TMO To Go - Apple Weekly Report

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The Apple Weekly Report is Mac news with no fanaticism, and iPod news without the hype. In each episode, Anchors Bryan Chaffin -- Editor-in-Chief of The Mac Observer -- and Morning Editor Jeff Gamet take a look at the most pertinent stories of the week. Then they fire up the Context Machine, where they take a closer look at the backstory behind the week's events, and what it all means for the future of the Mac and iPod platforms.

The Mac Observer's Apple Weekly Report: it's is about everything from Silicon Valley to Wall Street, from worldwide politics to daily product news. Take a listen. You'll hear your Mac news, from now on!

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Recent Podcasts

AWR #127: iPhone 3G Special Report - This week is our special iPhone 3G edition where we take a look at Apple's second generation smartphone, consumer and analyst reactions, and what's in store once Apple releases the device on the world. This week's Quick Tip: Scrolling By Days in iCal's Week View (posted on Jun 18, 2008)

AWR #126: The Ever Growing iPhone Market, and Microsoft's Yahoo Quest - The Mac's market share is on the rise, the iPhone's world wide reach is growing by leaps and bounds, and O2 says new iPhone models are just around the corner. Intel explains away what looked like a new iPhone technology leak, Microsoft is bringing Office Visual Basic scripting back to the Mac, the iTunes Store added two-tier pricing, Yahoo was hit with a surprise proxy battle -- not from Microsoft -- and Steve Jobs will be speaking to a sold out crowd at WWDC. This week's Quick Tip: Working with... (posted on May 23, 2008)

AWR #125: iPhone Expansion, NBC and Zune, Apple's Eco-stance - The iPhone machine is in full swing with carrier deals for over 20 new countries announced this week, Apple's lawsuit express dropped off a couple of passengers, Steve Jobs isn't making as much as he used to, Microsoft bailed on its Yahoo takeover, and NBC cozied up with the ever popular Zune. This week's Quick Tip: Viewing multiple images with Quick Look (posted on May 13, 2008)

AWR #124: New iMacs, Apple Lawsuits, RIP GoLive - The iMac broke the 3GHz barrier, and Apple's lawsuit train picked up another passenger. This time the suit is over iPod flash memory interfacing. Adobe killed GoLive, Tennessee is considering a digital download tax, the iTunes Store turned five, and AT&T; may lower iPhone pricing. Ricky Spero makes a special guest appearance, and this week's Quick Tip: Locating login items.
(posted on May 6, 2008)

AWR #123: Apple 2Q Earnings Report, Europe iPhone Sales, and NAB - Apple reported another record breaking quarter and bought a chip design company, the iPhone saw price cuts in Europe, Microsoft announced its dot-Mac-like Live Mesh, and we have our NAB wrap up. This week's Quick Tip: Scrolling in background windows.
(posted on Apr 28, 2008)

AWR #122: Apple vs. NY and MS vs. Yahoo - Apple is seeing red over New York's Green logo, Adobe's 64-bit apps are coming to Windows first, Final Cut Server finally sees the light of day, iPhones get cheap in Germany. Microsoft's buyout battle with Yahoo is heating up, and Germany's iTunes Store now offers more than music. This week's Quick Tip: Fixing iPhone sync problems.
(posted on Apr 11, 2008)

AWR #121: Apple Lawsuits and Crime, Pwned Macs, and Instinct - The Apple Lawsuit Zephyr VIP Passenger Car is beginning to get a little crowded, thanks to a new suit over the iMac's display capabilities, and two Apple executives cashed in on some stock while two retail employees tried to cash in on stolen iPhones. Adobe took Photoshop online, a MacBook Air suffered from some serious pwnage, a security company offered a Mac trojan horse warning, Apple topped another list, and Sprint's Instinct is gunning for the iPhone. This week's Quick Tip: Faster tabbed browsing... (posted on Apr 4, 2008)

AWR #120: The Microsoft, Sony and Yahoo Business Shuffle - Apple scratched one lawsuit off its list this week and put smiles on the faces of AirPort Extreme owners. Adobe offered some clarification on its iPhone Flash plans, Sony is considering an iPod-compatible music subscription service, Microsoft still has its sights on Yahoo, and a new Apple documentary is coming to the Wisconsin Film Festival. This week's Quick Tip: Quitting Leopard's Print Spools.
(posted on Mar 27, 2008)

