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Ripping Vinyl to 24bit 96kHz Apple Lossless
Those of you out there with a vinyl collection may at some point want to preserve your collection digitally. There are many ways to achieve this, and the method described here is in no way the perfect solution for everyone, but this method does not require any software purchases so it’ll cost you nothing to give it a go. My goal was to capture my albums using the highest quality my Mac Pro could provide. I settled on 24bit 96kHz Apple Lossless files. While these files won’t play on portable Apple devices, they will play inside of iTunes. You could also create 24bit 48kHz AAC lossless files and they will play on your portable devices.

If you are going to attempt this, you will need a few things, including a turntable that outputs line level output instead of the traditional phono level output. If your turntable does not have this, you can also purchase a phono preamp that will achieve this. You’re also going to need a copy of Audacity which you can download for free.

First thing we have to do is set up our Line Input on our Mac to run at 24bit 96kHz. Launch Audio Midi Setup in the Utilities folder. Select the Built-in Line Input and change the format to 96000.0 Hz and 2ch-24bit.

Now go ahead and launch Audacity and go to the Preferences. I am using Audacity 1.3.12, so if you’re using a different version, your screens may look slightly different. In the first section we need to tell Audacity to record 2-channel stereo.

Now click on Recording in the left menu. I select the Software Playthrough option so I can hear the music through my Mac while I’m recording. This is an optional step, and it won’t harm anything if you don’t enable it.

Click on the Quality option in the left column now. Here we have to set Audacity to sample at 96kHz (or 48kHz if you’re ripping for use on iOS devices).

Now we need to do some actual recording. Get your record ready and make sure it’s very clean. This will help you to avoid additional noise in your recordings. Now we need to do is set our recording level in Audacity. To accomplish this, start playing a loud section on your record, hit Record in Audacity and adjust the Input Level Slider until you’re not clipping the sound. It is better to record a little quiet instead, since clipping will ruin your recording. This first screenshot shows a recording that’s clipping.

This screen shot shows a proper input level and the sound is no longer clipping.

Now that our recording level is set, let’s delete our test track and capture Side A of our LP.

Hit the Record button in Audacity and start playing your album. When the record is done, stop the recording. Select the needle drop at the beginning and the silence at the end of the recording and delete them. Now we need to add some labels which will help Audacity export the songs individually. Click the Skip to Start button and then press ⌘+B to add a label. Here is where you enter the name of the track. Click at the beginning of the next track and create a label there as well. Do this at the beginning of every individual track.

Once you have labeled every song, we have to normalize the track to make sure the volume is at an acceptable level. Hit ⌘+A to select the entire track. Click the Effects menu at the top and select Normalize in the drop-down menu.

Click OK to accept the Normalize effect’s default settings.

After the file has been normalized, we need to export the files. Click on the File menu and select Export Multiple. When the Export window comes up, select Other uncompressed files and then click the Options button.

In the options window we want to select AIFF as the Header and Signed 24 bit PCM as the Encoding. This will create our 24-bit 96kHz AIFF audio files.

After you click OK you will be brought back to the Export window. You can now click the Export button. This will bring up the Edit metadata window where you can see the track name and number has been automatically populated by our track labels. Just click OK since we can set the artist and album data in iTunes later.

Now we wait and when the export is done, we should have our individual tracks ready to be copied to iTunes.

Launch iTunes and go to the Preferences. Click on the Import Settings button.

Select Apple Lossless Encoder from the drop-down.

Open the AIFF files in iTunes. Once they are copied to the library, select them all, right-click and choose Get Info to set the artist and album data, click OK when you’re done.

Now right-click on all the files again except this time choose Create Apple Lossless Version.

When iTunes is done, you can right-click and get the info of a track to verify that you now have a 24bit 96kHz (or 48kHz depending on your choice) Apple Lossless file.

You can now delete the original AIFF versions out of iTunes. As I mentioned, 96kHz Apple Lossless files will not play on any iOS devices so if you desire, you can go back into iTunes preferences and set the import settings to be AAC and iTunes Plus. You can then right-click on your lossless files and create an AAC file that will play on your iOS devices.

Like I said in the beginning, this is one of a million ways to rip your vinyl collection. Is creating a 24bit 96kHz lossless file overkill? For some it may be, but for vinyl collectors and audiophiles it’s worth the effort.

