5 Minute Mac

File 5MM1 - From Radio MacGuys, this is episode 1 of 5 Minute Mac

Lately there have been some announcements of the "paradigm shift" variety. Let's start with the Apple TV. The evolution of this product into a real media hub is just beginning to unfold. The recent announcement regarding the availability of YouTube content on the Apple TV is very significant. Remember that Apple TV is basically an iPod on steroids. There is a good reason why Apple never put an FM tuner in their iPods and don't include a cable tuner in the Apple TV. Apple has engineered a paradigm shift in how people around the world relate to media. In the iPod/iTunes/Apple TV world, consumers program their own network choosing a combination of music, news, information and entertainment.

When Steve Jobs first introduced the iPod Shuffle, I was dubious. I was an early iPod adopter and enjoyed being able to pick an album and play it. Then podcasts came along and suddenly I live in an audio world where a Jimmy Buffett tune is followed by the news from Radio Netherlands. I don't listen to much commercial radio with the exception of a little independent country station down the road that plays oldies. I listen to NPR every now and then on the FM, but most of that content is also available as a feed and is loaded on my iPod.

This week, with a few bumps, the rules changed with regards to content purchased from the iTunes Music Store (iTMS). Under the new rules, called iTunes Plus (so far only adopted for a potion of the iTMS library), you are charged a little bit more for a tune but the stupid copy restrictions are gone, and the copies are of much better quality. This shows that Steve Jobs and Apple really get it. I suspect that the earlier policy was adopted in order to get the digital rights companies to play along.

The third interesting tidbit is a rumor going around that was from AT&T is going to bring commercial television content to the Apple TV. This is most likely a price restructuring announcement. Currently TV shows on iTunes cost $2 an episode. I suspect the price is about to come waaaaaaaaaay down with some sort of low cost subscription service very soon. I also suspect that the cable TV industry is following this development very closely.

Special note to Steve Jobs: Steve, my 12" Powerbook G4 is nearing retirement age. Please make me an Intel replacement. Blow me away with something small, lightweight and extensible.

The Apple World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) is about to happen in San Francisco. It's where the real heros of the MacOS world hang out once a year. The conference consists of presentations by Apple engineers and scientists. The attendees are the developers who write the big applications and the little ones too.

In a similar fashion to the MacWorld Expo keynote address, Steve Jobs will take to the stage at the WWDC Keynote. If past events are any guide, there will be a review of Leopard, the new release of the operating system, a review of new technologies released in the last year, and if we are lucky, a product announcement or two.

Music on todays podcast is from Blue Dew, a Dutch band, and comes to us from music.podshow.com.

This is Dave Brightbill and this has been todays edition of 5 Minute Mac. You can find out more about this show by visiting our website at http://www.macguys.com or contacting us via e-mail. Our address is macguys at mac dot com. Remember to install lightning protection on power, phone, dsl and cable TV connections to your technology and don't forget to back it up.

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