but I know of a bunch of people who've already said sayonara to Rogers and Bell.

Episodes are $3.49 for HD, or $2.49 for standard def. A season pass for 24 is $64.99, which makes the cost per episode $2.70, assuming a 24 episode season, or $42.99/$1.79 per episode for standard definition.

ice-Pod

2009-04-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

Cool story. Actually, darn cold story.

http://robulack.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/ipod-emerges-from-ice-and-still-works/

Tick, tick tick boom

2009-04-23T14:18:00.003-07:00

In case you weren't following it, the Newton, Apple's famously erratic PDA, hated by many, loved by a passionate few, is about to die.

Because of the way the clock system is set up, the Newton can only keep time until January 2010. Then...well some people who have set their clocks ahead have reported that the system crashes and needs a hard restore.

The patch which was under development by the community has proven to not be a workable solution, so Newton users are looking at the Calendar worriedly as we slowly make our way to the end of the year. Will this be the end of the plucky Newton? Tune in next week. Better yet, follow the goings on at http://myapplenewton.blogspot.com.

Deep thoughts, from Magnus S

2009-04-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, a late convert to the iPod revolution (we're still working on getting him off a PC...) has this interesting post about iPods and how they define who we are. Of course, his argument is more about the music held therein rather than the device itself, but interesting reading nonetheless.

Brainzzz

2009-04-21T09:28:00.001-07:00

I know I'm a little late to the party, but...

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/163350/iwork_trojan_horse_may_be_turning_macs_into_zombies.html,

Yay! Our very own Zombie Botnet.

It's not a bug, it's a feature

2009-04-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

Time for another Safari issue. This one with the built-in RSS reader.

I group my RSS feeds into folders: News, Photoshop, Writing, Design, Photography, Mac and Me, and then keep those folders in my bookmark bar, so I can see when there are new articles.

I know that smart people use Bloglines or Times or Google Reader or some other stand alone or web-based app, but I kinda like how I can just glance up while in Safari and see "ooh, new article."

Here's the deal. There are two articles that have shown up in my personal feed the last time it checked, and it is set to check every half an hour. These are friend's blogs, web comics...stuff like that. If I click on that say ten minutes after the reader checked, and there's another post by Peter, it will go out and get that, too.

But here's the deal. A lot of times, it will add that the the post count, but it won't subtract it. So my bookmark bar will tell me that I have one new article that hasn't been read, even if I read it.

I can refresh the feed, and it still won't go away. I can restart, and it won't go away. After a day or two, it finally goes away.

Yes, it is a small complaint, but it is really annoying when I'm waiting for a new Order of the Stick, and I look up and see that there's a new article in my personal feed and I click, only to discover that no, what I have is a stuck RSS reader again.

Some days, I love living in a small town

2009-04-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

I've gone on at length in the past about stupid slow internet and stupid nearest Apple Authorized retailer being 800 km away, but despite what I've said, I love living in a small town. And here's another reason why.

In a big city, they investigate murders and theft of car. Here, an iPod Touch goes missing, and you get an officer assigned to the case.

And now, I have an iPod Touch returned in good order. Oh frabulous joy, Caloo, Calay (I know I mangled that....)

Drobo goes big

2009-04-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of Drobo. Despite the proprietary nature of their system, I like the fact that it is drag and drop redundancy.

However, I am already looking at having to upscale my drives. And if I do manage to get my hands on that 5D Mk II I've been dreaming about, the drives will fill up even faster.

Well, Drobo has gone big with their new Drobo Pro, with twice the space and built in Gigabit ethernet.

Yes, it's still expensive for what basically amounts to a box for drives, and yes, I could do the same thing with a bunch of external drives. But I tried that. It didn't work. Not because of the way they worked, but because of the way I worked. The Drobo works, because it is dead simple. I don't have to change anything about the way I work.

Will I be getting one of these? Not right away. Despite the fact that my current Drobo is v. 1, it still is fine for the amount of pressure I put on it, at least for the next six to 12 months. But in a year or so, it's nice to know that I have this option. And then my current Drobo can go off-site, and maybe I can figure out a way to sync the two over the internet. Then I'd be Alex Lindsay cool....

Drinking the Kool-aid, taking the pill...

2009-04-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine sent me this story about the iPod Touch, three days after mine was stolen.

Sheesh. Why not give me a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it while you're at it.

Stupid Smug Mac User

2009-04-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm trying not to be smug, but our internet is out at home so I'm at the library. The guy next to me is using a fancy new Vista machine, and is swearing under his breath. Two phone calls to tech support on how to get it working and he's still not having any luck. He's been asking me about my Mac. Little does he know that I'm one of *those* type of Mac users. But I'm playing it cool, telling him how reliable it is, and how simple it is, and he's getting into even more of a stew about Vista....I even dropped a bone about how Windows 7 is supposed to be "quite good".

There are some days I love what I do....

Safari 4 and Wordpress

2009-03-31T10:44:00.001-07:00

I know this is a blogger blog, but most of my sites are powered by Wordpress.

I've been using the Safari 4 beta for a while, but mostly what I've been doing is making straight photo posts.

So I thought I broke something when I went to add a link and everything broke.

The way Wordpress 2.7 does links is it pops up a lightbox and you type your link info there.

Well, the grey overlay pops up, and the link box tries to pop up, but it gets buried under the gray overlay, and there's no way to get out of it.

There's been lots of complaining, but there is a solution, posted here.

