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 would.
iPod
How to Legitimize and Upgrade Your Music Library Using iTunes Match
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.
iTunes 10 Breaks Non-Apple Streaming (Again)
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.
My 10 Favorite Hidden iOS 4 Features
Apple released version 4 of their iPhone OS iDevice (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad) OS last month after a grand WWDC unveiling. Although there are many changes and new features, not all are as obvious and noteworthy as multitasking, home screen folders, and background audio. After working with iOS 4 on an iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 for a month, I thought I might highlight my favorite hidden features. Did you know these existed?
Conference Loot: SNW Orlando 2010 Edition
I’ve never been a fan of the junky, wasteful side of conference attendance. I railed about “booth babes and chotchkies” last year, and tried to make my presentations qualitatively different. But there is another class of giveaway at conferences: Solid, pricey loot.