Apple Provides Volume Limit Setting for iPod

CUPERTINO, California—March 29, 2006—Apple® today announced a software update for the iPod® nano and fifth generation iPod, allowing customers to easily set their own personal maximum volume limit. The software update also gives parents the ability to set a maximum volume limit on their child’s iPod and lock it with a combination code.

“As the leading provider of digital music players, Apple continuously brings iPod customers innovative and easy to use solutions,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. “With the increased attention in this area, we want to offer customers an easy to use option to set their own personal volume limit.”

The new software update 1.1.1 is available immediately as a free download for the iPod nano and the fifth generation iPod from www.apple.com/ipod/download. The new Volume Limit feature works with any headphone or accessory plugged into the iPod headphone jack as well as the iPod Radio Remote. For further information on safe listening with iPod, please visit www.apple.com/sound.

BeLight Software Releases Disc Labler

From Macminute: March 29 - 13:16 EST "BeLight Software today released Disc Cover 1.0.8, the latest update to its CD/DVD labeling program. This version can import data from Toast Titanium and improves sorting iTunes imported files. The current update is free for all existing users. Disc Cover is priced at US$34.95(for download) and is available in fully functional demo."

We all know and love Swift Publisher, now here's an elegant straight-forward approach to labeling CDs. I've played a bit with this app and I have to tell you it makes some gorgeous CDs! The only issue I have is with the type layout if one is placing more than eight or nine tracks. It can get a bit ugly. Other than that, it's a great program. Download it and see for yourself. -Tim

Final Cut Studio Goes Universal!

Posted on Mar 29, 2006 at 8:28pm by Dennis Sellers: Apple's Final Cut Pro Studio is now available as a Universal Binary product and will run natively on both PowerPC and Intel Macs.Final Cut Studio Pro includes Final Cut Pro, Motion, SoundTrack Pro and DVD Studio Pro components. For new users the cost is US$1,299. Upgrades from Final Cut Pro 1, 2 or 3 are $699. There are also a variety of Universl crossgrades for those wishing to get the Universal Binary version. Crossgrades start at US$99. Apple is offering free shipping on orders of the product.

Macsimum News - Final Cut Pro Studio goes Universal Binary

technorati tags: Apple, Macintosh, FinalCut, Video

To Leave Running or Not to Leave Running

Quoted from Don Foy and Macsimum News - "At the risk of starting a holy war, I want to tackle one of the most-asked questions of Mac users across the world: Should you turn your Mac off when you are not using it? I plan to present both sides of this battle and let you decide on the merits of each argument. I will likely leave out something, so you guys and gals can fight it out in the comments below, but let's keep it civil. Remember from the last column;we are all family, eh."

Macsimum News - MacBasics: leave your Mac on or shut it down?

technorati tags: Macintosh, Apple, Unix, Maintenance

Quicksilver. Wouldn't Leave Home Without It

Once in a while, I'll put a "plug" in for an application I find indispensible. This time the vote goes to Quicksilver - hands down! Quicksilver is difficult to describe. Strictly speaking it's a launcher (an application designed to make quick work of accessing applications no matter what you're doing or where you are on the Mac) This it does and does brilliantly. But it is so much more than that. For instance: I need to email a TextEdit file to my co-worker and add a quick comment. With Quicksilver I can perform that entire operation in just a few keystrokes! No kidding. Now follow me here. I'm talking about finding the file wherever it happens to be, launching Mail with the file attached and my co-workers address already filled in. You really have to see it/use it to believe it.

So how does this work? Quicksilver lives quietly in the background, observing, learning and cataloging the applications, files, contacts, etc. you tend to use most frequently. After a few days it is nearly clairvoyent. From that time on Quicksilver just seems to "know" what it is you want to do, puts the steps together in logical sequence and waits happiliy to do your bidding.

For all this functionality there must be a great cost, right? Wrong! Quicksilver and all the associated plugins is absolutely free! I know, "If it seems too good to be true it probably isn't". Not so in this case. If you're curious head on over to Blacktree's site, look around, download the latest release and give it a try. Officially, Quicksilver is still in Beta so all the usual precautions apply. I've been using it for months now with absolutley no difficultities.

Do me a favor, please. If you do download Quicksilver and give it a whirl, please let me know what you think. You may post a comment here on the blog or send me an email. Either way I'd love to hear from you.

Technorati Tags: Apple, Launcher, Macintosh, Productivity

Final Cut Pro training goes on the road

Diana Weynand, author of Peachpit Press’s Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro 5, is taking the authorized Final Cut Pro 5 course on the road starting in May.