Mocking Macs

2009-03-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

You know that Macs have hit the mainstream when the Ottawa Citizen is making fun of them. Of course, the argument has been disproven many, many, many times over in the past, but you know, whatever.

Spaces is broken

2009-03-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of Spaces. When I first got Leopard, I was quite excited by it But the execution in those early days left a lot to be desired and disappointed, I turned it off.

A few weeks ago a friend reminded me of Spaces, and I remembered how much I liked it. So I decided to give it another go to see if it worked for me.

Nope.

Two of my most used programs are Lightroom (for when I have my photographer's hat on) and Word (for when I am playing writer). Both are broken by Spaces, or possibly vice versa.

I had my spaces set up so that Space 1 was me writing, space two was me online and space three was me as a photographer.

Let's say I'm over surfing the Digital Wedding Forum in Safari, and decide to go do some work in Lightroom. I use Apple-Tab to switch to Lightroom and...

Nothing happens. The menu bar changes, but I do not switch from Space 2 to Space 3. I have to do that manually. Not a big deal, but annoying.

Word, though. Same scenario. I'm working in Word and I switch over to Space 2 to do some online research. And the document I'm working on comes with me. How convenient. Except when I try to switch back to that document. In this case, the document doesn't come back with me to Space 1. So I switch to space 2 again and try and just click on the document, but as soom as Word comes into focus, I switch back to Space 1, leaving the document back in Space 2. So again, I have to manually change to space 2, and this time, the Word document is accessible.

Not sure what it is. Maybe it's multiple spaces and dual monitors confuses the system. Maybe it's just poor coding. All I know is it is annoying. And so I have given up Spaces again. My last best hope shall be Snow Leopard, whenever that is released.

How bout you? Using Spaces? Does it work for you?

HD Movies come to iTunes

2009-03-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

iTunes US, that is. And, of course, no sign of when it will come to Canada.

The new movies are priced at $19.99, five dollars more than a regular movie. Oh. That's USD. If the pricing holds true, then the price, when they finally come to Canada, will be about $24.99.

But we'll see.

No word yet on what Apple's version of HD means. They've had HD rentals for AppleTV. Is it going to be the same quality as on that, or higher? Is it going to be HDCP-enabled (or disabled, as the case may be)?

End of a very short era

2009-03-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

Spiral Frog, the ad-supported music network that was taking the world by storm has shut down.

Who, you say? Exactly. Most of you wouldn't have heard of them because their songs wouldn't work in iTunes or on the iPod.

While that left a 25% market share that could still theoretically listen to music from Spiral Frog, the fact is, few did.

Now the question becomes: was it because they eschewed the single largest market segment or because ad supported music is a broken model? It could be argued that people can make a nice living in the niche (the Macintosh, for example, and all the companies that surround it), but even Apple has reached out to the PC market with their iPods and iTunes. Could they have been as successful without a Windows version of iTunes? No. Would the iPod still be a going concern without it?

Actually, there are a number of other factors that could be at play. Ad supported music could be a fine model, but Spiral Frog's implementation might have sucked. For now, though, I'll stick with iTunes, where you'll soon be able to purchase the debut album from my band, Heavy Things. You will not find it, however, at Spiral Frog. Sorry.

Aw, man....

2009-03-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

Apple's product announcement announcements have been lately losing that air of mystery to the point of this latest gathering, where the announcement was titled "iPhone OS 3.0 Software".

And it had a picture of a blueprint. So even if I'm not quick enough to pick up on the fact that that means the software isn't going to be released, I should be smrat enough to figure out that we're going to be talking about iPhone OS software.

So why are "observers" looking for more info on a Tablet "going home disappointed", according to The Street's Jim Cramer? That's like showing up for a U2 show and getting annoyed that the Rolling Stones didn't get up and play.

Well, duh.

Analysts, redux

2009-03-11T11:54:00.001-07:00

Over at Twice.com, there is a report from NPD's Steven Baker.

He says that Apple may be in for some tough times ahead. And he calls for the fruit to drop its prices.

Colour me cynical, but I don't see Apple doing that. Sure, I'd love a Macbook at $799, I can't see that happening. Heck, the Mini is creeping up to that price point.

Here's the thing. Macs have a lot going for them. Design, OSX, usability, a loyal fanbase.... but as soon as they start playing the pricing game, people are going to start judging them based on that, and it's a game they can't win. Someone will always offer more for less. Apple's strength has always been that it makes things better. And while there is a premium for better, I for one value quality over quantity.

As long as it isn't too pricey....

Safari 4

2009-03-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

Tabs at the top lasted about fifteen minutes. I thought I would be too lazy to turn them off. I was wrong. What a horrid implementation.

New Shuffle: Voices inside my head

2009-03-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hang on. It's Wednesday. Whatever happened to Tuesday as the product release cycle?

Anyhew, Apple announce a new iPod Shuffle that is not only half the size of the previous model (about the size of a double A battery).

Because the device is so small the controls have moved onto the headphone cord.

More importantly, the device can be programed to tell you what you're listening to, allowing you to select music by song, artist and (rejoice runners everywhere) playlist.

I have stated before that I'm not really big into reporting the rumours, and I don't follow any rumour sites closely, but usually there is some mention of these sort of things on the mainstream sites. I saw nothing. Which is not to say that there was nothing out there, just that it never made the mainstream. Well played, Apple. Who says that they're becoming more porous without Steve?

Music disappearing from Canadian iTunes store?

