MacBites

By Elaine Giles and Mike ThomasTechnology

MacBites episodes

August 19, 2008MacBites - Episode 0015
Mike was in London, Elaine was at home, but we still managed to get an episode recorded. In this episode Elaine talks about Cro-Mag Rally and other iPhone games whilst Mike at last uses his iPhone for more than Monkey Ball. Elaine rants again, this time about iPlayer and we have some fantastic new software to give away - for FREE.
BackBites
Mike's scanner - Fujitsu S510M

The continuing saga of the AdobeTV/iPlayer Router crashing

Elaine's NetGear GT845PN router configuration tips

MobileMe - more free days from Apple
ChatBites
Twitter - Elaine and Mike battle for followers

Mike installs Twinkle

NWMUG

Delicious bookmarks

3G USB modem

iPhone cases

Displaying you own number on the iPhone

LaunchBar

Mike gets QuickSilver to work

The case of the missing iPlayer Play in High Quality button

Apple's secret iPhone app blacklist

iPhone Backup options

iPhone MD Crash Reporter

iPhone apps not installing

Elaine updates to iPhone 2.0.2
Software Review
iPhone Apps - Part 2

SimplifyMedia

MightyDocs

Splash Shopper

Digital Clock

Units

File Magnet
Elaine's Games (so much for Productivity apps!)
MotionX Dice

Cro-Mag Rally (£3.49)

Tris - Tetris

Spinner Prologue - maze game

Muddled - Word puzzle - how many words you can make from a selection of letters (£1.19)

Quordy - Similar to Boggle (£1.79)

Brain Tuner - Similar to Nintendo Brain Training
More Software
Shazam - Music identifier

Last FM - interface to the LastFM web site

Speakapedia
Competition
Win a copy of Speakapedia courtesy of the nice folk at Shiny Development
Events
North West Adobe User Group live event - 20th August - Making Suite Music

Geekups - Leeds - August 20th and Sheffield - September 3rd
53 min
August 04, 2008MacBites - Episode 0014
Another Apple Store opening, more iPhone app reviews and how Elaine's digital world came crashing down. Plus Mike's new scanner and a great time-saving tip for iCal users and a money-saving tip from Elaine.
The Opening of the Liverpool Apple Store
MacBites were there! Getting up at 5:45 on a Saturday is not our idea of fun - but when a new Apple Store opens and a free T-shirt is on offer, well, you just have to do it

Read Mike's Report

BackBites
Adobe TV - the saga continues and the issue now hits the BBC iPlayer. If you've been hit with the problem, here's more than a few links that might help:

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/12/33635734-cable-modem-disconnects-when-iplayer-downloading.html

http://forum.zensupport.co.uk/1/30998/ShowThread.aspx

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=1373666&sid=9c53ffde515126a9e1c29b830c97114d

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/12/33635734-cable-modem-disconnects-when-iplayer-downloading.html

http://tinyurl.com/5pzpvz

http://tinyurl.com/5gd22k

http://vbulletin.thesite.org/showthread.php?p=2122026

http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Uk/uk.comp.sys.mac/2008-07/msg02347.html

http://groups.google.com/group/uk.comp.sys.mac/browse_thread/thread/84307c9f0831013a

http://www.techsupportforum.com/networking-forum/modems-cable-dsl-satellite/272480-bbc-iplayer-crashes.html

http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk/broadband-news/2008/05/28/btís-homehub-hit-with-iplayer-problems/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2008/05/bt_iplayer_homehub_issues.html

http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php?topic=66689.0;wap2

PAC Number
We finally received them but it wasn't plain sailing

Elaine's money saving tip

Vodafone rants - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/vodafone_interims_spain/ and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7520841.stm

ChatBites
Mike gets a new scanner

Calibrate - an iCal batch processing app

Downloadable pre-configured calendars for sports events and football teams

iPhone iPhone iPhone
Where are your apps stored?