AWR #119: More Lawsuits, iPhone Launches, and WWDC - The Apple lawsuit train pulled into the station to pick up more passengers this week, the World Wide Developer Conference dates were finally announced, and the iPhone officially launched in Ireland and Austria. Lionsgate Films joined the iTunes Digital Copy program, Intel is jumping on the solid state drive bandwagon, the iPhone Dev Team is already working on an App Store hack, Adobe is bringing Flash to the iPhone, Apple updated the AirPort Express and Safari 3, and Jeff's Quick Tip of the Week:... (posted on Mar 20, 2008)

AWR #118: iPhone Enterprise and SDK Special Report - Apple finally updated the MacBook Pro, Microsoft was hit with another hefty EU fine and published an open letter to it's employees and Yahoo, and Congress is considering contract-free cell phone legislation. iTunes is now the number two music retailer, and Apple is hosting a special iPhone SDK event in a few days.
(posted on Mar 10, 2008)

AWR #117: Apple Rolls Out New MacBooks, and the EU Slaps Microsoft with More Fines - Apple finally updated the MacBook Pro, Microsoft was hit with another hefty EU fine and published an open letter to it's employees and Yahoo, and Congress is considering contract-free cell phone legislation. iTunes is now the number two music retailer, and Apple is hosting a special iPhone SDK event in a few days.
(posted on Mar 6, 2008)

AWR #116: Microsoft's Brave New World, and Requiem to HD DVD - Microsoft is trying to show its kinder, gentler side to developers, Toshiba bailed on its HD DVD format, and Apple introduced Xsan 2 while dropping the Xserve RAID from its product lineup. Also, Apple dropped iPod shuffle pricing and doubleTwist launched its media sharing and DRM-stripping software.
(posted on Feb 25, 2008)

AWR #115 2008-02-11: iPhone and iPod touch Updates, Yahoo Snubs Microsoft - Apple released new iPhone and iPod touch models, the iPhone is going strong in the smart phone market, and yet another company is going after the company for patent infringement. Yahoo had a tough week, and Apple dropped out of NAB.
(posted on Feb 12, 2008)

AWR #114 2008-02-04: Mega-Mergers, iPhone Security, & Pacemakers - Audible.com agreed to an Amazon buy out while Microsoft made a bid for Yahoo in an effort to hold off search giant Google. U.S. courts added another two years to Microsoft's antitrust follow up, iPods turned out to be safer for heart patients than previously thought, and a new iPhone security threat was discovered (posted on Feb 5, 2008)

AWR #113 2008-01-26: Apple Earnings Report, and the MacBook Air - Apple reported its best quarter in the company's history, NBC may be warming up to Apple again, MacBook Air reviews are coming in, the 3G iPod nano now comes in pink, and developers have already jailbroken the iPhone 1.1.3 update.
(posted on Jan 28, 2008)

AWR #113 2008-01-21: Macworld Expo and CES Roundup - With Macworld Expo 2008 and CES behind us, Jeff and Bryan share their take on what happened, what was cool, and what went on behind the scenes when picking the TMO Editors' Choice Awards winners (posted on Jan 22, 2008)

AWR 2008-01-05 #111: Apple's Monopoly, and Down with HD DVD - Apple was hit with an antitrust lawsuit for its iPod and music sales tactics, Mac market share took a jump in December, and the iPhone and iPod touch had trouble telling time on New Year's eve. In the entertainment world, Sony finally saw the value in DRM-free music, Warner dealt a hard blow to HD DVD, and Apple's "Get a Mac" ads included the best commercial characters in 2007 (posted on Jan 5, 2008)

AWR #110 12-31-2007: Apple Innovations for 2007, and iTunes Wins and Losses - You win some, and you lose some: Apple's iPhone and Time Machine where named top innovations of the year, and it looks like the company struck a movie rental deal with Fox. Amazon, however, scored a couple of hits against Apple thanks to deals with Radiohead and Warner Music. Also, Wal-Mart had a movie download store. It's closed now, and no one noticed (posted on Dec 31, 2007)

AWR #109 12-22-2007: The Military Mac and Intuit's Desktop Bomb - An Apple rumor Web site is shuttering its doors, the Mac is stepping up to active duty with the Army, New York City pensioners are pushing forward with a lawsuit against the company, and the iPhone tops the Gen-Y Christmas wish list. Also, Apple is planning another New York store, a security update created Safari headaches, and Intuit proved that some updates cause more harm than good (posted on Dec 24, 2007)