2009-03-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

Here's a recent question over at ehmac from fellfromtree:

"This has happened a few times. Purchase a tune from iTunes, go back a few days later to get more from that artist or album, the artist no longer shows up in the iTunes store. Clicking the song link from my iTunes music library gets the message box "The item you requested is not currently available in the Canadian store".
Most recent example, I picked up a few 'The Airborne Toxic Event' tracks, now they don't exist on the Canadian store.
Am I missing something here? Is this a regular thing?

So what say you, Macintites? Has this happened to you? Any specific examples?

Christmas in March

2009-03-03T08:40:00.000-08:00

Wowsa. What a day.

After months (and in the case of the Mini, years) of speculation, the entire Mac desktop line has been refreshed. iMacs now come with processors up to 3.06 GHz, double the memory and up to one terabyte of hard disk, as well as the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics card.

The Mini starts at $729 Canadian, which isn't quite the $399 price point some pundits have been calling for, but it looks like the pictures were real: it comes with five (count 'em) USB ports, a Firewire 800 port, and dual display with Mini Display Ports or DVI.

The Mac Pro has been refreshed, too. It can be maxed out with two 2.93 GHz Quad Core Xeon processors, up to 32 GB of Ram (as before) and up to four terabytes of on-board storage.

I've been hearing from a lot of people who are using the Mini to drive their entertainment centres, and that's an option I may start looking at, since the Mini is much more functional than an Apple TV. Then again, an Apple TV is about half the price.

Then again, right now I can afford neither, so why bother speculating.

This just in: some analysts are complete maroons!

2009-02-11T09:10:00.000-08:00

This via Cult of Mac:

Over at Trading Markets, there is a story on how some poor fools who have Windows Media Devices still can't play files from iTunes, because their devices don't support AAC.

And they blame Apple.

"Well, the problem is that Apple's 'unprotected files' are in the AAC format, which Windows Media player does not support. But the Zune software does. Unprotected AAC files are not the same as unprotected MP3 files, which eMusic pointed out when it retracted a statement applauding Apple's decision to sell music without digital-rights-management software."

But what about us poor iPod and iTunes users who can't play Windows Media Files on our iPods? Is that the fault of Microsoft, for selling the file, or Apple for not allowing us to play the file?

What was that? Blame Apple, you say. Sure. Because that one is appropriate. But if you are going to blame Apple for not making an iPod that plays WMA files, then blame Microsoft for making Windows Media Player not play AAC audio files.

I must point out that the Creative Zen X-Fi *does* play AAC files. The trouble that our pundit is having is that Windows Media Player doesn't.

It'll play MP3 files, which are a proprietary format. It will play WMA format, which are also proprietary. Will it play AAC, which is an open standard, not, as some might think, a proprietary Apple format? No. (It also won't play FLAC and ogg, I bet....don't hear many people complaining about that, though, do we?)

As one commentator over at Cult of Mac says: "So because Windows Media Players are less popular it’s ok for them to only play a proprietary media format, but apple is bad for using a non-proprietary media format that isn’t supported by a proprietary media player?

My head hurts."

Indeed.

Another option for winterbound Canadians: DIY iPod Touch Gloves

2009-02-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

Over at Cult of Mac, they've got a really cool solution to the iPod Touch glove issue: Do it yourself.

You'll need a spool of $20 (USD I assume) conductive thread, which makes the whole process not as cheap as you might have hoped just for one pair of gloves. Then again, convert two pairs, and it becomes reasonable. Heck, convert a pair of mittens. Convert all your friends gloves. Go into business selling iPod Touch (okay, okay, and iPhone) gloves on the interweb. Whatever. You have the power to DIY.

Bioshock for Mac? Be still my beating heart

2009-01-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

Another day, another rumour. This one says that Bioshock might be coming to Mac.

You know. Bioshock. That's the game that came out August 2007 for the X-Box 360, and in July of last year for the PC.

Colour me jaded, but I really don't think that it's gonna sell. I mean, by the time it comes out, the game will be two years old. Anyone who has any interest in playing the game will have played it already on either of those platforms. Or on Playstation 3, which it is also on.

The Mac crowd has a reputation for not being big into games, but I think here's a perfect example of why it appears that we're not gamers. Here's an A-list game, making its way to the Mac two years after it was first released. Those of us who are into Macs and gaming gave up in frustration 18 months ago and bought a copy for our X-Box 360, or in my case, for my Brother in Law's X-Box 360.

When the game comes out, the truly hardcore mac gamers will buy it, but the rest of us will be standing in line waiting for Bioshock II: Sea of Dreams.

I mean, seriously, how do you expect the Mac to be considered a serious gaming platform when the serious games arrive two years late?

Movie rentals and the north

2009-01-13T17:09:00.000-08:00

So, I finally decided that, since I've got the kids tonight, might as well download a movie. I mean, I was excited when movies came to the iTunes store, but I've just been so busy, I haven't been able to pull together the time to watch one.

But the wife is away, and I can't work and watch the kids, so lets watch a movie.

Horton Hears a Who, how bout?

I just hit rent and....

Seven hours remaining to download.

Yay!

I love life up north sometimes.

Chaching

2009-01-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

Remember that bit about iTunes going DRM free? Turns out that it'll cost you $0.40 for each song you want the DRM stripped from.

That's $0.10 more than it costs in the states.

I still haven't come across any music that costs more than $0.99. Or less than, for that matter. If you do, please let me know what it costs, and if it is more than the American store.