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Mac 101: Using External Displays With Your Laptop Closed
A lot of the time when you connect an external display to a Mac notebook, you’ll want to continue working on the large display and close the lid of the laptop. It can be tricky to get your Mac to do so, but here is a step-by-step guide to getting it right every time.

Step 1: Cables

First off, you need to make sure the right cables are plugged into your Mac. The most important is the video cable connecting the display to the laptop. For a recent Mac, you’ll need a Mini DisplayPort cable if you’re using a new 27-inch Apple Cinema Display, or some kind of adapter, such as Mini DisplayPort to VGA or DVI. Older Macs will most likely require Mini-DVI adapters.

The next cable you need is your laptop’s MagSafe Power Adapter (the charging cable). Without having that plugged in, your laptop won’t stay awake when you shut the lid. Having the charging cable plugged in all the time shouldn't harm the battery of your portable, but if you’re worried, you can always unplug it when you turn off the computer.

Finally, you’ll also probably want an audio cable so that you can channel sound through either your display’s speakers or a set of external speakers. While this isn’t necessary, the audio from a laptop’s built-in speakers doesn't sound too good when the laptop’s closed. Usually you’ll audio cable is plugged into the headphone jack of your laptop, which is one of the small circular ports at the end of the row.

Step 2: Peripherals

If you want to continue working when the laptop is closed, it’s essential that you have an external mouse and keyboard, since you won’t be able to access the internal ones once the lid is shut. It doesn't matter whether they are wired or wireless; as long as they are connected and working before you shut your laptop, it’s fine to carry on. Before continuing to step three, make sure your input devices are connected, and that they are working properly. Wireless devices can sometimes be notorious for not connecting straight away, so make sure you check.

If you’re using wireless input devices, open System Preferences and navigate to the Bluetooth pane. Click Advanced… and you should see four checkboxes. Make sure Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer is checked. This ensures that clicking the mouse or pressing a key on the keyboard will wake the computer from sleep mode.

Step 3: Shut the lid

Next is the all-important part: actually closing the laptop. It tends to work best if the Mac is already up and running when you do this, so if your computer is turned off, I’d recommend powering it on before continuing. While your computer is running, simply close the lid. At first your Mac will enter sleep mode, and any connected displays will go blank. This is fine, since Mac portables automatically go to sleep when they’re shut. Once your computer is completely asleep, either tap a key on the keyboard or click the mouse to wake it up. After a few seconds, your external display should come back on and be displaying your desktop. Be patient, since your Mac could take 30 seconds or so to wake back up.

If your display doesn't come back on, double-check that you have the power cable for your Mac plugged in. Also check that the display hasn't turned off completely when the Mac went to sleep, rather than entering standby mode. Now you can use your Mac portable as a home theatre PC, or as a makeshift tower for your home computing needs.

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Cooking Your Steak With Bluetooth and the iPhone
As grilling season begins in the U.S., the mystery behind the "hottest" product at Macworld 2011 becomes much more pertinent: what is the iGrill and does it work? And more importantly, is it worth it?

The iGrill is a Bluetooth enabled remote cooking thermometer. The base unit hangs outside the grill and you insert a probe in your food to determine temperature, just like one based on RF. Analog devices like this have been out for years. But iGrill is cooler because it's Bluetooth. The iGrill supports up to two probes and transmits the data to your iOS device. Obviously, you don't put your itself iPhone anywhere near the grill.

At first the unit was a bit flaky, but a few software updates and helpful tech support resolved the problems. I got it to pair fine with my iPad but had trouble with the iPhone. Also, we learned the hard way you can only pair the iGrill with one device at the time, which makes sense, but it means only one designated family member will likely operate in a supervisory role. My only complaint with tech support is that they are only open during business hours, and really, who grills during business hours?

The free companion app has a virtual thermometer interface to show the recognized temperature in analog and digital form. You can set an alarm by temperature, time, or a preset level of doneness depending on the type of meat being cooked. The app included a limited number of recipes, which were not integrated into the software. I expected to be able to tap on a recipe and have the iGrill configure itself based on the recipe.