AWR #108 2007-12-15: The iPhone on Top, and Opera Guns for Microsoft - Apple's security track record for the week was mixed, Canadians can finally start watching TV -- or more specifically, they can start watching TV shows from the iTunes Store. The iPhone was named Time's gadget of the year, Opera went Netscape on Microsoft with an antitrust case in the EU, and Apple's "Get a Mac" campaign went retro (posted on Dec 17, 2007)

AWR #107 2007-12-08: Apple Grows, CompUSA Goes Away, and Steve Jobs is CEO of the Year - The Apple lawsuit game is still going strong, analysts are looking forward to a blockbuster holiday season thanks to the Mac, and Apple's newest store in New York City opened. Two new Get a Mac ads hit the air waves, AT&T; is opening its wireless network to any hardware, and Steve Jobs was named CEO of the year. All that, and Jeff and Bryan feed the soon-to-be-gone CompUSA to the Context Machine (posted on Dec 8, 2007)

AWR 2007-12-01: Apple and Burst Make Nice, QuickTime Security, Steve Jobs Rules the Business World - Apple and Burst managed to settle their differences over patents, and it only cost Apple $10 million. The iPhone invaded France, Google made a move for the 700MHz wireless spectrum, a QuickTime security flaw reared its ugly head, and it turns out Steve Jobs is the most powerful business person in the world (posted on Dec 2, 2007)

AWR 2007-11-17: Apple Update Extravaganza, and the Lawsuit Shuffle - Apple's lawsuit standing was mixed this week: One case against the company was dismissed, but two more were filed. Mac OS X is selling well in Japan and the iPhone is selling well in the U.K., most everything with an Apple logo on it was updated, Google unleashed Android, and Apple's new ads take a few shots at Windows Vista (posted on Nov 19, 2007)

AWR 2007-11-10: The iPhone in Europe, Apple Legal Battles, and iPhone Updates - Apple had a happy and sad week. Happy: British and German customers got their hands on the iPhone this week, and Steve Jobs was named the second most influential person in the IT industry. Sad: It still has to face Burst in court over patent infringement claims, and former General Counsel Nancy Heinen's stock options defense began showing its ugly side (posted on Nov 12, 2007)

AWR 2007-11-03: Leopard Sales, NBC's Take on Music Pricing, Mac Security, and Ted Landau in the Context Machine - Mac OS X 10.5 sales are off to a good start, the MacBook was quietly upgraded, NBC is sure Apple is behind a music pricing crisis, and a new trojan horse for Mac OS X appeared. This week, TMO columnist and renowned author Ted Landau joins Jeff and Bryan for some Leopard talk in the Context Machine (posted on Nov 5, 2007)

AWR 2007-10-28: Apple's Big Week - Leopard, Q4 Earnings, and Six Years of iPod - Apple had a busy week with the launch of Mac OS X 10.5, its stellar earnings report, and the iPod's sixth anniversary. Microsoft gave up its antitrust battle against the EU, and Greenpeace tried to defend its toxic iPhone report. Also, Jeff and Bryan share some Leopard tips (posted on Oct 29, 2007)

AWR 2007-10-21: Greenpeace's Toxic iPhone, More Lawsuits, and the Leopard Countdown Begins - Even though Apple's iPhone complies with European hazardous chemical regulations, Greenpeace thinks it's still a toxic handful, and now a California group is ready to sue the Cupertino company over the findings. Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the iPhone and iPod touch will be open to third party developers come February, iTunes Plus tracks saw a nice price cut, and the Leopard count down begins. [Update: We have corrected the audio syncing issue and uploaded a new file. - Editor] (posted on Oct 22, 2007)

AWR 2007-10-13: Apple and the Crazy World of iPhone - Apple and Orange are still bickering over details on bringing the iPhone to France, but that isn't stopping France Telecom from saying the deal is all sewn up. One couple is trying to ban the import of hard drive parts, and Jeff and Bryan feed the latest Hidden Dimensions column from TMO's afternoon editor, John Martellaro, to the context machine (posted on Oct 14, 2007)