Rogers sucks. Wait, I mean Roger's iPhone sales suck

2009-01-07T09:38:00.000-08:00

The Globe and Mail's Report on Business says that iPhone sales dropped by 50% last quarter, despite the fact that overall, the business is doing better than expected. And, as expected, it got crushed in the stock market. Why? Because even though they did better than expected, they should have done unexpectedly better or some fool thing.

Me? I think it might have something to do with the fact that there are about 20 people who are covered by Rogers 3G network, so the paying a premium for the whole 3G thing doesn't appeal to most people.

As always, I'd love to get an iPhone, but Rogers doesn't even offer coverage where I live, let alone 3G coverage, so don't expect me to get hands on with an iPhone any time soon.

Oh, and two more one more things.

2009-01-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

17 inch MBP with 8 hours of battery life.

iTunes goes DRM free, but tiered pricing.

I'm still not sure what I feel about the whole thing. Give me a day or two to process.

I think I was really looking forward to Snow Leopard, and wouldn't it have been nice to have come out sooner rather than later.

But DRM iTunes. That's nice. And I bet most of what I listen to would be 69 or 99. Will the prices for the Canadian store change? We'll have to see. I'm not seeing any change yet.

Three things...

2009-01-06T10:08:00.000-08:00

iLife 09.

iWork 09.

iWork.com.

iDisappointed.

Oh. One more thing. 17 inch notebook.

Macrumours feed hacked

2009-01-06T09:32:00.000-08:00

Macrumours live feed from the Ste...Phil Shiller keynote has been hacked.

Steve is not dead.

Sorry.

Oops. There goes the feed.

Oh, yeah, right, and Phil is announcing a bunch of stuff. iLife 09 right now.

Oh, come on

2009-01-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

Cnet has taken Steve's letter and turned it into...well, I'm not sure. Something bad. Something evil. Something wicked and nasty.

For some reason, Steve coming out and saying "I aten't dead yet" is seen as some sort of stonewalling from the company. Really? Is this some sort of way for Apple to screw us over? Because the way I see it is there was enough people crying about Job's health that they finally said "yes, Steve's health is a private matter, but since you all have been speculating and rumour mongering and digging graves left right and centre, let us set you straight."

On matters of health

2009-01-05T07:47:00.001-08:00

While CNET is using words like "shocking" and "unexpected", the truth is often less shocking than the rumours and speculations.

You see, Steve Jobs wrote a letter today, explaining what was up with his health. A hormonal imbalance that has been "robbing" him of proteins. While there has been breathless speculation about his health online, and this will surely fuel the fires, at the same time it is pretty mild. No Steve not being able to do his job, no Steve on death's door.

Of course, as the conspiracy nuts will be quick to point out, the letter doesn't go so far as to say this is the only thing wrong with Steve, but I'll take the news on face value.

Read the original letter and the board's letter of support.

So what's the point, anyway?

2008-12-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

Okay.

I'm starting to get a bit annoyed at Apple.

You see, they have this great thing called the iTunes store. If you go there, you can buy music, you can buy movies and (in Canada, some really lame) TV shows, and you can rent movies.

It is the latter that is frustrating me.

As you might have noticed, not every movie on there is available for rent. In fact, the way I think it works is "Movies you don't want to see: Available for rent. Movies you want to see...so sorry. But you can buy that.'

I am not big on owning stuff. It wasn't until I had to buy textbooks for college that I started keeping books, prefering instead to go to the library.

I wanted to rent Wall-E. Can't online. Had to go to the local video store. I wanted to rent Hancock. Can't online. Still haven't made it to the local video store. Want to see the Dark Knight? Rinse, lather, repeat.

In the meantime, I could rent Uptown Girls. Or Fred Clause. Or Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Okay. So it's not as bad as all that. Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk are both available for rent. And I'm thinking that after they've squeezed every dollar they can from selling the Dark Knight, I bet it'll show up in the rental section.

But for now, I guess I'll just have to walk downtown, in the -22 C blizzard, and see if they've got the movie in. (Oh. Did I mention it was uphill both ways? Or maybe I could call ahead and reserve a copy....)

Crossing fingers, hoping, hoping...

2008-12-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

Apple Insider has a report that's going to light the net on fire for the next ten hours.

iTunes. Completely DRM Free. I know. I don't like rumours, but if this one is true, it's a goodie.

What a wicked web we weave...

2008-12-04T13:44:00.001-08:00

...when first we practice to deceive.

Apple has amended its suit against Psystar, claiming that Psystar may be a front for some other person or persons as yet unknown, who are using the company as a front.

I don't understand it, but the folks over at Groklaw do. Check out their analysis of the recent amendment. You can read their summary at the top, or, if you're really smart, you can read all the way to the bottom.

We're sorry, we can't find the article you were looking for

2008-12-02T21:48:00.001-08:00

The infamous KB article has been axed, because it was old, a spokesman told Cnet.

Aww. They took their ball and went home. Just when it was getting interesting.

MikeT Goes a step further

2008-12-02T14:16:00.000-08:00

Earlier I ranted about the echo chamber that was the interweb and this latest report about Apple recommending Antivirus software "for the first time."

Of course, I ranted, but MikeT over at TUAW not only rants, but does a well researched rant at that. Go read that for more info.

Fear! Fire! Foes! Awake!

2008-12-02T10:38:00.001-08:00

Oooh. The Interweb is all abuzz with word that Apple is recommending Antivirus software.

First time ever, they say.

Panic, you Mac users, they say.

What they don't say is that it's complete and utter bunk.