FileMagnet allows transferring of files to and from the iPhone

Camera Nuances - photo orientation under Vista dependent on orientation of iPhone

Evernote

OmniFocus

NetNewsWire

Remote

Stanza

WordPress

1Password

Morocco

Bubble Wrap

Labyritnth Lite Edition

Sudoku

Zenbe list maker

Play music and a game at the same time

Building an iPhone App

Elaine's Week of Crashes
Mobile Me

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=7650286

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1632318&tstart=0

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2629

The Great Twitter Crash

Information Overload

Steve Balmer / Developers - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftsByyqazF0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hadxBZWxNrs

Feedback and Comments
Thanks to Gavin for recommending Wordpress and Zenbe

Thanks to Damian and Bob for their comments about the Liverpool Store opening

According to Jack at MacFever, Elaine has softwarealitus

Events
NWAG (North West Adobe User Group) - Online event - Painless Plastic Surgery - 12th August at 20:00

NWMUG (The North West Mac User Group) - next meeting: 14 Aug

Geekups - Sheffield - 6th August and Manchester - 12th August
1 hr 11 min
July 21, 2008MacBites - Episode 0013
iPhone iPhone iPhone - well having both bought 16GB iPhones, what else could we talk about in this episode? Join us as we relive our experiences of both the days leading up to the launch day and the launch day itself. Why did half the staff of a Chinese restaurant congregate around our table? Hear our rants (yes more rants) about getting a PAC number. Plus, we discuss apps and provide you with some really cool tips and tricks for getting the most out of your iPhone.
BackBites
AdobeTV - did the upgrade to 10.5.4 fix our router crash?
Apple Store Liverpool - exclusive pic
Buying the iPhone
Will they or won't they (be selling the iPhone)? How many Apple Stores did Mike ring?
Why do you want to leave Vodafone sir? Because I want an iPhone
The early morning excitement and anticipation at The Apple Store, Trafford Centre
Buying an iPhone - a rollercoaster ride!
A 16GB iphone with every meal?
Games
Thanks to SamC Mike is now addicted to Super Monkey Ball
Elaine's excitement bubble's over
Make mine an iPint
Elaine next purchase - Cro-Mag Rally
The iPhone - More than a Games Machine
Syncing problems
Vicinity - what amenities are in your current locality? Provides directions and a one-tap call facility
Elaine's productivity tools - Evernote and OmniFocus
We're still on the hunt for a shopping list app after Mike's note was zapped
WordPress for iPhone
Mike's WordPress upgrade woes
TipsNtricks
A Scientific Calculator at the flick of your wrist
The .com button flyout - how cool
Taking a screenshot with your iPhone
Cosmetics
Ringtones - Elaine's 24 ringtone
Clocks
Wallpaper
Elaine's fingernails (what?)
Events
North West Adobe User Group - next meeting - Tuesday 29th July - Adobe Creative Suite - Painless Plastic Surgery
57 min
June 30, 2008MacBites - Episode 0012
In this episode, we discuss all things audio and Elaine rants about software activation. We also discuss Evernote, anti-virus software for the Mac and iPhone (iPhone iPhone)
BackBites
Quicksilver - Dave Verwer's solution to re-indexing problem - use Cmd + R to refresh the Quicksilver catalog
ChatBites
Mike swaps his envelope for Evernote
Mikes photograph saga
Super Monkey Ball
AdobeTV crashed our router
Switchers Corner and Software Review
We discuss audio capturing, audio editing and audio converting and look at a number of applications that can be used to peform these tasks
Capture:- Audio Hijack Pro and Tape Deck
Editing:- Amadeus Pro, Sound Studio and Fission
Capture and editing: WireTap Studio and Garageband
Conversion: AudialHub
SoundConverter - (and Elaine's rant)
Comments and Feedback
In response to GazMaz's audio question, we discuss anti-virus software for the Mac (and Windows)
Events
North West Mac User Group - next meeting - Thursday 10th July
Geekup - Sheffield - 2nd July and Manchester - 8th July
Liverpool Apple Store - opening soon?
56 min
June 23, 2008MacBites - Episode 0011
In this episode, we review the new version of Firefox and Mike reveals how Bill Gates crashed his computer. We also discuss how to keep your Mac up to date and how to make sure your documents can be read in years to come.
BackBites
Spotlight as an application launcher

Spotlight as a calculator

Mike's Dock goes minimal
ChatBites
Firefox 3 creates a world record for downloads.

