Appletell

I am not the lead guitarist for Fall Out Boy. I do not have the resources to drop the thousands of dollars on Pro Tools software and hardware. What I do have resources for is a simple digital audio workstation (DAW) to use with my MaBook.

Line 6 is a major player in the DAW manufacturing space. I decided on the Tone Port GX off of the recomendation of Macworld. The Tone Port GX from Line 6 is a simple DAW, having a single 1/4 inch input for a guitar or microphone. It also comes with GearBox software that allows several different amplifier and cabniet combinations. This is their entry level product, costing less than 80 dollars to obtain.

Imagine my dismay when I plugged it into my iMac and all I got was static…

MORE »

AppleInsider has some good news for those of us jonesing for a new Mac Mini. An interested customer e-mailed Bob Mansfield—Mac hardware engineering chief—to inquire about the future of the product. While this customer didn’t get a direct reply from Mansfield, there was an interesting message from another Apple executive about the Mac Mini.

I got a prompt reply by phone from an Apple executive care person essentially giving me no new information but assuring me that Apple knew the mini was a popular machine and to be patient.

Proof of a new Mac Mini? I wouldn’t go as far as to call it proof, but I think Apple would be crazy not to update everyone’s favorite TV and kitchen Mac.

I’ve written before about my opinion of the future of the Mac Mini, so I won’t regurgitate that. We know they won’t update the Mini before the end of the year, but I do think it’s quite possible we could see an update as soon as Macworld in January. Macworld takes place January 5-9th, 2009. But, if you’re anything like me, your calendar is already marked.

Via [AppleInsider]

• iTunes Plus to add more major music labels?
• Apple and Line6 don’t play well together
• What is the future for the Mac Mini?

Everyone who was holding their breath for a new Mac Mini, iMac, Mac Pro or Apple TV (myself included), can stop. Bill Evans, an Apple spokesman, killed the rumors, and possibly our hopes and dreams along with them.

“Our holiday line-up is set,” Apple spokesman Bill Evans told Macworld.

And just like that, all the rumors are smashed. No November 10th/11th event, no new desktops, no secret netbooks, no nothing. But I’m not discouraged, and I don’t plan on wasting any time as far as rumors are concerned. All this means is that no new products or refreshes can happen earlier than 2009. So, now I ask the obvious question. What does Apple have in store for January?

MORE »

When Podcaster was rejected as an iPhone app for duplicating features found in iTunes, the developer, Al Sokirynsky, didn’t just sit there and take it. He began distributing it via Apple’s “ad hoc” program until Apple made him stop doing that, as well.

Well, Sokirynsky, channeling the rebellious power of a Quiet Riot video, is back again. This time he’s distributing Podcaster to jailbroken iPhones via Cydia, an open source project that allows people to put whatever program they want on their iPhones. What a crazy idea—that people could have the ability to install whatever programs they wanted on a computer they paid for, rather than rely on some secretive program to tell them what is or isn’t good enough (or what might potentially take business away from iTunes) for them to use.

Ahem.

MORE »

Guy Kawasaki, the original Apple Evangelist, columnist for Macworld and current tech entrepreneur has some simple advice for Apple on the iPhone: open up the development process.

His point is that Apple doesn’t need to exert a huge amount of control over the iPhone app market. The best way to excite developers and users is to have a wide-open market for software, he said.

For those of you two young to remember, Kawasaki was, for many early Mac users, the voice of Apple enthusiasm, sincerely speaking about the greatness of their products and the ways in which they could be used. The recent brouhaha over Apple’s reasoning for disallowing iPhone apps has lead some to call for the return of a public face for the company, who could explain their reasoning, rather than simply issuing authoritarian press releases (or, in true Apple style, simply refusing to comment on the issue altogether).

But the tone of the Macworld piece is much more of a “catching up with an old friend”-ish one: Kawasaki is not (apparently) planning on returning to Apple soon, and is happily working behind the scenes with several tech companies, including one that makes news aggregation even simpler than RSS. As a bonus, Macworld has republished two of his old articles, one lightheartedly comparing the Quadra 800 to a ride in an F-15, and an oddly prescient one about why the Newton should be more like a cell phone.

