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In case you’ve been skipping commercials with your Tivo, Verizon and AT&T are now at war. It all started when Verizon began an ad campaign against AT&T’s 3G service, specifically targeted at iPhone users. The “There’s a Map for That” ads mimicked the “There’s an App for That” iPhone ads, which are Apple ads, not AT&T. But the point of the Verizon ads is that they have more 3G coverage than AT&T.
AT&T isn’t happy about the attack, and fired back with legal claims against Verizon. The basis for their claims is that the maps Verizon shows don’t take into account the 2.5G Edge network. In fact, the original ads even showed non-3G areas as “out of touch,” which isn’t true.
Of course Verizon’s Droid ads are also a direct attach on Apple and AT&T, using the work “iDon’t” to point out the features that the Droid phone has that Apple’s iPhone doesn’t. And to round out Verizon’s attack, they have an “Island of Misfit Toys” ad which also pokes fun at the iPhone’s flaws.
AT&T is not just striking back legally. They have just launched a new ad comparing “3G Experience” between AT&T and Verizon, touting the iPhone’s 100,000 apps as one reason.
While not really having any immediate effect on iPhone users, this competition may push both networks to add features and better service in the near future. We can hope. It also gives us a clue that perhaps Apple and Verizon are not preparing to partner on future iPhone deployment or a wireless service for tablets or MacBooks. Certainly seems that Verizon isn’t doing anything to please Apple, at least.
Apple’s been busy fighting its own legal battles as the push-and-shove between Apple and clone-maker Pystar continue. This week Apple won a summary judgement saying that Pystar is indeed violating copyright laws in including Mac OS X with its computers.

If you have more than one Mac on your home network, you can share files between them by simply turning on file sharing and browsing to another Mac in the Finder. You can also add additional users and set up shared folders.

Thanks to everyone who voted in the to-do list application poll here at MacMost.com. We’ve now got our top six task managers. While it is impossible to say which one is best for you, this will at least give you an idea of what others are using.

The top spot belongs to Things from Cultured Code. The king-of-all to-do list applications seems to have every feature under the sun: repeating to-dos, due dates, notes, search, tags, projects, plus both iCal and iPhone sync.
It will set you back $50, but can you put a price on productivity? Well, probably. But I bet it is more than $50. Add another $10 for the iPhone app, if you want to sync in that direction too.

Next on the list is a combined entry of iCal and Apple Mail, both which share to-do list tasks between them. Of course this combination of applications comes with Mac OS X, so everyone has it. Since this is an integrated solution that everyone already has, it is not surprising that it ranks so high. But it is perhaps surprising that it is not number one, or even dominating the list completely.
This is most likely because iCal/Mail really lacks any power to-do list functionality. It doesn’t even sync with the iPhone, even though most other parts of both iCal and Mail do. You’d think it would be a no-brainer for Apple to create a stand-along app that uses this data, syncs with the iPhone and also maybe MobileMe. But thanks to them ignoring this software genre, we’ve got all of these other third-party solutions. We’ve got an old episode about using iCal to-do lists if you want to check it out.

Third on the list is OmniFocus from the Omni Group. This is another full-featured application that has everything and the kitchen sink. Plus, if you are already a user of Omni Group applications, like OmniPlan, then you will probably find it nice and familiar. It carries an even heftier price tag an Things, at $80, and then another $20 for the iPhone app.

Next on the list if another comes-with-your-Mac application: Stickies. Now, this isn’t really a to-do list application at all, but its versatility has lots of people using it as such. You can put a single item in a note, or create short lists of items. Hey, if it works, it works. We did an episode on Stickies a while back if you are curious about it. You definitely can use it as a to-do list manager, but it just isn’t made for that.

Tied for fifth on the list are The Hit List by Potion Factory and Evernote. The first is gainign popularity with its fancy and simple-to-use interface. The second is a multi-purpose notes and media tool that is part-of-the-way in the cloud.
The Hit List will set you back $50, and includes a lot of features in a very Mac-like interface. Evernote has a free standard version, and then they hit you with $45/year for a premium service to pay for the use of their net-based syncing. It has a free iPhone app as well, which makes it a great way to share notes between your Mac and iPhone without even having to dock the phone.
Here are the complete results of the original poll:

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Which is the most popular to-do list application for the Mac? MacMost wants to know!
Look through this list carefully and select the to-do list or task management application that you use on your Mac. Some are Mac applications and some are online. This poll is about Mac applications only, not iPhone apps.

Learn how to create artistic photo slideshows in iPhoto that can then be exported as video files. You can then email these video files, create a DVD or upload to a video sharing site.