As a remote thermometer, this unit is moderately expensive. Ones based on RF average around $50 retail while the iGrill sells for $99. However, if you wanted cheap you probably wouldn't have an iPhone in the first place. Because this integrates with your iPhone, you don't have to carry two devices around the house. That clearly has some value, but maybe not $50 worth.

Why buy it then? Because it's fun! We've had a grill for year and never bothered to get a remote thermometer, and burned many dinners in the process (or thrown them in the microwave to reduce rawness). After we got the iGrill, everything came out awesome and at the perfect temperature, no cutting into stuff to determine doneness. My iPhone tells me when it's done.

The iGrill is also stylish and comes in both black and white, unlike the iPhone 4. Old-style RF/analog thermometers simply don't belong in a home in which every member of the family has an iPhone, and iPad and a Mac. What would the neighbors think about that "Mac" family down the street using 20th century tech to determine if dinner is ready?

Disclosure: While iGrill did provide a unit to Dave, he had to buy all the items to actually grill.

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Apple Second Quarter Earnings Preview
On Wednesday, Apple will announce results for the second quater of the fiscal year, and expectations are looking large. Guidance is for $22 billion in revenue, $4.90 earnings per share, while conventional analyst wisdom calls for $23 billion in revenue, $5.30 EPS. Apple will likely blow past both, which is great news for shareholders, but the rest of us are likely more interested in Apple products. At the conference call, and in the numbers, there may be a few hints about Apple’s mysterious “product pipeline.”

Mac sales are expected to be between 3.5 and 4 million units, up from 2.9 million last year. More interesting, IDC is reporting ten percent growth year-over-year for Mac sales in the U.S., and while Toshiba also saw growth, HP, Dell, and Acer saw declines of 2.4, 11.8, and a CEO-firing 42.1 percent, respectively. According to IDC, "media tablets" like the iPad could be one factor in those declines. However, the reverse appears to be true for Apple, with the iPad having yet another "halo effect" on Mac sales. This ensures the Mac will remain a major focus for Apple, good news for Mac users, but which Macs will receive Apple’s attention in the future?

While Apple doesn't break out numbers on individuals models, 70 percent of Macs sold last quarter were laptops, with the redesigned MacBook Air likely leading sales. Analysts expect the trend towards portability to continue, even though desktop sales are actually increasing. Nonetheless, the continued decline in market share likely means less focus on Mac Pros, Mac minis, and even the iMac. The Xserve, of course, is no longer part of the picture at all, having been discontinued.

Also in decline, or at the least stagnating, are iPod sales, likely to be between 9.5 and 10 million units, compared to 10.9 million last year. Sales of iPods have been slowly declining since 2008, but that decline is tempered by the increased average selling price of iPod units. That is attributed to the iPod touch, which accounted for half of all iPod sales in the holiday quarter last year. That's great for the iOS platform, far more important to the future than Apple controlling 70 percent of the declining market for media players. The interesting question will be whether, despite alleged e-mails from Steve Jobs to the contrary, the iPod classic will be phased out. For that matter, merging the iPod nano and shuffle into a single device starting at $99 doesn’t seem like an impossibility, either.

For the iPhone, the opposite might happen with the introduction of news models and price points. Sales for last quarter will likely be between 16 and 20 million units, but it’s hard to be too optimistic because of the uncertainty over Verizon iPhone sales. Apple, never shy about being self congratulatory, has been silent on sales, though Verizon has said the iPhone 4 was the "largest retail launch" in company history. But even if Apple sold 20 million iPhones last quarter, that would be ten million fewer than Google is reporting for Android activations. Those numbers are likely the reason Tim Cook was hinting about the iPhone being "not just for the rich" earlier this year. A low-priced, current generation of iPhone would definitely help keep the iPhone from being relegated to niche status in an Android world.

As for Android doing to the iPad what was done to the iPhone, it hasn’t happened so far, though estimates on iPad sales are all over the place, anywhere between 5 and 10 million. Arguably, if iPad sales are near the holiday quarter's 7.3 million, that will put the iPad on track for 30 to 35 million units sold this calendar year. That kind of success took years for both the iPod and iPhone to achieve, but let's hope Apple isn't getting fat on margins and lazy. Competitors like Samsung and beleaguered Acer are finally bringing tablets to market with lower price points than the iPad. Price will be the challenge for the iPad in the second half of the year, a challenged that could be met with another iPad 2.