You heard me, bunk.

Here's the same Knowledge Base article from last year.

Another late breaking story! Apple is thinking about getting into the music business! Quick, someone call CNN!

Tagged

2008-11-27T10:33:00.000-08:00

I don't plan on making a tradition out of this, because this isn't really a personal blog, it's a chance for me to discuss things Apple with the assembled crowd. That would be all two of you.

Hi.

However, Geo tagged me with a simple one: Write six random things about myself.

Since this is, as mentioned, a blog about the Canadian Perspective on all things Apple, I figured those random things would be about me and my computer. Which aren't really random but whatever.

1) I was leaping up and down when the iTunes Movie Store came to Canada, but I have yet to rent anything from it. Or buy anything longer than a cartoon short. Lack of time, lack of disposable income, and the fact that the movies I want to rent (say, Hancock, which according all reports isn't worth buying, but I need to see it because I need to see all superhero movies) are only available for sale, and I don't really feel a need to own.

2) I have a 13X19 photo printer, because in my other life, I am a photographer. Every time I create a new document in word, or try and print a pdf, it defaults to a paper size of 13X19. Rather than troubleshoot, I have just lived with the annoyance for the last year. I really should figure that one out, though.

3) I use a laptop, but I can't stand trackpads. Absolutely hate em. If I have to use it, I will, but even when I take the computer on short trips, I usually bring a mouse along.

4) I am a keyboard shortcut maven. I don't know them all by any stretch of the imagination, but when I see someone using the mouse to do something that would take one quick keyboard combo, it drives me crazy. I've started not even telling my wife to save something. I just tell her to hit apple s. Or apple p instead of saying "print that".

5) There's another one. The Apple key is the Apple key. I don't care if there is no longer an Apple on the Apple key, and has the word "command" written on it, it is the Apple key. It has ever been thus.

6) As a Canadian, and as a rural Canadian, I love keeping up with the tech news, but hate the implications. The iPhone was released, but doesn't work in remote northern towns. Like mine. The US is going to broadband over white space, which would solve so many problems up here regarding bandwidth and access (as the entire TV spectrum is whitespace, except for one, possibly two channels). But you think the CRTC will adopt that? Noooo. Everyone talks about how great the Amazon Music store is for digital downloads. Better quality. Less expensive. Available in Canada? Nope.

7) It annoys me to no end that the iTunes store doesn't have tabbed browsing. I want to be able to view five things at the same time. Or, I want to be able to check something out without having to close the main window. This is particularly annoying in the apps store. I want to be able to open up the info about an app in another window to find out about it without losing my main window. Grr.

That's seven. Merry Christmas.

I'll follow you on Twitter...oh, wait. No I won't.

2008-11-26T13:45:00.000-08:00

Hard times on everyone, it seems, especially those Canadians who are addicted to twitter. A post on the Twitter blog says us poor Canucks will no longer be able to receive Twitter updates via SMS. So much for the unwired utopia we thought we lived in. Wait a second, we live in Canada, land of Rogers and Bell. We're used to be screwed by cell phone carriers....

I expect Joshua over at Macgasm is crying right now, although he's never more than two feet from his computer at all times, so I'm not sure why it matters to him.

What has happened to Google?

2008-11-23T16:40:00.001-08:00

...and why do I have these "promote" and "remove" icons after each search result?

Daily Reading: Canadians want smart phones but don't want Data

2008-11-20T12:23:00.000-08:00

"of the 24 per cent of wireless users in Canada that say they have a data package, a majority of them indicate that they won’t subscribe to one in the near future."

From Marketnews.

Ooh. Shiny

2008-11-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

Check out CNN.com. Now. New web ad. I like it. John Hodgeman is brilliant, once again.

Take that iPhone and toss it in the trash...

2008-11-14T20:01:00.001-08:00

Okay, don't toss it in the trash. The other Trent over at The Simple Dollar has some better ideas with what to do with it.

But you don't need no stinking iPhone. Not when you have a Newton. Yes, the site for the Worldwide Newton Conference has been announced, and it's going to be in Vancouver, baby.

I'm tempted to go. Not that I have a Newton. Or had a Newton. Or, come to think of it, ever seen a Newton in person. But I love the idea of a Newton. They were elegant. They were efficient. They were green screened! Okay, so you couldn't make phone calls on them, but you could cut and paste!

Macworld Comes to Canada

2008-11-14T17:32:00.000-08:00

Home of the bouffant of knowledge and some of the best Mac coverage around, Macworld Magazine now has a Canadian version of the website.

What does that mean for me? I figure if I say nice things about them, they might say nice things about me and my readership would skyrocket, maybe even hit the double figures....

Anyway. Check out their site (still in beta) at www.macworldcanada.ca.

It snowed last week.

2008-11-09T17:33:00.000-08:00

First time this season.

While I love the promise of cross country skiing and snowboarding and alpine skiing, the fact is, my cross country skis are broken, my alpine skis need new bindings and if I am lucky, I'll get out once this year, and I suck at snowboarding.

However, over the last few winters, I've noticed something a bit...disconcerting. My iPod? Doesn't work in winter. Oh, sure, it still plays, but while walking home from work in the -25 degree weather, with a chill wind, I can't operate my iPod. When that song comes on that I put on the iPod by mistake, I can't turn it off, unless I take off my glove, reach into my pocket, pull out the iPod, and change the song.