Learn how to use the iPhone's Maps app to search for stores, get directions, plot your current location and more. The iPhone Maps app has been a part of the iPhone since the beginning, but it keeps getting better. Find out what it can do and how easy it is to use.

This week’s Apple news was highlighted by the release of Mac OS X 10.6.2. You can get the update by choosing Software Update from your Apple menu or by going to Apple’s site. It is primarily a bug fix release, with a full list of bugs squashed here.
Apple started shipping its i5 quad-core iMacs this week. All versions of the new 21.5 and 27-inch iMacs are now shipping, although there appear to be delays in some versions of the 27-inch model due to video chipset shortages.
Apple introduced a new service called Reserve and Pick-Up at Apple stores. You can order an Apple product online and pick it up at a local store between December 15 and 25. They are even offering gift wrapping.

Learn how to speed up your video clips and use slow motion in iMovie 09. You can also reverse the direction of a clip.

Learn the basics of using the Mac trashcan to delete files. Windows users will find it is slightly different than the Windows recycle bin. This is an excerpt from the book the MacMost.com Guide to Switching to the Mac https://macmost.com/book

Learn how to spot whether an Apple rumor is valid. Many Apple rumors have no source and don't fit with the company's past. Find out what to look for so you can decide for yourself which rumors make the most sense.

It is hard to believe that when the iPhone launched in 2007 that the App store wasn’t a part of it. The very idea of third-party apps was even rebuffed by Apple at the time. But now it is the main feature touted by Apple in its commercials, and it is practically the only reason for the existence of the iPod Touch.
In the 480 days since the launch of the store, more than 100,000 apps have ben released by developers. That’s 208 per day. Many of them are free, and many are only $0.99 — with a few going higher, even above $100.
The app store has made small fortunes for some developers, and created frustrations for others. Apple holds total control over what gets in the store, leaving some developers out even after spending the effort to develop for the iPhone. Also the 100,000 apps vary greatly in quality, with many being cookie-cutter applications with simple data or ebooks shoved into them.
But there is no doubt that the App Store has pushed the iPhone to the next level and sent other phone makers and carries scrambling to keep up.

Find out how you can use the Web to translate pieces of text or whole Web pages. Learn how to use the two main translation services: Babel Fish and Google Translate.

Learn how to make a simple music loop using GarageBand in this excerpt from the MacMost.com Guide to Switching to the Mac by Gary Rosenzweig. You can use simple loops in photo slideshows, videos and other projects.

Learn how to rename a batch of files using Automator in Snow Leopard. You can quickly and easily create a workflow that will allow you to select a group of files or a folder and rename the files replacing or adding text, adding numbers or the time or changing the file extension.

Apple news this week slowed to a halt after the momentous previous week that included new Apple hardware and a quarterly financial report.
Rumors continue to build around several subjects, including the mythical tablet device and the end of iPhone AT&T exclusivity. New Tablet rumors center around the possibility that it would be used for reading books and periodicals. Experts continue to speculate on whether the iPhone will be available on other networks, such as Verizon, in the U.S.
Meanwhile, Apple TV may soon be getting an update to version 3.0 of its operating system. A new terms of service agreement given to Apple TV owners states that version 3.0 would allow iTunes LPs and video extras. This makes sense, but one wonders what other new things will be in the third version of the Apple TV OS.
The Magic Mouse, released last week but only available with new iMacs, is now shipping as an individual product. It does not seem to be available yet in retail Apple stores, at least outside of the Cupertino area. But some people have reported getting their from Apple’s online store. It is listed as shipping in 5-7 days. At first, the software update required to allow the mouse to work on older Macs was not available, but it can now be downloaded from Apple’s site.
Perhaps the biggest news in the Apple world this week doesn’t come from Apple or have anything to do with Macs, iPhones or iPods. Microsoft released its new version of Windows, Windows 7, with little fanfare compared to previous releases. How Snow Leopard and Windows 7 compete against each other for market share will be the single biggest factor in the immediate future of Apple’s computer market share.

Many users never change the iTunes Import Settings, but it is important that you check them out and make sure that iTunes is importing your CDs using a format that you like. The default AAC may not provide the versatility that you need.

