iLife '08 101: Manage Your iPhoto '08 Library

Apple decided to rearrange the way iPhoto manages it's Library in iLife '08, which means that you can't just navigate to your "Pictures" folder to see the originals right from Finder. This can be frustrating, especially if you just want direct access to your pictures without opening iPhoto.

Here's a quick "How-To" on how to access your iPhoto pictures directly from Finder:

1) Open up your "Pictures" folder in your user account, and locate the "iPhoto Library"




2) Control click on the "iPhoto Library" file, and in the menu that pops up, select "Show Package Contents"



3) Open the folder called "Originals"



4) From inside the "Originals" Folder, you can browse through all of the originals of your pictures.



Happy iPhotoing!!!

Good News iPhone Fans: 3rd Party Apps Working On 1.1.1!

Good news for iPhone owners around the world, TUAW's Erica Sadun is reporting a major breakthrough in the journey to jailbreak the iPhone's 1.1.1 firmware update which previously locked out all 3rd Party apps on the phone: "iPhone hacker asap18 has managed to port several applications to the iPhone and gotten them to appear properly on the home screen."

I love that they're obsessed with this! For me, it means that the iPhone Dev team is working incredibly hard (for free) to make this phone the best on the market. As to Apple's warnings about voiding your waranty by loading third party apps on the iPhone, I guess I understand it... a little bit... but c'mon, lighten up and maybe give us a break here. Can we maybe meet half way? Maybe come up with an agreement like:

"If my phone breaks because of software issues, it's my fault and I take care of it. If it breaks because of hardware issues, you take care of it like my three year AppleCare Waranty says you will"?

I mean, I think they should honor the waranty no matter what, but I can kind of see their concerns. Besides, it's their first time in the Cell Phone industry, and I think they'll get better as time goes by (hopefully!)

Regarding the breakthrough, Sadun notes that not all apps are working at this time, and is very careful to point out that Unlocked iPhones still bear the risk of being bricked if they are updated to 1.1.1, so if you haven't, don't upgrade until they say so. And when the time comes when we can all jailbreak our iPhones again, be sure to take to heart the iPhone Dev Team's disclaimer on their site:

"The iPhone Dev Wiki is not responsible if you void your warranty or damage your device."

Get Over The "Product Killer" Trend Already!

It seems like everywhere I turn these days, somebody's releasing a new product that is supposedly going to "kill" their competitor's product. Whether it be an "iPhone Killer", a "Sidekick Killer"or the latest one I've seen "MacBook Killer" (in reference to a leak from Engadget that Dell will be releasing a 15.3in laptop akin to the MacBook Pro in many features except the one big one: It's Not A Mac!). I think it's due time we get over it and move on to something a little more grown up.

I don't know, I guess it all just reminds me of two First Graders arguing about their super powers and which one has the stronger ones, where the first kid boldly proclaims, "Oh yeah, well I have an super megatron laser" a statement which is quickly blasted down by the second child's announcement of, "Oh yeah? Well, I'm super megatron laser proof, so you can't hurt me!". You get the point.

While I appreciate the competitiveness in the tech world these days, can we PLEASE come up with another term to use? On second thought, why don't we use it with things that aren't tech-related? It could be fun! I might be interested in seeing something like "New Lyndt Chocolates Could Be Next M&M Killer!" or "Macy's To Sell Greeting Cards, Could Be Hallmark Killer!".

The comment lines are open for suggestions.

SHAZAM!!! New iPhone Ads!

Apple popped out 3 new iPhone ads this weekend, all of which steer clear of their traditional style that focuses on the iPhone's unique features. These spots seem to feature what would appear to be actual customers giving testimonials about how the iPhone has benefited them in their lives. The style of the commercials is different from Apple ads I have seen in the past, but shows similarities to the "Switch" ads that came out a few years back, and goes along with the company's "Share Your iPhone Story" section on their site. (Are they featuring people who submitted their iPhone stories?)

What does Apple hope to achieve through these commercials? Maybe that the iPhone does what it says it does. No testimonials about third party apps not working anymore? Hmmm... I guess I won't be seeing that any time soon. But apparently visual voice mail is one of the "greatest advancements in the history of mankind... without question"; at least that's what the guy in the first ad says, so it must be true, right?

In case you don't see them on TV, you can see the ads on Apple's site.

I Might Buy From Amazon Unbox If I Could Watch It On My Mac!

When I first heard about AmazonUnbox, I was excited. Any kind of competition to iTunes Store is highly welcomed by me. I figure, let them duke it out while we as customers (hopefully) sit back and benefit from them trying to out-do each other. In this case however, I'm not included in the customer base because I don't have Windows on my laptop, and my DVR isn't TiVo. I can't even try it to see if I like it.

Ok, ok... I know that's the price I pay for having a Mac, but don't you think it would at least do them some service to at least include me in the demographic? I'm not sure how it is where you live, but I keep seeing more and more people with MacBooks, and while we might not be the majority even by a far shot, I think we're a large enough percentage to at least get a chance. (In all actuality, my beef is mostly with Microsoft here for not giving me a full version of Windows Media Player for my Mac - don't they have a store too?)

I can say that I'm glad that Amazon at least threw us a bone with their new Amazon|mp3 service. I love how their songs fully integrate into iTunes and any other media player out there, including any and all PMPs. I hope (and truly think they will) give iTunes a run for their money!

And to be honest, with the way Apple has been acting lately, I guess I don't completely blame Amazon for doing this. After all, it is their store and they can choose who they sell to, but can't we at least work something out?

I'm interested in other peoples' thoughts about this.

AMAZING: South Korean Schools Create Human LCDs!

I'm still not sure how they do it, but in South Korea, school boys who are cheering for their soccer teams do so in a very interesting way: by creating what appears to be a human LCD screen displaying messages to cheer their team along. Apparently they do this by wearing multi-colored jackets (one color on the back, one on front and another on the inside) ans sometimes even incorporating their pants into the equation.

Here it is:



My biggest question: "How do they choreograph these things?"

Sony Walkman NW-A910 Hands On Pics

In lieu to my earlier post about TV On The Go, I just noticed that Engadget was able to get hands on with Sony's new Walkman NW-A910 1Seg Portable Media Player, and posted pics on their site. Looks pretty cool, but the screen doesn't look that bright in pictures... could be the lighting though.

Still no word on when this will be released outside Japan.