The trouble, you see, is that the iPod and the iPod touch and the iPhone all have a capacative sensor. This sensor reacts to electrical impulses in your body. That's why an iPod and and an iPod touch won't work if you are wearing gloves, or even if you try and use a stylus that isn't specially designed.

But a stylus won't help you out in the cold. So what to do?

There are jackets out there that have controls on the sleeve, there are gloves with special dots that conduct electricity, and gloves with fingers that peel back to allow access to the phone.

You can also use a pair of Minnesota Mittens, which are the cheapest option, but not the warmest.

What about you? How do you use your iPod in winter?

Snow Leopard vs. Windows 7

2008-11-09T17:29:00.001-08:00

Apologies to anyone who, like I, saw this from Gruber.

Heaven help me...

2008-11-07T14:39:00.000-08:00

Internet Explorer is up and running on my computer.

May Steve Jobs have mercy on me.

Actually getting it up and running was painfully easy. From the configure menu, I chose "Install Software".

It asked me what program I'd like to install.

Reluctantly, I chose IE 6.

And then, it downloaded and installed it in a bottle for me. Which means I can trash it at any time.

And I started it up.

And it works.

I'm just heading over to the site that won't work in Firefox or Safari to see if it was worth it.

Nope. Not working. Bah. Can't a guy catch a break?

Oh well, that means I can trash IE. Yay!

Okay. Next option. Re-install Firefox 2.

For Mac, not windows.

Then I can get my work done....

Okay, now what?

2008-11-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

So I've been avoiding the whole Dual-booting thing because it necessitates the installation of windows on my Mac, something I'm not all that interested in doing.

But while I'm not all that impressed with Microsoft, I won't hold that against the poor, foolish programmers who write programs for 85% of the computers out there, rather than the good ones....

Anyway. As you probably know, in a fit of patriotic furor, Codeweavers gave away copies of Crossover for free for one day, and I, having no attachment whatsoever to the American political system, decided to download a copy anyway.

So.

Um.

I now have the ability to run Windows programs on my computer. Great. But which ones?

The first thing to do, check the list of supported Applications over at Codeweavers.

There are 146 apps listed as supported. A lot of applications I don't need, a lot of applications that are dual platform anyway, and a lot of games. Games are the most interesting, but time is not something I have a lot of right now (once a month posting? Hello? If I had time I'd post more often), and would be a distraction. However, Portal has always fascinated me. Wonder if they have a demo....They do. But I need Steam. And Steam is supported. Great.

I also, and it hurts me to say this, but I also need a copy of Internet Explorer. You see, for my real job, I need to do research on a lot of Government websites. And a lot of Government websites don't acknowledge that there is a browser other than IE.

I have fought it as much as I could, but for my next book, I need to be able to do the research more than I need to make a political statement.

Trouble is, Crossover supports up to IE 6. But Microsoft has moved on and is now offering IE 7 and 8. I can download IE 6, Service Pack 1. What does that mean? I don't know. I don't speak Windows. I know what Service Pack 1 is, but how it'll affect the installation, I have no idea. The page to download it is here.

So, Downloading IE6, SP1 and Steam. Got real work to do. Will let you know how things are going next post....

Hurt By Blu Ray

2008-10-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs says that Blu Ray is a "Big bag of hurt." And you know what, he's right...if you're planning on watching movies on your Mac. And while I'd love to see an Apple TV or Mac Mini with that set-up, I've watched one DVD in the last month. My main concern with Blu Ray is not as a player. "the licensing of the tech is so complex, we're waiting until things settle down and Blu-Ray takes off in the marketplace," says Jobs.

If it does. And that's the problem. I don't need an HD player. I don't have an HD TV. I barely have a TV at all.

What I want is a Blu Ray burner, so I can backup my hard drive on less than 20 DVDs. So I don't have to take and split the photos from one session across two disks because I have more than 4.3 GB. What I need is a better archiving format than DVD.

I could put stuff onto hard disks. Up until about a year ago, that was my attitude. Then I started hearing reports that hard disks tend to go bad if they sit idle for a year or two.

I know that DVDs start to corrupt after a decade or so, but ten years is better than one.

And I know I could go and get an external BluRay burner.

But...

But what if BluRay dies on the vine? Where does that leave my backups?

True, what I am looking for is something as an emergency backup. Something that I can keep off-site. I have a Drobo, and I trust that for my two copies on-site. But I've already got over a terrabyte of information on there. Do you know how many DVDs I'd have to burn to back that up?

Perhaps a Sugar Sync or service like that is the way to go, but I live in a town where it takes a week just to upload 6 GB of photos to Pictage. That initial back-up would take the better part of a year.

I keep going around and around on this issue. If BluRay were more stable, and looked like it would last until the next big thing came along, I'd be much less reluctant.

Maybe the best option would be to buy a second Drobo, sync it here, then take it to a friends place in a different town and set it up to automatically sync every night. Sure, I'd still have to face those three day syncs after shooting a wedding, but at least I'd have a redundant back-up....

Because "Let's Rock" wasn't obvious enough....

2008-10-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

People were disappointed at the "Let's Rock" event that the only topic of discussion was music. Even though it was called "Let's Rock." And there was an iPod-like graphic. People were expecting more.

So, for Apple's next event, for October 14, the invitation reads "The spotlight turns to notebooks."

Because the announcement is going to be about Notebooks.

That's it.

Notebooks.

Got it? No Mac Pros, no new cameras or iPods or iMacs.

Notebooks.

"Subcompact? Carved out of a brick of alumin..."

Notebooks.

"MAybe it'll be a touchscre..."

