After our TiVo died, our family has turned to the Apple TV more and more. I've encoded some movies using Handbrake but wasn't sure how to access alternative audio tracks (commentary, etc) or subtitles, and an Internet search was less than helpful. It turns out its fairly simple once you know the trick! A New Hope I have long used a Series 3 TiVo as my cable tuner, and we … [Read more...] about How To Access Alternate Audio Tracks And Subtitles On An Apple TV
iOS
Begun, the Patent Wars Have
Every day, it seems there is a new lawsuit in the mobile phone industry. HTC, Motorola, Google, Microsoft, and especially Apple and Samsung are actively litigating their way through a thicket of patents. The same is increasingly happening in the rest of the IT industry. But is all this bloodshed really about innovation? Or is it, as one federal judge noted, simply a new form of … [Read more...] about Begun, the Patent Wars Have
Ten Terrible Apple Products
I'm often accused of being an Apple fanboy. While it's true that I love my vast selection of fruity products from Cupertino, I'm not blind when the company makes mistakes. In fact, I think Apple's mistakes are as enlightening as their successes: They reveal a company that is fallible, sometimes learning but often allowing the junk to rot far longer than other companies … [Read more...] about Ten Terrible Apple Products
What’s the Difference Between a Jailbroken and an Unlocked Phone?
If you've traveled much, you've probably run across “unlocked” mobile phones and devices. If you own an Android or iPhone smart phone, you probably also heard about “jailbreaking”. It seems like lots of people are confused about these two things, so I decided to write down a quick post explaining them. Carrier Locks and Unlocked Phones Most mobile phones in the United States, … [Read more...] about What’s the Difference Between a Jailbroken and an Unlocked Phone?
How To Update iPhone and iPad iOS Software Without a Computer
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 … [Read more...] about How To Update iPhone and iPad iOS Software Without a Computer