AWR 2007-10-06: Apple Takes It on the Chin with Customers - Apple is facing criticism over some of its update and product control tactics, Verizon hopes to knock the iPhone down a notch with its Voyager phone, Time Warner wants a piece of the music download pie, and the iPhone lawsuits keep coming in. This week in the context machine, a special guest joins Jeff and Bryan to discuss Apple's relationship with customers (posted on Oct 6, 2007)

AWR 2007-09-29: iPhone Update, Microsoft Office 2008, and Amazon MP3 - Apple dropped all kinds of updates this week, including the long-awaited iPhone 1.1.1 update with support for the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store. Amazon launched its competitor to the iTunes Store, and Apple's general counsel moved on to greener pastures. What's it all mean? Jeff and Bryan try to figure that out in the Context Machine (posted on Sep 30, 2007)

AWR 2007-09-22: iPhone in Europe, Apple and the SEC, and NBC Direct - Apple is launching the iPhone in Europe, the SEC has a few questions for Steve Jobs, and NBC unveils its TV download service. Also, Jeff and Bryan take a look at iPhone pricing outside of the U.S., and take a closer look at NBC Direct in the Context Machine (posted on Sep 22, 2007)

AWR 2007-09-15: Apple and FCC Auctions, iTunes Movie Rentals, and iPhone Sales - This week Jeff and Bryan take a look at the pending FCC radio frequency auction, the possibility of iTunes movie rentals, Apple's one million iPhone mark, and the $100 credit for early iPhone buyers (posted on Sep 16, 2007)

AWR 2007-09-08: New iPods, Wireless iTunes Downloads, and iPhone Price Cuts - iPod-palooza! Apple updated the iPod shuffle and iPod nano, renamed the iPod to iPod classic, and introduced the iPod touch. Jeff and Bryan take a look at the new iPod line up, the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, and the iPhone price drop (posted on Sep 9, 2007)

AWR 2007-09-01: Lawsuits, NBC Bails on iTunes, and iPod Predictions - Apple deals with more lawsuits, NBC pulls out of the iTunes Store, and AT&T; goes after iPhone unlocking companies. On the bright side, TV shows come to the U.K. iTunes Store, Apple may release new iPods next week, and Jeff has a special guest co-host (posted on Sep 1, 2007)

AWR 2007-08-25: Mac Games, Wikipedia Shenanigans, and Hacked iPhones - Jeff and Bryan have a full plate this week. Electronic Arts is releasing its games for the Mac, and this time they really mean it, Steve Jobs made it into California's Hall of Fame, Apple and other companies have been altering Wikipedia entries, and there's plenty of iPhone news, too (posted on Aug 25, 2007)

AWR 2007-08-18: Steve Jobs Stock Options, John Lennon, and Phantom iPhone Clones - Steve Jobs scored some serious Apple stock this week, and John Lennon joined the iTunes Store, but it's still too early for the obligatory "Come Together" Beatles references. The iPod played a part in an insider trading scam that went sour, hackers have found a less painful way to unlock the iPhone, and an iPhone clone is in the works. All that, and listeners let Jeff and Bryan know what they think about their assessment of Apple's new iMacs (posted on Aug 18, 2007)

AWR 2007-08-13: New iMacs, Numbers, and Fake Steve Jobs - Apple finally released new iMacs with a new brushed aluminum look, added Numbers to iWork, and bumped up .Mac storage. Jeff and Bryan take a look at Universal's foray into copy protection-free music, and Fake Steve Jobs loses his anonymity (posted on Aug 13, 2007)

AWR 2007-08-05: Apple Security and iPhone Complaints - New York offers Apple some suggestions on how to redesign the iPhone, a security researcher takes a harsh look at the company's security track record, and not every Apple review is a happy one (posted on Aug 6, 2007)

AWR 2007-07-29: Apple Q3 Earnings, Macs on the Rise - Apple reported another blockbuster quarter, Mac shipments hit a record high, and Steve Jobs seems to be allergic to device buttons. Also, Jeff and Bryan respond to listener comments in the Context Machine (posted on Jul 30, 2007)

AWR 2007-07-21: Apple On the Rise, and Mac and iPhone Security - Apple's stock hits an all time high, Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive both score industry honors, the BlackBerry puts its sights on the iPhone, and OS X security takes a couple of hits. All that, and Jeff and Bryan respond to listener comments in the Context Machine (posted on Jul 21, 2007)