In summary, my predictions for next week are:
- Revenue, EPS: $24.9 billion, $5.05
- Macs: 3.75 million
- iPods: 9.95 million
- iPhones: 17.55 million
- iPads: 7.05 million
What are your estimates for Q2 2011?

And don’t forget TheAppleBlog will provide highlights of the earnings report and the conference call, including any trash talking from any Apple execs on RIM’s Playbook.

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What Should the iPad 3 Do?
The iPad 2 may have only just arrived, but at this point, I’ve spent enough time with the device to get a good sense of what I think is still missing from Apple’s tablet. But since, as Steve Jobs rightly points out, it’s more useful to talk about experiences than hardware specifications when it comes to today’s mobile devices, I think it’s more useful to think about what the next iPad should do than what it will look like.

Seamless Desktop Integration

Unlike Microsoft, Apple recognized that shoehorning a full desktop OS onto a tablet device wasn’t going to work out. It’s an act of compromise, and that’s something that rarely results in quality user experience. Instead, Apple went the route of optimization, and designed a specific version of its mobile OS for a large-screen device. Despite its mobile roots, the iPad version of iOS is very different from its iPhone cousin. The same can’t be said of Android, which was awkwardly ported as a smartphone OS to larger devices, then rushed as a tablet-specific version to market.

Now that Apple has differentiated its tablet experience, it appears to be taking steps to bring its various operating systems back into tighter alignment. iOS releases now make simultaneous appearances on both iPad and iPhone, largely boasting the same feature updates. And OS X Lion promises to bring many aspects of iOS to the desktop. This is a planned, well-thought-out convergence between mobile and traditional computing, and hopefully, the next iPad reflects that. I want to see more of what Adobe has previewed with its Photoshop Touch apps — namely a fully complimentary relationship between computer and tablet — built right in to the OS. Apple’s unique degree of control over every aspect of hardware and software on the Mac and the iPad should make this a given.

Make Storage Limitations Invisible or Obsolete

For all the hype about cloud computing and the lean, mean, local-storage-free future of mobile devices, I still find myself running up against space limitations unless I opt for the most storage available at point of purchase. This is especially true on the iPad, where rich media apps and ambitious games can take up a lot of space before you even start thinking about media like music and movies. Apple is putting the finishing touches on a gigantic data center, and hopefully, the company is planning to use that for more than just storing higher-res versions of QuickTime trailers.

The ultimate aim of cloud computing, from a user experience perspective, should be to remove, or make invisible, the idea of device storage constraints. Imagine an intelligent content management system that quietly slips your least-used stuff off to a cloud locker when you want to load on more recent movies, music or apps. It’s not nearly as far out of reach as it once seemed, and rumors about Apple’s cloud plans suggest it may be taking some steps in that general direction, at least. An iPad that doesn’t advertise its storage capacity, but instead touts its ability to handle all the media and software you could want seems like exactly the type of thing Apple has in mind when it talks about the post-PC experience.

Untethered

Many complain the iPad is still dependent on a computer in a very basic sense. I rarely sync, and in fact, usually only plug my iPad into my computer for updating or the odd battery charge if it’s convenient. But tethered syncing is still the only way to get your music and movies from iTunes to the device, unless you want to repurchase everything, and it’s still necessary for updates, backups and activation. Many critics argue the iPad can’t truly be a post-PC device while it still bears these limitations.

I’d argue the iPad can still be considered post-PC even without being completely independent from a traditional computer, but that’s beside the point. The next iPad should be untethered, not for the sake of justifying any cute semantic phrase, but instead, because it will provide that much better of an experience for the user. Having to physically plug in once in a while isn’t a terrible burden, but it’s annoying enough that I’ve been known to hem and haw about it, even if syncing or updating will only ultimately be to my advantage. And for users who could use the iPad as their only computer if only Apple would let them, truly cutting the cord would represent a massive improvement.

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Fresh Apple

Friday, April 15, 2011

GigaOMApple (5 сообщений)

Step 1: Cables

Step 2: Peripherals

Step 3: Shut the lid

Seamless Desktop Integration

Make Storage Limitations Invisible or Obsolete

Untethered

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