Features include Personas and the AwesomeBar

Opera has a new look too

Elaine lists her 10 browsers - without the need for a script!
The Fox Gets More Fire

The future of Firefox - Fennec, Prism and Weave

Bill Gates crashes Mike's browser (nothing new there then ;-) )

Downloading and troubleshooting Apple Updates
Switchers Corner and Software Review
Keeping track of the latest versions of all your installed applications

MacUpdate and VersionTracker offer paid-for services

AppFresh and Logicielmacupdate are free apps

Elaine explained how to future-proof your documents
Comments and Feedback
Thanks to Jack at MacFever

Jack lives near Brighton where Mike once interviewed and Elaine photographed Eric Cantona

Thanks also to GazMaz - who now has his own spot on the For Mac Eyes Only podcast
Events
NWAG - Mission Control - Lightroom and Bridge
Upcoming GeekUp Events in Liverpool, Sheffield and Manchester
45 min
June 16, 2008MacBites - Episode 0010
In this episode we reviewed the major announcements from the WWDC and discussed Application Management and App Switching
ChatBites
WWDC 2008

iPhone

Snow Leopard

OmniFocus

GTD

MobileMe

BusySync

Elaine's blog post on MobileMe
Switchers Corner and Software Review
QuickSilver

Launchbar

LiteSwitch

Witch

Elaine's blog post on app switching
Events
NWAG - Mission Control - Lightroom and Bridge
25 min
June 09, 2008MacBites - Episode 0009
Surprise!! We're back will a shiny new design for our shownotes and lots of good stuff coming your way ;-)
In this short ’getting back into the groove’ episode we discuss what we've been doing while missing in action from MacBites and the imminent WWDC, together with details of several exciting tech related local events coming in the next few weeks.
ChatBites
Munich58.co.uk

Duncan Edwards

Apple - one-to-one training

Photoshop Express video demo

WWDC

Speakapedia
Events
NWMUG - Toast 9

NWAG - Mission Control - Lightroom and Bridge

GeekUp
14 min
January 07, 2008MacBites - Episode 0008
ChatBites
MacBook

Back to my Mac

VMWare Fusion

VMWare Disk Driver

Private browsing

Trackpad settings

Toolbar Toggle

MacBites Shortcuts

Demise of Navigator

Switchers Corner/Software Review
PaintShopPro

Portfolio

iPhoto

Adobe - Bridge, Elements, Lightroom

Aperture

FotoMagico

Mike's FotoMagico Demo Slideshow

Calendar Sharing
BusySync

Elaine's how-to for sharing calendars on a single Mac

Screen Capture
Additional features to built in screen capture in Leopard
50 min
December 10, 2007MacBites - Episode 0007
ChatBites
iCal Exchange

Web Snapper

SWF & FLV Player

BusySync

Adding Calendar Content to your Application

Switchers Corner/Software Review
Notepad

WordPad

NoteTabPro

EditPadPro

Acetext

Powergrep

RegExBuddy

TextEdit

TextWrangler

BBEdit

TextMate

Screen Spanning
Screen Spanning Doctor

Bundles
MacHeist

MacSanta

Order Tracking
Tracking online orders
40 min
November 23, 2007MacBites - Episode 0006
iPhone Special
Experience the launch at The Trafford Centre
Activation
Synchronizing contacts and calendar
iTunes - managing with only 8mg
Making calls - sound quality
Messaging using the keyboard
Email
Camera - verdict on the lowly spec'd camera
Web apps directory
Web Apps Directory
UK Traffic News
Connection speedtest
Translation tool
Talking phrasebook
Jivetalk enables use of ichat and other chat clients for text chatting. Free to use for iphone and ipod touch users
Accessories
V-Moda Headphones
Belkin Headphone Adapter
Tips
Saving multiple images as a PDF in Preview
Using the Scrollball to control Spaces
48 min