AWR 2007-07-15: Apple's Market Power, and iPhone Envy - The iPhone is still the big guy on campus in the news world, but that doesn't mean it's the only topic worth discussing. This week, Jeff and Bryan analyze Apple's increasing dominance in the flash memory market, what analysts are saying about Apple's growth, the company's changing position in the corporate world, and what's in store for the iPod (posted on Jul 15, 2007)

AWR 2007-07-07: iPhone - The Apple and AT&T; Steamroller - A week after the iPhone launch, Apple's combo iPod and smartphone is still going strong. This week Jeff and Bryan look at the iPhone market, Apple's climbing stock, and what the iPhone reviewers are getting right and wrong (posted on Jul 7, 2007)

AWR 2007-06-30: iPhone-palooza! - After all the hype, the iPhone is finally out. Jeff and Bryan attended Apple Store launch events, and share their perspective on the experience. They also have some first impressions -- both good and bad -- on Apple's highly anticipated entrance into the cellphone market (posted on Jun 30, 2007)

AWR 2007-06-16: iPhone Frenzy, Apple Marketshare, and EU Woes - The excitement and media hype leading up to the June 29 iPhone release has worked up to a fevered pitch, so Jeff and Bryan dive into what's behind the hyper-buzz. They also take a look at Apple's growing Mac market share, speculate on where the company could go if the iPhone proves to be a success, and recap Apple's ongoing iTunes battle with the E.U (posted on Jun 23, 2007)

AWR 2007 -06-16: iPhone Apps, Safari 3, and WWDC Wrap Up - The Steve Jobs keynote at Apple's World Wide Developers Conference may not have been all that inspiring, but it certainly did stir up the pot. This week Jeff and Bryan sort out what happened now that the dust has settled, and take a look at the Safari 3 public beta, developing applications for the iPhone, and the Apple Developer Award winners (posted on Jun 16, 2007)

AWR 2007 -06-13: WWDC Special Report - With the World Wide Developers Conference keynote from Apple CEO Steve Jobs under their belts, Jeff and Bryan take a look at what was said, what wasn't said. They also take a stab at sorting out what impact the return of EA games to the Mac and Web 2.0 applications for the iPhone will have on end users and developers (posted on Jun 13, 2007)

AWR 2007 -06-09: That Zany ZFS - TMO's editor-in-chief Bryan Chaffin joins Ricky and Jeff this week to sort out how Sun's ZFS file system fits into the Mac OS X picture, and make a few World Wide Developers Conference predictions. Also, we send Ricky off to summer camp (posted on Jun 9, 2007)

AWR 2007-06-02: Mangling Music with Melodyne - After a recap of the week's Apple news, Ricky and Jeff dive into a one-of a kind Product Roundup. Learn about Melodyne, a pro-audio application you've definitely heard before -- though you probably didn't know it (posted on Jun 2, 2007)

AWR 2007-05-26: Strangling Internet Radio - Internet radio and the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board are locking horns over new music payment rates. Broadcasters say they are about to lose everything, the RIAA's SoundExchange disagrees, and Ricky and Jeff try to sort the whole mess out (posted on May 26, 2007)

AWR 2007-05-19: The Case of the Errant Stock Slide - The fallout from a faked memo only lasted half an hour, but millions of AAPL shares traded hands. In this Weekly Report, Ricky and Jeff look at who lost money, who made money, and how this all came to pass (posted on May 19, 2007)

AWR 2007-05-12: iPhone Mania Begins - The iPhone release is about a month away, and folks are starting to get jittery. In this week's Context Machine, Ricky and Jeff discuss iPhone sales projections, consumer interest, and the future of smartphones (posted on May 12, 2007)

AWR 2007-05-05: Green and Ubercasted - This week Ricky and Jeff gear the Context Machine to grind through Apple's open letter about its environmental aims. Who is Steve Jobs trying to please? Also, a Product Roundup on the extremely cool new application Übercaster (posted on May 5, 2007)

AWR 2007-04-28: Seeing Green, Nailing Nancy - In this Apple Report, Jeff and Ricky grind out a Context Machine interpreting Apple's financials and considering the stakes for the scot-free Fred Anderson, and the under-the-microscope Nancy Heinen (posted on Apr 28, 2007)

AWR 2007-04-21: Music, Up Close and Personal - Amanda Palmer, of the Boston-based band Dresden Dolls, joins Jeff and Ricky for a discussion on all corners of the music industry. Among the topics: the iTunes Store, Web 2.0, and the role of technology in making art (posted on Apr 21, 2007)

