MacMost: Archives

Apple users can sometimes stress about when is the best time to by a new Mac, iPhone, iPad or iPod. Rumors are always around that a new device is on the way. But putting off a purchase isn't always that important. Learn to research the validity of rumors and don't stress about getting your new Apple hardware at the exact right time.

In this special episode, learn to now stress about your MacBook or iOS device battery. It may not be worth it to expend a lot of time and stress to extend your battery's life by only a little bit.

Mac OS X 10.7, AKA Lion, should be released this month. And according to reports Apple is right on schedule. They released a gold master update of Lion to developers on Friday. Such a release usually signals the end of testing.
Once Lion has been released, all new Macs will feature the OS pre-installed. The update will be available in the Mac App Store to Snow Leopard users at the same time. It is expected to be a 4 GB download. Apple has said that users can bring their Macs into Apple Stores and use the wifi there to download the update if their home connection is too slow.
As of today, Verizon is no longer offering unlimited data plans for the iPhone. They warned at the launch of the Verizon iPhone that unlimited plans were only going to be offered temporarily. They offer 2 GB, 5 GB and 10 GB per month data plans, with overage costs of $10 per GB. Presumably anyone currently with an unlimited plan can continue with that plan. Check your Verizon account or their sales site for details and pricing. AT&T also started with unlimited data plans but now only offers similar tiered plans.

“Roger has been impossible to deal with since Apple decided to use his picture in the OS X Lion icon.”

Take a look at four extensions that you might find useful. You can discover web page-specific keyboard shortcuts. You can select and jump to links using only your keyboard. You can lock tabs. You can make it easier to generate shortened URLS.

Learn how to look up the serial number for your Mac, and then use that number to get the official model number for your Mac. You must have that model number to purchase memory upgrades. Find out about the Tech Specs section of the Apple web site where you can learn more about your Mac and other Apple devices.

Take a look at four free Safari extensions that you may find useful. You can add a customizable toolbar, view multiple pages in one long page instead, print specific areas of a page and see your incoming Gmail at the top of the Safari window.

A major update for Snow Leopard was released this week that sets up the Mac App Store for the Lion upgrade expected in July. It also fixes many security issues and bugs. You can get the update by running Software Update on any Mac with Snow Leopard. You can read details about the update at Apple’s site.
The Thunderbolt connectors on new MacBook Pros and iMacs became useful this week with the release of the first RAID disk drive system and an official Apple Thunderbolt cable.

“Kodiak, Cheeta, Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion.”
Apple Fanboys don’t count sheep.

There are many ways to edit song information in iTunes that will help you sort your music. You can group songs together in an album using the Album Artist field. You can also set track numbers and use alternative song, album and artist information just for sorting.

If you have produced a video in iMovie and the file size is too large, you can use a free program called MPEG Streamclip to compress it with little loss of quality. The key is to use .mp4 with h264 compression and then adjust the bit rate to get the right trade-off of file size versus quality.

You can change how pages are loaded in Safari, and alter them after they load with Safari extensions. You can prevent images and Flash content from loading when you are on a slow connection, but click to view that content on demand. You can also mark up a web page and send it via email.

With the release this week of Final Cut Pro X, both Final Cut Studio and Final Cut Express have been replaced by a new version of Apple’s video editing software.
In addition to a new interface and new features, Final Cut Pro X is distributed solely through the Mac App Store for $299.99, a price much lower than the previous version of Final Cut Studio Pro and only a little more than Final Cut Express. Companion applications Motion and Compressor are also available through the App Store at $49.99 each.
Reviews by Final Cut users are mixed as they get used to the new interface. Some features expected in Final Cut Pro X are not yet available and Apple has already said they expect to use Mac App Store updating to add more features soon.

“Tomorrow will be iCloudy with a chance of Snow Leopard.”
“There’s something different about his forecasts ever since we switched to Macs.”

By using hyperlinks you can create a simple quiz game in Keynote. Links can take the user to a different slide depending on which answer they click. These quiz presentations can be exported as PDFs or HTML for web sites.

Learn how Safari extensions can make it easier to shop online. You can get free extensions that will show you prices at different sites, allow you to navigate product information and even add to your Amazon wish list from other sites.

Another alternative to using iWeb and MobileMe hosting is the free Google Sites product. You can create a simple web page or seers of pages and let Google host it for free. There are tons of templates to choose from and the pages are highly customizable. You can even make files available for download.

While unlocked iPhones have been available for years in other countries, Apple has finally started selling them in America. An unlocked iPhone can be used on AT&T’s network without a 2-year plan, on T-Mobile with the slower Edge network, or taken overseas to use on other carriers. They will not work with CDMA carriers like Verizon. Other GSM carriers may also now be able to offer service to the owners of unlocked iPhones.
You’ll need to pay a premium for these unlocked iPhones with prices starting at $650. Models with a plan from AT&T or Verizon are cheaper as they have been subsidized by the carriers.

1976
Woz: “I’d be happy to give my design of the Apple Computer to HP.”
HP: “No thanks.”
2011
Jobs: “Today we announce the plans for the new Apple Headquarters, built where HP used to be.”

Another alternative to iWeb and MobileMe hosting is WordPress.com. This free blogging service uses the WordPress software and allows you to set up blogs or a general Web site. You build and modify your site completely online.