Tag: apple

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Mail.app almost gone

I almost ended up dumping Apple’s Mail.app this weekend. Sure, I’ve been using it for many years (it must be at least 5 by now) but at some point this weekend it just stopped getting mail from my server. I tried a server reboot, I tried a Mac reboot, I tried deleting cache files. I tried searching Google for solutions. I could see my mail using a webmail client, and using IMAP via Thunderbird, but Mail.app just would not retrieve the messages. Oh, it did finally get all the mail up to a point (exactly where it stopped last time) after I deleted the file that tells Mail.app what it already downloaded, but it still did not get all my new mail.

Mail.app almost gone

Typically I leave mail on the server for one week before deletion. This has worked fine for years. I’m still not sure that was the problem, but I connected via Thunderbird (using IMAP) and deleted every old email I knew Mail.app had downloaded, and tried again. That seemed to do it, and the mail started flowing again. Freakin’ weird…

Could one (bad) email have caused the problem? If so, it seems weird that it took so long for me to have this happen. Unless Apple managed to break Mail.app (even more) over the years. Anyway, I post this here for the next person who has this problem. Good luck!



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Bigger iPods

As I was listening to the Macworld Podcast about the DRM-free deal with EMI, I came away with these points. The iTunes store will offer DRM-free songs, which will cost more, but also be of higher quality. So who wins in this case? The consumer, right? You can choose DRM-free music (and pay a bit more) or choose DRM music and pay less, but have to go through the process of stripping the DRM yourself. Oh, you will also have the option of ‘upgrading’ all the DRM music you have to (higher quality) DRM-free versions (at a price.)

So what does Apple get out of this? They will be ready and willing to sell you a bigger iPod. If your iPod is at 80% capacity, I’m guessing that after doing the ‘upgrade’ to DRM-free versions, or after enough time buying the new DRM-free stuff, you’ll run out of room. When you need that iPod with twice the storage of your old one, Apple will be there to sell it to you.

Thanks Steve Jobs!

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Video card for a Mac Pro?

I’m looking for recommendations as to what video card to put into a new Mac Pro that will be used primarily for video editing.

So far I’m not finding any good info out there, but you know, maybe I’m looking in the wrong places. So if you do desktop video editing with a Mac, what video card do you use?


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We Must Adapt

Just a note for any one toting around an Apple laptop, be it an old iBook or a new MacBook: Get a video adapter!

More than a few times in the last year I’ve seen someone show up with an Apple laptop, and then look at the VGA connector on a projector, and have an “oh shit” moment where they realize things won’t plug into other things.

Even before my (pre-owned) iBook arrived, I had tracked down the needed VGA and s-video/composite video adapters on ebay. (I got both for under $20.)

I tend to carry my adapters around with me, and even offered one up at BarCampMadison to someone. Of course Apple in it’s infinite wisdom likes to change things each year, so my adapter didn’t work. (I ended up just letting the presenter use my iBook, though I warned him if it wasn’t interesting, I’d take my iBook and leave.)

For the modern folks, it looks like the Mini-DVI to VGA Adapter is pretty cheap, around $20. That should work for the MacBook and 12-inch PowerBook G4. If you have some other model, track down what adapter is used and order it today so you’re ready for the next user group meeting or BarCamp presentation.

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Dashcode

Ok, I played with Apple’s Dashcode for about 5 minutes. In that time I was able to create 2 widgets, one that displayed a text RSS feed, and one that displayed a “Photocast” feed (an RSS feed with image enclosures.)

Dashcode

This thing is powerful… I’ve built widgets before, but it always involved mucking around with a lot of code. Dashcode is seriously drag ‘n drop simple. Any novice computer user could create a widget.

I can’t wait to start building some little custom apps with it. (It’s a shame it’s OSX only… well, there’s always Yahoo! Widgets, right?)