AWR 2007-04-14: Recapping a Crazy Week, Plus a Special Product Roundup - After a weird week with news all across the map, Ricky and Jeff take a timeout. This week's show will get you caught up on the news, and then -- in response to listener requests -- features a Product Roundup on their favorite speakers and headphones (posted on Apr 14, 2007)

AWR 2007-04-07: Down with DRM! - The wall of DRM that surround digital downloads showed its first real cracks this week, and TMO's Chief DRM Antagonist and Editor Bryan Chaffin returns to the Context Machine to talk about it (posted on Apr 7, 2007)

AWR 2007-03-30: Pimp My Creative Suite - This week's big news came from Adobe: Creative Suite 3 has been officially unveiled, and its a landmark. Jeff, and special guest Jay Nelson, Editor of Design Tools Monthly, explain why in this week's Context Machine (posted on Mar 31, 2007)

AWR 2007-03-24: AppleTV, XBox Killer (...?) - Greg Keene of TechDigs.net jumps into the Context Machine with Jeff and Ricky to talk about the story of the week: Apple TV. Also this week, National politics, Viral video, and Final Cut Pro converge with the 1984 Obama ad (posted on Mar 24, 2007)

AWR 2007-03-17: Vista (it doesn't suck...) - Windows Vista has been out for more than a month now, and it increasingly looks no better than "not bad." In this week's Context Machine, a look at how Vista is becoming the albatross of the PC industry (posted on Mar 17, 2007)

AWR 2007-03-10: CS3 Building Buzz - Adobe's Creative Suite 3 is on its way, and Jeff is positively giddy. Ricky asks him what the hubbub is all about (posted on Mar 10, 2007)

AWR 2007-03-03: Fair Use Debate Coming in Congress - It's another political Weekly Report. Ricky and Jeff follow the Fruit Loops to find out who's defending what territory in the new FAIR USE Act (posted on Mar 3, 2007)

AWR 2007-02-24: Apple & Cisco, Microsoft & MP3s - The Apple-Cisco settlement and the Microsoft MP3 shutdown are this week's Context Machine fodder (posted on Feb 24, 2007)

AWR 2007-02-17: News Potpourri - It's been a slow news week, so Ricky and Jeff take it as an opportunity to catch up on some ongoing stories (posted on Feb 17, 2007)

Apple Report 2007-02-08: Putting Apple's - In response to Steve Jobs' "Thoughts on Music," it seems every industry exec, wall street analyst, and tech writer has something to say. So this week Ricky and Jeff sort out the commentary, the bluster, and the legal issues (posted on Feb 8, 2007)

AWR 2007-02-04: iPhone Analyses, Rounding Up Podcasting Mics - This week, Ricky and Jeff put the Apple/Cingular contract through the Context Machine. Then, they wrap up their series on podcasting mics (posted on Feb 4, 2007)

AWR 2007-01-27: The Week in Context, Plus Portable Audio Recorders - This week the Apple Report podcast is back in classic form. A look at the Apple stock options probe, European regulation of DRM, and a Product Roundup of portable audio recorders (posted on Jan 27, 2007)

AWR 2007-01-20: Exhibitors Big and Small Sound off on MWSF - During MWSF, Ricky collected vendor reactions to the show. Find out -- straight from the horse's mouth -- what MWSF was like from the eyes of exhibitors (posted on Jan 20, 2007)

AWR 2007-01-14: Torpedoing Blu-Ray, MWSF in Context - Dave Hamilton joins Ricky and Jeff to machine some context around the Cisco/Apple screaming match and the porn industry's race away from Blu-Ray. Then, Ricky and Jeff pick their winners and losers of the week (posted on Jan 14, 2007)

AWR 2007-01-09: iPhone Blows Away Attendee Expectations - Apple's newest product even isn't yet legal to operate in the US, but the verdict is in: the iPhone is a killer product (posted on Jan 9, 2007)

AWR 2007-01-01: MWSF Predictions, Product Outlook - MWSF Is going to be a blowout this year: even if Apple lets us down, Macworld is packed with interesting products and exhibitors. This week's Report is a roundup of punditry and products to psych you up for the coming week (posted on Jan 7, 2007)