The first stop on the road tour is Weynand’s hometown of San Antonio, Texas (May 8-10), followed by Houston (May 15-17) and then on to other cities such as St. Louis, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Buffalo, Raleigh, Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Tucson. Other cities will be announced throughout the year.

New iChat Icons for .Mac Members

Your .Mac ID lets you use iChat AV to exchange messages with everyone on the .Mac and AIM instant messaging networks. As an additional benefit, messages exchanged among .Mac members are automatically encrypted (except for text chats involving more than two people). If you've never played around with iChat AV you may not have discovered how easily... Read more

Apple .Mac Welcome

technorati tags: Apple, iChat, .Mac

Important Virus Discussion

Ted Landau, the MacNotables resident troubleshooting guru, takes us on an in-depth tour of how some of the new Mac "viruses" actually work - what they do, what files they access, where they place themselves, how they propogate and more. No punches are pulled, so be prepared for a healthy dose of technical information that will help you understand what's going on with the little programs that have been making big news on the Mac web and beyond. Even though Apple's recent security updates address these threats, it helps to know what's going on and why.

MacNotablesYou can listen and get the show notes on the MacNotables web site.

One More Take on Apple's iPod Hi-Fi

Have you yet heard the new iPod Hi-Fi? If not, you're in for a real surprise! Apple's claims for room-filling, brilliant and rich sound are not far from the mark. At US $350.00 it had better be good, but in most respects Apple has truly delivered. Like most excellent speaker systems, one surprise (both good and unfortunate) will be the revelation of the quality of your recordings, mostly in their engineering. What does that mean? Quite simply, the well-engineered recordings sound fantastic! You'll likely hear things you never knew were there. And the not-so-well engineered recordings? They sound, well, not so well-engineered. You owe it to yourself to make a trip to the closest Apple store and give the iPod Hi-Fi a listen. Warning: be prepared to stay a while!

Microsoft Enhances Entourage

Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.2.3 Update releasedMarch 14, 2006 - 13:57 EST Microsoft today released Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.2.3, the latest update to the company's productivity software. Changes in this update include: to improve the personal information management experience, Entourage support for Sync Services enables customers to sync calendar events, contacts and tasks with handheld devices and other applications that support Apple's Sync Services; Spotlight support will deliver the necessary functionality to search Entourage 2004 emails and information (events, contacts, notes and tasks); and enhanced Smart Card technology in Entourage will take advantage of Apple's Keychain feature to allow users to digitally sign and encrypt mail.

Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.2.3 Update released | MacMinute News

New Version of MSN Messenger

Microsoft Messenger for Mac 5.1 releasedMarch 14, 2006 - 14:09 EST Microsoft today also released Messenger for Mac 5.1, the latest version of the company's instant messaging conversation. Version 5.1 offers the following new features for customers using Live Communications Server, including: file transfers sent to external contacts will now be encrypted for better security outside of the firewall; if a user is logged into Live Communications Server on more than one machine, version 5.1 ensures that messages are sent to the appropriate location; and for IT administrators, the update will provide more control over saving chats at an organizational level.

Microsoft Messenger for Mac5.1 released | MacMinute News

Another take on the iPod Hi-Fi

BY MIKE WENDLANDFREE PRESS COLUMNIST. I can't keep this up. It seems like almost every Apple product that has come out in the past year has wound up on my credit card.

MIKE WENDLAND: Apple speaker iPod-worthy

technorati tags: Apple, iPod, Hi-Fi, mp3, Audio

Apple at the Academy Awards

And the Academy Award Goes to "King Kong." Last night, "King Kong" took home Oscar golds for "Achievement in Visual Effects," as well as "Achievement in Sound Mixing" and "Achievement in Sound Editing." Read how Weta Digital used Shake as its primary compositing tool to develop those amazing visual effects in King Kong. [Mar 06, 2006]

Apple Hot News

A Roll Up Computer?!

By Gretchen Cuda | Also by this reporter
02:00 AM Mar, 06, 2006 EST

One day you may roll up your computer and toss it in your bag -- no more rugged titanium cases. Today's visionaries are planning a world of flexible electronics that will make even your svelte new laptop look clunky.

Wired News:

technorati tags: Technology, Computers,

Apple Goes Hi-Fi

Apple releases the first of what, in my opinion, will be many pieces of equipment for the home market. I haven't heard it or seen it, but those who have seem to like it. At $350 it's a bit pricey, but Apple products are always of the highest quality. I'll post a verdict after I've heard it.

Apple - iPod Hi-Fi

technorati tags: Apple, iPod,