Stan's List

Have you returned your Mac two or three times and it is still not fixed? A user had replaced his Mac twice and had a problem with the third, decided to email Steve Jobs.Openswitch carries an individual posting entitled, The office of Steve Jobs called me today. More …

This KB article provides matrixes to show which cable and Dock is required to connect an iPod to a TV to display photos or video, and which iPod can be utilized. Here is a list of the iPods or iPhones applicable

1. iPod touch
2. iPhone (software version 1.1.1 or later required)
3. iPod nano (3rd generation)
4. iPod classic
5. iPod (5th generation)
6. iPod with color display (iPod photo)::

The new standard promises to deliver up to 4.8Gb/s, as Techworld reports. USB 3.0 would be ten times faster than 480Mb/ per second USB 2.0. That would make USB 3.0  on paper, considerably faster than FireWire 400 and 800. FireWire 1600 and 3200 standards, that have been in the works for some time, are stalled. Even though USB 3.0 is to have a speed advantage, the present and next generations of FireWire would still have an advantage of peer to peer networking, as well as its ability to communicate to digital video camera. USB 3.0 has no such abilities. More …

As USB 2.0 stated 480 Mb/s is considerably slower than FireWire 400, it would not be a surprise that FireWire 3200 (assuming 3.2 Gb/s) is equal to or faster than USB 3.0. Any possibility of testing this idea is much in doubt.

The new Amazon MP3 Music Service is offering a download program for both Macs and PCs which enables downloading DRM free mp3 files, which will play on any portable music player, including the iPod. Offering downloads at $0.89 for singles, albums for $8.99, and as little as $4.99. While they state that the recording rate is 256 kbps, the rate varies, making the 256 kbp an average. The interface is not difficult, but it is not iTunes.

BBC News reports Virgin’s Richard Branson is getting out of music retailing altogether, after 30 years in the business.

Virgin launched its Virgin Digital service 2 years ago in direct competition with Apple, even giving away flash-based MP3 players at the time. But the service will close October 19. More …

I think the thing to remember always is that Apple doesn’t make money from the Music Store. Nobody has made money selling digital music online. Apple makes all its money from iPod sales. Amazon is selling songs at a price, sometimes, 40% below the Apple Music Store price. If Apple is reported to “earn” 1 to 2 cents from each song, how can Amazon be making anything? Once again, selling digital music is not a way to get rich.

This update to iWeb addresses issues with upgrading iWeb 1.x websites, and fixes some common publishing problems, and supports general compatibility issues. Dowload page

Firmware Restoration CD 1.4
The Firmware Restoration CD is used to restore the firmware of an Intel-based Macintosh computer.

iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.2
This update improves the performance and reliability of Intel Core 2 Duo processors and fixes issues with Boot Camp for iMac computers.

Mac Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.2
This EFI Firmware Update fixes several fan behavior and Boot Camp issues on Mac Pro computers.

MacBook EFI Firmware Update 1.1
This update improves the performance and reliability of Intel Core 2 Duo processors and fixes issues with Boot Camp for MacBook computers.

MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.4
This update improves the performance and reliability of Intel Core 2 Duo processors and fixes issues with Boot Camp for MacBook Pro computers.

Xserve EFI Firmware Update 1.0
This update is recommended for all Xserve users and improves the performance and reliability of Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors.

These update are available via Software Update or direct download. These update follow on heals of the iLife updates

Keynote 4.0.1
This update primarily addresses issues with builds and performance.

Pages 3.0.1
This update primarily addresses issues with change tracking and performance.

Numbers 1.0.1
This update primarily addresses issues with tables and performance.

iPhone 1.1.1 is now available via iTunes (it’s a 152.3 MB update): the next time you connect an iPhone, click the Check for Updates button if you’re not automatically prompted about the update.

The update removed my iPhoneInstaller and all the installed applications

Some new features:

Increased volume for iPod and Phone (very nice)

Double-tap the Home button to bring up either the list of favorite contacts or iPod playback controls

Double-tap the spacebar to insert a period and space

Mail attachments in portrait or landscape mode

View iPhone video on a television in TV Out mode

Stocks and cities can be re-ordered in the Stocks and Weather applications

Apple Bluetooth Headset’s battery status appears in the Status Bar

Change your voicemail password

Change the alert sound for new text messages

New video playback options

Debug console for Safari

Support for RSA SecureID cards

Improvements in virtual private network (VPN) support, including fixing a bug that wouldn’t allow proper entry of strong passwords

Apple has also posted a video demonstrating the new features.

About the security content of the iPhone 1.1.1 Update

Ars Technica reports that the anonymous iPhone Development Team will beat Apple’s attempts to brick unlocked iPhones. which Apple claimed this week that unlocking could damage the iPhone’s software.

Nonsense, says the iPhone Development Team. We’ll do an installer application that will restore the iPhone’s firmware to its default configuration. More …

GarageBand 4.1
This update addresses isolated graphic display issues, compatibility with 3rd party audio software, fixes minor problems with Magic GarageBand, and supports general compatibility issues.

iMovie 7.1
This update addresses several areas including video and audio editing capabilities, and performance associated with opening and switching iMovie Events and Projects.

iPhoto 7.1
This update addresses issues encountered when moving photos between Events, plus new greeting card themes, including holiday card designs.

iDVD 7.0.1
This update improves overall stability, supports general compatibility issues, and addresses a number of other minor issues.

iLife Support 8.1
This update supports system software components shared by all iLife ‘08 applications.