Notebooks.

That's it. Notebooks.

Yes, there might be something a little different, as they don't usually do announcements for processor bumps, but I'm not expecting much beyond a re-design of the the Macbook.

And that way, if something else shows up, I won't be disappointed, but pleasantly surprised. And if nothing else shows up?

I told ya so.

CAn you see a difference?

2008-10-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

The Victoria School of Business and Technology is not on par with, say, a UBC. Not in quality of education, just in sheer name recognition.

But the little school of tech is currently embroiled in a legal battle with everyone's favourite Steve's fruity little company because of logos.

Yes, logos.

You see, the school (a Microsoft Certified Partner, I feel compelled to note) has a logo in the shape of, well, it looks an awful lot like an apple.

It's got a stock market/mountain/heart attack jagged peak thing in the middle instead of a bite, and VSBT written in it, too, but Apple's trademark lawyers think that it's close enough to pursue.

Well, here. See for yourself.

Now, everyone keeps telling me that trademark law is fairly specific in legally requiring a company to go after things like this, because if they don't, the trademark becomes worthless and indefensible. So I'm calling a rote legal challenge here. I don't think Apple cares one way or another which way the courts decide, but legalities must be followed. Boundaries are established.

The school, I must note, is milking this one for all it is worth. Which is fine. More press. Maybe a few more students. If I was, say, Jonathan Ives, I'd probably laugh at the thought that something as ... busy ... as the VSBT logo was being compared to the Apple Logo. But hey, it's trademark law, and you gotta do what you gotta do.

Not wanting to speculate, but...

2008-10-01T23:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, so there's been all sorts of speculation about bricks and new Apple TV/Mini Hybrids and Touchscreen Macs...

One of the more legitimate rumblings is around an update to the Macbook Pro. The great and glorious leader of the Cult of Mac has posted pictures of a possible design for the Macbook pro, as well as a rumoured ad that will promote them.

Far be it for me to get into these speculations, but I do find his last couple lines funny: "The ad, however, looks patently fake. As does the tagline: “A blend of beauty meets beastly power.” No Apple copywriter would pen such rubbish."

I have heard this said dozens of times over the last couple years around rumours: "That's ugly, Apple would never." "That's stupid, Apple would never." "I refuse to believe that this is true, because Apple would never." And I have discovered that there is no depth to what Apple would actually do.

I mean really. These are the creatives that penned the line "The Funnest iPod Ever." And you're knocking "Beauty meets beastly power"? That's almost Shakespeare in comparison.

(Note: Leander's comment appears to have already been edited. But it doesn't change my point. We have not yet discovered the depths to which Apple is willing to stoop, creatively.)

Another perfect browser?

2008-09-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

For many, OmniWeb is the browser of choice.

Okay, not for many. But for a few passionate users, OmniWeb can't be beat. Most people, though, wonder why they should drop cash on a web bowser when you can get Firefox and Safari for free.

I'm not going to get into that debate. I just wanted to tell you that, according to their blog, OmniWeb 5.8 is out. It's running the same version of WebKit as Safari 3.1.

This isn't the same build that scored 100% on the Acid Test, but it's pretty close, and expect an update soon to bring both Safari and OmniWeb to "best browser in the world" status.

And then, let the battle begin.

(Did I mention that Explorer is still at 14%? Does anyone care?)

Desperately wanting to try Chrome?

2008-09-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

...You know Chrome? That Google-built open source browser that is supposed to take the old fashioned web browser and bring it to a new level?

Of course you don't, because it isn't available for Mac. Or Linux. At least, not officially. But a bunch of code monkeys have taken Chromium, the open source part of Chrome, wrapped it in Wine, and released it for the rest of us. It's not as nice as a purpose built version, but if you really want to see what the fuss is about, and you don't have, say, Parallels installed (as I don't), here's your chance.

How's you're Mac Running?

2008-09-27T18:43:00.001-07:00

Just fine, thanks.

WebKit is the perfect browser

2008-09-27T16:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, Webkit is now at 100% against Acid Test, says the Webkit blog. But if you don't trust me, you can download a nightly build and test it yourself.

How do you use webkit? Easy peasy. Download and install like you would a regular application. The application looks like Safari, and feels like Safari, it's just faster. To keep you from confusing it with Safari, though, it has a gold rim around the compass, and always opens to a page that tells you if you are up to date with webkit or if there is a new nightly build.

Of course, the reason for downloading and using nightly builds is to provide feedback. So do report stability issues to the webkit team.

Thank you.

PS: In other news, IE is at 14% against Acid Test. You go, big guy.

Reckoner Remixin'

2008-09-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

Remember that idea for a series of commercials I was telling you about? And I invoked Thom Yorke's name? Well Radiohead has release Reckoner as six tracks on iTunes, which you can take and remix, and play with.

While the tracks can be remixed in any old program, the assumption is that you'll do it in Garageband. In fact, those who purchase the tracks in the first two weeks get a code that allows them to download a full Garageband version of the song.

So, what are you waiting for? Go, go go! Remix to your heart's content.

New Apple Store

2008-09-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

For all of youse in Calgary and Toronto still looking to get some free Apple swag, you have another chance. This Saturday, new stores will open in Market Mall, in Calgary, and at Fairview, in Toronto.

When they open an Apple Store in Dawson Creek, I'll be happy, but I'll know that they have officially jumped the shark, too. Sad, isn't it?

Alliance Films in Canada? Say it ain't so

2008-09-24T09:01:00.001-07:00

So. Alliance Films is the largest film distributor in Canada.