This week the Apple rumor sites are out of control. They are reporting on a mention of an “Apple Slate” by the executive editor of the New York Times. They say that this mention, in a private meeting, is proof that the device exists and is coming soon.
I find it amazing that bits of data like this are reported as akin to fact. Being a rumor makes it OK to report it as a kind of news. Being technology news makes it OK to be held to a lower standard of what defines news. And being Apple news seems to make it anything goes. I’m sure that the editor knew nothing specific and was merely being hypothetical.
But this did get me thinking about the mythical tablet again. You see, I’ve had a problem with the basic premise of the rumors. If Steve Jobs is spending most of his time on this device then it can’t be just be a big iPod Touch. There’s got to be more to it. After all, the iPhone came out and it wasn’t just a phone with an iPod.
So I have been trying to think about the angle here. What could an Apple Tablet be? Jobs must have an angle.
So here’s a big prediction. Let’s see how close I get:
The Apple Tablet will do for books what the iPod did for music. It will be an eBook reader, but in the same way the iPod Touch is a music player. It will be so much more.
As a matter of fact, if it sounds like the Kindle, I think it will be very much like it. It may even be the next Kindle. Amazon may be in league with Apple here, ready to pass the torch to the new Tablet.
I’ve always been of the mind that Amazon doesn’t care about the Kindle, they care about selling books. The Kindle was simply a way to sell more books. As evidence, look at the iPhone Kindle app — a free app by Amazon. Why would they do that, considering it must have reduced the number of Kindles sold. It is because they just want to sell books. The Kindle was a way for them to lead the industry forward and set some standards.
So one of two things will happen: Jeff Bezos will stand on stage with Steve Jobs during the announcement and proclaim the Apple Tablet to be the successor to to the Kindle. Or, perhaps it will be a little more subtle and the Apple device will simply support the Kindle format and the Kindle will slowly disappear as Amazon lets Apple take over.
So what else will this tablet do beside eBooks? Well, it will let you subscribe to newspapers and magazines as well. You can also read RSS feeds, play music and audiobooks, video, get email, and surf the Web.
How about apps? I predict that there will be a Tablet app store, but it will be separate from the iPhone/iPod Touch app store. After all, those apps are all made for 480×320 screens. I also think that Apple will take much stricter control of this new App store — kind of like they do with pure iPod apps. There will be a variety of Apple-approved apps centered around productivity, business and education.
The Tablet will also let you input data with a stylus, like the PC tablets. That tech is already built into Mac OS X, so it makes sense. It will be a great device for students to be able to take notes — even recording audio synchronized with the notes. You can tap a word or figure that you scribbled and hear the audio recording from that moment in time.
I think it will be heavily marketed toward education, with commitments from text book publishers to provide text books in 2010 in this format.
Wirelessly, the device will have wi-fi, and maybe nothing else. It would be great if it allowed you to bring your own 3G USB device so you could choose your own service, but I’m leaning toward wi-fi only right now.
OK, so there’s my prediction: a supercharged eBook reader that works with Amazon’s Kindle system, plays other media, and does basic email, Web surfing and has a small selection of high-quality apps.

Learn the basics about searching for files with Spotlight.

Take a look at the new Magic Mouse from Apple. This wireless mouse features a touch-sensitive trackpad-like surface for scrolling and gestures.

Apple news was dominated this week by the announcement of all new iMacs, a new unibody white plastic MacBook, new Mac minis and a new wireless mouse. In addition, Apple released its quarterly financial results, pleasing investors and sending the stock price sharply upward.
The new iMac line comes in two screen sizes: 21.5-inch and 27-inch. Both feature faster processors, more memory, larger hard drives and better graphics chips. The 27-inch can also come with new Intel quad-core processors. The new iMacs have an SD card slot and LED-backlit screens.
The new Mac minis also receive speed, memory and drive upgrades. But more interesting is the release of a special Mac mini server product, with two 500GB drives instead of an optical drive. The server comes with Mac OS X Server instead of the desktop version of the OS, and seems to be aimed at business workgroups, not home media serving.
The new MacBook is an update to the only model in the MacBook line, giving it a unibody construction made from white plastic as opposed to the aluminum body of the MacBook Pro. It also updates the laptop with an internal 7-hour batter like the MacBook Pro.
Apple replaced its Mighty Mouse with the new Magic Mouse, a wireless-only mouse with a touch-sensitive top that responds to clicks and gestures. The iMac now comes by default with a wireless mouse and keyboard.
In its financial report, Apple made $1.67 billion profit from $9.87 billion in revenue in the last quarter, beating expectations. A record of 3.05 million Macs were sold in the quarter, up 17 percent from the previous year. In addition, 7.4 million iPhones were sold and 10.2 million iPods. This is an increase in iPhone sales,but a decrease in iPod sales. However, more of the iPods sold were iPod Touches than in previous reports.

Check out the first MacMost Apple Trivia Quiz. Test your knowledge of Apple history. See how many out of 20 questions you can get right.