January 30, 2012

How to Legitimize and Upgrade Your Music Library Using iTunes Match

Any song that is "Matched" can be re-downloaded DRM-free!

Although delivered a month late, Apple has finally shipped the complete cloud integrated version of iTunes. This includes iTunes Match, a much awaited feature allowing both online streaming of music and “upgrading” library content from the iTunes Store. Here’s how to upgrade your old low bit rate MP3 files with high quality 256 bit AAC replacements from Apple’s server.

How To Update iPhone and iPad iOS Software Without a Computer

iOS will verify the download, patch the files, and restart the phone

Among the many new features in Apple’s iOS version 5 is the ability to update the operating system “over the air” without attaching it to a computer. An added bonus of updating in this manner is a smaller (and thus much quicker) differential or delta download. Today, Apple released the first over the air update to iOS, 5.0.1. Here’s how to trigger an automatic over the air update.

Which iPad is the Best Choice?

With 18 (!) models to choose from, which iPad is the best choice?

Apple may make their product lines easy to understand, with simple and consistent names, but there sure are a lot of iPad 2 models. Which iPad is the best choice? I picked the 32 GB Wi-Fi model personally, but I can see cases where others might prefer a 3G or base model. Let’s consider it.

iTunes 10 Breaks Non-Apple Streaming (Again)

Anyone want to buy a lightly-used Roku SoundBridge?

Do you use an “iTunes compatible” device like an Iomega ix4 or Drobo FS or Roku SoundBridge? Have you noticed that it no longer works since you updated to iTunes 10? That’s because Apple made a simple change to their Digital Audio Access Protocol (DAAP) that causes third-party devices to fail to connect correctly. Although software patches are already appearing, there is no guarantee that older devices like that Roku will ever be updated.

10 Mysteries The Lost Finale Definitively Settled

FOUND logo

The series finale of Lost didn’t settle every question, but it did settle many of the long-running questions raised by fans. Although my live viewing was frustratingly complicated by failed transmission equipment at ABC affiliate, WEWS, I was able to watch the entire episode thanks to iTunes. So let’s settle the things that can be settled regarding Lost.

How To Stream Any Size Podcast to an iPhone, Even Over 3G or EDGE!

Uh, oh, the iPhone refuses to let you download a podcast over 10 MB, even with 3G!

Ever see that screen? You want to download a podcast from the iTunes Store on the iPhone, but you can’t. It’s over 20 MB, so it’s off limits. Surprise! There is a way to stream any podcast of any size to the iPhone, even over EDGE, with no hacking required!

Is There Anything We Don’t Know About The iPad?

The iPad iPod interface is all new - but where's cover flow?

Although subjected to Apple’s usual silent treatment before the big unveil, Apple has released waves of detail since. Yet, even as pre-orders are shipping, there are still many things we don’t know about the iPad. What surprises are in store?

How To Subscribe To Internet Calendars In iPhone OS 3.0

iPhone 3.0 includes direct over-the-air use of CalDAV, ICS, and LDAP servers

On close examination of iPhone OS 3.0, I have discovered how to enable direct over-the-air subscription to Internet calendars!

Iomega Grows Up and Moves Out of the House

Iomega's StorCenter Pro ix4-200r sports iSCSI and NAS plus VMware ESX support

Iomega has been a staple of the desktop computing environment for decades, but the company’s products have never been quite at home in even small corporate data centers. That changes today with the introduction of the iSCSI StorCenter Pro ix4-200r. As of now, EMC’s SOHO storage subsidiary is a serious challenger in the small business [...]

Can the iPhone Sync With Multiple Exchange Servers?

The iPhone doesn't support more than one Exchange/ActiveSync pairing

One of the major advances introduced in iPhone software version 2.0 was the ability to sync over-the-air to Microsoft Exchange servers using Microsoft’s ActiveSync protocol. This was introduced to much fanfare with the iPhone 3G and is available on older updated iPhone and iPod Touch units, too. Google and NuevaSync also offer over-the-air calendar and [...]