AWR 2006-12-23: Macworld Expo Orientation - As we roll into the New Year, and therefore another Macworld, Ricky and Jeff sit down with TMO's John Martellaro to set the stage for the Expo. Also, a discussion about Apple's love affair with secrecy (posted on Dec 30, 2006)

AWR 2006-12-23: More on PCM, Mics, iPod shuffle, and beaTunes - This week Ricky and Jeff mop up some stray stories from the week, and take a look at some great products including beaTunes and the iPod shuffle (posted on Dec 23, 2006)

AWR 2006-12-16: PRAM and Blu-Ray Rising - Dell has beaten Apple to shipping Blu-ray enabled machines, and phase-change memory technology is shaping up to be the biggest thing since flash memory. In this week's Context Machine, a look at the role Blu-ray and PCM are going to play. Also, a look at the Rode Podcaster USB mic (posted on Dec 16, 2006)

AWR 2006-12-09: Year in Review - What a year it's been, with a transition to Intel processors and Apple's expanding presence in digital media. In this week's Context Machine, it's 2006 in Review. In the Product Roundup, a quick look at the Behringer Ultravoice XM8500 (posted on Dec 9, 2006)

Roundup 2006-11-02: Movie Downloads Diversify - Apple gets control of a critical digital distribution patent. Also, BitTorrent goes legit. Whaaah? This week's Context Machine looks at the movie industry's move to digital downloads. In the Product Roundup, hear three condenser mics compared, including the Behringer B-1 (posted on Dec 2, 2006)

Roundup 2006-11-26: Your Guide to Holiday Shopping - Thanksgiving is over, so let the holiday buying binge begin! Ricky and Jeff give the Context Machine a rest in order to bring you their picks for the best holiday gifts on the market. Along the way, learn about the Shure KSM27 (posted on Nov 26, 2006)

Roundup 2006-11-19: Zune Has [Crash?] Landed - This week Microsoft launched the Zune portable media player. Ricky and Jeff use the Context Machine to handicap the new MP3 player playing-field. Also, Blue's Snowball USB condenser microphone (posted on Nov 19, 2006)

Roundup 2006-11-11: Portable Media Mergers and Microsoft Feature Creep - The Context Machine fodder: NVIDIA purchases Portal Player, and Microsoft will start selling TV shows over XBox 360. Also this week, the Shure SM7B in the Product Roundup (posted on Nov 11, 2006)

Roundup 2006-11-04: - Apple is shipping 802.11n in Macs, even before the standard is finalized. Also, Cingular starts supporting music transfer to phones from computers. That's the Context Machine fodder; Samson's CL8 mic features in the Product Roundup (posted on Nov 4, 2006)

Roundup 2006-10-28: Cracking iTunes+iPod, Merging AMD+ATI - This week the Context Machine is back in action! Join Ricky and Jeff for a look at the top two stories of the week: the DVD Jon hack and the unfolding AMD/ATI merger. Shure's SM58 features in the Product Roundup (posted on Oct 28, 2006)

Roundup 2006-10-21: Corporate Mistakes, an Intro to Podcast Hardware - This week, a quick look at corporate screw-ups, big and small, from Apple's occasional virus on iPods to Sony's titanic battery recall. Also, a new feature on podcast equipment. We start by looking at Samson's easy-setup C03U, USB condenser microphone (posted on Oct 21, 2006)

Roundup 2006-10-14: Life, Macs, and Mac|Life - Mac magazines: do we need 'em? Tune in to this week's Context Machine to find out (posted on Oct 14, 2006)

Roundup 2006-10-07: Taking Control of TV - After a quick update on some interesting ongoing stories, Jeff Gamet and Ricky Spero tackle the topic of TV timeshifting. In the Product Roundup: eyeTV vs. TiVo (posted on Oct 8, 2006)

Roundup 2006-09-30: A Podcast Tour of PME - Roundup Anchor Ricky Spero phones in from the road to talk with TMO's Jeff Gamet about what's been going on at the Podcast and Portable Media Expo (posted on Sep 30, 2006)

Roundup 2006-09-23- Viral Video Goes Vroom - This week, amid a mash of news, both Google Video and YouTube made the headlines. In this week's Context Machine: Ricky Spero and Jeff Gamet take a close look at Viral Video's dirty secrets, then discuss where it's headed. Here's a hint: iTV is involved, and your iPod (posted on Sep 23, 2006)