And apparently, they've now inked a deal to sell and rent movies on the Canadian iTunes store.

Which is, don't get me wrong, a good thing. Recent movies like Sex and The City, Journey to the Centre of the Earth 3D, Burn after Reading and The Women will now be available on iTunes in Canada, at least when they get released on DVD (from that list, only Sex and the City is out so far).

But I'm *still* waiting for the TV shows to start coming to iTunes. The most recent addition? The Nature of Things. That's cool. But where's Battlestar Galactica? Babylon 5? Greatest American Hero? There's a lot of back catalogue on the American store that isn't available in Canada, and you think it would be. Sigh. A boy can dream, can't he?

Daily Reading: Winning an Emmy

2008-09-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

I've long had this idea percolating in the back of my mind for a series of Mac commercials where someone sitting on a plane with a Windows machine would talk about how he likes listening to music on his computer. In the seat next to him would be Thom Yorke, making music on his. Or having someone watching a movie on the windows machine, and next door is someone editing a movie on his Macbook Pro...

Here's a perfect example of that in real life, except without the plane. A band director bought a mac, got one on one training from an Apple Genius, and used that knowledge to win himself an Emmy. Epic, that.

Gruber has some thoughts on the new PC ads...

2008-09-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

...I really like his point about the fact that the latest ad reinforces the Mac Marketing. By adopting Mac's language, they are engaging in the discussion on Apple's terms, falling into that "Don't think of purple elephant" thinking (because by referring to the Purple Elephant, you are forcing your audience to think about Purple Elephants).

Anyway, you can read more of his thoughts here.

NBC is coming back to iTunes

2008-09-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

...but will they be coming to Canada? I'm thinking not.

Word Spell Check

2008-08-27T00:04:00.000-07:00

So. I typed the word "northeastern" into a document in word, and it underlines it in red. Misspelled. What are the options? Well, there's a few, but the best option is "north eastern". So, just for a lark, I select it. And it underlines it in green, meaning a grammatical or other error. So I click to see what it suggests: northeastern.

Great. Thanks for the advice. I note Safari has no problems with northeastern or north eastern.

Yes, this is the moment I've been waiting for all my life

2008-08-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

This is it. You can't get much more Mac and Canadian than this: the Tim Hortons Locator for the iPhone.

Okay, so I don't have an iPhone (no Rogers here) and I can't stand coffee, so this one's a complete fail for me personally, but you can't fault it for Canadian content.... It does work with the iPod Touch, but won't take advantage of the GPS....

It's free. Try it out. If you like coffee. And Like Timmy Ho's.

Daily Reading: Stupid Smart Drives

2008-08-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

Macworld has a look at USB Smart drives, and the way they, you know, don't actually work with macs. And a solution. Using Windows.

Off for a week. This might be the last post for a while....

Okay, I laughed out loud...

2008-08-02T13:11:00.001-07:00

...especially at the first one....

Weird Dream

2008-08-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

So....

Remember how a couple day I made a crack about maybe I should have been blogging about Steve's health (sorry, Jobs, not Balmer), cuz maybe he'd call me and yell at me, too? Well that one line played into a rather long and detailed dream where I was actually invited to Cupertino for a one on one interview with Jobs. Except there was always someone else there....

In the dream, I talked with Steve and he explained in great detail what was up (which was basically just a rehash of all the speculation that I've read over the last week, sorry, no profound insights there). Then, somehow, the editor at the company newsletter (photocopied on lime green copy paper, natch) got hold of the story, and ran with it, and Steve called me to yell at me for leaking the story, and I had to convince him that why would I leak confidential information to a company zine when I could sell it for a couple million to any major newspaper in the country? I don't think he believed me, but he began to point out the kid's program, at which point he was mobbed by a bunch of five-year-olds as "Uncle Steve", and I realized I was in grade school and didn't have enough money to buy lunch that day, so I hid out in the alcove above the stairs, and it wasn't Cupertino at all, but my old school in Saskatchewan....

Something you probably didn't know about the Apple Campus that I learned in my dream is that there is there is a giant room full of laundry equipment where people go to wash their clothes. That they're wearing. So they sit around for a couple hours every day at work, naked, as they wait for their laundry to dry.

Apple Finally Fixes Fatal Flaw For Free. Finally.

2008-07-31T23:33:00.001-07:00

The DNS flaw that you've been hearing so much about lately? (What do you mean you haven't heard of it. It's the DNS flaw...thingy. You know, the wicked, nasty thing that allows hackers to enter your system and zombies to eat your brains.

Anyway. Apple has finally patched it. So you can go back to downloading strange and malicious files from online again. Have fun.

So Long, Scott

2008-07-31T17:15:00.000-07:00

Scott McNulty is leaving TUAW, one of my favouritist sources for Mac news, opinions, and wildly speculative rumour mongering.

In other news, TUAW *still* hasn't got back to me regarding that application I sent them a couple months ago.... Gruber (who is one of the few Mac pundits who you can refer to by one name and people know who you mean) calls McNulty "Far and Away" their best writer, which I wouldn't say exactly (especially if they ever get back to me about that job....), but he has been one of their most reliable, interesting writers. It was he (I've discovered) who talked about that neat Safari Tab Trick that I completely ignored until discovering it quite by accident a couple days ago (like, two. On tip tuesday.)

So so long Scott, and we'll...probably not miss you. As you say, it is pretty easy to keep tabs of you if we want to....