Read [Macworld]

• iTunes 8.0.2 hits the streets
• How to get your Mac to talk to your PS3
• Who’s On Crack in tech: 11.21.08 edition

Apple’s recent policy on iPhone applications has gone from their normal cult-like level of secrecy to downright draconian: barring apps that duplicate (in Apple’s opinion) functionality of Apple-branded apps and then forbidding developers from talking about being rejected.

Even Macworld is weighing in on the problem of how Apple needs to fix this, whether it’s a matter of incompetence (brought on by the sheer scale of dealing with the popularity of the iPhone) or maliciousness (Apple wanting to keep as much of the pie to itself as it can).

First and foremost, Apple needs to come out with crystal-clear guidelines for the App Store. If a developer invests tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in app development, they need to know that their app won’t be rejected. Even if the guidelines are brutal and draconian, if they’re clear and enforced consistently, nobody will be left holding the bag like the developer of Podcaster.

Visit Macworld for some rather biting commentary about what Apple said it would do, and the way it’s handing its new flagship product.

Via [Macworld].

• Apple launches new iPhone Your Life site
• Who’s On Crack in tech: 11.21.08 edition
• iTunes 8.0.2 hits the streets

Well here’s a fun little article from the grandaddy of Mac journalism.

Responding to a reader query about how to control what a child has access to on an iPhone/iPod Touch, Macworld editor Christopher Breen details how to turn on the kid-friendly “Restrictions” setting, and then promptly points out how ridiculously easy it is to turn them off.

MORE »

The iPhone 3G is obviously in short supply, but Macworld reports that that’s not necessarily bad for Apple. Over one million iPhones were sold in the first three days. It took the original iPhone 74 days to reach one million sold.

I’m sure many of you have seen the lines that are still adorning the front of Apple Stores across America. This is very different from the original launch of the iPhone, which was available days after launch. Almost all Apple Stores remain void of any iPhone 3G’s in stock, and AT&T isn’t a whole lot better. They are recommending their customers use the direct fulfillment plan, and estimate a wait of about two weeks for an iPhone 3G.

MORE »

Even though the iPhone 3G launch didn’t go as smoothly as Apple had hoped, they still managed to sell over 1 million of the phones. Now that most Apple and AT&T stores are currently out of stock (and have lines forming for what little they do have), some people are really cashing in for their iPhone 3Gs on eBay, generally at least quadrupling their money.

The average 8GB iPhone is going for about $800-$900, while most of the 16GB models are going for well over $1,000, with one even topping two grand. And, as if paying these outrageous prices is not enough for the buyers, they are going to have to hack them unless they found an “unlocked” version due to Apple and AT&T’s new in-store-only activation policy.

So my personal advice to you is that if you managed to get your hands on an iPhone 3G on launch weekend, sell it now and buy four or five of them when they come back into stock. I know that I won’t convince anybody to actually do that, but it is the smart thing to do if you’re willing to wait a little bit to get your new iPhone anyway. But I don’t blame you if you can’t tear yourself away. I doubt I would be able to.

Via [Macworld]

• Apple launches new iPhone Your Life site
• Swedish iPhone users get MMS, what about everyone else?
• Wrap your iPhone in bacon

If free or low cost software is your lifeblood, this is for you. Macworld, a popular Apple site, has officially started their Gem a Day blog. From now until mid-August, Mac Gems will have a daily post about a new piece of software for your Mac that is either free or has little cost. These short snippets are all available on the Mac Gems blog, but if you miss that, do not fret.; all the features from the blog will be in the September ‘08 article of Macworld Magazine. 

The regular content provided to you by Mac Gems will resume in mid-August.

Product [Mac Gems] Via [MacWorld]

• No new Apple products this year
• Apple says nothing about a new Mac Mini (nods suggestively)
• Apple and Line6 don’t play well together