Roundup 2006-09-16: Unbox vs. iTunes (sort of...) - It was supposed to be a show about Amazon vs. Apple, but how much of a comparison can you draw when only Apple has the full package? For more on Apple's full package, listen in to TMO's Bryan Chaffin, Jeff Gamet, and Ricky Spero in this week's Context Machine (posted on Sep 16, 2006)

Roundup 2006-09-09: The 64-Bit Mac Smackdown - Apple off-handedly upgraded its iMacs with 64-Bit processors, and the MacBooks aren't far behind. In this week's Context Machine: how 64-bit Macs today will rocket past Windows Vista tomorrow (posted on Sep 9, 2006)

Roundup 2006-09-02: Legal Downloads for Free, Barring a (Likely) Screwup - Universal Music is planning to try to make ad money from music sales, and at the Roundup, we're not ready to write it off -- at least, not quite yet. Also, the final round in the iPod sweatshop story, this time with a twist of Chinese politics (posted on Sep 2, 2006)

Roundup 2006-08-26: A Creative Settlement - In the Context Machine: the legal Judo coming out of Apple and Creative is one of the most clever business maneuvers in tech history. Also: AOL beats iTunes to market in digital movie downloads (posted on Aug 26, 2006)

Roundup 2006-08-19: Sweatshops Part Deux, a Film Coming Soon to iTunes - This week's Context Machine Fodder: Apple did a PR victory lap in round 2 of the iPod sweatshop story, while a Lions Gate Executive runs his mouth about iTunes movie downloads (posted on Aug 19, 2006)

Roundup 2006-08-12: Developers Digging Leopard - WWDC has come and gone. Sure, there were new Macs and fancy software demos, but the real impact won't hit for a few months. If you want to know what's coming down the pike, you'll want to get up to speed on these core Leopard technologies and a new dawn for Mac Gamers (posted on Aug 12, 2006)

Roundup 2006-08-07: WWDC Keynote in Context - Congratulations: you'll be please to know you've lived long enough to hear about another Steve Jobs Keynote. Now, Roundup Anchor Ricky Spero and TMO Editor Bryan Chaffin can tell you whether you care (posted on Aug 7, 2006)

Roundup 2006-08-05: Dwindling Options - In the wake of a strange week and on the eve of WWDC, Ricky Spero and Jeff Gamet try to hit as many stories as they can. From Apple's options, to software options for music notation; from Napster's options to Norway's, this show is a grab bag of Apple news (posted on Aug 5, 2006)

Roundup 2006-07-29 - iTunes is still riding high. Let's see if TMO's Jeff Gamet can help Roundup Anchor Ricky Spero take it down. Also: what's missing from the Mac software cannon (posted on Jul 29, 2006)

Roundup 2006-07-22 - ...or not? This week, a look at whether soon-to-be-announced pro-level Macs can further boost marketshare gains already underway for the Mac (posted on Jul 22, 2006)

Roundup 2006-07-15 - As a ban on internet poker looms, TMO Editor Bryan Chaffin and Roundup Anchor Ricky Spero dive right in to the politics of it all. Red meat for the religious right or Ralph Nader's dream legislation? It's a show poker players, politics junkies, and anyone who just likes a good fight won't want to miss (posted on Jul 15, 2006)

Roundup 2006-07-08 - Microsoft is taking on the iPod. How and why is this week's Context Machine fodder, along with Apple's stock option irregularities and National Semiconductor's PR blunder (posted on Jul 8, 2006)

Roundup 2006-07-01 - It's a special show this week: as Bill Gates steps aside at Microsoft, Anchor Ricky Spero interviews TMO Editor Bryan Chaffin about Mac users' relationship with Windows, Microsoft, and the Man himself (posted on Jul 1, 2006)

Roundup 2006-06-24 - A Roundup favorite, Jeff Gamet, returns to the Context Machine to help sort out a smattering of news stories from the week (posted on Jun 24, 2006)

Roundup 2006-06-17 - "Knock Knock....Who's earning 15 cents an hour?" You won't want to miss this week's show, where TMO's Dave Hamilton joins Anchor Ricky Spero to tackle iPod-building sweatshops and the torpedoed 'Net Neutrality bill (posted on Jun 17, 2006)

 

The original tests

April 27, 2001

April 20, 2001

April 13, 2001