Mac Geek Gab

Mac Geek Gab #166: Dot-Underscore Files, Cool Stuff Found, Kernel_task, and Listener Tips!


Listen Later

Wrapping up the week with a rare Friday afternoon show, John and Dave discuss listener tips regarding Apple Double resource forks, just what kernel_task does, managing memory on your Mac, and more keyboard shortcuts. Additionally, for your weekend (or whenever!) pleasure, Cool Stuff Found is stuffed with apps to check out!

Listen Now:



Download: (no AAC this week due to the scheduling blip)

Show notes for Mac Geek Gab Podcast For August 21st, 2008

Wrapping up the week with a rare Friday afternoon show, John and Dave discuss listener tips regarding Apple Double resource forks, just what kernel_task does, managing memory on your Mac, and more keyboard shortcuts. Additionally, for your weekend (or whenever!) pleasure, Cool Stuff Found is stuffed with apps to check out!

Sponsor: Audio Engine: Audioengine A5 and A2 — Real speakers designed for portable audio players that deliver astonishing sound (and don’t cost a fortune). You can’t get better sound for your iPod or iTunes!

Subscribe to AAC: or

Subscribe to MP3:

If you’re using iTunes to download and listen to podcasts, subscribe to the AAC Enhanced iTunes Feed.

Status: Shownotes are complete!

Stuff mentioned:

  • TMO’s Discounted Deal at The Hotel Milano for Macworld Expo
  • Virgin America
  • BackBeat Media
  • BlueHarvest
  • Netatalk
  • Apple’s Explanation of dot-underscore files
  • Spanning Sync
  • Mailplane
  • DropBox
  • Yojimbo
  • RTFd format
  • Skitch – You need this!
  • Plasq
  • Jing
  • Unix ‘init’ process
  • Microkernel
  • Mach (kernel)
  • Skype for Mac OS X
  • Cocktail
  • MacPilot
  • Reading Mac OS X system memory usage in Activity Monitor – Apple KB article
  • MenuMeters
  • WireTap Anywhere – Dave needs to try this to eliminate the skipping that occurs when loading things from disk during audio recording
  • Ambrosia Software’s Twitter Feed
  • iPhone Alley Podcast Episode #18
  • – You’re downloading today’s show from CacheFly’s network
  • BackBeat Media Podcast Network
  • MacGeekGab AAC Enhanced Feed – Thanks to [removed]eval(unescape(‘[removed](‘Michael Johnston‘)’))[removed]<a href="/contact.shtml" data-wpel-link="internal">Michael Johnston</a>.
  • Related Resources:

    • Resource forks
    • FAT (16/32)
    • AppleDouble
    • miniSD cards
    • NEXTSTEP Bundles (which became Mac OS X packages)
    • Mac Option Key
    • What is kernel_task and Why Is It So RAM Hungry?
    • kernel_task, it is as if i barely know you
    • MacBook Air Software Update 1.0 – reported to solve the core shutdown issues
    • Podcast Marketplace Sponsors: Audio Engine, Bare Bones, SmileOnMyMac and Circus Ponies.

      Podcast-related sites to visit (and vote for us!):

      • Subscribe to the Mac Geek Gab in iTunes! – Show DetailsWrite a review!
      • PodcastAlleyVote (please!)
      • Podcast Pickle
      • PodcastingNews
      • [removed]
        var frappr_mapheight = 210;
        var frappr_mapwidth = 210;
        var frappr_mapzoom = 60;
        var frappr_host = “http://www.frappr.com/”;var gid = 587916;[removed]
        [removed][removed]

        [removed]eval(unescape(‘[removed](‘E-mail John and Dave‘)’))[removed]<a href="/contact.shtml" data-wpel-link="internal">E-mail John and Dave</a> (even an audio comment, if you please!), post in the comments below, Skype your message to “macgeekgab”, or call and leave a voice-mail at 206-666-GEEK!

        This podcast is recorded on a Mac using Audio Hijack Pro. As for equipment, John is using a Heil PR-40 microphone going through a Behringer Eurorack UB1222FX-PRO mixer, monitored with Etymotic ER-6i Isolator earphones, then straight in to his Mac. On Dave’s end, a Heil PR-40 microphone is also used, and the whole show is mixed “live” through a Mackie Onyx 1220 FireWire-enabled mixer before being pumped back into the Mac (via FireWire, of course), and is monitored with Westone ES2 custom-fit earphones. Each microphone is run through a channel on a Behringer Autocom Pro-XL MDX1600 compressor, a touch of reverb is added with an ART FX-1 processor, and the whole thing is then compressed in software on the Mac. The show is recorded to AIFF, and then converted and uploaded with an Automator script. Michael Johnston from iPhone Alley then goes through and enhances the show to provide you with the AAC version. You can hear more details of the setup and how it’s mixed on Episode #32.

        Theme Music: “The Answer”, written by Jeff Steblea and Brian Ayles, as performed by Go Figure. “Made On A Mac” bumper by Mark Fleser

        Find more editions at the TMO To Go: Mac Geek Gab index.

        ...more
        View all episodesView all episodes
        Download on the App Store

        Mac Geek GabBy Dave Hamilton, Pilot Pete & Adam Christianson